Ingredient Shell (壳 ké / 甲 jiǎ)

Chan Tui

Cicada moulting · 蝉蜕

Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius · Periostracum Cicadae

Also known as: Chan Yi (蝉衣), Chan Ke (蝉壳), Chan Tui Ke (蝉退壳),

Chan Tui (Cicada moulting) plant

Images shown are for educational purposes only

Chan Tui is the cast-off shell of the cicada insect, widely used in Chinese medicine to clear Wind and Heat from the body. It is commonly used for sore throats, hoarse voice, itchy skin rashes, red eyes, and childhood fevers with convulsions. Gentle and non-toxic even at higher doses, it is especially valued in pediatric medicine.

Category Cool, acrid herbs that release the Exterior (辛凉解表药)
Therapeutic focus Skin Health Eye Health and Vision Throat and Voice Care Children's Health

TCM Properties

Temperature

Cold

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān), Salty (咸 xián)

Channels entered

Lungs, Liver

Parts used

Shell (壳 ké / 甲 jiǎ)

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What This Ingredient Does

Every ingredient has a specific set of actions — here's what Chan Tui does in the body, explained in both everyday and TCM terms

Therapeutic focus

In practical terms, Chan Tui is primarily used to support these areas of health:

Skin Health Eye Health and Vision Throat and Voice Care Children's Health

TCM Actions

In TCM terminology, these are the specific therapeutic actions that Chan Tui performs to restore balance in the body:

Disperses Wind-Heat Benefits the Throat and Restores the Voice Vents Rashes and Stops Itching Brightens the Eyes and Removes Visual Obstructions Extinguishes Wind and Stops Spasms

How these actions work

'Disperses Wind-Heat' means Chan Tui helps the body expel Wind-Heat pathogens that cause symptoms like fever, headache, sore throat, and cough at the early stage of illness. Its light, airy quality (being a hollow shell) gives it a natural affinity for the body's surface, making it useful when external Wind-Heat first invades. It is often combined with herbs like Mint (Bo He) and Forsythia (Lian Qiao) for common colds of the Wind-Heat type.

'Benefits the throat and opens the voice' means Chan Tui can soothe a swollen, painful throat and restore a hoarse or lost voice. This action is rooted in its ability to disperse Wind-Heat from the Lung channel, since in TCM the throat is considered the gateway of the Lungs. It is commonly paired with herbs like Jie Geng (Platycodon) and Pang Da Hai (Sterculia seed) for voice loss caused by Wind blocking the Lungs.

'Vents rashes and relieves itching' means Chan Tui can help push skin eruptions outward and relieve itching. In conditions like measles where the rash has not fully emerged, Chan Tui encourages the rash to come to the surface, which TCM considers essential for recovery. For Wind-type skin conditions like hives (urticaria), its ability to dispel Wind directly addresses the root cause of itching.

'Clears the eyes and removes superficial visual obstructions' refers to Chan Tui's ability to treat red, swollen, painful eyes and cloudy films over the eye (pterygium or corneal opacity). Because it enters the Liver channel, and the Liver in TCM "opens into the eyes," Chan Tui can clear Wind-Heat from the Liver that causes eye inflammation. It is often combined with Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) and Tribulus (Bai Ji Li) for these conditions.

'Extinguishes Wind and stops spasms' means Chan Tui can calm both external Wind and internal Wind. Internal Wind in TCM refers to conditions involving involuntary movement such as tremors, convulsions, and spasms. This makes Chan Tui valuable for childhood febrile seizures, night terrors, and even tetanus. Notably, it is one of the few anticonvulsant herbs in the Materia Medica that is non-toxic and safe at higher doses, making it particularly suitable for children.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony. Chan Tui is used to help correct these specific patterns.

