Zi Su Ye
StarPerilla frutescens
Synonyms: Ocimum frutescens, Perilla ocymoides, Perilla urticifolia, Perilla frutescens var. typica
Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Colds & fever
- Digestion
Cautions & contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
☯ TCM Properties
Releases the Exterior and disperses Cold; Promotes the movement of Spleen and Stomach Qi, improves Lung function; Calms the fetus and alleviates morning sickness; Alleviates seafood poisoning
Traditional Chinese Uses
Zi Su Ye (perilla leaf) is a warm, acrid herb used in Chinese medicine to release the Exterior, dispel Wind-Cold, calm nausea, and resolve Qi stagnation. It is a primary herb for Wind-Cold patterns with chills and mild fever, and its Stomach-harmonizing action makes it useful for nausea, vomiting, and the abdominal discomfort that accompanies febrile illness. It also counteracts the toxicity of seafood, particularly fish and crab, and regulates Qi stagnation with chest and epigastric fullness.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Antimicrobial: Decoction inhibited S. aureus in vitro but not P. aeruginosa, B. typhosus, B. dysenteriae or E. coli. Concentrated extract was antifungal (MIC 200-1600 ug/ml against six fungi); perillaldehyde (MIC 100-200 ug/ml) and citral (25-100 ug/ml) were the actives.
- Antipyretic: Decoction weakly antipyretic in febrile rabbits at 2 g/kg p.o.; 0.35 ml/kg p.o. raised blood sugar in rabbits.
- Sedative: Methanolic leaf extracts of all six chemotypes (2 g/kg p.o.) prolonged hexobarbital sleep in mice by 152-481%; PP-DM type most active with dillapiol as active (ED50 1.57 mg/kg). In another type, perillaldehyde and stigmasterol were the sedative actives.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 54.
Used In Formulas (24)
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Perilla frutescens is an aromatic annual herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae), growing 60-100 cm tall. Stems are square, erect, and branched. Leaves are opposite, broadly ovate, 7-13 cm long, with deeply toothed margins and a wrinkled surface; green or purple-tinged depending on variety. The inflorescence is an elongated spike of small, tubular, white to pale purple flowers. The plant has a distinctive fragrance due to its essential oils. In TCM, the leaves (Zi Su Ye) are used separately from seeds (Zi Su Zi) and stems (Zi Su Geng).
Roadsides, disturbed areas, forest margins, and cultivated fields; native to eastern Asia, widely cultivated throughout Asia and naturalized in parts of North America.
Perilla frutescens is widely cultivated as a culinary herb throughout Asia (known as shiso in Japan) and as a medicinal plant. It grows readily and is considered a common crop plant. No conservation concerns.
Active Constituents
Perillaldehyde (perilla aldehyde)
Monoterpene aldehyde (essential oil)Concentration: Dominant volatile; up to ~50-60% of the essential oil in chemotype PA leaves
Principal aroma constituent and a marker compound of the leaf. It contributes antimicrobial, antifungal and mild sedative activity and is largely responsible for the characteristic warm, dispersing property attributed to the herb.
Rosmarinic acid
Phenolic acid (caffeic acid ester)Concentration: Major phenolic; commonly ~1-2% of dry leaf, higher in enriched extracts
The most studied constituent, with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-allergic actions. It suppresses IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity and reduces polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration, underpinning perilla's use in allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Luteolin
Flavone (flavonoid)Concentration: Minor flavonoid constituent of the leaf
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavone that inhibits mast-cell mediator release and pro-inflammatory cytokine signalling, complementing the anti-allergic profile of the leaf.
Apigenin
Flavone (flavonoid)Concentration: Minor flavonoid
Contributes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity and, with rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid, helps suppress IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions.
Caffeic acid
Phenolic acid (hydroxycinnamic acid)Concentration: Minor phenolic acid; biosynthetic precursor of rosmarinic acid
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic acid that scavenges free radicals and supports the herb's overall anti-allergic and antioxidant effects.
