Anti-Cancer Herbs ⁽¹⁷¹⁾

Guangcigu is the corm of Amana edulis (Tulipa edulis) and related tulip species of the Liliaceae family, also called Shancigu, but it is not the same as the commercially available Shancigu in TCM markets. The commercial Shancigu is the dried pseudobulb of Cremastra appendiculata, Pleione…

Jixingzi is the seed of Impatiens balsamina of the Balsaminaceae family, also called Fengxianzi or Jinfengxianzi; it is usually used raw or stir-fried. Traditional TCM considers it pungent and slightly bitter, warm in nature, and slightly toxic, entering the Liver and Spleen meridians. It resolves…

Baishao (White Peony Root) is the dried root of Paeonia lactiflora of the Ranunculaceae family, produced mainly in Zhejiang and Anhui; that from Zhejiang is considered the most authentic, and it is one of the famous "Eight Herbs of Zhejiang" (Baizhu, Baishao, Zhebeimu, Hangjuhua, Yuanhu,…

Two plants of the Patrinia family are used medicinally. One is the root of Patrinia scabiosaefolia or Patrinia heterophylla, known in Chinese materia medica as Mutouhui; the other is the whole herb of Patrinia scabiosaefolia and Patrinia villosa, known as Baijiang or Baijiangcao (Patrinia). The…

Chinese-medicine zhimu is the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides of the Liliaceae family, with a very long medicinal history; it is recorded in the earliest Chinese materia medica, Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). Shennong Bencao Jing classifies zhimu as a "middle-grade" herb, holding that…

Sea buckthorn (Shaji) is the dried ripe fruit of Hippophae rhamnoides of the Elaeagnaceae family, classified among the qi-tonifying Chinese herbs. It is not a traditional Han-Chinese medicine but a medicinal and edible herb commonly used in Tibetan and Mongolian medicine. In China it is…

Chinese-medicine luhui is the concentrated dried product of the leaf juice of Aloe vera, Aloe arborescens, and Aloe ferox of the Liliaceae family. Chinese medicine holds that aloe is bitter and cold, entering the liver and large-intestine meridians. It purges downward, clears liver fire, and…

Maozhaocao is the tuberous root or whole herb of Ranunculus ternatus of the Ranunculaceae family, produced mainly in Henan, Zhejiang, and Guangxi; it is named for its root, which resembles a cat's paw. Chinese medicine holds that maozhaocao is acrid and sweet in flavor and…

Tufuling is the rhizome of Smilax glabra and Smilax china of the Liliaceae family, produced mainly in Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Anhui, and also in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Jiangsu. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that tufuling is sweet and bland in flavor and…

Hechan Pian is a commonly used anticancer Chinese patent medicine. It is composed of agrimony (Xianhecao), dried toad skin (Ganchanchu pi), ranunculus tuber (Maozhaocao), fritillaria (Zhebeimu), raw pinellia (Sheng Banxia), and houttuynia (Yuxingcao). It is a sugar-coated tablet that appears brownish-brown after the sugar coating…