Herb Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

E Bu Shi Cao

Small centipeda herb · 鹅不食草

Centipeda minima (L.) A. Braun et Aschers. · Herba Centipedae

Also known as: Shi Hu Sui (石胡荽), Di Hu Jiao (地胡椒), Di Yuan Sui (地芫荽),

A small, pungent herb best known for its powerful ability to open blocked nasal passages. It is one of the most commonly used herbs for chronic nasal congestion, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis, and can be used both internally and applied directly to the nose. It also helps with coughs involving cold-type phlegm and can reduce swelling from sores or injuries.

Category Warm, acrid herbs that release the Exterior (辛温解表药)
Therapeutic focus Sinus and Nasal Health Respiratory Health Eye Health and Vision Immune Support

TCM Properties

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)

Channels entered

Lungs, Liver

Parts used

Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

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Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment

What This Herb Does

Every herb has a specific set of actions — here's what E Bu Shi Cao does in the body, explained in both everyday and TCM terms

Therapeutic focus

In practical terms, E Bu Shi Cao is primarily used to support these areas of health:

Sinus and Nasal Health Respiratory Health Eye Health and Vision Immune Support

TCM Actions

In TCM terminology, these are the specific therapeutic actions that E Bu Shi Cao performs to restore balance in the body:

Disperses Wind-Cold Unblocks the Nasal Passages Resolves Phlegm and Stops Cough Brightens the Eyes and Removes Visual Obstructions Resolves Toxicity and Reduces Swelling

How these actions work

'Opens the nasal passages' (通鼻窍 tōng bí qiào) is the signature action of this herb. Its pungent, warm, and strongly ascending nature allows it to reach the head and nasal cavity, clearing obstruction caused by Wind-Cold or accumulated turbid fluids. This makes it the go-to herb for nasal congestion, sinusitis, nasal polyps, and chronic runny nose. It can be taken internally in a decoction, or the dried powder can be inhaled or placed inside the nose on a cotton swab, where it characteristically induces sneezing to clear the passages.

'Disperses Wind-Cold' means the herb helps the body push out early-stage Wind-Cold invasion, the kind that comes with chills, headache, and a blocked nose. However, its Wind-Cold dispersing power is relatively mild compared to stronger exterior-releasing herbs like Ma Huang, so it is mainly chosen when nasal congestion is the dominant complaint rather than for a general cold.

'Stops coughing and resolves phlegm' refers to its ability to address coughs with copious, thin, white phlegm caused by Cold lodged in the Lungs. Its warm, pungent nature helps to open the Lung Qi and transform Cold phlegm.

'Clears the eyes and removes visual obstructions' is a classical action recorded since the Tang Dynasty. The herb's ascending, penetrating nature can reach the eyes and is traditionally used for conditions such as superficial corneal opacities (pterygium, nebula). The famous formula Bi Yun San uses it as the lead herb for eye problems, applied by sniffing the powder into the nose until tears flow.

'Resolves toxicity and reduces swelling' means the herb can be mashed and applied externally to treat abscesses, boils, traumatic swelling, and even insect or snake bites. This action relies on its pungent dispersing quality to move stagnation and reduce local swelling.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony. E Bu Shi Cao is used to help correct these specific patterns.

Why E Bu Shi Cao addresses this pattern

When Wind-Cold attacks the Lungs, it obstructs the Lung's ability to regulate the nasal passages. This produces nasal congestion, runny nose with clear or white discharge, headache, and sneezing. E Bu Shi Cao is acrid and warm, directly entering the Lung channel. Its strongly ascending and penetrating nature targets the nasal passages specifically, dispersing the Cold that blocks the nose. While many herbs address Wind-Cold, E Bu Shi Cao is uniquely effective because its pungent, volatile constituents physically travel upward to the head and nose, making it one of the most specific herbs for nasal obstruction in the entire Materia Medica.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Nasal Congestion

Blocked nose, especially when persistent

Runny Nose

Clear or white nasal discharge

Headaches

Frontal headache from sinus pressure

Sneezing

Commonly Used For

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

Arises from: Wind-Cold invading the Lungs

TCM Interpretation

TCM understands allergic rhinitis primarily as a condition where the Lung's defensive Qi (Wei Qi) is weak, making the nasal passages vulnerable to invasion by Wind and Cold. When Wind-Cold lodges in the nasal passages, the Lung's function of regulating the nose breaks down, producing sneezing, watery discharge, itching, and congestion. Many patients also have an underlying Spleen Qi deficiency that generates Dampness, which further clogs the nose. The key pathomechanism is obstruction of the nasal orifices by Wind combined with deficient Wei Qi.

