Mu Tou Hui
StarPatrinia heterophylla Bunge / Patrinia scabra Bunge
Traditionally used for
- Bowel health
- Menstrual & women's health
- Skin
- Liver & jaundice
☯ TCM Properties
Secures the Kidneys and Stops Vaginal Discharge; Astringes and Stops Bleeding; Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Checks Malaria; Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Mu Tou Hui (墓头回) is the root of Patrinia heterophylla Bunge, with the closely allied P. scabra Bunge used as the same drug (Caprifoliaceae, formerly Valerianaceae). It is bitter, slightly sour and astringent in flavour and cool in nature. It clears Heat and dries Dampness, stops abnormal vaginal discharge, astringes and stops bleeding, checks malarial disorders, and resolves toxicity. It is used for red and white vaginal discharge, flooding and spotting (崩漏), diarrhoea and dysenteric disorders, jaundice, malarial disorders, intestinal abscess, sores and swellings, and traumatic injury. In modern Chinese practice it is used for cervical erosion, and it has been applied to early carcinoma of the cervix and to gastric carcinoma. The internal dose is 9 to 15 g decocted, and up to 15 to 25 g; externally an appropriate amount is crushed and applied.
The fresh root has a strongly fetid, sour odour, which is the origin of the drug's folk names. Mu Tou Hui is distinct from Bai Jiang Cao (败酱草), the whole herb of Patrinia scabiosifolia and P. villosa — the same genus, but a different species and a different part, and used to clear Heat and expel pus for intestinal abscess rather than to stop discharge and bleeding.
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Patrinia heterophylla (with the closely allied P. scabra often treated as the same drug) is a perennial herb of the Caprifoliaceae family (formerly Valerianaceae), growing 30 to 80 cm tall from a stout woody rootstock that emits a strongly fetid, sour odor when fresh. Stems are erect, slender, and finely pubescent. Basal leaves are pinnately divided into three to seven narrow lobes, while cauline leaves are smaller, opposite, deeply pinnatifid, with linear to lanceolate segments. The inflorescence is a flat-topped to somewhat rounded terminal corymb of numerous small flowers; each flower has a five-lobed pale yellow tubular corolla 3 to 4 mm long. The fruit is a small dry achene subtended by a membranous winged bract. It grows on dry stony slopes and grasslands across northern and central China.
Active Constituents
Iridoids and iridoid glycosides (e.g., patrinoside, patrinioside)
Monoterpenoid iridoidsConcentration: Characteristic active fraction
Esterified monocyclic iridoid glucosides are characteristic of Patrinia scabra/heterophylla and are linked to the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the root.
Triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins
Triterpene glycosidesConcentration: Multiple compounds isolated
Oleanane-type triterpenoids and their saponins are among the cytotoxic constituents; several showed activity against HL-60 leukaemia cells in vitro.
Flavonoids
Polyphenolic flavonoidsConcentration: Minor to moderate
Contribute antioxidant and antibacterial actions supporting the traditional heat-clearing, toxicity-resolving use.
Phenylpropanoids and acetophenones
Phenolic phenylpropanoidsConcentration: Several compounds isolated
Together with coumarins these phenolic constituents were identified as selectively cytotoxic against several human tumour cell lines in phytochemical studies.
Coumarins
BenzopyranonesConcentration: Minor
Reported constituents that add to the antimicrobial and reported sedative/hepatoprotective profile of the genus Patrinia.
Volatile oil / essential oil
Terpenoid volatile oilConcentration: Small percentage
The characteristic odour of Patrinia roots; contributes antibacterial activity.
Polysaccharides
Plant polysaccharideConcentration: Water-soluble fraction
Patrinia heterophylla polysaccharides inhibited HeLa cell proliferation through apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in laboratory studies, supporting antitumour interest.
Preparation Methods
Decoction
Parts: Root (Radix Patriniae heterophyllae)
The dried root is decocted in water, typically 6-15 g, for heat-clearing, toxicity-resolving, bleeding-stopping and discharge-securing indications. As a regional/folk herb, dosing should follow local pharmacopoeial guidance.
Powder
Parts: Root
Ground root taken in smaller doses, or applied topically for sores and swellings, drawing on the blood-invigorating and stasis-dispelling action.
Evidence Tier
Limited evidence · 1 studyRecorded 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
1
0 verified · 1 unverified
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
Chemical constituents of Patrinia heterophylla Bunge and selective cytotoxicity against six human tumor cells
Fifteen compounds (phenylpropanoids, acetophenones, phenols, iridoids, an alkane and a coumarin) were isolated from P. heterophylla; nine showed selective in vitro cytotoxicity (IC50 27.2-163.0 microM) against tumour cell lines including HeLa, HL-60, K562, PC3, SGC-7901 and Jurkat. This is a laboratory (non-clinical) study.
Historical Texts
Regional / folk materia medica of northern China
Documented in modern Chinese herbal literature (20th century)References
- Sheng L, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Li N. Chemical constituents of Patrinia heterophylla Bunge and selective cytotoxicity against six human tumor cells . Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 236:129-135 (2019) [DOI]
- Gong L, et al.. Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects of Genus Patrinia: a Review . Current Pharmacology Reports, 6:jump (2020) [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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