Chuan Niu Xi
StarCyathula officinalis Kuan
☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis; Promotes Menstruation; Frees the Joints and Channels; Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria; Guides Herbs and Blood Downward
Traditional Chinese Uses
Chuan Niu Xi (Sichuan ox-knee root, cyathula root) is a warm, Blood-activating herb with a strong affinity for the lower body. It promotes Blood circulation, eliminates stasis, and expels Wind-Damp to relieve lower back and knee pain, joint stiffness, and weakness from both Blood stagnation and Wind-Damp obstruction. Its descending quality makes it appropriate for conditions where pathology needs to be directed downward, including certain types of urinary difficulty and amenorrhea from Blood stasis in the lower body.
Western Herbalism Properties
Used In Formulas (1)
Botanical Description
Cyathula officinalis K.C.Kuan (Amaranthaceae) is a perennial herb 50-100 cm tall endemic to the mountains of Sichuan and neighboring provinces in China, with erect quadrangular stems, opposite oblong-elliptic leaves with strigose pubescence, and small greenish flowers densely crowded in stalked globose spikes bearing characteristic hooked bracteoles. From the base develops a long cylindrical taproot with several side rootlets and conspicuous swollen nodes that resemble ox knees, giving the herb its name. Roots are dug in late autumn or winter, the rootlets and fibrous lateral roots removed, fumigated with sulfur or briefly steamed, and sun-dried. In TCM, Chuan Niu Xi is sweet and slightly bitter in flavor and neutral in nature, entering the Liver and Kidney channels; it invigorates blood, dispels stasis, and directs blood and other herbs downward.
Active Constituents
20-Hydroxyecdysone (ecdysterone)
PhytoecdysteroidConcentration: Major ecdysteroid; a Chinese Pharmacopoeia marker for the root
A principal bioactive of the root associated with anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating and tissue-repair effects; used as a quality-control marker for Cyathulae Radix.
Cyasterone
PhytoecdysteroidConcentration: Characteristic ecdysteroid of C. officinalis
A representative constituent tested in endothelial-damage and blood-stasis models, showing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity relevant to the herb's blood-invigorating use.
24-Hydroxycyasterone
PhytoecdysteroidConcentration: Minor ecdysteroid
One of the phytoecdysteroids identified in the active fraction, contributing to the overall ecdysteroid-driven anti-inflammatory profile.
Chikusetsusaponin IV
Triterpenoid (oleanane) saponinConcentration: Representative saponin of the active fraction
A triterpene saponin highlighted as a key active component in acute blood-stasis studies, associated with vascular protective and anti-inflammatory effects.
Ginsenoside Ro
Oleanane triterpenoid saponinConcentration: Present among root saponins
An oleanolic-acid-type saponin contributing to the saponin fraction linked with anti-inflammatory and microcirculation-improving activity.
Oleanolic acid
Pentacyclic triterpeneConcentration: Aglycone/minor constituent
A triterpene aglycone associated with hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory actions, part of the triterpenoid component of the root.
Polysaccharides
PolysaccharideConcentration: Water-soluble macromolecular fraction
Contribute to reported immune-enhancing and antioxidant activities of the crude root extract.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents (e.g., warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
As a blood-invigorating, stasis-dispelling herb used to move Blood, concurrent use with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs could theoretically potentiate bleeding tendency. No confirmed clinical interaction reports exist.
Clinical note: Use cautiously and monitor for bleeding in patients on anticoagulants/antiplatelets; traditionally contraindicated in pregnancy because it moves Blood downward.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction
Parts: Root
Typically 4.5-9 g decocted. Used to invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, promote menstruation and guide Blood and herbs downward; also promotes urination for stranguria.
Wine-processed root (jiu zhi)
Parts: Root
Stir-fried with wine to enhance the Blood-invigorating and channel-freeing actions for joint pain, traumatic injury and menstrual stasis.
Clinical Studies
Therapeutic Effects of Cyathula officinalis Kuan and Its Active Fraction on Acute Blood Stasis Rat Model and Identification Constituents by HPLC-QTOF/MS/MS
The root extract and its ecdysteroid/saponin-rich active fraction improved hemorheological parameters in an acute blood-stasis rat model, supporting the traditional blood-invigorating, stasis-dispelling use. Forty compounds, chiefly phytoecdysteroids and saponins (including cyasterone and chikusetsusaponin IV), were identified.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), by Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty (1578)Chinese Pharmacopoeia tradition
Modern (20th century onward)References
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Chuan Niu Xi / Cyathulae Radix monograph) . China Medical Science Press (2020) [DOI]
- Cao Y, Gu C, Zhao F, et al.. Therapeutic Effects of Cyathula officinalis Kuan and Its Active Fraction on Acute Blood Stasis Rat Model and Identification Constituents by HPLC-QTOF/MS/MS . Pharmacognosy Magazine (2017) [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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