Jiang Can
StarBombyx mori Linnaeus (infected by Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuillant)
Traditionally used for
- Headaches
- Eye health
- Nose & throat
- Cough & breathing
- Digestion
- Nerves & recovery
- Skin
Cautions & contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
- Liver conditions
- Toxic — professional use only
☯ TCM Properties
Extinguishes Wind and Stops Spasms; Dispels Wind and Stops Pain; Transforms Phlegm and Dissipates Nodules; Clears Heat from the Throat
Traditional Chinese Uses
Jiang Can (僵蚕), Bombyx Batryticatus, is the dried larva of the silkworm Bombyx mori Linnaeus that has died of infection by the fungus Beauveria bassiana and become stiff and white. It is salty and acrid and neutral, entering the Liver, Lung and Stomach channels. It extinguishes Wind and stops spasms, dispels Wind and stops pain, transforms Phlegm and dissipates nodules, and clears Heat from the throat.
It is used for internal Wind with convulsions and spasm, including childhood convulsive disorders and epilepsy, and for facial paralysis and deviation of the eye and mouth, where its ability to dispel Wind from the channels of the face is characteristic. It relieves Wind-Heat headache and red, painful eyes, treats sore, swollen throat and loss of voice, and disperses scrofula and Phlegm nodules in the neck. It also vents rashes and relieves Wind itching.
It is generally well tolerated. Because it is acrid and dispersing it is not suited to convulsive disorders arising from Blood deficiency without Wind-Phlegm, and it is used with care in patients who are markedly deficient.
Pharmacological Effects
- Hypnotic and anticonvulsant: Ethanol-water extract was hypnotic in mice (s.c., i.p., oral) and rabbits (i.v.); oral 2.5 or 0.25 g/kg matched 50 mg/kg s.c. phenobarbital. Decoction (30 g/kg oral) reduced mortality from strychnine convulsions but not electroshock, cardiazol or caffeine; ammonium oxalate is thought to be the active anti-strychnine principle.
- Bacteriostatic: Mild inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 532.
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Jiang Can (literally stiff silkworm) is not a plant but the dried body of silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori, family Bombycidae) that have died of muscardine disease, an infection caused by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Infected fourth- or fifth-instar larvae become rigid, white-coated, and chalky as fungal hyphae and asexual conidia colonize the body cavity and erupt through the cuticle, producing a fuzzy white bloom. The harvested material consists of straight, cylindrical, hard, light, yellowish-white to grey-white bodies 2-5 cm long that retain the segmented silkworm form, with a faintly aromatic, slightly fishy odor and a salty taste. It is therefore an animal-fungal product, not botanical (Wikipedia; NCBI).
Active Constituents
Ammonium oxalate
Organic acid ammonium saltConcentration: reported at 5.0-13.0% of the dried drug; mean 66,515 micrograms per gram (about 6.7%) across 15 batches
Quantitatively the dominant identified constituent and one of the three accepted quality markers of the drug. Feng et al. (2025) showed in a pentylenetetrazole mouse seizure model that ammonium oxalate given alone at 50 mg/kg produced rapid-onset protection, significantly increasing seizure latency at 1-4 hours with maximum effect at 1-2 hours and 90% survival at 2 hours against 30% in the model group. It accounts for the early phase of the whole drug's anticonvulsant action.
It is also the source of two safety concerns. Ammonium oxalate is metabolised to ammonia, so a large or prolonged dose contributes an ammonia load, and the oxalate moiety is the same anion involved in calcium oxalate stone formation.
Beauvericin
Cyclic hexadepsipeptide (fungal secondary metabolite)Concentration: mean 192.3 micrograms per gram across 15 batches; increases with bran-frying, from an imaging intensity of about 31,400 raw to 39,500 fried
A secondary metabolite of Beauveria bassiana, not of the silkworm - it is present because the drug is a fungus-mummified larva rather than a dead insect. Feng et al. (2025) found it contributes to the later phase of the anticonvulsant effect, significantly extending seizure latency at 4-8 hours with maximum effect at 6 hours.