Why Chan Tui addresses this pattern

Wind-Heat invasion is an exterior pattern where Wind-Heat pathogens attack the body's surface, producing fever, slight chills, sore throat, headache, and a floating rapid pulse. Chan Tui is cold in nature and sweet and salty in taste. Its cold nature directly opposes the Heat component while its light, ascending quality disperses the Wind from the body's exterior. Entering the Lung channel, it specifically addresses the Lung's role as the organ most vulnerable to external attack, clearing Wind-Heat from the upper body (throat, head, eyes) where these pathogens tend to lodge.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Fever

Fever with mild chills from external Wind-Heat

Sore Throat

Red, swollen, painful throat

Hypochondrial Pain That Is Worse On Coughing And Breathing

Cough from Wind-Heat constraining the Lungs

Headaches

Headache due to Wind-Heat rising upward

Hoarseness

Hoarse or lost voice

Commonly Used For

These are conditions where Chan Tui is frequently used — but only when they arise from the specific patterns it addresses, not in all cases

Arises from: Wind-Heat

TCM Interpretation

TCM views urticaria (hives) primarily as an invasion of Wind at the skin level. Wind is the pathogenic factor most associated with itching and with symptoms that appear and disappear suddenly, move from place to place, and change rapidly. In many cases, Wind combines with Heat, producing red, hot, raised wheals that worsen with warmth. The Lung governs the skin and the Liver governs Wind, so both organ systems are involved. When the body's surface defenses are weakened, Wind-Heat penetrates the skin layer and disrupts the harmonious flow of Qi and Blood through the skin, producing the characteristic itchy wheals.

Why Chan Tui Helps

Chan Tui is one of the most commonly used herbs for Wind-type itching. Its cold nature clears Heat from the skin while its light, dispersing quality expels Wind from the body's surface. It enters both the Lung channel (which governs the skin) and the Liver channel (which governs Wind), making it doubly suited for this condition. In classical formula Xiao Feng San, Chan Tui serves as one of the key herbs for dispersing Wind and stopping itch. Modern pharmacological research also suggests it has immunosuppressive and anti-allergic effects, which may explain its effectiveness in allergic skin conditions.

Also commonly used for

Eczema

When accompanied by Wind-Heat signs such as redness and itching

Hoarseness

Loss of voice or hoarseness due to Wind blocking the Lungs

Measles

Early stages when the rash has not fully emerged

Convulsions

Childhood febrile convulsions and seizures

Allergic Dermatitis

Wind-type skin allergies with itching

Laryngitis

Acute laryngitis with voice loss

Pterygium

Corneal opacity or pterygium from Liver Wind-Heat

Ingredient Properties

Every ingredient has an inherent temperature, taste, and affinity for specific channels — these properties determine how it interacts with the body

Temperature

Cold

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān), Salty (咸 xián)

Channels Entered

Lungs Liver

Parts Used

Shell (壳 ké / 甲 jiǎ)

Dosage & Preparation

These are general dosage guidelines for Chan Tui — always follow your practitioner's recommendation, as dosages vary based on the formula and your individual condition

Standard dosage

3-10g

Maximum dosage

Up to 30-60g daily for treating tetanus (broken into 3 divided doses with rice wine), under practitioner supervision only. For routine clinical use, 10g is generally the upper limit.

Dosage notes

Standard doses of 3-6g are used for dispersing wind-heat, benefiting the throat, and clearing the eyes. Higher doses of 6-10g may be used for skin conditions with significant itching (urticaria, eczema). For treating convulsions and spasms, doses of 10-15g are common in combination with other anticonvulsant herbs. The traditional use for tetanus (Po Shang Feng) calls for very large doses of 30-60g per day, ground to powder and taken in divided doses with warm rice wine. When used as ground powder (taken directly rather than in decoction), doses of 1-3g per administration are typical. Chan Tui is very light, so even moderate gram weights represent a large volume of material.

Preparation

Because Chan Tui is extremely light and tends to float in the decoction pot, it is best wrapped in cloth (包煎, bao jian) before decocting to prevent the fragments from floating and to make straining easier. Remove head, wings, and legs before use (traditional processing). When used as powder for direct ingestion (as in treating tetanus or for pediatric doses), grind finely and take with warm water or rice wine.

