☯ TCM Properties
Expels Wind, Eliminates Dampness, warms channels to alleviate pain and strengthens the tendons and bones; Promotes urination and alleviates edema
Traditional Chinese Uses
Xiang Jia Pi is the root bark of Periploca sepium (Chinese silkvine), a pungent, bitter, warm substance of the Liver, Kidney and Heart channels. It dispels Wind, eliminates Dampness, warms the channels to relieve pain and strengthens the sinews and bones, being used for Wind-Damp bi syndrome, rheumatic joint pain, and weak, aching low back and knees; it also promotes urination to reduce edema. It is sometimes taken as a medicinal wine for chronic musculoskeletal complaints.
Importantly, this drug contains cardiac glycosides (periplocin) and is toxic — it is a distinct medicine from Wu Jia Pi (Acanthopanax), for which it was historically and dangerously confused, causing fatal poisonings; the Chinese Pharmacopoeia gave it a separate monograph. Dose it precisely under professional guidance; overdose is cardiotoxic. Contraindicated in pregnancy.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Xiang Jia Pi is the dried root bark of Periploca sepium Bunge (Apocynaceae, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), a deciduous twining woody vine to small shrub 1-3 m tall, native to northern and central China. The plant bears opposite, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate leaves 5-9 cm long with acute tips, and produces small star-shaped flowers in lateral cymes with five purplish-brown corolla lobes that are fragrant and recurved. Slender paired follicles 7-12 cm long contain plumed seeds. The root bark is harvested in spring or autumn, dried, and appears as curled quills 3-10 cm long, with a corky, grayish-brown outer surface and yellowish inner surface, with a characteristic aromatic odor. It contains cardenolide glycosides (periplocin, periplocymarin) and is cardiotoxic; modern Pharmacopoeia limits dose strictly and warns against substitution with the safer Wu Jia Pi (Eleutherococcus).
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
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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