Why E Bu Shi Cao Helps

E Bu Shi Cao is one of the most specific herbs for this condition. Its acrid, warm nature directly enters the Lung channel and ascends powerfully to the nasal passages, dispersing the Wind-Cold that triggers the allergic response and opening blocked nasal orifices. Modern research on guinea pig models of allergic rhinitis has shown that its volatile oil components can reduce histamine release and decrease nasal mucosal inflammation. It is used in numerous patent medicines for allergic rhinitis in China, both as a nasal preparation and in oral formulas, often combined with Cang Er Zi and Xin Yi Hua to amplify the nasal-opening effect.

Also commonly used for

Nasal Polyps

Classical indication for nasal polyps (鼻息肉); applied intranasally

Common Cold

Wind-Cold type common cold, especially when nasal symptoms predominate

Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis with cold-type phlegm and cough

Whooping Cough

Traditional use for pertussis (百日咳)

Viral Conjunctivitis

Red, swollen, itchy eyes; corneal opacities

Soft Tissue Injury

External application for traumatic swelling and bruising

Herb Properties

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

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)

Channels Entered

Lungs Liver

Parts Used

Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)

Dosage & Preparation

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

Standard dosage

6-9g

Maximum dosage

Up to 15g in decoction for internal use. Some sources cite 3-15g as the broader range. Do not exceed 15g without practitioner supervision, as higher doses significantly increase the risk of gastrointestinal irritation. External use dosage is determined by the clinical situation (appropriate amount applied topically).

Dosage notes

The standard decoction dose of 6-9g is suitable for treating nasal congestion, wind-cold headache, and cough with phlegm. For external/topical use (such as nasal insufflation for rhinitis or nasal polyps), an appropriate amount of fresh or dried herb is applied directly. The herb can also be used fresh, typically 15-30g of fresh herb if juiced. When used as a powder for nasal insufflation (as in the classical formula Cu Bi Bi Yun San), only a tiny amount (a rice-grain sized pinch) is sniffed into each nostril. Patients with sensitive stomachs should use the lower end of the dosage range to minimize gastrointestinal irritation. Wine-prepared forms (ground herb cooked in rice wine) are used traditionally for traumatic injuries.

Preparation

No special decoction handling required for standard internal use. When used for nasal application, the fresh herb is typically crushed and rolled into a small plug to insert into the nostril, or the dried herb is ground to a fine powder for insufflation. For topical use on sores or injuries, the fresh herb is mashed into a poultice.

Common Herb Pairs

These ingredients are traditionally combined with E Bu Shi Cao for enhanced therapeutic effect

Cang Er Zi
Cang Er Zi 1:1 (E Bu Shi Cao 6-9g : Cang Er Zi 6-9g)

Both herbs are warm, acrid, and excel at opening the nasal passages, but they work through complementary mechanisms. Cang Er Zi excels at dispersing Wind-Dampness and relieving sinus pain, while E Bu Shi Cao is more strongly ascending and volatile, physically reaching the nasal cavity to clear deep obstruction. Together they produce a powerful synergistic nasal-opening effect greater than either alone.

When to use: Severe nasal congestion or sinusitis with frontal headache, thick or turbid nasal discharge, and loss of smell. This pairing is a standard modification for Cang Er Zi San.

Xin Yi Hua
Xin Yi Hua 1:1 (E Bu Shi Cao 6-9g : Xin Yi Hua 6-9g)

Xin Yi Hua (magnolia flower) is the premier herb for opening the nasal passages with its aromatic, ascending quality. Combined with E Bu Shi Cao, the two herbs create a dual ascending action that powerfully clears nasal obstruction from different angles. Xin Yi is gentler and more aromatic; E Bu Shi Cao is more pungent and stimulating.

When to use: Chronic rhinitis or allergic rhinitis with persistent nasal blockage, especially when the patient has lost their sense of smell.

