Jin Qiao Mai
StarFagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) Hara
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Expels pus and dispels Blood stasis; Clears Lung Heat and Transforms Phlegm; Benefits the Throat and Reduces Swelling; Strengthens the Spleen and Promotes Digestion
Traditional Chinese Uses
Jin Qiao Mai (wild buckwheat rhizome, fagopyrum rhizome) is a cool herb used in Chinese medicine to clear Heat toxin, reduce swelling, and invigorate Blood. It is used for Lung Heat with cough and purulent phlegm — potentially including Lung abscess — and for inflammatory swellings, carbuncles, and throat infections from Heat toxin. Its Blood-activating properties extend to joint pain and traumatic injuries. Modern Chinese medicine uses it in formulas for acute respiratory infections and inflammatory swellings.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) H. Hara (Polygonaceae), perennial or golden buckwheat, is a robust herbaceous perennial 50-150 cm tall, growing from a stout, woody, knotted rhizome that branches into many fleshy roots. The hollow, grooved stems are erect or sprawling, often reddish at the nodes and clasped by membranous ochreae. Alternate, broadly triangular-hastate leaves 5-12 cm long have acuminate tips and entire margins. Terminal and axillary compound cymes of small, white, five-tepalled flowers mature into three-angled, brown achenes. Native to subtropical Asia from the Himalayas through China and Vietnam, the plant grows on moist slopes and forest margins. The dried rhizome (Jin Qiao Mai) is used in TCM to clear heat, resolve toxicity, transform phlegm, and expel pus, particularly in lung abscess and respiratory infections.
Active Constituents
Flavonoids (rutin and quercetin)
Flavonol glycoside and aglyconeConcentration: Major active fraction; rutin a principal marker
The dominant bioactive class, with over thirty flavonoids reported. Rutin and quercetin provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vascular-protective effects that underlie the herb's heat-clearing, toxicity-resolving and swelling-reducing actions.
Catechin and epicatechin
Flavan-3-olsConcentration: Notable constituents of the rhizome
Monomeric flavan-3-ols with strong radical-scavenging activity. They contribute to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory profile and serve as building blocks for the herb's condensed tannins.
Procyanidins (B-1, B-2 and galloylated derivatives)
Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins)Concentration: Four major condensed tannins isolated from the rhizome
Procyanidin B-1, procyanidin B-2 and their galloyl esters show significant free-radical scavenging and reported antitumor activity, consistent with the traditional use for dispersing pus, breaking blood stasis and treating masses.
Phenolic acids
Organic phenolic acidsConcentration: Present as part of the organic acid fraction
Contribute antioxidant and antimicrobial activity that supports the clearing of Lung heat, benefiting of the throat and reduction of swelling.
Triterpenoids and steroids
Terpenoids / phytosterolsConcentration: Minor constituents
These lipophilic constituents are associated with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects reported for the rhizome extracts.
Organic acids and tannins
Organic acids and hydrolysable/condensed tanninsConcentration: Rich fraction of the rhizome
Astringent tannins and organic acids provide antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and tissue-consolidating effects that reinforce the traditional actions of resolving toxicity and expelling pus.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs
The rhizome is rich in rutin and other flavonoids that can influence platelet function and capillary integrity, and the herb is used to invigorate blood and disperse stasis; concurrent use with anticoagulants or antiplatelets could theoretically add to bleeding risk.
Clinical note: No confirmed clinical interaction reported; use caution and monitor if combined with warfarin or antiplatelet therapy.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction
Parts: Rhizome (Rhizoma Fagopyri Dibotryis)
Decoct 15-45 g of the dried rhizome in water. Used to clear Lung heat and transform phlegm in cough and lung abscess, to resolve toxicity and disperse pus, and to benefit the throat and reduce swelling.
Water-alcohol extract / patent preparation
Parts: Rhizome (Rhizoma Fagopyri Dibotryis)
A concentrated water-alcohol extract of the rhizome is the basis of standardised Chinese patent products used for chronic bronchitis, sore throat and as an adjunct in lung disorders; taken according to the manufacturer's dosing.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1578Chinese Pharmacopoeia (Jin Qiao Mai monograph)
Modern (People's Republic of China)References
- Geng Q, Liu B, Cao Z, Li L, Lu P, Lin L, Yan L, Lu C. Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma: A review . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2023) [DOI]
- Jing R, Li HQ, Hu CL, Jiang YP, Qin LP, Zheng CJ. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profiles of Three Fagopyrum Buckwheats . International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2016) [DOI]
- Li J, et al.. Towards a better understanding of Fagopyrum dibotrys: a systematic review . Chinese Medicine (2021) [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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