☯ TCM Properties
Reduces inflammation, clears Heat, removes toxicity and promotes urination (clears Heat and Dampness from the Intestines); Invigorates the Blood, dissipates Blood Stasis, reduces swelling, drains pus and generates flesh; Expels Wind-Heat; Disperses Stasis, eases pain and treats incised wounds
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gui Zhen Cao (Herba Bidentis) is the whole plant of Bidens pilosa (and the closely related B. bipinnata), an Asteraceae annual whose barbed 'sticktight' fruits give it the name 'demon needle grass'. Sweet, bland and slightly bitter in flavour and neutral in nature, entering multiple channels including the Liver, Spleen, Large and Small Intestine, Kidney and Bladder, it clears Heat and resolves toxicity, drains Damp-Heat (especially from the intestines) to promote urination, invigorates the Blood and disperses Stasis to reduce swelling and drain pus, and dispels Wind-Heat.
Traditional uses include the common cold and Wind-Heat with sore throat and influenza, Damp-Heat diarrhoea and dysentery, jaundice, and intestinal abscess (appendicitis). Through its Blood-moving, toxin-clearing actions it also treats sores and swellings, snake and insect bites, traumatic injury and Wind-Damp painful obstruction, taken as a decoction or applied topically.
Botanical Description
Gui Zhen Cao refers to Bidens pilosa (and the closely related B. bipinnata) in the family Asteraceae, an erect annual herb reaching 30 to 150 centimetres in height. The slender, four-angled stems bear opposite, pinnately compound or trifoliate leaves with toothed, lance-shaped leaflets. Small composite flower heads carry yellow disc florets and, in some varieties, a few white ray florets. The most distinctive feature is the fruit: narrow, blackish, four-angled achenes tipped with two to four stiff, barbed awns that cling tenaciously to clothing and animal fur, accounting for the common name beggar's-tick. The species is a cosmopolitan weed of disturbed ground throughout warm temperate and tropical regions, including much of southern China.
Active Constituents
Cytopiloyne (and related polyacetylenic glucosides)
Polyacetylene glycosideConcentration: Minor aerial-part constituent; isolated in mg quantities from methanol extracts
A signature polyyne of Bidens pilosa. It improves pancreatic beta-cell function and modulates T-helper cell differentiation, and is regarded as a principal antidiabetic and immunomodulatory marker compound of the herb.
Polyacetylenes (e.g. 1,2-dihydroxytrideca-3,5,7,9,11-pentayne, phenylheptatriyne)
Polyacetylene / polyyneConcentration: More than 50 acetylenes reported across the plant
Contribute anti-malarial, anti-cancer, antibacterial and anti-diabetic activity. Some conjugated polyynes are photoactivated antimicrobials.
Flavonoids (quercetin, isookanin-7-O-glucoside, jacein, centaurein, luteolin glycosides)
Flavonoid / flavone glycosideConcentration: Over 100 flavonoids characterised in the species
Provide the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective actions; several inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine release.
Chalcones and aurones (okanin, butein and their glycosides)
Chalcone / auroneConcentration: Characteristic pigments of the genus Bidens
Okanin glycosides show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and are used as chemotaxonomic markers.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid)
Phenylpropanoid / phenolic acidConcentration: Common across aerial parts
Free-radical scavengers contributing to antioxidant and antimicrobial effects.
Phytosterols (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol) and fatty acids
Phytosterol / fatty acidConcentration: Minor lipophilic fraction
Contribute to anti-inflammatory activity of the lipophilic extract.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Antidiabetic drugs (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin)
Bidens pilosa extract and its polyacetylene cytopiloyne lower fasting glucose and improve beta-cell function. A pilot human study showed that combining the formulation with conventional antidiabetic drugs gave better glycaemic control, implying an additive effect.
Clinical note: Monitor blood glucose if used together with hypoglycaemic medication; dose adjustment of the conventional drug may be needed.
Immunosuppressants (e.g. ciclosporin, corticosteroids)
Polyacetylenes such as cytopiloyne modulate T-cell differentiation and cytokine profiles in preclinical models, which could theoretically counter drugs intended to suppress immune activity.
Clinical note: Theoretical only; use caution in transplant or autoimmune patients on immune-modulating therapy.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (internal)
Parts: aerial parts, whole herb
Typically 15-30 g of dried herb (or 30-60 g fresh) simmered in water and taken as a decoction to clear Heat, resolve toxicity and cool the Blood.
Fresh poultice / external wash
Parts: fresh aerial parts
Fresh herb pounded into a poultice and applied to swellings, insect bites, snakebite or sores; also boiled and used as an external wash for skin inflammation.
Clinical Studies
Bidens pilosa Formulation Improves Blood Homeostasis and beta-Cell Function in Men: A Pilot Study
A Bidens pilosa formulation (400 mg three times daily) was given to diabetic men. In the formulation-only group fasting blood glucose fell from about 202 to 123 mg/dL and HbA1c from 9.1% to 7.2%; HOMA analysis indicated the effect worked through improved beta-cell function, with no obvious adverse effects.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Shi Yi (Supplement to Materia Medica), Chen Cangqi
Tang dynasty (8th century)Quan Guo Zhong Cao Yao Hui Bian (National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine)
Modern (20th century)References
- Bartolome AP, Villasenor IM, Yang WC. Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae): Botanical Properties, Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology . Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013) [DOI]
- Xuan TD, Khanh TD. Chemistry and pharmacology of Bidens pilosa: an overview . Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation (2016) [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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