Wang Bu Liu Xing
StarVaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke
Traditionally used for
- Digestion
- Urinary & fluids
- Menstrual & women's health
☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates Blood and Unblocks the Channels and Collaterals; Promotes Lactation; Disperses Swelling and Dissipates Abscesses; Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria
Traditional Chinese Uses
Wang Bu Liu Xing (vaccaria seed) is a warm, bitter herb that promotes the free flow of Blood and Qi in the channels — particularly the Liver and Stomach channels connected to the breast and uterus. It is used to stimulate lactation in postpartum women with insufficient milk flow, for menstrual irregularities and dysmenorrhea from Blood stagnation, and for inflammatory swellings and abscesses. It is also widely used as a seed pellet in auricular acupressure therapy.
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Vaccaria hispanica (Mill.) Rauschert (syn. V. segetalis, V. pyramidata; Caryophyllaceae), known as cowherb or cow soapwort, is a slender annual herb 30-80 cm tall with smooth, glaucous, dichotomously branched stems. The opposite, sessile, lanceolate to ovate leaves are entire and somewhat clasping. Loose, terminal cymes carry pink, five-petaled flowers about 1.5 cm across, subtended by an inflated, five-angled calyx that persists around the fruit. The capsule contains numerous small, globose, blackish seeds (Wang Bu Liu Xing). A weed of cultivated grain fields in temperate Eurasia, the plant has naturalized widely; only the dried ripe seed is used medicinally in traditional Chinese practice to invigorate blood circulation, unblock the channels, promote lactation, and reduce swelling.
Active Constituents
Vaccarin (isovitexin/flavone C-glycoside)
Flavonoid (flavone glycoside)Concentration: major flavonoid marker of the seed
A principal active flavonoid used as a quality marker. Shown to promote proliferation and milk synthesis of mammary epithelial cells via a prolactin-receptor / PI3K pathway, and to have vasoprotective and pro-angiogenic (endothelial) effects, supporting the traditional lactation-promoting and blood-moving uses.
Triterpenoid saponins (vaccaroside, segetoside, quillaic-acid/gypsogenin glycosides)
Triterpenoid saponinsConcentration: major; principal saponin fraction
Bidesmosidic triterpene saponins based on quillaic acid, gypsogenin and vaccaric acid; associated with anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic/anticancer and estrogen-like uterine-stimulant activity that underlies both efficacy and pregnancy caution.
Cyclic peptides (segetalins A-H)
CyclopeptidesConcentration: characteristic constituents of the seed
A family of cyclic peptides unique to Vaccaria. Segetalins A and B show estrogen-like and uterus-contracting activity; they are chemotaxonomic markers and contribute to the herb's blood-moving and menstruation-regulating actions.
Flavonoids (isosaponarin, saponarin, quercetin glycosides)
Flavone/flavonol glycosidesConcentration: moderate
Additional flavonoids contributing antioxidant and vasoactive activity.
Polysaccharides
PolysaccharidesConcentration: present in seed
Crude seed polysaccharides reported to have immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity.
Fatty acids and phytosterols (oleic acid, sitosterol)
Lipids / sterolsConcentration: minor
Seed-oil components of the fixed-oil fraction; not primary drivers of the traditional actions.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 5–10 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】5~10g。 【注意】孕妇慎用。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Preparation Methods
Decoction
Parts: Seed
Standard adult dose is about 4.5-9 g (up to 10 g) of the seed, decocted in water, to invigorate Blood, unblock the channels, promote lactation and relieve painful urinary dribbling. Often combined with Chuan Shan Jia substitutes or Lou Lu for lactation.
Stir-fried (chao Wang Bu Liu Xing)
Parts: Seed
The seeds are commonly dry-fried until they pop/crack ('puffed'), which makes the hard seed coat friable so the active constituents are released on decoction; the stir-fried form is the usual clinical preparation.
Ear-seed (auricular) application
Parts: Seed
Whole seeds are taped over auricular acupoints and pressed intermittently, a widely used non-ingested modality. CONTRAINDICATION: internal use is contraindicated in pregnancy because the blood-moving action and the estrogen-like, uterus-stimulating saponins and segetalin cyclopeptides may promote uterine contraction; use cautiously in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Together they strongly unblock the channels and promote the flow of breast milk, also dispersing swelling.
Insufficient lactation from obstruction and early breast abscess. Pangolin scale is from a protected species and has been removed from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia; substitutes are used in practice. Avoid in pregnancy.
Named pairing — Lü Jingshan, Shi Jinmo Dui Yao
Evidence Tier
Moderate 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
1
1 verified · 0 unverified
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
0
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
Complementary effects of auricular acupressure in relieving constipation symptoms and promoting disease-specific health-related quality of life: A randomized placebo-controlled trial
Auricular acupressure using Wang Bu Liu Xing (Vaccaria) seeds taped to ear acupoints - the classic material for ear-seed therapy - significantly improved constipation symptoms and disease-specific quality of life versus sham, illustrating a documented clinical application of the seeds as an acupoint-pressing agent (a modality distinct from internal decoction).
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of Materia Medica)
Han dynasty, c. 200 CEBen Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1578References
- Tian J, Cao Y, Zhang Y, et al.. Vaccaria segetalis: A Review of Ethnomedicinal, Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Toxicological Findings . Frontiers in Chemistry 9:666280 (2021) [DOI]
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Vaccaria . National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda (MD) (2023) [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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