Tu Si Zi - Cuscuta chinensis

Professional Data
 Pin Yin
Tu Si Zi
 
 Latin
Semen Cuscutae chinensis
 Introduction Back to Top
Semen Cuscutae chinensis is the dried ripe seed of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Fam. Convolvulaceae). The plant is collected in autumn when the fruit is ripe, dried in the sun, the seed is collected and removed from foreign matter.
 Western medical Back to Top
The herb is indicated in the treatment of urinary stone, habitual miscarriage, uterine hypoplasia, male infertility, and leukopenia, etc..
 Eastern medical Back to Top
  • Pattern: Invigorates the Kidney, supplements Essence, nourishes the Liver to brightens the Eye, nourishes the Spleen to stop diarrhea.
  • Properties: Acrid, sweet, neutral.
  • Channels entered: Liver, Kidney, Spleen.
 Chemical constituents Back to Top
The herb contains resinous glycoside, amylase and vitamin A-like substance.
 Pharmacological actions Back to Top
Various effects

tu si zi tincture and infusion could increase the cardiac contracture of isolated toad heart and lower heart rate. They could lower the blood pressure in anesthetized dogs, inhibit the intestinal movements, excite isolated uterine. The other functions include improving B lymphocyte's function, promoting the generation of antibody onload="highlight();" , lengthening the suvival time. tu si zi also had androgenic hormone-like effect.
 Clinical Studies Back to Top
Urinary stone

Yi Shen Tong Lin Tang: huang qi, tu si zi, wu wei zi, gou qi, yin yang huo, wu mei, niu xi, jin qian cao, hai jin sha, ji nei jin, dong kui zi, chi shao, hua shi, tao ren, hong hua, etc.. Water decoction, 1 dose every day, 1 month as a course of treatment, 2~3 courses totally. 137 cases of urinary stone were treated and 118 were effective.

Habitual miscarriage

Huang Qi Shou Tai Wan: huang qi 30g; tu si zi, xu duan 12g each; e jiao 10; sang ji sheng 20g. Modify the formula according to accompanied symptoms. 1 dose every day, water decoction, 10 doses as a course of treatment. Among treated 30 cases, 26 cases gave birth to healthy babies.

Uterine hypoplasia

Yu Gong Tang: dang gui, tu si zi, xiang fu, 30g; huang qi 15~30g; shu di, bai shao, 15g each; chuan xiong, e jiao, hong hua, 10g each. Modify the formula according to accompanied symptoms. 1 dose every day, water decoction, 3 months as a course of treatment. Among 17 treated cases, 9 got pregnant, and 6 improved.

Male infertility

Yu Zi Tang (experimental formula): tu si zi 20g; fu peng zi, che qian zi (wrapped), shan yao, dan pi, dang gui, bai shao, 15g each; gou qi, wu wei zi, shan yu rou, ren shen, bai zhu, 10g each; shu di, huang qi, 30g each. Modify the formula according to accompanied symptoms, water decoction, 1 dose every day. 96 cases were treated, after 18~60 days' treatment, 63 cases's spouses got pregnant.

Threatened abortion

Bu Shen Jian Pi Tang: tu si zi, sheng long gu, sheng mu li, 30g each; sang ji sheng, sheng bai shao, dang shen, xu duan, 15g each; e jiao 10g; shan yao 20g; bai zhu 12g; zhi gan cao 6g, 1 dose every day, water decoction. 20 out of 24 treated cases were effective.

Infantile repeated respiratory tract infection

Yi Fei Jian Shen Mixture (experimental formula): tu si zi, huang qi, tai zi shen, ge gen, 10g each; dang gui, chi shao, 6g each; fang feng, gan cao, 3g each; each ml containing 1.83g crude drug. 5~8ml for children under 2 years old, 10ml for 2~6 years old, 15 ml for 6~12 years old, bid. After averagely 117 days' observation, 95% of 266 cases were effective.

Leukopenia

Bu Shen Yi Jing Tang: tu si zi, bu gu zhi, ba ji tian, du zhong, shan yu rou, bai zhu, 10g each; gou qi, fu ling, lu jiao jiao, gui ban jiao (melted), 12g each; huang qi30g; hong shen 5g. Modify the formula according to accompanied symptoms, 1 dose every day, water decoction, 78 cases were treated, and 73 effective.

 
 References Back to Top

Except those noted, all references come from Weng Weiliang, et al., Clinical Chinese materia medica, Henan Science & Technology Press, 1998