Mu Tong
StarAkebia quinata (Thunb.) Decne.
Traditionally used for
- Urinary & fluids
- Menstrual & women's health
- Pain & joints
- Skin
Cautions & contraindications
- Kidney conditions
☯ TCM Properties
Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria; Clears Heart Fire; Promotes Lactation; Dispels Dampness and Unblocks Painful Obstruction; Breaks Blood Stasis and Unblocks Menstruation
Traditional Chinese Uses
Mu Tong (akebia stem, mutong) is a cold herb that promotes urination and clears Heat from the Heart and Small Intestine, directing it out through the urine. It is used for Heart Heat manifestations including mouth sores and urinary burning and difficulty — the classical correspondence between Heart Fire and Small Intestine Heat. It also promotes lactation by opening the channels of the breast and stimulating milk production. An important safety note: authentic akebia-derived Mu Tong should be used, not the aristolochia-derived variant, which has been banned due to nephrotoxicity.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Diuretic: 50% methanolic extract was diuretic and relieved experimental edema in mice.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 325.
Used In Formulas (27)
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne. (Lardizabalaceae), the chocolate vine, is a semi-evergreen twining woody vine native to China, Korea, and Japan, climbing to 10 m, with palmately compound leaves of five obovate leaflets and pendent racemes of fragrant purple-brown monoecious flowers in spring. The stems are slender, cylindrical, with a characteristic radiating wedge-shaped pith pattern visible in cross-section. For Mu Tong, the stems are harvested in autumn, sliced into transverse disks, and sun-dried. In TCM, Mu Tong is bitter in flavor and cool in nature, entering the Heart, Small Intestine, and Urinary Bladder channels; it drains heat from the Heart and Small Intestine, promotes urination, unblocks blood vessels, and promotes lactation. (Note: this is the safe Akebia source, replacing toxic Aristolochia manshuriensis.)
Active Constituents
Triterpenoid (oleanane-type) saponins / akebosides
Triterpenoid saponinsConcentration: Principal bioactive class of the stem
Oleanolic-acid and hederagenin glycosides that account for much of the diuretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Akebiae Caulis.
Oleanolic acid
Pentacyclic triterpenoid (saponin aglycone)Concentration: Aglycone released on hydrolysis of the saponins
Anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective triterpene; the core aglycone of the stem's saponins.
Hederagenin
Triterpenoid saponin aglyconeConcentration: Second major saponin aglycone
A triterpene aglycone contributing to the saponin fraction's biological activity.
Phenolic glycosides (e.g. calceolarioside / caffeoylquinic acid derivatives)
Phenylpropanoid / phenolic glycosidesConcentration: Minor polar constituents of the stem
Antioxidant phenolic glycosides isolated from the stem, contributing to anti-inflammatory activity.
Potassium salts
Inorganic saltsConcentration: Notable mineral content of the stem
Contribute to the diuretic (urine-promoting) action for which Mu Tong is traditionally used.
Sterols
PhytosterolsConcentration: Minor lipophilic constituents
Common plant sterols present in the stem as part of the lipophilic fraction.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Diuretics and lithium
Akebiae Caulis has documented diuretic activity; combined with pharmaceutical diuretics it may add to fluid and electrolyte loss, and increased diuresis can alter lithium clearance and serum levels.
Clinical note: Monitor fluid/electrolyte status with diuretics and lithium levels in patients on lithium; avoid prolonged high-dose use.
Nephrotoxic drugs (caution due to Aristolochia adulteration risk)
Authentic Akebia quinata (Mu Tong) does NOT contain aristolochic acid. However, the banned adulterant Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis) has historically been sold as “Mu Tong” and contains aristolochic acid, a Group 1 carcinogen and cause of aristolochic-acid nephropathy. Co-use of adulterated material with other nephrotoxic drugs would compound renal risk.
Clinical note: Verify botanical identity (Akebia, not Aristolochia). Avoid material of uncertain origin, especially in patients with renal impairment or on nephrotoxic drugs.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 3–6 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】3～6g。 【性味与归经】苦，寒。归心、小肠、膀胱经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Preparation Methods
Decoction
Parts: Stem (caulis)
Typically 3-6 g of dried stem decocted in water to promote urination, clear Heart/small-intestine fire and unblock painful obstruction. Contraindicated in pregnancy and used cautiously in those with weak digestion. Only authenticated Akebia quinata (or Clematis armandii, Chuan Mu Tong) should be used — never Aristolochia manshuriensis.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Cooling the blood and nourishing yin is combined with draining heart fire downward through urination, clearing heart heat without damaging yin.
Mouth ulcers, irritability and painful dark urination from heart fire. Use Akebia mu tong, not Aristolochia guan mu tong.
Core pair of a classical formula — Dao Chi San, Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue (Qian Yi)
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Kidney conditions
Contraindications
- Ensure correct source: Chinese Pharmacopoeia distinguishes Chuan Mu Tong (Clematis armandii / C. montana) from Guan Mu Tong (Aristolochia manshuriensis)
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 325.
Side Effects
- Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom. stem is sold as 'Guan Mu Tong'; overdosage of A. manshuriensis caused acute renal failure and a death (reports)
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 325.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
Eastern Han dynasty (c. 200 CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty (1578)References
- Maciąg D, Dobrowolska E, Sharafan M, Ekiert H, Tomczyk M, Szopa A. Akebia quinata and Akebia trifoliata - a review of phytochemical composition, ethnopharmacological approaches and biological studies . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (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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