Wei Ling Xian
StarClematis chinensis Osbeck
Traditionally used for
- Nose & throat
- Cough & breathing
- Urinary & fluids
- Nerves & recovery
- Pain & joints
☯ TCM Properties
Dispels Wind-Dampness; Unblocks the Channels and Alleviates Pain; Softens and dissolves bone (treats fish bone lodged in the throat); Resolves Phlegm and Disperses Accumulation
Traditional Chinese Uses
Wei Ling Xian (威灵仙) is the root and rhizome of Clematis chinensis Osbeck (Ranunculaceae), Radix et Rhizoma Clematidis. It is acrid and salty and warm, entering the Bladder channel. It dispels Wind-Dampness, unblocks the channels and alleviates pain, resolves Phlegm and disperses accumulation, and softens and dissolves bone.
It is a principal herb for Wind-Damp painful obstruction, valued because it is acrid enough to move through the whole body and reaches the channels and sinews of both upper and lower limbs — stiff, painful, poorly mobile joints, numbness of the limbs, and pain that shifts. It is used for lower back and knee pain and for contracture of the sinews.
Its most singular use is a fish bone lodged in the throat: a decoction of Wei Ling Xian, classically taken with vinegar and a little sugar and sipped slowly, is the traditional remedy, on the understanding that the herb softens the bone and relaxes the throat so it can pass. Because it is acrid, dispersing and drying, it is used cautiously where Qi and Blood are deficient, and it is not suited to long courses.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Clematis chinensis (Wei Ling Xian, Chinese clematis) is a deciduous to semi-evergreen woody climber in the Ranunculaceae family, scrambling 3 to 10 meters by means of twining petioles. The slender, ridged stems bear opposite, pinnately compound leaves with five (sometimes three) ovate to ovate-lanceolate leaflets 1.5 to 6 centimeters long, with entire margins and three prominent basal veins. From late summer into autumn, the plant produces large axillary and terminal panicles of numerous small fragrant white flowers, each about 1 to 1.5 centimeters across, with four to six spreading, narrowly oblong tepals that resemble petals (true petals are absent in Clematis) and a central cluster of numerous yellow stamens. The achenes are small, ovoid, and tipped with a persistent feathery, white, plumose style 2 to 4 centimeters long, giving the fruiting heads a silky appearance. Native to central, southern, and eastern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The roots and rhizomes are harvested in autumn and dried for medicinal use.
Active Constituents
Clematichinenoside AR (and related triterpene saponins A, B, C)
Oleanane-type triterpenoid saponinConcentration: Major saponin fraction of the root; >40 triterpene saponins characterized
The principal bioactive of the root. Shown to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8) and inhibit NF-kappaB and COX-2 expression, underlying the herb's anti-arthritic and analgesic use for Wind-Damp Bi syndrome.
Anemonin
Dilactone (dimer of protoanemonin)Concentration: Formed from ranunculin/protoanemonin on drying and processing
Anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. The precursor protoanemonin in fresh material is a mucous-membrane irritant and vesicant; drying dimerizes it to the far less irritant anemonin, which is why the herb is used dried.
Oleanolic acid
Pentacyclic triterpenoid (sapogenin)Concentration: Aglycone core of the root saponins
Anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and mild analgesic aglycone released on hydrolysis of the clematis saponins.
Hederagenin glycosides
Triterpenoid saponinConcentration: Minor to moderate constituent of the root
Contribute to the surfactant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of the total saponin fraction.
Lignans (e.g. clemochinenoside-type)
Phenylpropanoid lignan glycosidesConcentration: Minor constituents
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity reported for the lignan fraction of Clematis roots.
Phenolic acids and flavonoids
PolyphenolsConcentration: Minor constituents
Contribute antioxidant and free-radical scavenging capacity to crude extracts.
⚠ Drug Interactions
NSAIDs and other analgesics
The saponin fraction is anti-inflammatory and the raw herb contains irritant protoanemonin-derived compounds; combined use with NSAIDs is theorized to add to gastric mucosal irritation. No clinical interaction has been documented in humans.
Clinical note: Take with food; monitor for GI upset if used with chronic NSAID therapy.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6–10 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】6～10g。 【性味与归经】辛、咸，温。归膀胱经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (Tang)
Parts: Root, Rhizome
Typical dose 6-9 g of the dried, sliced root and rhizome, decocted in water. Used to dispel Wind-Dampness, unblock the channels and relieve joint pain. For fish-bone lodged in the throat, a stronger, more concentrated decoction is traditionally used, sometimes with vinegar and sugar and sipped slowly.
Wine-fried / processed
Parts: Root, Rhizome
The root is often stir-fried with rice wine to enhance channel-opening and pain-relieving action for chronic Bi patterns. Always use the dried and properly processed root; the fresh plant contains irritant protoanemonin.
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
1 verified · 0 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
Anti-arthritic effects of clematichinenoside (AR-6) on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and TNF-alpha associated with collagen-induced arthritis
High-dose clematichinenoside AR-6 (32 mg/kg) significantly suppressed hind-paw swelling and prevented body-weight loss in arthritic rats, with reduced serum TNF-alpha and inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway in synovial tissue, supporting the traditional use of the root for painful joint (Bi) syndromes.
Historical Texts
Kaibao Bencao (Materia Medica of the Kaibao Era)
Song dynasty, 973 CEBencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1578 CEReferences
- Han W, Xiong Y, Li Y, Fang W, Ma Y, Liu L, Li F, Zhu X. Anti-arthritic effects of clematichinenoside (AR-6) on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and TNF-alpha associated with collagen-induced arthritis . Pharmaceutical Biology (2013) [DOI]
- Chawla R, Kumar S, Sharma A. The genus Clematis (Ranunculaceae): Chemical and pharmacological perspectives . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2012) [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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