Xi Xin
Xi Xin 2:1 (E Bu Shi Cao 6g : Xi Xin 3g, since Xi Xin is used in small doses)

Xi Xin (Asarum) is acrid, warm, and enters the Lung and Kidney channels, with a strong ability to disperse Cold and relieve pain. Paired with E Bu Shi Cao, the two herbs reinforce each other's Wind-Cold dispersing and nasal-opening actions. Xi Xin adds stronger pain relief and a deeper warming action.

When to use: Wind-Cold headache with severe nasal blockage and sinus pain, or cold-type phlegm with cough and nasal congestion.

Bai Zhi
Bai Zhi 1:1 (E Bu Shi Cao 6-9g : Bai Zhi 6-9g)

Bai Zhi (Angelica dahurica) is warm, acrid, and enters the Lung and Stomach channels. It excels at relieving frontal and supra-orbital headache and drying Dampness from the nasal passages. Together with E Bu Shi Cao, this pair addresses both nasal congestion and the headache and facial pain that accompany sinusitis.

When to use: Sinusitis with pronounced frontal headache, facial pressure, and thick nasal discharge.

Comparable Ingredients

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

Xin Yi Hua
E Bu Shi Cao vs Xin Yi Hua

Both open nasal passages and are used for rhinitis and sinusitis. Xin Yi Hua is more aromatic and gentle, making it better for mild or chronic nasal obstruction and patients with sensitive stomachs. E Bu Shi Cao is more pungent and stimulating (it induces sneezing), has an additional action of resolving toxicity and can be applied directly into the nose, and also treats eye conditions. However, E Bu Shi Cao is more irritating to the gastrointestinal tract.

Cang Er Zi
E Bu Shi Cao vs Cang Er Zi

Both are warm, acrid herbs that treat nasal congestion and sinusitis. Cang Er Zi is stronger at dispersing Wind-Dampness and relieving pain (especially headache and body aches), and it also treats skin conditions. E Bu Shi Cao is more specifically ascending to the nasal passages and has the unique ability to clear eye obstructions (corneal opacities). Cang Er Zi is mildly toxic and requires processing; E Bu Shi Cao is non-toxic but can irritate the stomach.

Xi Xin
E Bu Shi Cao vs Xi Xin

Both disperse Wind-Cold and open the nose. Xi Xin is much more potent in dispersing deep-seated Cold, warming the Lungs, and relieving pain, and it also enters the Kidney channel. It is used for a broader range of pain conditions. E Bu Shi Cao is more narrowly focused on nasal and eye conditions and is unique in its ability to be applied topically inside the nose. Xi Xin must be used in very small doses (1-3g) due to its potency, whereas E Bu Shi Cao can be used at higher doses (6-9g).

Common Substitutes & Adulterants

Related species and common adulterations to be aware of when sourcing E Bu Shi Cao

E Bu Shi Cao (Centipeda minima) can be confused with Bai Hua She She Cao (Hedyotis diffusa / Oldenlandia diffusa), the dried whole plant of a Rubiaceae species, which has a superficially similar dried appearance but completely different properties (bitter, cold) and indications (Heat-clearing and toxin-resolving). The two are easily distinguished by taste and smell: E Bu Shi Cao is acrid and pungently stimulating to the nose, while Bai Hua She She Cao is not. Additionally, several other plants share the folk name "goose-won't-eat grass" in various regions, including Tian Hu Sui (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, from the Apiaceae family), species of Centipeda other than C. minima (such as ball chrysanthemum species found in Hainan), and Wuxincai (Arenaria species from the Caryophyllaceae family). Authentic E Bu Shi Cao should always be verified as Centipeda minima, identifiable by its characteristic sneeze-inducing pungent aroma.

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

Toxicity Classification

Classical Chinese pharmacopoeia toxicity rating for E Bu Shi Cao

Non-toxic

Classified as non-toxic in classical sources such as the Lu Chan Yan Ben Cao (《履巉岩本草》). However, excessive oral dosage can cause significant gastrointestinal irritation including nausea, vomiting, a burning sensation in the throat and stomach, and epigastric pain. These adverse reactions onset rapidly and can persist for some time. The herb's volatile oils and sesquiterpene lactones (particularly brevilin A) are highly stimulating to mucous membranes. At standard dosages in decoction, these effects are mild and manageable. Topical use on mucous membranes (nasal application) may cause intense sneezing and transient nasal irritation, which is actually considered part of its therapeutic action. Patients with pre-existing gastric inflammation should use this herb with extra caution.

