Ling Yang Jiao
StarSaiga tatarica Linnaeus
☯ TCM Properties
Calms the Liver and Extinguishes Wind; Clears Liver Heat and Brightens the Eyes; Calms the Liver and Subdues Yang; Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Cools the Blood and Dispels Stasis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ling Yang Jiao (antelope horn, saiga antelope horn) is a cold substance used in Chinese medicine to calm Liver Yang, clear Liver Fire, and extinguish internal Wind. It is one of the most powerful herbs for calming convulsions, tremors, and febrile seizures — manifestations of internal Liver Wind. It also clears intense Heat from the Qi and Blood levels for high fever with delirium, and brightens the eyes for conditions from Liver Heat. Due to saiga antelope's endangered status, its use is now highly restricted and clinical alternatives are sought.
Botanical Description
Ling Yang Jiao is the horn of the saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), a small migratory bovid of the Central Asian steppes recognised by its bulbous downward-pointing snout adapted to filtering dust and warming inhaled air. Only adult males bear horns: paired, slightly lyre-shaped, pale amber to translucent yellowish-white, 20-30 cm long, with prominent transverse ridges on the lower two-thirds and a smooth tapered tip. Saiga populations have collapsed by more than 95% since the 1990s due to poaching for horn and periodic mass mortality events, and the species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and on CITES Appendix II with zero export quotas from most range states. Substitutes using goat or domestic antelope horn are common in modern Chinese pharmacy. This is an animal product, not a plant.
Active Constituents
Keratin
Fibrous structural proteinConcentration: Principal component of the horn
Considered the main material basis of the horn medicine; on decoction/digestion it yields the bioactive peptide fragments thought to mediate the antipyretic, anticonvulsant and antihypertensive actions.
Keratin-derived functional peptides (e.g. YGQL, LTGGF)
OligopeptidesConcentration: Released on hydrolysis of horn keratin
Identified by proteomic/metabolomic studies as functional substances; proposed to act via the arachidonic acid pathway (PTGS2/COX-2 binding) and TRPA1 modulation, consistent with antipyretic and anticonvulsant effects.
Amino acids (including free amino acids from keratin)
Amino acidsConcentration: Abundant after hydrolysis
Hydrolysis products of horn protein; contribute to the nutritive and pharmacologically active fraction.
Calcium phosphate and inorganic salts
Inorganic mineralsConcentration: Minor mineral fraction
Mineral component of the horn matrix; trace elements form part of the crude drug.
Cholesterol and phospholipids
LipidsConcentration: Trace
Minor lipid constituents of the horn tissue.
⚠ Drug Interactions
CNS depressants / sedatives and anticonvulsants
Saiga horn has documented sedative and anticonvulsant activity (regulation of serotonin and the glutamate-GABA balance) in animal models, so combined use with sedatives or antiepileptic drugs could theoretically be additive.
Clinical note: No confirmed clinical interaction data; use cautiously with sedative or anticonvulsant medication. Note the source animal (Saiga tatarica) is critically endangered and CITES-restricted.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Filed/shaved horn, long decoction (decocted separately)
Parts: Horn shavings
The very hard horn is filed or shaved into thin slices/powder and decocted separately for a prolonged time (traditionally 2 hours or more), then the liquid combined with the main decoction. Typical dose 1-3 g in decoction.
Fine powder taken directly
Parts: Horn (ground to powder)
Ground to an ultra-fine powder and swallowed with water or the strained decoction, roughly 0.3-0.6 g per dose, to more fully extract the active substances from the keratin.
Clinical Studies
Saiga antelope horn suppresses febrile seizures in rats by regulating neurotransmitters and the arachidonic acid pathway
In a rat febrile-seizure model, saiga horn reduced seizure activity and inflammatory cytokines and rebalanced hippocampal glutamate/GABA, with functional keratin-derived peptides implicated as active substances acting through the arachidonic acid pathway.
The anticonvulsant effect of saiga horn on febrile seizures by regulating brain serotonin content and inhibiting neuroinflammation
Saiga horn suppressed febrile convulsions in rats in association with increased brain 5-HT (serotonin), up-regulation of ER-beta and TPH2, and inhibition of neuroinflammation, supporting the classical use for pediatric convulsions and high fever.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 200 CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty (1578)References
- Li J, Yao X, Wu Y, Wang C, Yang J, Wu C. Saiga antelope horn suppresses febrile seizures in rats by regulating neurotransmitters and the arachidonic acid pathway . Chinese Medicine (2024) [DOI]
- Yao X, Li J, Wu C, et al.. Mechanism and functional substances of Saiga antelope horn in treating hypertension with liver-yang hyperactivity syndrome explored using network pharmacology and metabolomics . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (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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