Bei Xie
StarDioscorea hypoglauca Palib. / Dioscorea spongiosa J.Q.Xi, M.Mizuno & W.L.Zhao / Dioscorea septemloba Thunb.
☯ TCM Properties
Separates the pure from the turbid ( resolves turbid Dampness in the Lower Jiao ); Expels Wind-Dampness, relaxes the sinews and unblocks the Luo channels; Clears Damp-Heat from the skin
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bei Xie is the rhizome of Dioscorea hypoglauca and related species (D. spongiosa, D. septemloba), a bitter, neutral herb entering the Bladder, Liver and Stomach channels and classed among the dampness-transforming/draining medicinals. Its signature action is to separate the pure from the turbid, resolving turbid Dampness in the Lower Jiao. It is the principal herb for gao lin (cloudy, milky or greasy urination) and turbid vaginal discharge, classically formulated in Bi Xie Fen Qing Yin with Yi Zhi Ren, Wu Yao and Shi Chang Pu.
It also expels Wind-Dampness to relax the sinews and unblock the channels in painful obstruction (bi) of the lower limbs, and clears Damp-Heat from the skin in weeping eczema and sores. It is best avoided in cloudy dribbling due to Bladder Damp-Heat and in Yin deficiency.
Botanical Description
Bei Xie is sourced principally from Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca, with related species D. tokoro and D. nipponica also accepted in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia; all are perennial climbing vines of the Dioscoreaceae family native to East Asia. The plants produce slender twining stems that ascend from a stout, branched, woody underground rhizome which spreads horizontally just below the soil surface. Leaves are alternate, long-petioled, broadly cordate to triangular-ovate with entire or shallowly lobed margins and prominent palmate venation, often glaucous on the lower surface. The vines are dioecious, bearing small inconspicuous greenish flowers in slender axillary spikes or panicles, and on female plants developing the characteristic three-winged dry capsular fruits typical of the genus, each containing flat winged seeds.
Active Constituents
Dioscin
Spirostanol steroidal saponinConcentration: Major saponin marker compound
A principal steroidal saponin of Bei Xie with documented anti-hyperuricemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, nephroprotective and hepatoprotective activity. It promotes uric acid excretion by regulating renal urate transporters (down-regulating GLUT9, up-regulating OAT1) in animal models of hyperuricemia.
Protodioscin
Furostanol steroidal saponinConcentration: Major saponin
A furostanol saponin and biosynthetic precursor of dioscin. It shows anti-inflammatory and metabolic activity and is one of the main markers used to identify Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma.
Gracillin
Spirostanol steroidal saponinConcentration: Documented
A spirostanol saponin closely related to dioscin with reported anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activity, contributing to the herb's action of resolving turbid dampness and dispelling wind-damp.
Protogracillin
Furostanol steroidal saponinConcentration: Documented
The furostanol precursor of gracillin, identified among the six principal steroidal saponins of Dioscorea hypoglauca rhizome, sharing the anti-inflammatory profile of the group.
Pseudoprotodioscin
Furostanol steroidal saponinConcentration: Documented
A furostanol saponin reported to have lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory activity, part of the saponin fraction responsible for the herb's effects on damp-heat and turbidity.
Diosgenin
Steroidal sapogenin (aglycone)Concentration: Present as saponin aglycone / hydrolysis product
The steroidal aglycone released on hydrolysis of the saponins. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperuricemic and lipid-modulating activity and is an important active metabolite mediating the herb's effects on hyperuricemia and inflammation.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction (tang)
Parts: Dried rhizome
Typically 9-15 g of the sliced dried rhizome is decocted in water and taken to separate the pure from the turbid, resolve turbid dampness in the lower jiao (e.g. cloudy urine, leukorrhea) and expel wind-damp painful obstruction.
Powder / pill
Parts: Dried rhizome
The rhizome is powdered for use in traditional pills and powders, as in the classical formula Bei Xie Fen Qing Yin, to clear turbidity and treat cloudy, painful urination.
Clinical Studies
Effect and mechanism of dioscin from Dioscorea spongiosa on uric acid excretion in animal model of hyperuricemia
In hyperuricemic animals, dioscin from a Bei Xie source species lowered serum uric acid and enhanced its renal excretion by down-regulating the urate reabsorption transporter GLUT9 and up-regulating the secretory transporter OAT1, providing a mechanistic basis for the traditional use of Bei Xie in gout and turbid dampness.
Protective Effects of Dioscin and Diosgenin on Plateau Hyperuricemia by Attenuating Renal Inflammation via EPHX2
Dioscin and its metabolite diosgenin reduced serum uric acid and attenuated renal inflammation in a hyperuricemia model, acting in part through regulation of renal lipid metabolism and the EPHX2 gene, supporting the anti-hyperuricemic activity of the herb's saponins.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 200 CE)Yang Shi Jia Cang Fang / classical usage (Bei Xie Fen Qing Yin)
Song-Yuan periodReferences
- Zhang Y, Jin L, Liu J, Wang W, Yu H, Li J, Chen Q, Wang T. Effect and mechanism of dioscin from Dioscorea spongiosa on uric acid excretion in animal model of hyperuricemia . Journal of Ethnopharmacology 214:29-36 (2018) [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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