Contraindications

Situations where E Bu Shi Cao should not be used or requires extra caution

Caution

Qi deficiency and Stomach weakness (气虚胃弱). The herb's strongly acrid and dispersing nature can further damage a weak Stomach and deplete Qi. As noted in the De Pei Ben Cao: those with Qi deficiency and Stomach weakness should avoid this herb.

Caution

Yin deficiency with internal Heat. The herb is acrid and warm with an ascending, dispersing nature, which can further injure Yin fluids and worsen Heat signs in Yin-deficient patients.

Avoid

Pregnancy. The herb's acrid, dispersing, and moving nature poses a risk of disturbing the fetus and may potentially cause uterine contractions or bleeding.

Caution

Significant bleeding or post-hemorrhagic weakness. The herb's dispersing properties are inappropriate when the body needs to consolidate and retain Blood and fluids.

Caution

Excessive internal dosage may cause gastrointestinal irritation including nausea, vomiting, epigastric burning, and stomach pain, especially in patients with pre-existing gastric conditions. Do not exceed standard dosage range.

Special Populations

Important considerations for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pediatric use

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy. E Bu Shi Cao is acrid, warm, and strongly dispersing in nature. Its ascending and moving properties pose a risk of disturbing the fetus, potentially stimulating uterine activity and causing threatened miscarriage. Classical and modern Chinese sources consistently list pregnancy as a contraindication. Pregnant women should avoid this herb entirely.

Breastfeeding

No specific classical or modern data is available on the safety of E Bu Shi Cao during breastfeeding. Given its strongly acrid, stimulating volatile oils and sesquiterpene lactones, there is a theoretical concern that some active compounds could transfer into breast milk and irritate the infant's digestive system. Use with caution during lactation, and consult a qualified practitioner before taking this herb while breastfeeding.

Children

Can be used in children at reduced dosage proportional to age and body weight. Historical injectable preparations used age-graded doses for treating malaria in children, suggesting its use in pediatric populations has precedent. For very young children (under 3 years), oral decoction doses should generally be reduced to one-quarter to one-third of the adult dose. External nasal application (inserting crushed herb into the nose to treat nasal congestion) should be done very gently in children and avoided in very young infants, as the intense sneezing response can be distressing. Monitor for gastrointestinal irritation.

Drug Interactions

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, be aware of these potential interactions with E Bu Shi Cao

No well-documented pharmaceutical drug interactions have been established for E Bu Shi Cao in the published literature. However, given its content of bioactive sesquiterpene lactones (brevilin A, arnicolide C, arnicolide D) and flavonoids (quercetin derivatives, apigenin), the following theoretical considerations apply:

  • The herb's anti-inflammatory compounds modulate NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways. Theoretically, concurrent use with immunosuppressive drugs could produce additive effects, though this has not been clinically documented.
  • Flavonoid components such as quercetin derivatives may affect CYP450 enzyme activity and could theoretically alter the metabolism of drugs processed through these pathways, though no specific interactions have been reported for this herb.

Patients taking any pharmaceutical medications should inform their healthcare provider before using E Bu Shi Cao.

Dietary Advice

Foods and dietary considerations when taking E Bu Shi Cao

When taking E Bu Shi Cao for wind-cold conditions (nasal congestion, headache, cough), avoid cold and raw foods, iced drinks, and excessively greasy foods, which may impede the herb's warming and dispersing action. Light, warm, easily digestible meals are recommended. Because the herb can irritate the stomach lining, taking it after meals rather than on an empty stomach may help reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.

Botanical Description

Physical characteristics and morphology of the E Bu Shi Cao source plant

Centipeda minima (L.) A. Braun et Aschers. is a small annual herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae (daisy) family, growing 5 to 20 cm tall. The stems are slender and much-branched, creeping along the ground in a prostrate or spreading habit, rooting easily at the nodes where they contact soil. The stems may be hairless or bear fine, cobweb-like hairs. The leaves are alternate, sessile (without leaf stalks), wedge-shaped to spatula-shaped (cuneate-obovate), about 7 to 20 mm long and 3 to 5 mm wide, with a blunt tip and irregularly toothed margins bearing 2 to 5 small teeth.

