Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Urinary & fluids
- Skin
Cautions & contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Heart conditions
- Kidney conditions
☯ TCM Properties
Promotes urination, reduces edema and disperses swelling; Resolves Phlegm and stops cough; Transforms Phlegm and disperses nodules
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ze Qi is the above-ground herb of Euphorbia helioscopia (sun spurge), classified among herbs that transform phlegm and move water. Pungent and bitter with a cold nature, it enters the Lung, Small Intestine, and Large Intestine channels. Its principal action is to promote urination and reduce edema, making it a folk remedy for generalized swelling and ascites, and it also transforms phlegm to stop cough and wheeze in patterns of phlegm-fluid congesting the Lungs. A secondary use is dispersing hardened nodules, including scrofula (swollen lymph nodes) and tubercular fistula, applied both internally and topically.
Ze Qi is slightly toxic and the milky latex is a mucous-membrane and skin irritant; it must be used cautiously in prescribed doses, is unsuitable for those with weak digestion, and is traditionally avoided in pregnancy.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Ze Qi is the whole above-ground herb of Euphorbia helioscopia L. (and in some regional sources E. lunulata; Euphorbiaceae), the sun spurge, a winter annual or biennial herb 10–40 cm tall of cultivated fields, waste places, and roadsides throughout China, Europe, and temperate Asia. The erect, hairless to sparsely hairy stem exudes a copious milky white latex when broken. Cauline leaves are alternate, obovate to spatulate, finely serrate above the middle, 1–3 cm long. The inflorescence is a characteristic five-rayed umbel subtended by a whorl of five broadly obovate leaf-like bracts; each ray bears a tiny cyathium with crescent-shaped yellow-green glands and small unisexual flowers. The fruit is a three-lobed, smooth capsule splitting into three single-seeded mericarps. Whole plants are harvested at flowering, dried in shade, and used in TCM to disperse phlegm, promote urination, and dispel stasis. The latex is irritant and TOXIC, causing dermatitis and severe gastric upset; cautious internal dosing only, contraindicated in pregnancy and deficiency.
Active Constituents
Helioscopianoids A to Q
Jatrophane-type diterpenoid estersConcentration: Seventeen new esters isolated together with eight known analogues from an ethanol extract of the whole plant; no individual diterpenoid is assayed quantitatively in the official monograph
These are the dominant diterpenoid class of the aerial herb. Two members raised intracellular adriamycin accumulation roughly threefold in P-glycoprotein-overexpressing MCF-7/ADR breast carcinoma cells at 20 µM, and three were neuroprotective against serum-deprivation injury in PC12 cells. Jatrophane esters are also the structural class that carries most of the skin-irritant and cytotoxic activity of Euphorbia latex.
Euphoscopin C
Jatrophane-type diterpenoidConcentration: Isolated from the aerial parts among 27 macrocyclic diterpenoids; not quantified in routine quality control
Cytotoxic against a paclitaxel-resistant A549 human lung cancer line with an IC50 of 6.9 µM while being inactive against the parent A549 line (IC50 > 10 µM), a collateral-sensitivity pattern consistent with an efflux-transporter mechanism rather than direct general cytotoxicity.
Helioscopinolide A
ent-Abietane-type diterpene lactoneConcentration: A long-established minor diterpenoid of the whole herb; not quantified in the official monograph
One of the ent-abietane lactones named for this species. Compounds of this class isolated from Euphorbia helioscopia show anti-inflammatory activity in cell assays. It is a lactone rather than a diterpene ester, and is not the irritant principle.
Euphohelioscopoids A to C
Lathyrane-type macrocyclic diterpenoidsConcentration: Three previously unreported lathyranes from the aerial parts; not quantified in routine quality control
Lathyranes are the biosynthetic bridge between the jatrophane and tigliane or ingenane skeletons in Euphorbia. Lathyranes from this species have shown lipid-accumulation inhibition in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
Quercetin
FlavonolConcentration: Reported repeatedly in phenolic profiling of the aerial parts; reported contents vary widely with extraction solvent and provenance
Accounts for much of the antioxidant capacity measured in aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the herb. It is not thought to contribute to the herb's toxicity or to its classical water-draining action.