Beauvericin is also an emerging mycotoxin. It is a cation ionophore, and its toxicity follows from transporting cations across membranes: in cell lines it reduces viability, arrests the cell cycle, generates reactive oxygen species and triggers mitochondrial apoptosis, and it is genotoxic, producing DNA fragmentation, chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei. In vivo toxicity data are scarce and no regulatory risk assessment has been possible, so the safe dietary or medicinal exposure is genuinely unknown. The same molecule is therefore both a declared quality marker of Jiang Can and a compound under toxicological review as a food contaminant.
Bassianolide
Cyclic octadepsipeptide (fungal secondary metabolite)Concentration: mean 325.6 micrograms per gram across 15 batches; increases with bran-frying, from an imaging intensity of about 165,300 raw to 222,200 fried
A second Beauveria bassiana depsipeptide and, with beauvericin and ammonium oxalate, one of the three Q-markers of the drug. In the pentylenetetrazole model it significantly extended seizure latency from 2 to 8 hours with maximum effect at 6 hours, so like beauvericin it acts in the later phase. Being an insecticidal fungal depsipeptide of the same class as beauvericin, it warrants the same caution about unstudied chronic exposure.
Tenellin
2-pyridone fungal metaboliteConcentration: not quantified in absolute terms; falls markedly on bran-frying, from an imaging intensity of about 1,595 raw to 374 fried
Another Beauveria bassiana metabolite, useful here as a processing marker: it is one of the metabolites that decreases sharply when the drug is stir-fried with wheat bran, and its abundance therefore distinguishes raw Jiang Can from Chao Jiang Can.
Protein and free amino acids
Protein and amino acidsConcentration: protein reported at 43.9-74.3% of the drug
The bulk of the drug by mass, derived from both larval and fungal tissue. The allogeneic protein content is the basis of the allergic reactions reported for the drug. Liu et al. (2023) showed that bran-frying redistributes the protein-related metabolite profile: gamma-aminobutyric acid falls very sharply (about 135,400 to 8,400 by imaging intensity), cyclo(Tyr-Val), cyclo(Ala-Pro) and L-arginine also fall, while homoarginine rises about tenfold and the fungal depsipeptides rise.
Flavonoids, nucleosides and sterols
Mixed secondary metabolitesConcentration: identified but not routinely quantified; the reported set includes quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, uracil, uridine, xanthine, cytidine and adenine, eight steroid compounds and a coumarin derivative
Minor constituents catalogued in the phytochemical review of the drug. None has been established as a principal active, and they are not used as quality markers.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Patients with hepatic impairment, cirrhosis or hepatic encephalopathy (and lactulose or rifaximin therapy)
Ammonium oxalate is 5-13% of the drug by weight, so a 6 g dose delivers on the order of 300-800 mg of it. The Bombyx batryticatus pharmacology review notes explicitly that metabolism of ammonium oxalate produces ammonia and that blood ammonia toxicity is a concern, and it records that poisoning incidents involving the drug have been reported in numerous investigations. A patient whose ammonia clearance is already compromised is the one in whom this matters.
Clinical note: Avoid in decompensated liver disease and in anyone with a history of hepatic encephalopathy. In milder hepatic impairment keep the dose at the low end and the course short, and stop it if confusion, asterixis or day-night reversal appears. Do not use it as an ongoing daily herb.
Patients with calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis or on oxalate-restricted regimens
The oxalate anion in ammonium oxalate is the same species that precipitates with calcium in the urinary tract. At 5-13% of the drug by weight the dietary equivalent is not trivial if the herb is taken daily over weeks. No study has measured urinary oxalate excretion after Jiang Can, so this is reasoning from the constituent rather than a documented event.
Clinical note: Avoid prolonged courses in recurrent calcium oxalate stone formers and in patients with enteric hyperoxaluria or short bowel. Encourage fluid intake if the herb is used. This is a reason to keep courses short rather than an absolute contraindication in a stone-free patient.
Warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents
Inhibition of platelet aggregation is among the pharmacological activities documented for Bombyx batryticatus in the in vitro and in vivo literature summarised by Hu et al. (2017). No human interaction study exists and the responsible constituent is not identified, so the magnitude is unknown.
