Ai Ye
StarArtemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot.
Synonyms: Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot, Artemisia vulgaris var. argyi (H.Lév. & Vaniot) Pamp.
Also known as: Ai Yeh · Wade–Giles
Not the same drug: Kampo Gaiyō (艾葉 ガイヨウ) names a different drug from this herb — JP: leaf and twig tips of Artemisia princeps or A. montana; ChP: leaf of A. argyi.
Not the same drug: Korean Aeyeop (艾葉 애엽) names a different drug from this herb — KP: leaf and young stem; ChP: leaf.
Not the same drug: Vietnamese Ngải diệp names a different drug from this herb — source row 'Ngải cứu (Ngải diệp)': herb of Artemisia vulgaris; ChP 艾叶 is the leaf of A. argyi.
Easily confused with
- An Ye — pinyin one letter apart. Ai Ye: regulating blood, warm, toxicity slight; An Ye: transforming phlegm, cool.
Safety at a glance
- Caution · Graded slightly toxic in our catalogue
- Note · 1 recorded drug interaction
- Note · Contraindications or side effects are listed
No rule in our tables for this herb: pregnancy, breastfeeding, incompatible pairs (十八反 / 十九畏), herb–drug, dose ceiling. This is not a safety clearance.
Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Colds & fever
- Digestion
- Menstrual & women's health
- Skin
Cautions & contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Toxic — professional use only
☯ TCM Properties
Warms the channels, warms the womb, stops bleeding and calms the fetus; Disperses Cold and alleviates pain; Eliminates Dampness and stops itching; Resolves Phlegm and stops cough and asthma
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ai Ye (mugwort leaf, artemisia leaf) is a warm, bitter-pungent herb with a strong warming action on the lower burner and Chong and Ren vessels. It is used for cold-type menstrual disorders including painful menstruation, excessive menstrual bleeding from deficiency cold, and threatened miscarriage from uterine cold. Externally, it is the primary substance used in moxibustion therapy — burned over acupuncture points to warm channels and dispel cold. It also treats itching skin conditions when used as a wash.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Antiasthmatic: Essential oil (0.5 ml, various routes incl. aerosol) was antiasthmatic in rabbits with acetylcholine-histamine asthma; relaxed guinea pig bronchial muscle, not blocked by propranolol or reserpine. 4-Terpineol was the most active component; trans-carveol and α-terpineol also active; α-terpineol raised tracheal cAMP.
- Antitussive and expectorant: Oil at 0.25-0.5 ml/kg was antitussive in cats, mice and guinea pigs via a central action; expectorant in rabbits and mice, apparently by direct bronchial action.
- Antiallergic: Oral oil 0.5 ml/kg protected guinea pigs from anaphylactic shock; oil and 4-terpineol antagonized and inhibited release of SRS-A.
- Antimicrobial: Decoction weakly antibacterial, but fumigation cut airborne bacterial colonies by 95-99.8% and inhibited several viruses, synergistically with Cang Zhu.
- Other: Oil was sedative in rabbits and prolonged pentobarbital sleep in mice, inhibited isolated hearts; moxartenolide inhibited contraction of rat aortic strips.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 432.
Used In Formulas (11)
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Botanical Description
Artemisia argyi (Chinese mugwort) is an aromatic herbaceous perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae), spreading by creeping rhizomes and reaching about 1–1.5 m. The stems are grooved and woolly. The stalked leaves are ovate in outline and deeply pinnately lobed, dark green and thinly hairy above but densely white-tomentose beneath, and dotted with aromatic oil glands — the silvery underside giving the epithet argyi ('silvery'). Numerous small, nodding, reddish to yellowish flower heads are borne in leafy panicles in late summer and autumn. The dried leaf is the medicinal Ai Ye, and its felted trichomes are processed into moxa for moxibustion.
Grassy slopes, roadsides, waste ground, and forest margins across low and middle elevations in East Asia.
Artemisia princeps is common throughout East Asia and is widely cultivated both as a food herb and medicinal plant. It is considered a common weed in many areas. No conservation concerns.
Active Constituents
1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol)
Monoterpenoid (essential oil)Concentration: One of the dominant components of the leaf essential oil (AAEO); reported in the range of several to ~20% depending on chemotype and season
A principal volatile of Ai Ye responsible for its aromatic, camphoraceous odour. Contributes anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and mild bronchodilatory/expectorant activity, consistent with the traditional use of moxa smoke and leaf preparations to resolve phlegm and stop cough.
Camphor
Monoterpenoid ketone (essential oil)Concentration: Variable major constituent of the essential oil (chemotype dependent)
Warming, counter-irritant and analgesic terpenoid; supports the traditional function of dispersing Cold and relieving pain when the leaf is used externally or as moxa.
Borneol / Terpinen-4-ol / α-terpineol
Monoterpene alcohols (essential oil)Concentration: Common oxygenated monoterpene fraction of AAEO
Contribute antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory activity of the volatile oil and are among the compounds credited with the anti-itch and antimicrobial actions used for damp skin conditions.
β-Caryophyllene
Sesquiterpene (essential oil)Concentration: Notable sesquiterpene component of the leaf oil
A CB2-active anti-inflammatory sesquiterpene contributing to the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of the essential oil.
Eupatilin
Polymethoxylated flavoneConcentration: Representative non-volatile bioactive flavonoid; a marker compound used in quality control of Folium Artemisiae Argyi
A signature A. argyi flavone with documented anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, antioxidant and anticoagulant activity. It inhibits NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and is the active principle of the related standardized Artemisia gastritis drug DA-9601.
