Zhu Ling
StarPolyporus umbellatus (Pers.) Fries
Traditionally used for
- Bowel health
- Urinary & fluids
- Energy & fatigue
☯ TCM Properties
Promotes Urination and Drains Dampness
Traditional Chinese Uses
Zhu Ling (polyporus mushroom) is a neutral, sweet herb that promotes urination and drains Dampness without tonifying. It is one of the primary diuretic herbs for conditions of Damp accumulation — urinary difficulty, edema, urinary tract infections, and diarrhea from Damp obstruction. Unlike Fu Ling (Poria), which tonifies the Spleen while draining Damp, Zhu Ling has a stronger and more focused diuretic action without a significant tonic component.
Western Herbalism Properties
Used In Formulas (2)
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Polyporus umbellatus is a wood-decay fungus in the Polyporaceae, distributed across temperate forests of East Asia, Europe and North America, where it grows on or near the buried roots of broadleaved trees, especially oak, beech, maple and birch. Above ground it produces a striking compound fruiting body composed of dozens to hundreds of small, centrally stalked, pale tan to greyish-brown caps, each 1-4 cm across, arising from a common branched stem-base to form an umbrella-like cluster up to 50 cm wide. The flesh is white, fibrous and pleasantly fragrant when fresh. Spores are released through the white, decurrent pores on the cap undersides. The clusters arise from a hard, blackish, tuber-like underground sclerotium that can persist in the soil for years between fruitings. It is the sclerotium that is harvested, sliced and dried for use in traditional Chinese medicine under the name Zhu Ling.
Active Constituents
Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide
Fungal polysaccharide (glucan)Concentration: The major bioactive fraction of the sclerotium; yield varies strongly with genetic lineage, and lineage rather than the traditional commercial morphotype grading (Zhushiling and Jishiling) is the primary determinant of accumulation
Carries the immuno-enhancing, antitumour, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of the drug. It is formulated as a capsule and an injection approved by the Chinese regulator and has been used since 1990 for hepatitis B and for lung and liver cancer. In bladder cancer models it repolarises tumour-associated macrophages toward the M1 phenotype through NF-kappa-B and NLRP3 signalling.
Ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one
Ergostane-type steroidConcentration: A characteristic steroid of the sclerotium, isolated by activity-guided high-speed countercurrent chromatography; steroid accumulation is lineage-dependent
Also known as ergone. Showed high binding affinity for xanthine oxidase in an ultrafiltration screen of this fungus, alongside polyporusterones A and B and ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one, which is the chemical basis for the interest in Zhu Ling for gout.
Polyporusterone A
Ergostane-type steroidConcentration: One of the named steroidal markers of the sclerotium; not standardised across commercial grades
One of four constituents identified as xanthine oxidase binders in this fungus. The polyporusterones are the steroid series that distinguishes Zhu Ling chemically from Fu Ling.
Polyporusterone B
Ergostane-type steroidConcentration: A named steroidal marker of the sclerotium
Alleviated inflammatory injury by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production in laboratory study, and binds xanthine oxidase. Preclinical only.
Ergosterol
Fungal sterolConcentration: The characteristic membrane sterol of Basidiomycete fungi and the biosynthetic parent of the ergostane series in this sclerotium
Not itself considered a therapeutic principle, but it is the precursor of the ergostane steroids that carry the xanthine oxidase and anti-inflammatory activity, and its presence marks the drug as fungal rather than botanical.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine
Four constituents of this fungus, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B, ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one and ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one, showed high binding affinity for xanthine oxidase in an ultrafiltration screen, with enzyme kinetics confirming inhibition. Xanthine oxidase is the enzyme that inactivates 6-mercaptopurine, and its inhibition by allopurinol requires a 65 to 75 percent thiopurine dose reduction to avoid myelosuppression. Whether an oral Zhu Ling decoction produces meaningful systemic xanthine oxidase inhibition has never been measured, so this is inference from an in vitro binding result, not a documented clinical event.
Clinical note: Do not use Zhu Ling in a patient on azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine without a specific reason and full blood count monitoring. The consequence of the analogous allopurinol interaction is profound myelosuppression, so the asymmetry of risk favours avoidance.
Allopurinol and febuxostat
Constituents of Zhu Ling bind and inhibit xanthine oxidase in vitro, which is the same target as allopurinol and febuxostat. The likely direction is additive urate lowering rather than harm, but no human study has measured serum urate on Zhu Ling.
Clinical note: If a gout patient adds Zhu Ling, monitor urate rather than assume the herb is inert. Do not present it as a substitute for urate-lowering therapy on the strength of a binding assay.
Loop and thiazide diuretics
The diuretic property is the drug's core traditional and modern identity, and it is on that basis that the fungus is described as a source of targeted agents for kidney disease. No controlled human diuresis study of the isolated fungus has been published, so the additive effect is inferred from the indication.
Clinical note: Recheck electrolytes and renal function if Zhu Ling is added to a diuretic regimen and the patient is elderly, on an ACE inhibitor, or in heart failure.
Ciclosporin, tacrolimus, azathioprine and other immunosuppressants
Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide is characterised as immuno-enhancing, and its antitumour mechanism in bladder cancer models is repolarisation of tumour-associated macrophages toward the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype through NF-kappa-B and NLRP3 signalling. Deliberately driving macrophages toward M1 in a patient whose treatment depends on suppressed immunity is pharmacologically opposed to the therapeutic goal. This has not been studied in transplant recipients.
Clinical note: Avoid in solid organ transplant recipients and in patients on immunosuppression for autoimmune disease. This caution applies to the concentrated polysaccharide preparations more than to a modest amount of the crude sclerotium in a decoction, but the direction is the same.