Processing Methods

In TCM, the same ingredient can be prepared in different ways to change its effects — here's how processing alters what Chan Tui does

Processing method

The raw cicada shells are washed thoroughly in boiling water to remove soil, dirt, and debris. The head, wings, and legs are sometimes removed. Then the shells are dried. As described in the Ben Cao Gang Mu: washed with boiling water to remove mud and soil, the wings and legs removed, then boiled in starch water and dried.

How it changes properties

This does not significantly change the thermal nature, taste, or actions. The primary purpose is to clean the material and remove non-medicinal parts (dirt, sand, insect fragments), ensuring purity and consistent dosing. Some sources suggest removing the head and feet slightly reduces the dispersing force.

When to use this form

This is the standard form used in clinical practice. Essentially all prescriptions calling for Chan Tui use this cleaned form. The raw, unwashed form is not typically used internally.

Common Ingredient Pairs

These ingredients are traditionally combined with Chan Tui for enhanced therapeutic effect

Bo He
Bo He 1:1 (Chan Tui 3-6g : Bo He 3-6g)

Chan Tui and Bo He (Mint) together create a powerful Wind-Heat dispersing pair. Bo He is acrid and cooling, strongly dispersing exterior Wind-Heat and clearing the head and eyes. Chan Tui reinforces these actions while adding its specific ability to benefit the throat, relieve itching, and vent rashes. Together they cover a broader range of Wind-Heat symptoms than either herb alone.

When to use: Wind-Heat invasion presenting with fever, headache, sore throat, itchy skin, and early-stage rashes. A foundational pair for common colds of the Wind-Heat type.

Niu Bang Zi
Niu Bang Zi 1:1 (Chan Tui 6g : Niu Bang Zi 6g)

Niu Bang Zi (Burdock seed) and Chan Tui together strongly disperse Wind-Heat, benefit the throat, and vent rashes. Niu Bang Zi has a stronger action of clearing Heat-toxin and resolving swelling, while Chan Tui adds its gentle throat-soothing and itch-relieving properties. Both appear together as co-monarchs in Xiao Feng San.

When to use: Sore throat with hoarseness from Wind-Heat, or measles with incomplete rash eruption. Also useful for itchy skin conditions with a prominent Wind-Heat component.

Gou Teng
Gou Teng 1:1 to 1:2 (Chan Tui 3-6g : Gou Teng 6-10g)

Gou Teng (Uncaria hook) and Chan Tui together extinguish both external and internal Wind. Gou Teng is a key Liver-calming, Wind-extinguishing herb with stronger anticonvulsant power, while Chan Tui adds its exterior-dispersing ability and gentle calming action. The pair addresses convulsions from both febrile (exterior) and Liver (interior) origins simultaneously.

When to use: Childhood febrile convulsions, night terrors, restless crying at night, and spasms associated with high fever. A gentle, safe pair for pediatric use.

Jiang Can
Jiang Can 1:2 (Chan Tui 3g : Jiang Can 6g)

Jiang Can (Silkworm) and Chan Tui are two insect-derived substances that together powerfully disperse Wind, resolve phlegm, and stop spasms. Jiang Can adds the ability to transform phlegm and dissipate nodules, while Chan Tui contributes stronger surface-dispersing and throat-benefiting action. In Sheng Jiang San (升降散), these two form the ascending pair that lifts clear Yang upward.

When to use: Convulsions with phlegm obstruction, tetanus, throat swelling with phlegm, and skin sores or boils. Also used in warm-disease formulas where internal Heat is trapped.

Ju Hua
Ju Hua 1:1 (Chan Tui 6g : Ju Hua 6g)

Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum) and Chan Tui together clear Wind-Heat from the Liver channel and brighten the eyes. Ju Hua contributes stronger Liver-calming and Heat-clearing action for the eyes, while Chan Tui adds its specific ability to remove corneal films and visual obstructions. Both enter the Liver channel, making this a precisely targeted pair for eye pathology.

