Gua Lou Ren
StarTrichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Phlegm-Heat from the Lungs; Broadens the Chest and Dissipates Nodules; Moistens the Intestines and Unblocks the Bowels; Promotes Tissue Regeneration and Heals Sores
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gua Lou Ren (trichosanthes seed) is a cool, oily herb that clears Phlegm-Heat from the Lungs and moistens the Intestines to relieve constipation. It is used for coughs with thick, yellow, difficult-to-expectorate phlegm from Lung Heat, chest tightness from Phlegm-Heat obstruction, and constipation from intestinal dryness. Unlike the peel of the same fruit (Gua Lou Pi), which focuses on chest Qi, the seed has a stronger moistening and Intestine-lubricating action alongside its Lung Phlegm-clearing properties.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (Cucurbitaceae) is a dioecious perennial climbing vine native to China, Korea, and Japan, with palmately 3-7 lobed leaves, branched tendrils, and small white flowers bearing deeply fringed petals. The orange-yellow ovoid fruits, 7-10 cm long, contain numerous flattened tan seeds known in Chinese medicine as Gua Lou Ren. Seeds are harvested in autumn from ripe fruits, rinsed, sun-dried, and often dry-fried before use. In TCM, Gua Lou Ren is sweet in flavor and cold in nature, entering the Lung, Stomach, and Large Intestine channels; it moistens the Lungs, transforms hot phlegm, moistens the intestines, and unbinds the chest.
Active Constituents
Trichosanic acid (punicic acid)
Conjugated fatty acid (conjugated linolenic acid)Concentration: ~18-49% of seed oil
The characteristic conjugated fatty acid of Trichosanthes seed oil, with reported hypolipidemic and antioxidant activity in animal models.
Linoleic acid
Polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-6)Concentration: ~25-40% of seed oil
Major essential fatty acid of the seed oil; the oil content underlies the seed's traditional intestine-moistening, bowel-unblocking action.
Oleic acid
Monounsaturated fatty acid (omega-9)Concentration: ~6-42% of seed oil
A principal monounsaturated fatty acid contributing to the lubricating, emollient quality of the fatty seed.
Palmitic acid
Saturated fatty acidConcentration: ~3-8% of seed oil
A minor saturated fatty acid component of the seed oil.
α-Tocopherol (vitamin E)
Tocopherol / antioxidant vitaminConcentration: ~248-702 mg/kg of seed oil
Fat-soluble antioxidant enriched in the seed kernel oil; contributes to the oil's radical-scavenging and lipid-protective activity.
Phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol)
SterolsConcentration: present, higher in kernel than shell oil
Plant sterols with cholesterol-lowering potential, consistent with the reported hypolipidemic effects of the seed oil.
Triterpenoid saponins
Triterpenoid saponinsConcentration: minor constituents of the seed/fruit
Contribute expectorant and phlegm-transforming activity associated with the broader Gua Lou drug.
Flavonoids
FlavonoidsConcentration: minor constituents
Antioxidant polyphenols isolated from the seed that add to its lipid-lowering and antioxidant profile.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Aconite herbs — Chuan Wu / Cao Wu / Fu Zi (Aconitum spp.)
Gua Lou (including Gua Lou Ren) belongs to the classical “Eighteen Incompatibilities” (十八反) and must not be combined with aconite-family herbs. Modern co-decoction studies indicate combining the two can raise the concentration of toxic diester-type aconitine alkaloids in the decoction.
Clinical note: The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists this pair as incompatible; avoid combining Gua Lou Ren with any Wu Tou/Fu Zi preparation.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction (crushed seed)
Parts: Ripe seed
Usually 9-15 g of seeds crushed just before decoction to release the fatty oil that moistens the intestines and clears phlegm-heat.
Gua Lou Ren Shuang (defatted seed “frost”)
Parts: Ripe seed (oil partly pressed out)
The seeds are pressed to remove much of the oil, yielding a milder “frost” preparation used when the moistening, potentially laxative effect of the whole seed is undesirable (e.g. loose stools).
Dry-fried (chao) seed
Parts: Ripe seed
Gentle dry-frying is used to temper the cold nature and reduce the tendency to loosen the stool in patients with weak digestion.
Clinical Studies
Hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seed oil and flavonoids in mice fed with a high-fat diet
Administration of Trichosanthes kirilowii seed oil significantly lowered serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol; the seed oil plus flavonoid combination improved hepatic and serum antioxidant status and reduced lipid peroxidation, showing synergistic hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 1st-2nd century CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty (1596)References
- Hou Z, Zhu L, Meng R, Wang B. Hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim seed oil and flavonoids in mice fed with a high-fat diet . Journal of Food Biochemistry 44(8):e13272 (2020) [DOI]
- Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoger E. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition (Gua Lou Ren / Trichosanthis Semen) . Eastland Press (2004) [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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