Cnidii Fructus
Aliases：Warms the kidney and strengthens yang, dries dampness and dispels wind, kills parasites and relieves itching.
Shé Chuáng Zǐ (Cnidii Fructus) is a Chinese medicinal herb. It is the dried ripe fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., a plant of the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. It is a cremocarp (schizocarp) that is elliptical in shape, with a grayish-yellow or grayish-brown surface, an aromatic odor, and a pungent, cool taste with a numbing sensation on the tongue.
Efficacy & Actions
Warms the kidney and strengthens yang, dries dampness and dispels wind, kills parasites and relieves itching.
Indications
Oral Indications: Used for kidney deficiency with impotence, uterine cold with infertility, cold-damp leukorrhea, and dampness-related bi syndrome with lower back pain. External Indications: Used for vulvar eczema, vulvar pruritus, and trichomonal vaginitis. It is also used for scrotal eczema, scabies, and stubborn tinea, among other conditions.
Modern Pharmacology
Antibacterial: Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, drug-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, as well as Microsporum lanosum, Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, etc. Anti-allergic (antipruritic): Volatile oil exhibits antipruritic effects via histamine antagonism and inhibition of mast cell degranulation. Cardiovascular system: Lowers blood pressure and exhibits antiarrhythmic effects; osthole relaxes vascular smooth muscle by inhibiting calcium channels and intracellular Ca²⁺ release. Nervous system: Exhibits sedative, analgesic, and learning-memory improving effects. Immune and endocrine: Enhances immunity and regulates thyroid hormones. Anti-inflammatory: Possesses anti-inflammatory activity. Antitumor: Exhibits comprehensive effects including direct tumor inhibition, antimutagenic activity, and reversal of multidrug resistance. Antiviral: Possesses antiviral activity.
Ingredients
Coumarins: Osthole, isopimpinellin, xanthotoxol, etc. Volatile Oils: Including dimethyl ketene, cis-carveol, trans-β-farnesene, β-farnesene, etc. Fatty Acids: Contains abundant oleic acid, linoleic acid, etc. Other Components: Also contains chromones, benzofurans, glucides, terpenols, monoterpene polyols, sesquiterpenes, and some trace elements.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, the standard dosage is 3–10g; or prepared in pills or powder. Topical Application: Appropriate amount, mostly decocted in water for fumigation and washing; or ground into powder and mixed for external application; or made into suppositories.
Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with yin deficiency and fire excess. Contraindicated in patients with damp-heat in the lower jiao. Contraindicated in patients with kidney yin deficiency, hyperactive ministerial fire, or weak control over seminal emission. Contraindicated in patients with priapism. May cause a numb sensation on the tongue after use; use with caution in patients with poor cardiac function.
Selected Formulas
For impotence (Qianjin Fang) Take equal parts of Shechuangzi (Cnidium seed), Tusizi (Cuscuta seed), and Wuweizi (Schisandra fruit). Grind into powder, make honey pills the size of waxberry seeds. Take 30 pills each time with wine, three times daily. For vaginal cold in women (Jin Gui Yao Lue, Shechuangzi San) Take Shechuangzi seeds alone, grind into powder. Mix with a small amount of white powder (lead powder or starch) to form a paste, shape into the size of a date, wrap in cotton, and insert into the vagina. For vulvar itching in women (Binhu Jijian Fang) Take 1 liang of Shechuangzi and 2 qian of Baifan (alum). Decoct in water and wash frequently. For scrotal eczema (Jiangxi Herbal Medicine Manual) Take 5 qian of Shechuangzi, decoct in water and wash the scrotal area. For trichomonal vaginitis (Jiangxi Herbal Medicine Manual) Take 5 qian of Shechuangzi, decoct in water, and use the liquid for vaginal douching.
Daily Consumption
Decoction for oral use: Take 3–10g of Shechuangzi (Cnidii Fructus), decoct it in water, and drink the liquid. It may be used as an adjunctive treatment for kidney deficiency with impotence, lumbago with cold knees, and other related conditions. Decoction for external washing: Take an appropriate amount of Shechuangzi, decoct it in water, and use the liquid for fumigation and washing of the affected area. It is suitable for vulvar eczema, vulvar pruritus, scrotal eczema, and other related conditions.
Medicinal Parts
Dried ripe fruit.
Selection & Storage
Store in a dry container in a well-ventilated, dry place, protected from insects.