When to use: Red, painful, swollen eyes from Wind-Heat or Liver Fire, blurred vision, pterygium, and post-measles corneal opacity.

Key Formulas

These well-known formulas feature Chan Tui in a prominent role

Xiao Feng San 消風散 King

Xiao Feng San from the Wai Ke Zheng Zong (《外科正宗》) is the definitive formula for Wind-type skin conditions such as eczema and urticaria. Chan Tui serves as one of four King herbs (alongside Jing Jie, Fang Feng, and Niu Bang Zi) that open the pores and disperse Wind to stop itching. This formula perfectly showcases Chan Tui's rash-venting and itch-relieving actions.

Comparable Ingredients

These ingredients have overlapping uses — here's how to tell them apart

Niu Bang Zi
Chan Tui vs Niu Bang Zi

Both disperse Wind-Heat, benefit the throat, and vent rashes. However, Niu Bang Zi is stronger at clearing Heat-toxin and resolving swollen sores, while Chan Tui has unique actions that Niu Bang Zi lacks: brightening the eyes, removing corneal obstructions, and extinguishing internal Wind to stop spasms. Choose Niu Bang Zi when Heat-toxin and throat swelling dominate; choose Chan Tui when eye problems, convulsions, or itchy skin rashes are the primary concern.

Jiang Can
Chan Tui vs Jiang Can

Both are insect-derived substances that disperse Wind and stop spasms. Jiang Can is stronger at transforming phlegm and dissipating nodules (such as scrofula or lumps), and can also address facial paralysis. Chan Tui is stronger at dispersing exterior Wind-Heat, venting rashes, relieving itching, and benefiting the throat and eyes. Chan Tui is also safer and milder, making it more suitable for children. They are frequently used together for complementary effects.

Quan Xie
Chan Tui vs Quan Xie

Both extinguish Wind and stop spasms, and both are used for convulsions, tetanus, and tremors. Quan Xie (Scorpion) is far more potent as an anticonvulsant and also unblocks collaterals to relieve pain, but it is toxic and requires careful dosing. Chan Tui is much milder and non-toxic even at high doses (up to 30g), making it safer for children and for longer-term use. For severe spasms, Quan Xie is preferred; for mild cases or pediatric use, Chan Tui is the gentler choice.

Common Substitutes & Adulterants

Related species and common adulterations to be aware of when sourcing Chan Tui

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia specifies only Cryptotympana pustulata (syn. C. atrata) as the authentic source species. However, commercially distributed Chan Tui often contains exuviae from other cicada species such as Meimuna opalifera, Platypleura kaempferi, and Hyalessa maculaticollis, which are morphologically similar once dried and especially when ground to powder. DNA-based identification (SCAR markers) has been developed to detect such adulteration. Additionally, because the shells are collected from the wild and are very light, they frequently contain significant amounts of soil, sand, and plant debris. The related product Jin Chan Tui (golden cicada moulting, from a different source species) should be distinguished from standard Chan Tui. Always inspect for completeness of form and cleanliness.

Educational content — always consult a qualified healthcare provider or TCM practitioner before using any ingredient.

Toxicity Classification

Classical Chinese pharmacopoeia toxicity rating for Chan Tui

Non-toxic

Chan Tui is classified as non-toxic in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Toxicity studies in mice have shown a very wide safety margin: oral administration of alcoholic extract at doses up to 8,000 mg/kg produced no deaths. Intravenous injection of various aqueous preparations also produced no deaths at high doses, confirming a large safety range. The main constituent is chitin (a structural polysaccharide), along with proteins, amino acids, and organic acids. Rare allergic reactions have been reported in isolated cases when the ground powder was taken with rice wine, manifesting as sweating, facial flushing, scattered skin rash, and mild fever. These are idiosyncratic hypersensitivity reactions rather than dose-dependent toxicity.