Jaceosidin
Polymethoxylated flavoneConcentration: Co-occurring marker flavonoid with eupatilin
Exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity in cell models; frequently paired with eupatilin as a chemical marker for the herb.
Chlorogenic acid and related caffeoylquinic acids
Phenolic acidsConcentration: Present in aqueous/hydroalcoholic leaf extracts
Antioxidant phenolics contributing to radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activity of water-based decoctions.
Tannins
PolyphenolsConcentration: Present in the leaf
Astringent constituents supporting the haemostatic (stop-bleeding) actions traditionally attributed to the herb, especially when charred (Ai Ye Tan).
⚠ Drug Interactions
Warfarin and other anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs
The A. argyi flavone eupatilin has demonstrated anticoagulant/antiplatelet activity in laboratory studies, so concurrent use with anticoagulants could theoretically potentiate their effect. No controlled human interaction data exist.
Clinical note: Monitor for bruising/bleeding if used with warfarin, heparin, aspirin or clopidogrel; clinical significance of dietary amounts is unproven.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 3–9 g | daily | — | adult | 中国药典 2020年版 一部 【艾叶】【用法与用量】3～9g。外用适量，供灸治或熏洗用。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I. Charred (Ai Ye Tan) to stop bleeding; also used externally in moxibustion. |
Dosage Calculator
⚖ Dosage Calculator
A weight-based mathematical estimate for Ai Ye. Not a prescription.
Preparation Methods
Decoction (internal)
Parts: Dried leaf (Folium Artemisiae Argyi)
Typically 3–10 g of dried leaf decocted in water for internal use to warm the channels, warm the womb, stop bleeding and calm the fetus. Often combined with other blood-regulating herbs.
Dry-frying / charring (Ai Ye Tan)
Parts: Dried leaf
The leaf is stir-fried until charred to strengthen its warming, haemostatic action for cold-type uterine and other bleeding. Charring is the classic method to enhance the stop-bleeding function.
Moxibustion (external, moxa)
Parts: Dried, aged and pulverized leaf (moxa floss)
Aged leaves are ground to floss and formed into cones or sticks burned on or above acupoints to warm the meridians, dispel Cold and alleviate pain. The most iconic external use of Ai Ye.
External wash / bath
Parts: Dried leaf
A strong decoction is used topically as a wash or added to bath water to eliminate Dampness and stop itching in damp skin conditions.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
The combination stops bleeding while the warmth of one moderates the coldness of the other, so bleeding is checked without congealing blood.
Persistent hematemesis from deficiency cold; the formula also contains dried ginger.
Core pair of a classical formula — Bai Ye Tang, Jin Gui Yao Lue (Zhang Zhongjing)
The combination warms the channels and nourishes blood while stopping bleeding, securing the Chong and Ren vessels.
Uterine bleeding, prolonged spotting and threatened miscarriage with bleeding from deficiency cold of the Chong and Ren.
Core pair of a classical formula — Jiao Ai Tang (Xiong Gui Jiao Ai Tang), Jin Gui Yao Lue (Zhang Zhongjing)
Together they warm the uterus and disperse cold while regulating Liver qi, relieving lower abdominal pain from cold and qi stagnation.
Cold uterus with painful, irregular menstruation, leukorrhea or infertility.
Core pair of a classical formula — Ai Fu Nuan Gong Wan, Ren Zhai Zhi Zhi Fang (Yang Shiying)
Evidence Tier
1 study on recordRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
0
Other clinical trial
1
1 verified · 0 unverified
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
0
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
DA-9601 for erosive gastritis: results of a double-blind placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial
Phase III trial of DA-9601, a standardized Artemisia extract whose active flavonoid is eupatilin — a signature constituent of Artemisia argyi — in patients with endoscopically diagnosed erosive gastritis. DA-9601 significantly improved endoscopic healing versus placebo, supporting the gastroprotective activity attributed to eupatilin-type flavones. (Note: the source botanical for DA-9601 is the closely related A. asiatica, which shares eupatilin with A. argyi.)
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Toxic — professional use only
Contraindications
Use with caution in pregnancy at high dose, and in yin deficiency with heat.
Side Effects
- Oral decoction caused dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, gastric discomfort, diarrhea and dizziness in about 30% of patients; mostly resolved on switching to the essential oil
- Oil aerosol caused dry mouth, nausea and cough in a minority; no cardiovascular, liver, kidney or blood effects
- 4-Terpineol caused similar reactions; β-caryophyllene reactions were mild
- 30 daily oral doses of 0.45 ml oil in rabbits caused no significant abnormalities
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 432.
Safety Warnings
- The volatile oil carries most of the toxicity — moxibustion and short decoction courses are the usual uses and are low-risk.
- Not for prolonged use at high dose.
⚠ Toxicity Information
Nausea and dizziness at higher doses; thujone is neurotoxic in quantity, and prolonged high-dose use has been associated with hepatic injury.
Historical Texts
Mingyi Bielu (Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians)
Southern and Northern Dynasties, c. 500 CE (Tao Hongjing)Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica)
Ming dynasty, 1578 (Li Shizhen)Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) tradition of moxibustion
Han dynasty compilation (classical era)References
- Song X, Wen X, He J, et al.. A review of the research progress on Artemisia argyi Folium: botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and clinical application . Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (2024) [DOI]
- Zhang N, et al.. Pharmacological and bioactive properties of Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot essential oil: a review . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2025) [DOI]
- Chen L, et al.. Integrative analysis of metabolite and transcriptome reveals biosynthetic pathway and candidate genes for eupatilin and jaceosidin biosynthesis in Artemisia argyi . Frontiers in Plant Science (2023) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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