Liu Yue Xue
StarSerissa japonica (Thunb.) Thunb.
☯ TCM Properties
Releases the Exterior and Disperses Wind-Cold; Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Clears Heat and Drains Dampness; Relaxes the Sinews and Unblocks the Collaterals; Promotes Urination and Reduces Edema; Invigorates Blood and Regulates Menstruation
Traditional Chinese Uses
Liu Yue Xue (serissa herb) is a cool herb used in Chinese medicine to clear Heat, promote Blood circulation, and address certain types of edema and urinary difficulty. It is used for conditions including hepatitis with jaundice, rheumatic joint pain, sore throat from Heat, and urinary complaints from Heat accumulation in the lower burner. As a gentle, widely available folk herb, it reflects the rich tradition of southern Chinese herbal medicine in identifying and using locally available plants.
Botanical Description
Serissa japonica (sometimes Serissa foetida) is a small evergreen densely branched shrub in the Rubiaceae growing 30-90 cm tall, native to open hillsides, grassy slopes, and forest margins across southern China, Japan, Taiwan, and Indochina. The slender wiry stems are greyish and bear opposite, small, narrowly elliptic to ovate, glossy dark green leaves 6-22 mm long, with entire margins; foliage emits a slightly fetid smell when bruised. Small funnel-shaped white (sometimes flushed pink) flowers, about 6-10 mm across with usually 4-6 spreading lobes whose throats are hairy inside, are produced solitary or in small clusters in the leaf axils from spring through autumn, giving rise to the name "tree of a thousand stars." Fruits are small dry drupes. The dried whole flowering plant is the medicinal Liu Yue Xue.
Active Constituents
(E)-Nerolidol
Sesquiterpene alcoholConcentration: ~16.1% of the essential oil (dominant volatile)
The single most abundant volatile of the aerial parts. (E)-Nerolidol contributes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and is a recognised skin-penetration enhancer, consistent with the plant's folk use for inflammatory and skin complaints.
1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol)
Oxygenated monoterpeneConcentration: ~7.3% of the essential oil
A major oxygenated monoterpene with documented anti-inflammatory, mucolytic and antimicrobial actions. It supports the traditional wind-heat clearing and heat-resolving applications attributed to the herb.
iso-Longifolol
Oxygenated sesquiterpeneConcentration: ~5.8% of the essential oil
One of the principal oxygenated sesquiterpenes of the volatile fraction; contributes to the oil's overall antioxidant and mild antimicrobial profile.
alpha-Terpineol
Monoterpene alcoholConcentration: Minor volatile (>1% of essential oil)
A common monoterpene alcohol with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that adds to the herb's heat-clearing and damp-draining actions.
Borneol
Bicyclic monoterpene alcoholConcentration: Minor volatile (>1% of essential oil)
Aromatic monoterpene traditionally associated with opening the channels and relieving pain; contributes analgesic and anti-inflammatory character to the volatile oil.
Camphor
Monoterpene ketoneConcentration: Minor volatile (>1% of essential oil)
A counter-irritant, mildly analgesic monoterpene ketone consistent with the topical use of the herb for sinew relaxation and collateral-unblocking.
Lignans (furofuran-, tetrahydrofuran- and arylnaphthalene-type)
LignansConcentration: Present in the whole plant (non-volatile fraction)
Structurally diverse lignans reported from the Serissa genus; these classes are broadly associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and are among the characteristic non-volatile metabolites of the plant.
Triterpenes and steroids (e.g. beta-sitosterol type)
Triterpenoids / phytosterolsConcentration: Present in the whole plant
Triterpenes and steroid/sterol constituents typical of Rubiaceae taxa; contribute to the anti-inflammatory and heat-clearing reputation of the drug.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction (tang)
Parts: Aerial parts, Whole herb
Typically 10-30 g of dried aerial parts (fresh herb up to 60 g) simmered in water and taken as a decoction for wind-damp, damp-heat and heat-toxicity patterns. Often combined with other heat-clearing or channel-unblocking herbs.
Topical wash / poultice
Parts: Fresh aerial parts, Whole herb
Fresh herb crushed and applied externally, or a strong decoction used as a wash, for swellings, sores and localized inflammation, reflecting the reduce-swelling and resolve-toxicity functions.
Clinical Studies
Chemical Profiles and Biological Activities of Essential Oil from Serissa japonica
GC-MS analysis identified 64 volatile compounds, dominated by (E)-nerolidol (16.1%), 1,8-cineole (7.3%) and iso-longifolol (5.8%). The oil showed antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 approximately 62.8 ug/mL; ABTS IC50 approximately 57.8 ug/mL), anti-inflammatory activity (NO-production inhibition IC50 approximately 63.0 ug/mL; protein-denaturation IC50 approximately 59.3 ug/mL), moderate anti-tyrosinase and weak anti-alpha-glucosidase effects, giving a chemical basis for the plant's heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory folk use.
Historical Texts
Zhiwu Ming Shi Tu Kao (Illustrated Investigation of Plant Names and Realities)
Qing dynasty (1848), compiled by Wu QijunZhonghua Bencao (Encyclopedia of Chinese Materia Medica)
Modern (1999)References
- Pham TV, Vu TY, Nguyen HM. Chemical Profiles and Biological Activities of Essential Oil from Serissa japonica . Molecules (2025) [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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