Contraindications

Situations where Chan Tui should not be used or requires extra caution

Caution

Pregnancy: Chan Tui has dispersing and descending properties that may affect the fetus. Classical sources advise pregnant women to use with caution.

Caution

Wind-cold exterior patterns (common cold from cold invasion): Chan Tui is cold in nature and suited for wind-heat conditions. Using it for wind-cold patterns would worsen the condition.

Caution

Exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating: its dispersing nature can further weaken the exterior defensive Qi in already deficient patients.

Caution

Pox or rashes due to deficiency-cold patterns: the classical physician Zhang Shouyi warned that when itching from pox is due to Qi deficiency rather than excess heat, Chan Tui should not be used.

Special Populations

Important considerations for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pediatric use

Pregnancy

Use with caution during pregnancy. Chan Tui has a dispersing and descending nature that could theoretically disturb the fetus, and multiple classical and modern sources advise caution or avoidance during pregnancy. While there are no specific reports of teratogenicity, and the herb is generally mild in action, the traditional caution is well-established. It should only be used during pregnancy under the guidance of a qualified practitioner when the clinical benefit clearly outweighs potential risk.

Breastfeeding

No specific contraindications are documented for use during breastfeeding. Chan Tui is classified as non-toxic with a very wide safety margin. Its main constituent, chitin, is a large polysaccharide molecule unlikely to transfer into breast milk in significant amounts. However, as with all herbal medicines during lactation, use should be guided by a qualified practitioner, and the mother should monitor the infant for any unusual reactions.

Children

Chan Tui has been traditionally regarded as a key herb in pediatric medicine, frequently called a 'children's essential medicine' (小儿要药). It is one of the few substances that calms Liver wind and stops convulsions while being non-toxic, making it much safer than other anticonvulsant animal substances like scorpion (Quan Xie) or centipede (Wu Gong). It is commonly used for childhood febrile convulsions, night crying, and rashes. Dosage for children should be reduced proportionally by age and body weight, typically 1-3g for infants and 3-6g for older children. The bland taste makes it relatively easy to administer to children.

Drug Interactions

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, be aware of these potential interactions with Chan Tui

No well-documented pharmacological drug interactions have been established for Chan Tui in the peer-reviewed literature. However, based on its known pharmacological properties, the following theoretical considerations apply:

  • Sedative and anticonvulsant medications: Preclinical studies show Chan Tui has sedative effects and synergises with barbiturates (hexobarbital). Concurrent use with sedatives, anxiolytics, or anticonvulsants (such as phenobarbital, benzodiazepines, or valproic acid) may have additive effects. Caution is advised.
  • Immunosuppressant medications: Research demonstrates immunosuppressive properties (suppression of dendritic cell activation). Theoretically, this could have additive effects when combined with pharmaceutical immunosuppressants (cyclosporine, tacrolimus, etc.), though clinical significance is unknown.
  • Antihistamines: Given Chan Tui's demonstrated anti-allergic properties, additive effects with antihistamine medications are theoretically possible.

Dietary Advice

Foods and dietary considerations when taking Chan Tui

No specific strong dietary restrictions apply. As Chan Tui is used primarily for wind-heat conditions, it is generally advisable to avoid greasy, heavily spiced, or excessively warming foods (such as lamb, deep-fried foods, chilli, and alcohol) during treatment, as these can generate additional heat and counteract the herb's cooling, dispersing action. Light, easily digestible foods are preferred. Some traditional sources advise caution with shellfish and other potentially allergenic seafood when using Chan Tui for allergic skin conditions, as these foods may aggravate the underlying condition.

Botanical Description

Physical characteristics and morphology of the Chan Tui source animal

Chan Tui is not a plant-derived herb but an animal product: the cast-off exoskeleton (moulted shell) of the cicada Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius (syn. C. atrata), a large insect of the family Cicadidae. The adult cicada has a dark black body roughly 4–5 cm long, with large transparent membranous wings, prominent bulging compound eyes, and short antennae. Cicadas are famous for their loud, characteristic droning song produced by specialised tymbal organs on the male abdomen.