Clinical note: Ask about bruising and bleeding in patients on anticoagulants or dual antiplatelet therapy, and record the herb in the medication list. Check INR after starting or stopping in a warfarin patient.
Insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agents
Hypoglycaemic activity is among the documented pharmacological effects of the drug in preclinical work. There are no human pharmacodynamic data, so the clinical size of the effect is unknown, but the direction is the same as the patient's antidiabetic medication.
Clinical note: Ask a diabetic patient to monitor capillary glucose more closely for the first week or two after starting, particularly on insulin or a sulfonylurea where hypoglycaemia is possible.
Patients with known allergy to silk, insect or fungal proteins
The drug is 43.9-74.3% protein, from two allogeneic sources - the silkworm larva and the Beauveria bassiana mycelium that killed and mummified it. Allergic reactions to the allogeneic proteins are recorded among the adverse effects of the drug alongside gastrointestinal effects from improper dosing. Silk protein sensitisation and mould sensitisation are both common enough that this is worth asking about.
Clinical note: Ask directly about silk allergy, occupational sericulture exposure and mould allergy before prescribing. Start at a low dose in atopic patients. Stop immediately on rash, wheeze, facial swelling or throat tightness.
Aflatoxin-contaminated batches and hepatotoxic co-medication
Because Jiang Can is a fungus-colonised animal body dried and stored, it is vulnerable to secondary mould growth. Aflatoxin contamination during processing and storage is listed among the quality problems of the drug, alongside non-standardised production procedures. This is a contamination hazard rather than an intrinsic property of the drug, but it is a documented one and it interacts with any hepatotoxic co-medication.
Clinical note: Source from suppliers who test for aflatoxin. Reject visibly mouldy, musty or damp material. Exercise extra care in patients on methotrexate, isoniazid, azole antifungals or other hepatotoxic drugs, and in anyone with existing liver disease.
Raw Jiang Can versus bran-fried Chao Jiang Can, and Jiang Yong (fungus-treated silkworm pupa) as a substitute
Stir-frying with wheat bran measurably changes the drug. Liu et al. (2023) used mass spectrometry imaging to identify 15 differential markers between raw and bran-fried material: gamma-aminobutyric acid, cyclo(Tyr-Val), cyclo(Ala-Pro), L-arginine and tenellin all fell, while homoarginine rose roughly tenfold and the fungal depsipeptides beauvericin, bassianolide and beauverolide C all rose. Since beauvericin and bassianolide are the constituents responsible for the later-phase anticonvulsant effect, the processed drug is not chemically interchangeable with the raw one and the monographs should be read as describing different preparations.
Separately, the identity of the drug depends on the fungus. Jiang Can is the larva killed and mummified by Beauveria bassiana, so its distinguishing chemistry - beauvericin, bassianolide, beauverolide C, tenellin - is fungal in origin. Silkworm material that died without fungal colonisation, or fungus-treated silkworm pupa (Jiang Yong) offered in its place, lacks the same profile. Quality evaluation work has had to develop cross-sectional silk gland ring criteria to separate genuine from substandard commercial material.
Clinical note: State raw or bran-fried on the prescription. Bran-fried is the usual form where the drug is being used for wind and phlegm patterns; raw is more often specified where heat is prominent. Reject material that does not show the characteristic white fungal bloom and the internal ring structure, and do not accept silkworm pupa as a substitute for the mummified larva.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 5–10 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】5～10g。 【性味与归经】咸、辛，平。归肝、肺、胃经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Expels wind-phlegm from the face and channels while extinguishing wind and stopping spasms.
Facial paralysis (deviation of mouth and eye).
Core pair of a classical formula — Qian Zheng San, Yang Shi Jia Cang Fang
Together they disperse wind-heat and ascend the clear, and extinguish wind to stop spasms, venting heat that is constrained in the upper body and skin.
Warm-heat epidemic disorders with constrained heat; also used for itching and throat swelling.
