Fel Ursi
Aliases：Gǒu Xióng Dǎn, Hēi Xiā Zi Dǎn, Hēi Xióng Dǎn; according to quality and appearance, they are commonly known as Jīn Dǎn, Mò Dǎn, Tiě Dǎn, etc.; according to origin, they are known as Yún Dǎn and Dōng Dǎn; also referred to as Tiě Dǎn Fěn.
Xióng Dǎn Fěn is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the dried product obtained by draining bile through gallbladder surgery from Selenarctos thibetanus G. Cuvier (Asiatic black bear) or Ursus arctos Linnaeus (brown bear), animals belonging to the family Ursidae. The product is obtained by draining bile from farmed bears through a fistula without a tube, followed by low-temperature drying before medicinal use. Bear bile has been regarded as a precious treasure in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times, ranking first among all gallbladders, making it a valuable medicinal material. Bear Bile Powder appears as irregular fragments, granules, or powder, ranging in color from yellow to dark brown, sometimes dark green or light red. It is translucent with a glassy luster, brittle, and hygroscopic. It has a faint, slightly fishy aroma and an extremely bitter taste with a slight sweet aftertaste and cooling sensation. Products from Yunnan are called "Yún Dǎn" (Cloud Gallbladder), and those from Heilongjiang and Jilin are called "Dōng Dǎn" (Eastern Gallbladder).
Efficacy & Actions
Clears heat and detoxifies; extinguishes wind and stops convulsions; clears the Liver and improves vision. It also calms the Liver, kills parasites, and stops bleeding.
Indications
Indicated for wind-heat with convulsions and seizures, liver-heat with red and swollen eyes and corneal opacity, sore throat, heat-toxin sores and carbuncles, and hemorrhoidal swelling and pain. It may also be used for jaundice due to damp-heat, summer-dampness with diarrhea and dysentery, infantile convulsions, furuncles and hemorrhoidal fistulas, nasal erosion, malnutrition in children, roundworm infestation, and various types of bleeding. For external use, it is indicated for red and swollen eyes and sore throat.
Modern Pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory: Exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects. Antipyretic: Inhibits TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway for effective fever reduction. Sedative, analgesic, and anticonvulsant: Possesses sedative, analgesic, antispasmodic, and anticonvulsant effects. Antibacterial: Strongly inhibits Gram-positive bacteria. Hepatoprotective and choleretic: Regulates metabolism, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant; used for viral hepatitis, cholecystitis, gallstones, fatty liver, liver cancer; relaxes biliary sphincter, promotes bile secretion. Litholytic: Reduces cholesterol synthesis, increases bile secretion, enhances cholesterol solubility, reduces stone formation. Cardiovascular protection: Lowers blood pressure, dilates coronary arteries, increases coronary flow, enhances myocardial contractility, regulates arrhythmias. Lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic: Reduces blood viscosity and platelet adhesion, inhibits thrombosis. Neuroprotective: UDCA and TUDCA show neuroprotective effects in neurological disease models. Anti-fatigue: Inhibits lactic acid production, accelerates fatigue substance excretion. Antitussive, expectorant, and antiasthmatic.
Ingredients
The chemical constituents of Bear Bile Powder mainly include bile acids, such as conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), taurochenodeoxycholic acid, and cholesterols, as well as bilipigments, amino acids, proteins, peptides, fatty acids, and trace elements. The isolated and identified monomeric compounds include: tauroursodeoxycholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, cholesterol, as well as isoflavones such as 4′,7-dihydroxyisoflavone, 4′,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxyisoflavone, 4′,5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone, and 4′-methoxy-7-hydroxyisoflavone. Among these, tauroursodeoxycholic acid is considered the main active component of Bear Bile Powder and an important quality standard for the medicinal material.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: 0.3–1 g, mostly taken in pills or powders. Some sources also document 0.15–0.3 g per dose. Take with warm boiled water. For external use: apply an appropriate amount, grind into powder or mix with water and apply topically to the affected area. For application, take an amount about the size of a millet grain, mix with distilled water or cold boiled water, and apply evenly to the affected area.
Contraindications
Use with caution or avoid during pregnancy—most sources recommend caution, while some explicitly state it is contraindicated during pregnancy. As Bear Bile Powder is cold in nature, it may adversely affect fetal development. Use with caution in cases of Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold. Contraindicated in patients with deficiency-cold patterns. Use with caution in those with allergic predisposition; contraindicated in those allergic to this product. Use with caution in patients with severe hepatic insufficiency and complete biliary obstruction. Children should use under the guidance of a physician. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and spicy, pungent foods during the medication period. Avoid cold, raw, and greasy foods during the medication period. It is recommended to take 30 minutes after meals. If symptoms do not improve after 3 days of medication, consult a physician.
Selected Formulas
For wind-heat with convulsions and seizures: Bear Bile Powder is often combined with Calculus Bovis (Niú Huáng) and Musk (Shè Xiāng). For liver-heat with red and swollen eyes: Bear Bile Powder is often combined with Haliotis (Shí Jué Míng). For sore throat: Bear Bile Powder can be used alone, ground into powder for topical application or taken orally. For heat-toxin sores and carbuncles, and hemorrhoidal swelling and pain: Bear Bile Powder is applied externally, ground into powder and mixed with water for topical application to the affected area. For infantile convulsions: Bear Bile Powder is taken in pills or powders.
Daily Consumption
Bear Bile Powder is a precious animal-based medicinal material and is generally not recommended for use as a daily food ingredient.
Medicinal Parts
Dried bile (bile extracted from the gallbladder and processed by drying).
Selection & Storage
Store in a sealed container, protected from light, in a cool (not exceeding 20°C), dry place. As this product is hygroscopic, care should be taken to prevent moisture absorption.
