Shan Zhu Yu
StarCornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc.
Traditionally used for
- Dizziness
- Urinary & fluids
- Menstrual & women's health
- Fertility & vitality
- Energy & fatigue
☯ TCM Properties
Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin; Secures Essence and Stops Seminal Emission; Rescues Devastated Yang from Collapse; Astringes to Stop Uterine Bleeding; Secures Essence and Stops Enuresis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Shan Zhu Yu (dogwood fruit, cornelian cherry) is a sour, warm herb that consolidates Kidney Jing, Liver Blood, and the body's vital essence to prevent abnormal loss of fluids. It is used for spermatorrhea, excessive sweating, urinary incontinence, excessive vaginal discharge, and heavy menstrual bleeding — manifestations of the body's failure to retain its essence. As a Liver and Kidney tonic, it also addresses dizziness, lower back weakness, and impotence of Liver-Kidney deficiency.
Western Herbalism Properties
Used In Formulas (7)
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Cornus officinalis is a deciduous small tree or large shrub in the Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia, including China, Korea and Japan, where it grows in mixed forests and on woodland margins at moderate elevations. Plants reach 4-10 m tall, with several spreading stems arising from the base and exfoliating pale brown to greyish bark. The opposite, ovate to elliptic leaves are 5-12 cm long with entire margins, three to seven pairs of arching lateral veins and tufts of pale hairs in the vein axils beneath, turning purplish-red in autumn. In late winter to early spring, before the leaves expand, the tree produces dense umbel-like clusters of small, bright yellow, four-petalled flowers along the bare twigs. These are followed by ellipsoid, glossy scarlet drupes 1.2-1.8 cm long, each enclosing a single hard stone. The fleshy fruit pulp, slightly sour and astringent, is the medicinal part.
Active Constituents
Morroniside
Secoiridoid glycosideConcentration: 0.6-2.0% (Chinese Pharmacopoeia requires not less than 0.60% in the dried fruit)
One of the principal bioactive markers of the fruit. Shows antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity, and in preclinical models protects renal mesangial and endothelial cells against advanced glycation end-product injury, supporting the traditional use in kidney disorders and diabetic nephropathy.
Loganin
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: 0.6-1.5% (Chinese Pharmacopoeia requires not less than 0.60%)
Co-marker with morroniside for quality control. Demonstrates hypoglycemic, neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects; improves insulin resistance and inhibits AGE-induced mesangial cell proliferation in experimental models.
Sweroside
Secoiridoid glycosideConcentration: Minor (typically <0.5%)
Contributes hepatoprotective and osteogenic/anti-osteoporotic activity reported in cell and animal studies.
Cornuside
Dimeric secoiridoid glycosideConcentration: Trace to minor
Exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and vascular/cardioprotective effects in preclinical models.
Ursolic acid
Pentacyclic triterpenoidConcentration: Variable minor constituent
Hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic triterpene; also reported to have antimicrobial and anti-proliferative activity.
Hydrolyzable tannins (tellimagrandin, isoterchebin, cornusiin)
Ellagitannins / gallotanninsConcentration: Present as a major astringent fraction
Astringent constituents that underlie the herb's traditional actions of securing essence, stopping sweating and controlling bleeding; contribute strong antioxidant capacity.
Flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, isoquercitrin, hyperoside)
Flavonols / flavonol glycosidesConcentration: Minor
Antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging polyphenols contributing to the fruit's anti-inflammatory and vascular-protective profile.
Organic acids (malic, tartaric, gallic acid)
Organic / phenolic acidsConcentration: Present
Contribute the sour taste central to the herb's astringent character and add to antioxidant activity.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Antidiabetic agents (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin)
Iridoid glycosides such as loganin and morroniside improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose in animal models, so concurrent use with pharmacologic hypoglycemics could in theory produce additive effects.
Clinical note: Monitor blood glucose if used alongside antidiabetic medication; watch for hypoglycemia.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6–12 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】6～12g。 【性味与归经】酸、涩，微温。归肝、肾经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (tang)
Parts: Ripe fruit (flesh, with seed removed)
Typical adult dose 6-12 g of the deseeded dried fruit decocted in water; for collapse of yang with profuse sweating larger doses (up to ~30 g) have been used under supervision. The hard seed is traditionally removed because it is considered to promote leakage of essence.
Wine-processed fruit (jiu shan zhu yu)
Parts: Ripe fruit
The fruit is steamed with yellow rice wine until dark; processing enhances the liver- and kidney-tonifying action and reduces the sour-cold character, and is the form most often used for essence-securing indications.
Powder or pill (as in classical formulas)
Parts: Ripe fruit
Ground and combined into pills/powders such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan; taken in divided doses per the formula.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Kidney yin and essence are nourished while the liver is tonified and essence astringed.
Core pair of a classical formula — Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue (Qian Yi)
Evidence Tier
Limited 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
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
2
1 verified · 1 unverified
Show 2 studies
- Morroniside, a secoiridoid glycoside from Cornus officinalis, attenuates neuropathic pain by activation of spinal glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors
- Morroniside and loganin extracted from Cornus officinalis have protective effects on rat mesangial cell proliferation exposed to advanced glycation end products by preventing oxidative stress
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
Morroniside, a secoiridoid glycoside from Cornus officinalis, attenuates neuropathic pain by activation of spinal glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors
In a rodent neuropathic pain model, the C. officinalis secoiridoid morroniside produced dose-dependent antinociception mediated through activation of spinal glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors, providing a mechanistic basis for the analgesic/anti-inflammatory actions attributed to the fruit.
Morroniside and loganin extracted from Cornus officinalis have protective effects on rat mesangial cell proliferation exposed to advanced glycation end products by preventing oxidative stress
Morroniside and loganin inhibited advanced-glycation-end-product-induced proliferation of rat glomerular mesangial cells and reduced oxidative stress, supporting the traditional use of the herb in kidney (diabetic nephropathy) disorders.
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
- Gao X, Liu Y, An Z, Ni J. Active Components and Pharmacological Effects of Cornus officinalis: Literature Review . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021) [DOI]
- Dong Y, Feng ZL, Chen HB, Wang FS, Lu JH. Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities . Chinese Medicine (2018) [DOI]
- Huang J, Zhang Y, Dong L, Gao Q, Yin L, Quan H, Chen R, Fu X, Lin D. Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (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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