Ebushicao (Centipeda minima): A Fine Herb for Nasal Disorders and Allergy Relief
Ebushicao is the whole herb of Centipeda minima of the Asteraceae family, also called Yuanyuangsui, Jichangcao and Diyuan sui, produced mainly in Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangsu and Guangdong. Traditional TCM considers it pungent and warm, entering the Lung and Liver meridians. It expels wind and unblocks the orifices, and resolves toxin and reduces swelling. It treats colds, headache, nasal obstruction, rhinitis, nasal polyps, cough, asthma, throat impediment, deafness, red eyes with nebula, malaria, dysentery, rheumatic painful impediment, traumatic injury, swellings and toxins, and scabies and ringworm.
Ebushicao has good efficacy against rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal polyps and epistaxis. Folk practice has a proven formula of grinding Ebushicao together with Xinyi (magnolia flower buds) to powder and blowing it into the nose to treat rhinitis and nasal polyps. This powder may also be mixed with an appropriate amount of Vaseline into an ointment applied to the nasal cavity. An ointment made from Ebushicao alone with Vaseline and applied to the nasal cavity also treats rhinitis and nasal polyps, with good efficacy.
Ebushicao's efficacy against rhinitis and nasal polyps relates to its anti-allergic action; modern pharmacological research shows it has a marked anti-allergic effect. Its hot-water extract showed significant anti-allergic action in animal passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Ebushicao also strongly inhibits histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells induced by compound 48/80 or concanavalin A. Its volatile oil has definite efficacy against allergic rhinitis, related to inhibition of histamine release. Ebushicao also inhibits degranulation of mast cells and basophils and blocks release of eosinophil chemotactic factors, thereby reducing the release of basic protein, eosinophil cationic protein and neurotoxin from eosinophils and their cytoplasmic granules, lessening damage to the nasal mucosa epithelium.
Besides its anti-allergic action, modern pharmacology has also found Ebushicao has marked antimutagenic and antitumor effects, the antitumor effect being most obvious in its ethanol extract. Ebushicao is a common TCM herb for nasopharyngeal cancer, treated by simultaneous oral and external use. For cancer, the oral decoction dose is 10-30 g; externally, Ebushicao is also ground to powder, made into an ointment with Vaseline and applied to the affected area.
The Bencao Gangmu records Ebushicao as "resolving toxin, brightening the eyes, dispersing red eye swelling and cloud nebula, deafness, headache and brain ache, treating phlegmal malaria, nasal obstruction; plugging the nose makes nasal polyps drop off, and it also disperses sores and swellings," showing that ancients already used it for nasal polyps and sores. The Yuan Qi Qi Wei contains a formula called "Bi Biyun San" (Nasal-Blowing Blue Cloud Powder): "Ebushicao two qian, indigo (Qingdai) one qian, Chuanxiong one qian; grind to fine powder. First hold water in the mouth, blow a grain-sized amount into the nose, and stop when tears flow; at any time." This formula treats "eye diseases with swelling, redness and heat, dimness and photophobia, irritation and pain, wind-itch, nasal obstruction, headache and brain ache, external nebula climbing the eye, and thick sticky discharge and tears"—almost all symptoms related to nasopharyngeal lesions.
Ebushicao may be used externally or taken internally; the usual oral decoction dose is 5-9 g, and 10-30 g when anticancering; fresh herb juice may also be dropped into the nose. Besides treating rhinitis and nasal polyps, Ebushicao also treats jaundice hepatitis, dysentery, heatstroke and infantile nutritional impairment. Modern pharmacology has also found it hepatoprotective. In addition, its volatile oil and ethanol extract have antitussive, expectorant and antiasthmatic effects, so Ebushicao is also a fine TCM herb for allergic asthma induced by allergic rhinitis.