Xiong Dan

Xiong Dan is the dried gallbladder and bile of bears, historically derived from the Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus and the brown bear Ursus arctos. The fresh organ is sac-shaped, dark green-brown, and on drying yields a brittle, glassy, dark amber to black mass with a characteristic bitter taste, owing chiefly to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and other bile salts. Used in classical TCM to clear heat, calm convulsions, brighten the eyes, and resolve toxin, bear bile is one of the most strictly regulated substances in international wildlife trade: Ursus thibetanus and most Ursus species are listed in CITES Appendix I, prohibiting all commercial international trade in wild-caught material. Modern practice strongly favors synthetic UDCA (a licensed pharmaceutical for cholestatic liver disease) or plant-derived substitutes such as Coptis or Phellodendron to avoid contributing to the cruelty of bear farming and the depletion of wild populations.