Cassiae Semen
Aliases：Cǎo Jué Míng (Grass Cassia); Yáng Míng (Sheep Bright); Mǎ Tí Jué Míng (Horseshoe Cassia); Huán Tóng Zǐ (Eye-Restoring Seed); Yáng Jiǎo (Sheep Horn); Gǒu Shǐ Dòu (Dog Feces Bean); Jiǎ Lǜ Dòu (False Mung Bean).
Jué Míng Zǐ (Cassia Seed) is a Chinese medicinal herb. It is the dried ripe seed of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L., plants of the Leguminosae family. Its name, which means “brightening seed,” derives from its renowned efficacy in improving eyesight. As a medicinal and edible herb, it is also widely used in daily health preservation.
Efficacy & Actions
Clears the liver and improves eyesight; moistens the intestines to relieve constipation; calms the liver and nourishes the kidney.
Indications
Primarily used for redness, pain, and gritty sensation of the eyes, photophobia with excessive tearing, headache and dizziness, blurred vision, and constipation. It is also used for acute conjunctivitis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, among other conditions.
Modern Pharmacology
Antihypertensive and lipid-lowering effects. Hepatoprotective effect. Antidiabetic effect and inhibition of diabetic complications. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Antibacterial effect, with inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus and other bacteria. Immunomodulatory effect. Antitumor and antimutagenic effects.
Ingredients
This product mainly contains anthraquinones such as rhein, emodin, aloe-emodin, obtusin, aurantio-obtusin, and chrysophanol. It also contains naphthopyrones such as cassiaside, torachrysone, and cassialactone, as well as sterols, fatty acids, sugars, proteins, and others.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, 6–15 g, or up to 30 g in larger doses; or ground into powder; or steeped as tea. Topical Application: Ground into powder and mixed for external application.
Contraindications
Not suitable for those with qi deficiency and loose stools. Use with caution in patients with chronic enteritis or chronic diarrhea. Use with caution in pregnant women and those with threatened miscarriage. Not suitable for long-term or high-dose use in patients with hypotension. Not suitable for long-term or high-dose use in patients with gastric ulcers. Not suitable for those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold or qi-blood deficiency. Avoid use during menstruation.
Selected Formulas
For Hypertension: Take an appropriate amount of Cassia Seed (Jué Míng Zǐ), stir-fry until yellow, crush into coarse powder, and mix with sugar in boiling water. Take 3 g each time, three times daily. Alternatively, take 15 g of Cassia Seed and 10 g of Prunella vulgaris (Xià Kū Cǎo), decoct in water, and take orally. For Liver Fire Rising with Headache and Dizziness: Take 10 g each of Cassia Seed (Jué Míng Zǐ), Uncaria (Gōu Téng), and Prunella vulgaris (Xià Kū Cǎo); 3 g of Gentiana (Lóng Dǎn Cǎo); and 30 g of Concha Margaritifera (Zhēn Zhū Mǔ). Decoct in water and take orally. For Red and Painful Eyes with Photophobia and Tearing: Take 10 g each of Cassia Seed (Jué Míng Zǐ), Equisetum (Mù Zéi), Tribulus (Cì Jí Lí), and Chrysanthemum (Jú Huā). Decoct in water and take orally. For Constipation: Take 10 g each of Cassia Seed (Jué Míng Zǐ), Cannabis Seed (Huǒ Má Rén), and Trichosanthes Seed (Guā Lóu Rén). Decoct in water and take orally.
Daily Consumption
Cassia Seed Tea: Place an appropriate amount of lightly stir-fried Cassia Seed into a cup. Pour in boiling water and steep for 10 minutes before drinking. Cassia Seed Congee: Take 10–15 g of Cassia Seed, 100 g of polished rice, and a pinch of rock sugar. First, stir-fry the Cassia Seed until fragrant, then decoct it in water, strain, and collect the liquid. Cook the liquid together with the rice and rock sugar to make a congee. Cassia Seed and Hawthorn Tea: Take 3 g of Cassia Seed and 6 g of Hawthorn (Shān Zhā). Stir-fry the Cassia Seed until fragrant, then steep it together with the hawthorn in boiling water, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Kelp and Cassia Seed Soup: Take 20 g of kelp (Hǎi Dài) and 10 g of Cassia Seed. Soak the kelp until rehydrated, then decoct it together with the Cassia Seed for 1 hour. Drink the soup and eat the kelp.
Medicinal Parts
Dried ripe seed.
Selection & Storage
Store in a dry place, protected from moisture.