The nymphs live underground for many years (often 5–7 years or more), feeding on sap from tree roots. Upon maturity, they climb tree trunks (commonly poplar, willow, elm, and pagoda trees) and undergo a final moult, splitting the dorsal thorax of their nymphal exoskeleton and emerging as winged adults. The discarded shell remains clinging to the bark. This hollow, translucent yellowish-brown shell, roughly 3.5 cm long and 2 cm wide, is the medicinal product known as Chan Tui.

Sourcing & Harvesting

Where Chan Tui is sourced, when it's harvested or collected, and how to assess quality

Harvesting season

Summer and autumn (typically June through September), collected from the ground beneath trees or from tree trunks where cicadas have moulted.

Primary growing regions

Chan Tui is produced throughout much of eastern and central China. The primary production regions include Shandong (historically the largest producer, especially Heze and Shanxian county along the old Yellow River course), Henan (particularly western Henan and the Yellow River/Yiluo River floodplains), Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Sichuan. Recent scholarship on dao di yao cai (terroir quality) notes that Zhejiang-produced material has traditionally been regarded as particularly fine. Shandong remains the most significant region by volume. The herb depends entirely on wild cicada populations, and supply has declined in recent years due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and increasing consumption of cicada nymphs as food.

Quality indicators

Good quality Chan Tui should be whole and intact (not broken into fragments), with a clean yellowish-brown colour that is semi-transparent and glossy. The shell should be light, hollow, and crisp but not crumbled. The head, thorax, and abdominal segments should be clearly discernible, with the dorsal split on the thorax visible. It should be free of mud, soil, and other debris. The smell should be faint and the taste bland. Avoid material that is heavily broken, dark or dull in colour, contaminated with excessive soil, or damp and mouldy. Water-washed grades are considered cleaner for decoction use.

Classical Texts

Key passages from the classical Chinese medical texts that describe Chan Tui and its therapeutic uses

Ming Yi Bie Lu (《名医别录》, c. 500 AD)

Chinese: 主小儿痫；灰服之主久痢。

English: "Treats childhood convulsions; when burned to ash and taken internally, it treats chronic dysentery."

Yao Xing Lun (《药性论》, Tang Dynasty)

Chinese: 治小儿浑身壮热惊痫，兼能止渴。

English: "Treats children with high fever throughout the body and convulsions, and can also quench thirst."

Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》, Li Shizhen, Ming Dynasty)

Chinese: 蝉，主疗皆一切风热证，古人用身，后人用蜕，大抵治脏腑经络，当用蝉身；治皮肤疮疡风热，当用蝉蜕。

English: "The cicada treats all manner of wind-heat conditions. The ancients used the whole body; later physicians used the moulted shell. Generally, for treating the internal organs and channels, use the cicada body; for treating wind-heat of the skin and sores, use the moulted shell."

Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》)

Chinese: 蝉乃土木余气所化，饮风吸露，其气清虚……又主哑病、夜啼者，取其昼鸣而夜息也。

English: "The cicada is born from the residual Qi of earth and wood, drinking wind and absorbing dew, its Qi is clear and insubstantial... It also treats muteness and nighttime crying, because the cicada sings by day and rests at night."

Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》)

Chinese: 治头风眩运，皮肤风热，痘疹作痒，破伤风及疗肿毒疮，大人失音，小儿噤风天吊，惊哭夜啼，阴肿。

English: "Treats dizziness from head-wind, wind-heat of the skin, itching from pox rashes, tetanus, toxic sores, voice loss in adults, lock-jaw and infantile convulsions, startled crying and night-crying, and genital swelling."

