☯ TCM Properties
Dispels Heat and Dampness and removes toxins; Eliminates Wind and promotes urination; Regulates the circulation of Qi, invigorates the Blood and dispels Phlegm (anti-cancer )
Traditional Chinese Uses
Shu Yang Quan is the whole herb of Solanum lyratum (also called Bai Ying or Bai Mao Teng), a Heat-clearing, toxicity-resolving medicinal. Sweet and cold, it clears Heat and Damp-Heat while dispelling Wind-Damp, and is used for damp-heat jaundice, edema and ascites (including nephritic edema), and for painful, Wind-Damp obstruction (bi) of the joints. It also promotes urination and, applied topically, treats hot sores, abscesses, and skin toxicity.
In modern Chinese practice it is one of the "clear Heat and resolve toxin" herbs frequently incorporated into multi-herb anti-cancer formulas, often alongside Bai Hua She She Cao and Ban Zhi Lian; its steroidal alkaloids and saponins are the studied constituents. As a cold, cooling herb it is generally combined within formulas rather than taken alone, under professional guidance.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Shu Yang Quan is the whole herb of Solanum lyratum (Solanaceae), a perennial herbaceous climber 0.5–2 m long native to East Asia. Stems are slender, weakly woody at the base, densely covered with spreading multicellular hairs. Leaves are alternate, ovate to lyrate, often pandurate with one or two basal lobes, 3–10 cm long, softly pubescent on both surfaces. Cymes are extra-axillary and loosely paniculate; flowers have five reflexed white to pale purplish corolla lobes about 1 cm long with a conspicuous yellow staminal cone. Fruit is a globose berry 7–9 mm across, ripening glossy red. The plant contains steroidal alkaloids (solasodine-type) and is regarded as toxic if used incorrectly.
Active Constituents
Solamargine
Steroidal glycoalkaloid (spirosolane)Concentration: Major bioactive glycoalkaloid
Principal antitumor glycoalkaloid; induces apoptosis in multiple cancer cell lines with reported IC50 values of roughly 4.6–18 µg/mL. Also carries the membrane-disruptive/cholinesterase-inhibitory properties typical of Solanum glycoalkaloids.
Solasonine
Steroidal glycoalkaloid (spirosolane)Concentration: Major glycoalkaloid
Antiproliferative steroidal glycoalkaloid frequently co-occurring with solamargine; contributes to the herb's anti-cancer and antimicrobial activity.
Solasodine
Steroidal alkaloid aglyconeConcentration: Aglycone of solasonine/solamargine
Steroidal alkaloid aglycone with cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity; also a starting material for steroid synthesis.
Steroidal saponins (spirostanol/furostanol type, e.g., aspidistrin)
Steroidal saponinConcentration: Multiple saponins isolated
Spirostanol and furostanol saponins showing cytotoxicity against hepatoma (BEL-7402) and other tumor cells, complementing the glycoalkaloid antitumor activity.
Solajiangxin H and Lyratol D
Sesquiterpenoid (eudesmane-type)Concentration: Minor cytotoxic sesquiterpenes
Eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes highly cytotoxic to SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells (IC50 ≈ 4.8 and 5.9 µg/mL) via mitochondria-mediated apoptosis (down-regulating Bcl-2/survivin, activating caspase-3/-9).
Flavonoids and phenylpropanoids/lignans
Flavonoid / phenylpropanoidConcentration: Minor
Contribute antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity within the whole-herb extract.
β-Sitosterol
PhytosterolConcentration: Minor
Common phytosterol contributing mild anti-inflammatory activity.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Cholinesterase inhibitors / anticholinergic and anesthetic agents
Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids (solanine-type) can inhibit acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase; large or prolonged intake could theoretically potentiate cholinergic drugs or prolong the action of ester-type/neuromuscular anesthetic agents.
Clinical note: Avoid high or prolonged dosing; relevant mainly with glycoalkaloid overexposure. Discontinue before elective surgery.
Chemotherapeutic / antineoplastic agents
Glycoalkaloids and sesquiterpenes from the herb are pro-apoptotic and cytotoxic in vitro; concurrent use with cytotoxic chemotherapy could produce additive effects or unpredictable modulation of drug response.
Clinical note: Patients on oncologic therapy should use only under specialist supervision to avoid unquantified additive toxicity.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (whole herb)
Parts: whole herb, stem, leaf
Typically 15–30 g dried herb decocted in water. Used to clear heat and dampness, resolve toxicity, and as an adjunct in tumor and jaundice formulas. Because the active steroidal glycoalkaloids (solanine-type) can be irritating/toxic in excess, keep to recommended doses and avoid prolonged high-dose use; not for use in pregnancy.
External wash / poultice
Parts: fresh herb
Fresh herb may be crushed for topical application or decocted as a wash for warts, skin sores and inflammatory skin conditions, consistent with its toxin-resolving traditional use.
Clinical Studies
Anticancer activity of sesquiterpenoids extracted from Solanum lyratum via the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis
Solajiangxin H and lyratol D from S. lyratum were highly cytotoxic to SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells (IC50 4.8 and 5.9 µg/mL), inducing apoptosis by down-regulating Bcl-2 and survivin and activating caspase-3 and caspase-9.
Ethanol Extracts of Solanum lyratum Thunb Regulate Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via the ROS-Mediated p53 Pathway
Ethanol extracts of S. lyratum inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and EMT and promoted apoptosis through ROS-mediated activation of the p53 pathway.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (神农本草经, Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 200 CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu (本草纲目, Compendium of Materia Medica)
Ming dynasty, 1596, Li ShizhenReferences
- Zhao D-K, et al.. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Solanum lyratum: a review . Natural Products and Bioprospecting (2022) [DOI]
- Yue L, Yao G, et al.. Anticancer activity of sesquiterpenoids extracted from Solanum lyratum via the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis . Oncology Letters (2017) [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.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Shu Yang Quan.
No notes yet.