RADIX MILLETTIAE SPECIOSAE
Aliases：Dà Lì Shǔ (Great Strength Yam); Dà Lì Niú (Great Strength Ox); Zhū Jiǎo Lì (Pig Foot Basket); Shān Lián Ǒu (Mountain Lotus Root); Jīn Zhōng Gēn (Golden Bell Root); Dào Diào Jīn Zhōng (Hanging Golden Bell); Tián Niú Dà Lì (Sweet Niú Dà Lì); Pā Shān Hǔ (Mountain-climbing Tiger); Niú Dà Lì Téng (Niú Dà Lì Vine); Xuè Téng (Blood Vine); Jiǔ Lóng Chuàn Zhū (Nine Dragons Stringing Pearls).
Niú Dà Lì is a Chinese medicinal herb. It is the dried tuberous root of Millettia speciosa Champ., a plant of the Fabaceae family. It is a well-known medicinal and edible plant in the Lingnan region, often referred to as the “Ginseng of the South.”
Efficacy & Actions
Tonifies deficiency, moistens the lungs, strengthens sinews, and unblocks collaterals.
Indications
Used for lumbar muscle strain, rheumatoid arthritis, lung heat, lung-deficiency cough, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, chronic hepatitis, spermatorrhea, and leukorrhea. It is also used for post-illness weakness, kidney-deficiency lumbago and knee soreness, hemoptysis, and traumatic injuries, among other conditions.
Modern Pharmacology
Antioxidant: Flavonoids and polysaccharides scavenge free radicals and delay aging. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic: Exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Immunomodulatory: Enhances immune function and immune cell activity. Anti-fatigue: Improves endurance and resistance to fatigue. Hepatoprotective: Improves liver fibrosis. Antitumor: Total alkaloids inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Hypoglycemic: Polysaccharides have glucose-lowering activity. Antitussive, anti-asthmatic, and expectorant: Relieves cough, asthma, and promotes sputum expectoration. Antidepressant: Possesses certain antidepressant activity.
Ingredients
Flavonoids: 36 compounds including maackiain, pterocarpin, isoliquiritigenin, calycosin, etc. Alkaloids: 4 compounds including erythraline, N-methylcytisine, 6-methoxydihydrosanguinarine, and arnottianamide acetate. Sterols and terpenoids: Astertarone, lupeol caffeate, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, daucosterol, glycyrrhizic acid, etc. Lignans and coumarins: Secoisolariciresinol, syringaresinol, psoralen, schisandrol B, etc. Organic acids: Docosanoic acid, cerotic acid, gentisic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, etc. Polysaccharides: Abundant content, one of the main active components.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, the standard dosage is 9–30g.
Contraindications
Use with caution in patients with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Not suitable for children. Not suitable for patients with yin deficiency and fire excess. Use with caution in patients with wind-heat colds. Excessive consumption should be avoided, as it may cause symptoms such as excessive internal heat (shanghuo) and abdominal distension. Avoid spicy and irritating foods during the course of use. Avoid consuming together with cold-nature ingredients (such as mung beans and watermelon).
Selected Formulas
For Lung-Heat Cough (Empirical Formula) Take 30g of Niú Dà Lì (Millettia Speciosa Root), 15g of Hong Si Xian (Peristrophe roxburghiana), and 15g of Hong Ling Gen (Hibiscus root). Decoct in 3 bowls of water until 1 bowl remains. Efficacy: Resolves phlegm, stops cough, and clears liver and lung heat. For Lumbar Muscle Strain (Empirical Formula) Take 30g each of Niú Dà Lì root and Qiān Jīn Bá (Flemingia root), and 12g each of Achyranthes root (Niú Xī), Cornus fruit (Shān Zhū Yú), and Clematis root (Wēi Líng Xiān). Decoct in water and take orally. For Chronic Hepatitis (Empirical Formula) Take 30g of Niú Dà Lì root, 15g each of Tǔ Huáng Lián (Coptis chinensis) and Lingzhi (Ganoderma). Decoct in water and take orally. For Post-illness Weakness (Empirical Formula) Take 60g of Niú Dà Lì, 30g each of Qiān Jīn Bá and Zhǎng Yè Róng (Palm-leaf Fig root), 15g of Tǔ Rén Shēn (Talinum paniculatum), and an appropriate amount of lean pork. Decoct in water and take orally. Alternatively, stew with pig trotters, remove the herb residue, eat the meat, and drink the soup. For Leukorrhea with Weakness (from Fujian Materia Medica) Take 12g each of Niú Dà Lì and Dù Zhòng Téng (Eucommia vine), 9g each of Qiān Jīn Bá and Wǔ Zhǐ Máo Táo (Five-finger Fig Root), and 15g of Dà Xuè Téng (Sargentodoxa vine). Decoct in water and take orally. Alternatively, stew with pig trotters for consumption. For Pleurisy (from Fujian Materia Medica) Take 15g of Niú Dà Lì vine and 3g of Yī Jiàn Xǐ (Andrographis paniculata). Decoct in water and take orally.
Daily Consumption
Niú Dà Lì Chicken Soup: Take 100g of fresh Niú Dà Lì (or 50g of dried product), 20g of Goji berries (Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ), 500g of chicken, and 5 red dates. Blanch the chicken, then cook it together with Niú Dà Lì and red dates for 1 hour. Add the Goji berries 10 minutes before serving. Niú Dà Lì Pork Bone Soup: Wash and slice Niú Dà Lì. Blanch the pork bones, then cook them together with Niú Dà Lì and Five-finger Fig Root (Wǔ Zhǐ Máo Táo) in a clay pot. Add water and simmer for approximately 1–2 hours. Season to taste before serving. Niú Dà Lì and Five-finger Fig Root Lean Pork Soup: Slice the lean pork. Soak and rinse Niú Dà Lì, then cut into sections. Wash the Five-finger Fig Root and figs. Place all ingredients in a clay pot, add water, and simmer for approximately 3 hours. Season to taste before serving. Efficacy: Moistens the lungs, stops cough, strengthens sinews, and unblocks collaterals. Niú Dà Lì Wine: Niú Dà Lì can be steeped in wine for consumption. It helps strengthen sinews and bones and nourish the kidneys.
Medicinal Parts
Dried tuberous root.
Selection & Storage
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place. Store in a dry, airtight container, protected from moisture and insects. Fresh material can be washed, sliced, packed in sealed bags, and stored in the freezer.