The flower heads are tiny, flattened-globular, about 3 mm in diameter, and borne singly in the leaf axils without a visible stalk. Each head has a hemispherical involucre of two rows of greenish, lance-shaped bracts with thin, translucent margins. The florets are pale yellow to yellow-green, all tubular: the outer ones are female with very fine corollas, and the central ones are bisexual with clearly 4-lobed corollas. The fruits are tiny elliptical achenes, about 1 mm long, four-angled with fine hairs along the ridges, and lacking a pappus. The plant thrives in moist, shady habitats such as rice paddies, roadsides, and damp waste ground, and it reproduces prolifically from seed.

Sourcing & Harvesting

Where E Bu Shi Cao is sourced, when it's harvested or collected, and how to assess quality

Harvesting season

Summer to autumn (typically September to November when the flowers are open), or in some regions May to June. Harvested as the whole plant with flowers, washed to remove soil, and used fresh or dried in the sun.

Primary growing regions

Widely distributed throughout China from north to south. The primary producing regions (主产) are Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Guangdong provinces. Additional production occurs in Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Fujian, Anhui, and Henan. The herb also grows in other parts of East and Southeast Asia including Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and parts of Oceania. It grows in moist, low-lying areas such as rice paddies, damp roadsides, and shady waste ground at elevations from 100 to 1,900 meters.

Quality indicators

Good quality dried E Bu Shi Cao is grey-green to light green in color (not predominantly brown or blackened). The herb typically comes tangled in clumps. Stems should be fine and intact, breaking cleanly to reveal a yellowish-white cross-section with a white pith. Leaves, though small and often crumpled, should still be present and identifiable as spoon-shaped (spatulate) with visible marginal teeth. Flower heads should be present, small, spherical, and yellow to yellow-brown in color. The key quality test is aroma: the herb should have a faint fragrance and, upon prolonged sniffing, produce a strong prickling or irritating sensation in the nose that provokes sneezing. The taste should be bitter and slightly acrid. Avoid material that is mostly bare stems without leaves or flowers, heavily browned or moldy, or that has lost its characteristic nasal-stimulating quality. The presence of soil or root debris indicates poor processing.

Classical Texts

Key passages from the classical Chinese medical texts that describe E Bu Shi Cao and its therapeutic uses

Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》, Li Shizhen)

Chinese: 鹅不食草，上达头脑，而治顶痛目病，通鼻气而落息肉；内达肺经而治齁蛤、痰疟，散疮肿；其除翳之功，尤显神妙。

English: E Bu Shi Cao reaches upward to the head and brain, treating vertex headache and eye diseases, opening the nasal passages and causing nasal polyps to fall away. Internally it reaches the Lung channel, treating wheezing, phlegm-type malaria, and dispersing sores and swellings. Its ability to remove eye films (pterygium) is especially marvelous.

Ben Cao Hui Yan (《本草汇言》)

Chinese: 石胡荽，利九窍，通鼻气之药也。其味辛烈，其气辛熏，其性升散，能通肺经，上达头脑，故主齁蛤痰喘，气闭不通，鼻塞鼻痔，胀闷不利，去目中翳障，并头中寒邪、头风脑痛诸疾，皆取辛温升散之功也。

English: Shi Hu Sui opens the nine orifices and is a herb that frees nasal breathing. Its taste is intensely acrid, its smell pungently stimulating, and its nature is ascending and dispersing. It can open the Lung channel and reach upward to the head and brain, and so it governs wheezing with phlegm, blocked Qi that does not flow, nasal congestion and nasal polyps, stuffiness and obstruction, removes eye films, and treats cold pathogen in the head, wind-headache and brain pain, all making use of its acrid, warm, ascending, and dispersing function.

Si Sheng Ben Cao (《四声本草》)

Chinese: 通鼻气，利九窍，吐风痰。

English: Opens nasal breathing, frees the nine orifices, and expels wind-phlegm.

Ben Cao Shi Yi (《本草拾遗》)

Chinese: 去目翳，按塞鼻中，翳膜自落。

English: Removes eye films (pterygium). Stuff it into the nose, and the eye film will fall away on its own.