Core pair of a classical formula — Sheng Jiang San, Shang Han Wen Yi Tiao Bian (Yang Lixuan)
Together they extinguish wind, transform phlegm and stop spasms in the channels of the face, treating wind-phlegm obstructing the collaterals.
Facial paralysis with deviation of the mouth and eyes; the formula also contains Bai Fu Zi.
Core pair of a classical formula — Qian Zheng San, Yang Shi Jia Cang Fang (Yang Tan)
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 3 studiesRecorded 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
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
3
2 verified · 1 unverified
Show 3 studies
- Discovery of antiepileptic Q-Markers for Bombyx batryticatus: Integrating serum pharmacochemistry, network pharmacology and temporal-efficacy validation
- In situ detection and mass spectrometry imaging of protein-related metabolites in Bombyx batryticatus before and after frying with wheat bran
- Quality evaluation of Bombyx Batryticatus from different sources in China and quality analysis based on cross sectional silk gland rings
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
Discovery of antiepileptic Q-Markers for Bombyx batryticatus: Integrating serum pharmacochemistry, network pharmacology and temporal-efficacy validation
HPLC-Q-TOF/MS identified 65 compounds in Bombyx batryticatus extract, of which 31 reached mouse serum. Quantification across 15 batches gave mean contents of beauvericin 192.3 micrograms per gram, bassianolide 325.6 micrograms per gram and ammonium oxalate 66,515 micrograms per gram. In an acute pentylenetetrazole seizure model, the whole drug at 0.86 g/kg by gavage prolonged seizure latency from 1 to 8 hours with two efficacy peaks at 3 and 8 hours. Ammonium oxalate at 50 mg/kg gave rapid-onset protection (peak 1-2 hours, latency significantly increased at 1-4 hours, 90% survival at 2 hours against 30% in the model group), while beauvericin and bassianolide acted later (both peaking at 6 hours, extending latency at 4-8 and 2-8 hours respectively). The three were adopted as the drug's quality markers. Note that two of the three are Beauveria bassiana metabolites, which is direct evidence that the fungus, not the silkworm alone, carries the activity.
In situ detection and mass spectrometry imaging of protein-related metabolites in Bombyx batryticatus before and after frying with wheat bran
Mass spectrometry imaging compared raw Bombyx batryticatus with the bran-fried drug and identified 15 differential markers. Gamma-aminobutyric acid fell from an imaging intensity of about 135,400 to 8,400, with cyclo(Tyr-Val), cyclo(Ala-Pro), L-arginine and tenellin also decreasing; homoarginine rose from about 34,100 to 332,000, and beauvericin, bassianolide, beauverolide C and cyclo(Ala-Tyr) all increased. The authors concluded that high-temperature frying partially denatures proteins while enhancing specific constituents. The practical implication is that raw and bran-fried Jiang Can are chemically distinct drugs.
Quality evaluation of Bombyx Batryticatus from different sources in China and quality analysis based on cross sectional silk gland rings
Commercial Bombyx batryticatus from different Chinese sources was evaluated for quality, using the cross-sectional silk gland ring structure of the mummified larva as an authentication criterion alongside chemical analysis. The work addresses the practical problem that commercial material is variable and that the classical visual criterion for genuine Jiang Can - the internal gland rings of a properly fungus-mummified larva - can be given an analytical basis.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
- Liver conditions
- Toxic — professional use only
Contraindications
Its use is prohibited in patients without wind pathogen.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 313–318.
Side Effects
- A minority of patients reported dry mouth (xerostomia), nausea, reduced appetite and lassitude.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 532.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Han dynastyBen Cao Gang Mu
Ming dynasty (1596)References
- Meibian Hu, Zhijie Yu, Jiaolong Wang, Wenxiang Fan, Yujie Liu, Jianghua Li, He Xiao, Yongchuan Li, Wei Peng, Chunjie Wu. Traditional Uses, Origins, Chemistry and Pharmacology of Bombyx batryticatus: A Review . Molecules (2017) [DOI]
- Amanda Lopes Hasuda, Ana Paula F.R.L. Bracarense. Toxicity of the emerging mycotoxins beauvericin and enniatins: A mini-review . Toxicon (2024) [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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