Intravesical BCG for bladder cancer
In a rat bladder carcinoma model, Zhuling polyporus polysaccharide combined with BCG significantly reduced cancer invasiveness and was investigated for attenuating the side effects of BCG therapy. The reported direction is synergy. No randomised human trial of the combination exists, and the animal result cannot support recommending the herb during an active BCG induction course.
Clinical note: Do not add Zhu Ling to an intravesical BCG course on the strength of the animal data without the treating urologist's agreement. If a patient is already taking it, record it, because an immunomodulator may confound the interpretation of BCG-related inflammatory side effects.
Fu Ling (Poria cocos, also known as Wolfiporia extensa)
Zhu Ling and Fu Ling are both fungal sclerotia used to drain dampness and promote urination, they appear together in Wu Ling San, and as dried sliced sclerotia they can look similar. They are different organisms: Zhu Ling is Polyporus umbellatus and Fu Ling is Poria cocos. Zhu Ling contains the ergostane polyporusterone series and is the stronger and more purely draining of the two; Fu Ling is the milder and is also used to strengthen the spleen and calm the spirit. Zhu Ling is scarce and expensive relative to Fu Ling, which creates the economic pressure that drives substitution in the trade.
Clinical note: Do not accept Fu Ling in place of Zhu Ling, and do not transfer Zhu Ling's steroid pharmacology, including the xanthine oxidase findings, onto Fu Ling or the reverse. Ask for the binomial on the certificate of analysis.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6–12 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】6～12g。 【性味与归经】甘、淡，平。归肾、膀胱经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Combine to strongly promote urination and leach out dampness, with the spleen-supporting action of one tempering the purely draining action of the other.
Edema, scanty urination, damp diarrhea.
Named pairing — Lü Jingshan, Shi Jinmo Dui Yao
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
0
In vitro / animal
3
2 verified · 1 unverified
Show 3 studies
- Efficacy of Zhuling polyporus polysaccharide with BCG to inhibit bladder carcinoma
- Homogeneous Polyporus Polysaccharide Inhibit Bladder Cancer by Resetting Tumor-Associated Macrophages Toward M1 Through NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling
- Rapid screening, isolation, and activity evaluation of potential xanthine oxidase inhibitors in Polyporus umbellatus and mechanism of action in the treatment of gout
Other / unclassified
2
2 verified · 0 unverified
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
The efficacy of Polyporus Umbellatus polysaccharide in treating hepatitis B in China
Systematic search of PubMed, VIP, CNKI and Wanfang covering 27 years, aggregating 11,703 clinically reported cases from over 100 Chinese publications on the polysaccharide capsule and injection, both of which are approved drugs in China. Reported effectiveness for hepatitis B as monotherapy, with combinations against hepatitis B vaccine, interferon, aciclovir and interferon-inducing RNA reported as better than either agent alone. This is by far the largest body of human data on the drug, but it aggregates Chinese domestic reports of mixed and largely uncontrolled design, so it should be read as a demonstration that the preparation is widely used and reported effective, not as randomised evidence of efficacy.
Efficacy of Zhuling polyporus polysaccharide with BCG to inhibit bladder carcinoma
Rat bladder carcinoma model testing the sclerotium and its polysaccharide as an adjunct to BCG. Combination treatment significantly reduced cancer invasiveness relative to BCG alone, and the work was framed around attenuating BCG side effects. Animal evidence only.
Homogeneous Polyporus Polysaccharide Inhibit Bladder Cancer by Resetting Tumor-Associated Macrophages Toward M1 Through NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling
A homogeneous polysaccharide fraction inhibited bladder cancer by repolarising tumour-associated macrophages toward the M1 phenotype via NF-kappa-B and NLRP3 signalling. Mechanistic work that identifies the drug as a genuine immunomodulator, which is also why it is a poor choice in a patient who needs immunosuppression.
Rapid screening, isolation, and activity evaluation of potential xanthine oxidase inhibitors in Polyporus umbellatus and mechanism of action in the treatment of gout
Ultrafiltration screening with enzyme kinetics identified polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B, ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one and ergosta-7,22-dien-3-one from this fungus as high-affinity xanthine oxidase binders, with structures confirmed by mass spectrometry and NMR after countercurrent chromatographic purification. Supporting docking, molecular dynamics and network pharmacology. Entirely in vitro and computational; no urate measurement in an animal or a person.
A systematic review of advances in preparation, structures, bioactivities, structural-property relationships, and applications of Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides
Systematic review of the preparation, structure, bioactivity and structure-property relationships of the polysaccharides of this fungus. Useful for understanding why extraction method changes activity, which matters when comparing a decoction with the pharmaceutical polysaccharide preparations that carry most of the clinical reports.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer's Classic of the Materia Medica)
Han dynasty, compiled c. 200 CEShang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage), Zhang Zhongjing
Han dynasty, c. 200 to 220 CEBen Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1596References
- Ren S, Liu H, Sang Q, Sun Y, Li L, Chen W. Polyporus umbellatus, A Precious Rare Fungus With Good Pharmaceutical and Food Value . Engineering in Life Sciences (2025) [DOI]
- Liu Y, Li S, Liu L, Li B, Guo S. Genetic–Geographic–Chemical Framework of Polyporus umbellatus Reveals Lineage-Specific Chemotypes for Elite Medicinal Line Breeding . Journal of Fungi (2026) [DOI]
- Song D, Zhang Y, Yuan J, Hao X, Chen S, Zhao X, Yang Y. Polyporusterone B Alleviates Inflammatory Injury via Suppression of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production . International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025) [DOI]
- Liu L, Xing Y, Li S, Zhou L, Li B, Guo S. Different Symbiotic Species of Armillaria Affect the Yield and Active Compound Contents of Polyporus umbellatus . Microorganisms (2025) [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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