Historical Context

The history and evolution of E Bu Shi Cao's use in Chinese medicine over the centuries

The earliest known record of E Bu Shi Cao can be traced to the Shi Xing Ben Cao (《食性本草》) of the Southern Tang Dynasty (10th century CE), written by Chen Shiliang, where it was first given the name "goose-won't-eat grass" (鹅不食草). The herb was later recorded in the Ben Cao Shi Yi (《本草拾遗》) and the Si Sheng Ben Cao (《四声本草》), both of the Tang era, where its ability to open the nasal passages and remove eye films was noted. Li Shizhen's Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》, 1596) adopted the formal name Shi Hu Sui (石胡荽) and explained that the plant resembles young coriander (胡荽) but has such a pungent, unpalatable smell that even geese refuse to eat it, hence the folk name.

A well-known folk legend tells of a farm child who suffered from chronic nasal congestion with foul-smelling discharge. While herding geese, the child noticed they ate every herb in the field except one particularly pungent little plant. Curious, the child sniffed the herb and immediately sneezed powerfully, after which the nasal congestion cleared. This story encapsulates the herb's most celebrated action: its ability to powerfully open blocked nasal passages through its stimulating, sternutatory (sneeze-inducing) properties. The classical formula Cu Bi Bi Yun San (搐鼻碧云散) from Ni Weide's Yuan Ji Qi Wei Ji (《原机启微集》, Yuan Dynasty) uses E Bu Shi Cao as the chief herb combined with Qing Dai and Chuan Xiong, insufflated into the nose to treat various eye diseases and nasal obstruction.

Modern Research

5 published studies investigating the pharmacological effects or clinical outcomes of E Bu Shi Cao

1

Comprehensive phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Centipeda minima (2022)

Tan JC, Qiao ZP, Meng MJ, Zhang S, Li Y, Gao YX, Luo P, Shi W, Xu HY, Su T. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2022, 291, 115168.

A systematic review summarizing 191 chemical compounds identified from C. minima, including terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols, phenols, organic acids, and volatile oils. The review documents anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and liver-protective pharmacological activities from both crude extracts and isolated compounds such as brevilin A and arnicolide D.

PubMed
2

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Centipeda minima (in vivo and in vitro study, 2013)

Huang SS, Chiu CS, Lin TH, Lee MM, Lee CY, Chang SJ, Hou WC, Huang GJ, Deng JS. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2013, 147(2), 395-405.

This study demonstrated that aqueous extract of C. minima exhibited significant antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects in both cell-based assays and animal models of inflammation, supporting its traditional use for inflammatory conditions.

3

Brevilin A inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vivo and in vitro (preclinical study, 2021)

Qin Q, Xu G, Zhan XY, Wang ZL, Wang Y, Liu HB, Hou XR, Shi W, Ma JL, Bai ZF, Xiao XH. Molecular Immunology, 2021, 135, 116-126.

Brevilin A, the principal sesquiterpene lactone from C. minima, was found to significantly inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, suppress caspase-1 activation, and reduce IL-1β secretion in both mouse macrophages and human THP-1 cells. It acted as a specific inhibitor of NLR inflammasomes and showed protective effects against septic shock in mice.

4

Centipeda minima extract inhibits inflammation and cell proliferation via JAK/STAT signaling (in vitro psoriasis model, 2023)

Ryu B, Kim HM, Lee JS, Lee CG, Kang MC, Lee H, Shin S, Jang DS, Lee KT. Molecules, 2023, 28(4), 1723.

An extract of C. minima enriched in brevilin A, arnicolide C, arnicolide D, and microhelenin C reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in LPS-stimulated macrophages and inhibited keratinocyte hyperproliferation by blocking JAK/STAT1 and JAK/STAT3 phosphorylation, supporting potential application in inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis.

5

Ethanol extract of Centipeda minima exerts antioxidant and neuroprotective effects via Nrf2 pathway (preclinical study, 2019)

Wang YJ, Li QS, Chen XY, He WJ, Li XY, Ke BW, Chen LL, Zheng WM, Cheng YX, Liu YQ. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2019, 2019, 9153026.

The ethanol extract of C. minima demonstrated neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, upregulating antioxidant enzymes such as HO-1, NQO-1, and GCLM. These findings support the herb's potential role in protecting against neurodegenerative conditions.

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.