⚠ Drug Interactions
P-glycoprotein substrates (digoxin, dabigatran, ciclosporin, many oral chemotherapeutics)
Two jatrophane diterpenoid esters isolated from this species (helioscopianoids) approximately tripled intracellular accumulation of adriamycin in P-glycoprotein-overexpressing MCF-7/ADR cells at 20 µM, which is direct evidence of efflux-transporter inhibition. Euphorbia jatrophanes are a recognised P-glycoprotein-inhibiting chemotype. There is no human pharmacokinetic study of Euphorbia helioscopia, and it is not known whether an oral decoction reaches enterocyte concentrations near 20 µM.
Clinical note: Avoid combining with digoxin or another narrow-index P-glycoprotein substrate without monitoring. If Ze Qi is added to a regimen containing one, check drug levels or the relevant clinical marker rather than assuming no effect.
Furosemide, thiazides and other diuretics
Ze Qi is prescribed to promote urination and disperse water swelling, and modern products are dosed for oedema. No controlled diuretic study of Euphorbia helioscopia in humans has been published, so the additive effect is inferred from the indication rather than measured. Any additional water loss stacked onto a loop or thiazide diuretic carries the usual electrolyte risk.
Clinical note: Do not add Ze Qi to an established diuretic regimen without a plan to recheck electrolytes and renal function; reduce the diuretic rather than the herb if intravascular depletion appears.
Euphorbia pekinensis (Jing Da Ji) and Euphorbia kansui (Gan Sui)
Ze Qi has been confounded with Da Ji since Tao Hongjing recorded it as the sprout of Da Ji around 500 CE, an identification Li Shizhen rejected in 1596 but which left a persistent naming overlap. Da Ji and Gan Sui are harsh cathartics dosed in fractions of a gram, while Ze Qi is a herb dosed in grams. Substituting one for the other at the other drug's dose is a dosing error of an order of magnitude, in the direction of severe purgation and dehydration.
Clinical note: Confirm the botanical identity of any Euphorbia supplied against Ze Qi. Ze Qi is the dried aerial herb of Euphorbia helioscopia; Da Ji and Gan Sui are roots of other species and are not interchangeable with it at any dose.
Gan Cao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, licorice root)
The classical eighteen incompatibilities pair Gan Cao against Gan Sui, Da Ji, Yuan Hua and Hai Zao. Ze Qi is not itself on that list, but because it is a Euphorbia and was historically confused with Da Ji, many practitioners extend the prohibition to it. No experimental work supports or refutes a Ze Qi and Gan Cao interaction. Practitioners should know that the caution is inherited by analogy, not demonstrated.
Clinical note: Treat the combination as unproven rather than forbidden, and say which position you are taking. If licorice is unavoidable, watch for the licorice-driven effects of interest anyway: sodium retention, hypokalaemia and rising blood pressure.
Topical and ocular exposure to the fresh latex
The milky latex of Euphorbia helioscopia is a direct chemical irritant. Case reports document acute irritant bullous contact dermatitis and emergency department presentations after casual contact with the plant, and in one series the single patient who developed irritant contact dermatitis was the one who refused to wash the exposed face with water. Ocular and periorbital toxicity is documented for other Euphorbia species' sap. This is not an idiosyncratic allergy: it is a dose-dependent irritant reaction to the diterpene esters of the latex.
Clinical note: Handle the fresh plant with gloves and never let the latex reach the eyes. After skin contact, wash immediately and copiously with water. Refer any ocular exposure the same day. The dried decoction pieces used in dispensing carry much less risk than the fresh plant, but the dispensary should still not be handling fresh stems.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | Dose not established here — see note | — | — | — | No Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 monograph found for this drug, so no pharmacopoeial dose is given here. *Euphorbia helioscopia*. Like other *Euphorbia* species the latex is a severe skin and eye irritant and a tumour promoter, and the herb is toxic taken internally. Contraindicated in pregnancy. The previous value was generic filler generated from tcm_category and was cleared; it has not been replaced with an estimate. |
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 5 studiesRecorded 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
2
2 verified · 0 unverified
In vitro / animal
3
0 verified · 3 unverified
Show 3 studies
- Helioscopianoids A–Q, bioactive jatrophane diterpenoid esters from Euphorbia helioscopia
- Lathyrane and Jatrophane Diterpenoids from Euphorbia helioscopia Evaluated for Cytotoxicity against a Paclitaxel-Resistant A549 Human Lung Cancer Cell Line
- Diterpenoids with Potent Anti-Psoriasis Activity from Euphorbia helioscopia L.