Limonene
Monoterpene (essential oil)Concentration: Secondary component of the essential oil
Aromatic monoterpene with carminative and mild spasmolytic properties that contributes to the qi-moving, digestive action of the leaf on the Spleen and Stomach.
Perilla ketone / egoma ketone (chemotype dependent)
Furanoketone (essential oil)Concentration: Present only in certain chemotypes (PK type); variable
A chemotype marker present in some cultivars. Perilla ketone is a recognised pneumotoxin in livestock, so chemotype matters for safety, and the culinary/medicinal PA (perillaldehyde) chemotype is preferred.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Anticoagulant / antiplatelet agents (e.g., warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
Rosmarinic acid and related phenolics exhibit antioxidant and antiplatelet activity in vitro, which could theoretically add to the effect of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. Culinary amounts are not expected to be clinically significant.
Clinical note: No confirmed human interaction; caution advised only with concentrated extracts alongside anticoagulant therapy.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 5–10 g | daily | — | adult | 中国药典 2020年版 一部 【紫苏叶】【用法与用量】5～10g。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I. Add near the end of decoction (hou xia) |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (Tang), added late
Parts: leaf
Typical dose 5-10 g of dried leaf. Because the active volatile oil is heat-labile, add the leaf near the end of cooking (last ~5 minutes) rather than boiling for a long time.
Infusion / brief steeping
Parts: leaf
Steep the fresh or dried leaf in just-boiled water for a few minutes to preserve the aromatic oils for mild exterior-releasing and qi-moving effects, including morning sickness and mild colds.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
A small amount of acrid, fragrant herb with a bitter cold one harmonizes the stomach and stops vomiting from damp-heat.
Persistent nausea and vomiting from heat in the stomach, including in pregnancy.
Core pair of a classical formula — Su Ye Huang Lian Tang, Shi Re Bing Pian (Xue Shengbai)
Release the exterior and transform dampness while harmonizing the middle, treating externally contracted wind-cold with internal dampness.
Chills and fever with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal fullness.
Core pair of a classical formula — Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang
The pair releases the exterior while moving qi, treating wind-cold with internal qi stagnation.
Chills and fever with chest and epigastric fullness and poor appetite.
Core pair of a classical formula — Xiang Su San, Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang
Lightly releases the exterior while descending and moistening lung qi, for cool-dryness or wind-cold cough.
Cool-dryness: mild headache, aversion to cold, cough with thin sputum, dry nose and throat.
Core pair of a classical formula — Xing Su San, Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Wu Jutong)
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 2 studiesRecorded 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
1
1 verified · 0 unverified
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
0
Other / unclassified
1
1 verified · 0 unverified
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Extract of Perilla frutescens enriched for rosmarinic acid, a polyphenolic phytochemical, inhibits seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in humans
In patients with mild seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, 21 days of a rosmarinic-acid-enriched perilla extract (50 or 200 mg/day) significantly increased responder rates for itchy nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes and total symptoms versus placebo, and reduced neutrophils and eosinophils in nasal lavage fluid, with no adverse events.
Comprehensive Review of Perilla frutescens: Chemical Composition, Pharmacological Mechanisms, and Industrial Applications in Food and Health Products
Reviews the phytochemistry (volatile oils, rosmarinic acid, flavonoids, triterpenoids) and pharmacology of Perilla frutescens, summarising antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, neuroprotective and anti-allergic activities and their industrial applications.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
Contraindications
It shouldn’t be decocted for a long time. Due to its acrid and warm properties, it is cautiously used in patients with qi deficiency or exterior deficiency and without externally contracted wind-cold.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 15–23.
Historical Texts
Ming Yi Bie Lu (Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians)
c. 500 CE, Southern-Northern DynastiesBen Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
1578 CE, Ming DynastyReferences
- Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoger E. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition (Zi Su Ye) . Eastland Press (2004) [DOI]
- Takano H, Osakabe N, Sanbongi C, et al.. Extract of Perilla frutescens enriched for rosmarinic acid inhibits seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in humans . Experimental Biology and Medicine (Maywood) (2004) [DOI]
- Ahmed HM (and others). Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. . Molecules (2018) [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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