Historical Context

The history and evolution of Chan Tui's use in Chinese medicine over the centuries

Chan Tui has been used in Chinese medicine for over 1,500 years. The earliest recorded medicinal use of cicada (as the whole insect, called Zha Chan 蚱蝉) appears in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. The moulted shell specifically was first documented as a medicine in the Ming Yi Bie Lu (c. 500 AD), compiled by the renowned physician Tao Hongjing. The Tang Dynasty Yao Xing Lun was the first text to use "Chan Tui" as the standard drug name. By the Song Dynasty, the moulted shell had largely replaced the whole insect body as the preferred medicinal form.

The cicada held deep cultural and spiritual significance in ancient China, symbolising rebirth, immortality, and transformation due to its dramatic emergence from the earth and moulting of its old form. Bronze vessels dating to 1500 BC have been found ornamented with cicada imagery, and during the Han Dynasty, small jade cicadas were carved and placed in the mouths of the deceased. Classical physicians applied "doctrine of signatures" reasoning: because the cicada sheds its skin, the medicine treats skin diseases; because cicadas have large prominent eyes, it benefits the eyes and Liver; because cicadas sing by day and are silent at night, it calms nighttime crying in children. The Qing Dynasty Wen Bing scholar Yang Xuan praised Chan Tui as "an essential medicine for children, an essential medicine for ophthalmology, and a sacred medicine for warm diseases," incorporating it into all fifteen of his formulas for treating warm disease.

Modern Research

5 published studies investigating the pharmacological effects or clinical outcomes of Chan Tui

1

Anticonvulsive, sedative and hypothermic effects of Periostracum Cicadae extracts (preclinical study, 1991)

Hsieh MT, Peng WH, Yeh FT, Tsai HY, Chang YS. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 1991, 35(1), 83-90.

This animal study examined the effects of alcohol and water extracts of cicada moulting in mice. The extracts demonstrated significant anticonvulsive activity against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, sedative effects shown by reduced spontaneous activity, and hypothermic (fever-reducing) effects. The water extract showed a more pronounced direct anticonvulsive effect than the alcohol extract.

Link
2

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of N-acetyldopamine dimers from Periostracum Cicadae (preclinical study, 2006)

Xu MZ, Lee WS, Han JM, Oh HW, Park DS, Tian GR, Jeong TS, Park HY. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2006, 14(23), 7826-7834.

Researchers isolated N-acetyldopamine (NADA) dimer compounds from cicada moulting and tested their biological activity. These compounds showed significant antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory effects, helping to explain the traditional use of Chan Tui in treating inflammatory skin conditions and other heat-related disorders.

Link
3

Effects of Periostracum Cicadae on cytokines and apoptosis regulatory proteins in an IgA nephropathy rat model (preclinical study, 2018)

Kim SH, et al. Molecules, 2018, 23(6), 1252.

This study tested cicada moulting extract in a rat model of IgA nephropathy (a kidney disease). Treatment reduced blood and urine protein levels and significantly decreased inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6) in the blood. The extract also improved kidney inflammation and fibrosis, supporting its traditional use in nephritis-related conditions.

PubMed
4

Antiepileptic effects of Cicadae Periostracum on mice and antiapoptotic effects via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling (preclinical study, 2021)

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021, Article ID 7662156.

Cicada moulting water extract prolonged the time to onset of seizures and death in mice with chemically-induced convulsions, and improved neuronal damage in the hippocampus. Cell studies showed the extract protected nerve cells from oxidative damage through the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway, providing a modern mechanistic explanation for the traditional anticonvulsant use.

PubMed
5

Periostracum Cicadae exhibits immunosuppressive effects on dendritic cells and contact hypersensitivity responses (preclinical study, 2024)

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2025, 337, 118856.

This study demonstrated that Periostracum Cicadae extract suppressed the activation and maturation of dendritic cells (key immune cells) and reduced contact hypersensitivity responses in a mouse model. These immunosuppressive findings provide pharmacological support for the traditional use of Chan Tui in treating allergic skin conditions like eczema and urticaria.

PubMed

Research on individual TCM herbs is growing but still limited by Western clinical trial standards. These studies provide emerging evidence and should be considered alongside practitioner expertise.