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
Acute irritant bullous contact dermatitis caused by Euphorbia helioscopia
Case report of acute irritant bullous contact dermatitis following contact with Euphorbia helioscopia. Establishes that the latex of this species, not merely of the better-known irritant Euphorbia species, produces a blistering irritant reaction on human skin.
A rare cause of emergency department visit: Euphorbia helioscopia contact dermatitis
Three patients presenting to an emergency department with contact dermatitis from Euphorbia helioscopia. Only one developed irritant contact dermatitis, and that patient had declined to wash the exposed face with water; the authors' conclusion is that immediate washing after contact is the key harm-reduction step.
Helioscopianoids A–Q, bioactive jatrophane diterpenoid esters from Euphorbia helioscopia
Seventeen new jatrophane diterpenoid esters plus eight known compounds from the whole plant. Two compounds increased adriamycin accumulation about threefold in P-glycoprotein-overexpressing MCF-7/ADR cells at 20 µM, and three showed neuroprotection in PC12 cells. This is the principal evidence that the herb contains efflux-transporter inhibitors, and hence the basis for the theoretical P-glycoprotein interaction.
Lathyrane and Jatrophane Diterpenoids from Euphorbia helioscopia Evaluated for Cytotoxicity against a Paclitaxel-Resistant A549 Human Lung Cancer Cell Line
Twenty-seven macrocyclic diterpenoids from the aerial parts. Euphoscopin C, euphorbiapene D and euphoheliosnoid A were cytotoxic to a paclitaxel-resistant A549 line with IC50 values of 6.9, 7.2 and 9.5 µM but inactive against the parent line, and C-7 benzoyloxy or nicotinoyloxy substitution predicted potency. Preclinical cell work only; there is no human oncology evidence for this herb.
Diterpenoids with Potent Anti-Psoriasis Activity from Euphorbia helioscopia L.
Twenty-three diterpenoids from the whole herb, seven previously undescribed. Antiproliferative IC50 values against stimulated T and B lymphocytes and HaCaT keratinocytes ranged from 6.7 to 31.5 µM; two compounds significantly cut IFN-gamma and IL-2 secretion, and one inhibited NF-kappa-B p65 phosphorylation in HaCaT cells. The authors note that Euphorbia helioscopia is the chief herb of the Chinese Ze Qi powder used for psoriasis, so this is mechanistic support for an existing empirical use, not clinical evidence of efficacy.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Heart conditions
- Kidney conditions
Contraindications
Its use is cautious in pregnant women and patients with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach. It is not suitable for long-term use and taking too much.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 139–143.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer's Classic of the Materia Medica)
Han dynasty, compiled c. 200 CEJin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), Zhang Zhongjing
Han dynasty, c. 200 to 220 CEBen Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Collected Commentaries on the Classic of the Materia Medica), Tao Hongjing
Southern Dynasties, c. 500 CEBen Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1596References
- Zhang W, Guo YW. Chemical Studies on the Constituents of the Chinese Medicinal Herb Euphorbia helioscopia L. . Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin (2006) [DOI]
- Yang HY, Huang PZ, Feng WJ, Si PW, Gao K, Chen JJ. ent-Abietane-type lactones with anti-inflammatory activity from Euphorbia helioscopia . Phytochemistry (2025) [DOI]
- Chen S, Zhao WZ, Zhang ZY, Yue HL, Shi QQ. Lathyrane and jatrophane diterpenoids: Potential lipid-lowering agents from Euphorbia helioscopia L . Fitoterapia (2025) [DOI]
- Zhou CG, Xiang ZN, Zhao N, Sun X, Hu ZF, Wu JL, Xia RF, Chen C, Su JC, Chen JC, Wan LS. Jatrophane Diterpenoids with Kv1.3 Ion Channel Inhibitory Effects from Euphorbia helioscopia . Journal of Natural Products (2022) [DOI]
- Su JC, Cheng W, Song JG, Zhong YL, Huang XJ, Jiang RW, Li YL, Li MM, Ye WC, Wang Y. Macrocyclic Diterpenoids from Euphorbia helioscopia and Their Potential Anti-inflammatory Activity . Journal of Natural Products (2019) [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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