Anti-Cancer Herbs ⁽¹⁷¹⁾

Xuanshen is the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis (Scrophulariaceae), produced mainly in Zhejiang. It is sweet, bitter and salty in taste and slightly cold in nature, entering the lung, stomach and kidney meridians. Its functions are to clear heat and cool blood, nourish yin and…

The Chinese medicinal zhuling is the dried sclerotium of the fungus Polyporus umbellatus (Polyporaceae), grown mainly in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Yunnan and Henan. Zhuling has a black skin and yellow interior; the Bencao Tujing says it has “a black skin and grows in blocks, resembling…

The Chinese herb Zhenzhucao (pearl grass) is the dried whole herb, or whole herb with root, of Phyllanthus urinaria L. of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), produced mainly in Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang. It is named for its pearl-like fruits beneath the leaves.

The Chinese herb Zaoxiu is the dried rhizome of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis, Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, or Paris polyphylla (family Liliaceae); its common names also include Chonglou and Qiyeyizhihua. In different regions it also has many aliases, such as Ziheche, Baiheche, Luosiqi, Dengtaiqi and…

The Chinese herb Guijianyu is the winged branchlets or winged appendages of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. of the staff-vine family (Celastraceae), also called Guijian, Liuling or Simianfeng. Euonymus alatus grows mainly in mountainous wild country and is distributed in China's Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi,…

Danggui Longhui Wan (Angelica, Aloe, Gentian Pill) is a Chinese patent medicine. Its composition is: Danggui (Angelica sinensis), Longdancao (Gentiana), Zhizi (Gardenia), Huanglian (Coptis), Huangbo (Phellodendron) and Huangqin (Scutellaria) each 30 g; Shu Dahuang (prepared rhubarb), Luhui (aloe) and Qingdai (indigo naturalis) each 15 g;…

Chinese herb Banzhilian (Scutellaria barbata D. Don) is the whole plant of a member of the genus Scutellaria (skullcap) in the mint family (Lamiaceae), and it is a commonly used herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for various tumor diseases. The flowers of Banzhilian closely…

The Chinese herb Guizhencao is the whole plant of Bidens bipinnata (family Asteraceae), an uncommon medicine not sold in most pharmacies, though patients can gather it themselves or buy it online. Guizhencao is a common wild grass widely distributed across most of China, often growing…

Baihua Shebicao is the whole herb of Hedyotis diffusa (family Rubiaceae, genus Hedyotis). It is named for its white flowers and leaves shaped like a snake's tongue. It is mainly distributed in southeast and southwest China, and is also known by such names as Sheshecao,…

The TCM herb Banbianlian is the whole herb with roots of Lobelia chinensis of the Campanulaceae family. It is called "half lotus" because its corolla resembles half a lotus flower. Banbianlian is first recorded in the Diannan Bencao, which states that it "chiefly and excellently…