Zi Jing Pi
StarCercis chinensis Bunge
☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates Blood and Regulates Menstruation; Resolves Toxicity and Reduces Swelling; Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria; Dispels Wind-Dampness and Alleviates Pain; Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Zi Jing Pi (cercis bark, red-bud tree bark) is a cool, neutral herb used in Chinese medicine to invigorate Blood, disperse stasis, and reduce swellings. It is applied for menstrual irregularities and pain from Blood stagnation, traumatic injuries with bruising, and swollen masses and skin conditions from Blood stasis. Its Blood-moving action is moderate in intensity, making it appropriate for patients who need Blood activation without the aggressive breaking action of stronger stasis-dispersing herbs.
Botanical Description
Cercis chinensis Bunge (Chinese redbud) is a deciduous small tree or large shrub in the Fabaceae, reaching 5-15 m in height with smooth grey to reddish-brown bark that becomes shallowly fissured with age. The simple, alternate leaves are broadly cordate to orbicular, 6-14 cm across, glabrous, with entire margins and palmate venation, turning yellow in autumn. In early spring, before leaf emergence, the tree produces dense clusters of bright rose-pink to magenta papilionaceous flowers borne directly on old wood and twigs (cauliflory), each about 1 cm long. Fruits are flattened, narrowly oblong legumes 5-9 cm long, dark brown when ripe, persisting on the branches. Native to central and eastern China.
Active Constituents
Quercetin and its glycosides
Flavonol / flavonoid glycosideConcentration: Major flavonoid of the bark
A principal bark flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and enzyme-inhibitory (tyrosinase, alpha-glucosidase) activity, consistent with the swelling-reducing and toxin-resolving traditional uses.
Kaempferol and afzelin (kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside)
Flavonol / flavonoid glycosideConcentration: Major bark flavonoids
Flavonoids reported among the main bark constituents; contribute antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Astragalin (kaempferol 3-O-glucoside)
Flavonoid glycosideConcentration: Characteristic bark flavonoid
Identified as a main component of Cercis chinensis bark flavonoid extracts, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Myricetin
FlavonolConcentration: Minor to moderate flavonoid
An antioxidant flavonol reported in the genus Cercis with antioxidant, antitumor and hepatoprotective activity in the literature.
Stilbenes and phenylpropanoids
Stilbenes / phenylpropanoidsConcentration: Multiple minor components
Among the 78 characterized components of C. chinensis are nine stilbenes and eleven phenylpropanoids, which add to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the plant.
Polyphenols / tannins and polysaccharides
Polyphenols and polysaccharidesConcentration: Abundant in bark and other tissues
Polyphenolic and polysaccharide fractions contribute astringent, antioxidant and mild antimicrobial effects supporting the toxin-resolving, swelling-reducing action.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction
Parts: Stem bark (cortex)
The dried bark is decocted, traditionally about 6-15 g, to invigorate the Blood, regulate menstruation and reduce swelling. It is often combined with other blood-moving herbs.
Topical wash or powder / wine preparation
Parts: Stem bark
Applied externally as a decoction wash or ground powder to swellings, abscesses and sores; the bark is also soaked in wine to enhance the blood-invigorating, stasis-dispelling and wind-damp-dispelling actions for pain.
Historical Texts
Kai Bao Ben Cao (Materia Medica of the Kaibao Era)
Northern Song dynasty, 973 CERi Hua Zi Ben Cao (Rihuazi's Materia Medica)
Five Dynasties / early Song, c. 10th century CEBen Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen
Ming dynasty, 1596 CEReferences
- Sun et al.. Phytochemistry, Biological Activities, and Anti-inflammatory/Analgesic Effects of Cercis chinensis: A Comprehensive Review . Chemistry & Biodiversity, Vol. 22(12) (2025) [DOI]
- Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoger E. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd Edition (Zi Jing Pi / Cortex Cercis) . Eastland Press, Seattle (2004) [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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