Ecliptae Herba
Aliases：Hàn Lián Cǎo (Dry Lotus Grass); Jīn Líng Cǎo (Golden Mound Grass); Lián Zǐ Cǎo (Lotus Seed Grass); Hàn Lián Zǐ (Dry Lotus Seed); Bái Hàn Lián (White Dry Lotus); Zhū Yá Cǎo (Pig Tooth Grass); Hàn Lián Péng (Dry Lotus Canopy); Hú Sūn Tóu (Monkey Head); Lián Cǎo (Lotus Grass); Mò Dòu Cǎo (Ink Box Grass); Mò Yān Cǎo (Ink Smoke Grass); Mò Cài (Ink Vegetable); Bái Huā Cǎo (White Flower Grass); Bái Huā Péng Qí Jú (White Flower Wedelia); Mò Jì Cài (Ink Record Vegetable); Yě Shuǐ Fèng Xiān (Wild Water Balsam); Hēi Mò Cǎo (Black Ink Grass); Hēi Tóu Cǎo (Black Head Grass); Gǔ Chéng Mò (Ancient City Ink); Shuǐ Hàn Lián (Water Dry Lotus); Bīng Dòng Cǎo (Frozen Grass); Mò Zhī Cǎo (Ink Juice Grass); Jié Jié Wū (Joint-by-Joint Black); Bái Tián Wū Cǎo (White Field Black Grass); Mò Cǎo (Ink Grass); Zhāi Luò Wū (Pluck and Drop Black); Shuǐ Kuí Huā (Water Mallow Flower).
Mò Hàn Lián (Eclipta Herb) is a Chinese medicinal herb. It is the dried above-ground part of Eclipta prostrata L., a plant of the Asteraceae family. It is harvested during flowering and dried in the sun. The whole plant is covered with white trichomes, and the stem is cylindrical with a greenish-brown or dark green surface. It is named “Mò Hàn Lián” (Ink Eclipta) because rubbing its stems and leaves produces a dark green color.
Efficacy & Actions
Nourishes the Liver and Kidney, cools blood and stops bleeding.
Indications
Used for loose teeth, premature greying of hair, dizziness, tinnitus, and soreness of the lower back and knees due to Liver and Kidney yin deficiency; and for hematemesis, epistaxis, hematuria, bloody dysentery, abnormal uterine bleeding, and traumatic bleeding due to yin deficiency with blood heat.
Modern Pharmacology
Hemostasis: Significantly shortens prothrombin time; effective in traumatic bleeding. Hepatoprotection: Protects against CCl₄-induced liver injury. Immunomodulation: Elevates peripheral white blood cells, increases lymphocyte transformation rate. Anti-inflammatory: Exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. Antitumor: Exhibits antitumor activity. Antioxidant: Exhibits antioxidant activity. Hypoglycemic: Inhibits digestive enzyme activity, protects pancreatic β-cells, improves insulin resistance. Anti-osteoporosis: Exhibits anti-osteoporotic effect. Lipid-lowering: Exhibits lipid-lowering effect. Anti-snake venom: Exhibits anti-snake venom activity.
Ingredients
Triterpenoids: Echinocystic acid, oleanolic acid, ecliptasaponin A, B, C, etc. Flavonoids: Quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, isorhamnetin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, etc. Coumarins: Wedelolactone, demethylwedelolactone, etc. Sterols: Stigmasterol, etc. Thiophenes: Various thiophene compounds. Other Components: Alkaloids, phenolic acids, volatile oils, tannins, vitamin A-like substances, etc.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, 9–30g; or prepared as an extract; or juice extracted; or made into pills or powder. Topical Application: Appropriate amount, mashed for application; or mashed into a soft mass for nasal packing; or ground into powder for application. Dried Herb Decoction: The usual dosage is 6–12g.
Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with Spleen-Kidney deficiency-cold. Eclipta Herb is cold in nature and, although it is effective at cooling blood, it does not benefit the Spleen and Stomach. Not suitable for patients with Spleen-Stomach deficiency, poor digestion, or a tendency to loose stools and diarrhea. Particularly contraindicated in patients with Spleen deficiency and diarrhea. Use with caution during pregnancy. Use with caution in infants and young children: Due to its cold nature and the weak Spleen-Stomach function in infants and young children, caution is advised. Should not be combined with cardiac glycoside medications. Avoid spicy and irritating foods during use.
Selected Formulas
For Severe Hematemesis (from Sheng Cao Yao Xing Bei Yao) Pound Eclipta Herb with children's urine and Hui ink to extract juice. Take it with lotus node decoction. For Hematemesis (from Ling Nan Cai Yao Lu) Take 120g (4 liang) of fresh Eclipta Herb, mash it, and take it with children’s urine. Adding fresh cypress leaves (Cè Bǎi Yè) may enhance the effect. For Cough with Hemoptysis (from Jiangxi Folk Herbal Medicine Prescriptions) Take 60g (2 liang) of fresh Eclipta Herb, mash and squeeze the juice. Take it with boiling water. For Epistaxis (from Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine) Take one handful of fresh Eclipta Herb, wash it, mash and squeeze the juice. Take 5 small wine cups of the juice, warm it, and consume after meals twice daily. For Hematuria (from Yi Xue Zheng Chuan) Take Plantain leaf (Chē Qián Cǎo Yè) and Eclipta leaf (Jīn Líng Cǎo Yè), pound to extract one cup of fresh juice. Consume on an empty stomach. For Bloody Stranguria (Han Lian Zi Tang, from Sheng Ji Zong Lu) Take 60g (2 liang) each of Eclipta and banana root. Coarsely grind and sieve. Each dose: 5g (5 qian bi) of the powder, decoct with 1.5 cups of water until 80% remains, strain, and take warm twice daily. For Intestinal Wind with Persistent Bleeding (from Jia Cang Jing Yan Fang) Take Eclipta seeds, bake on a tile, and grind into powder. Each dose: 6g (2 qian), taken with rice water (Mǐ Yǐn). For Heat Dysentery (from Hunan Chinese Materia Medica) Take 30g (1 liang) of Eclipta Herb, decoct in water, and take orally. For Traumatic Bleeding (from Hunan Chinese Materia Medica) Mash fresh Eclipta Herb and apply it to the wound. For dried herb, grind into powder and sprinkle over the wound.
Daily Consumption
Eclipta Tea: Take 5–8g of Eclipta Herb, steep in boiling water, and let it infuse for 5–10 minutes before drinking. Do not exceed 500ml per day. Continuous use should not exceed 7 days. Eclipta and Jujube Soup: Wash and cut Eclipta Herb into sections. Cook with 10 jujube dates in water. After boiling, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar, and simmer for 30 minutes before serving. Eclipta Congee: Wash the rice thoroughly. Blanch Eclipta Herb in boiling water for 2 minutes, then remove and shred it. Add the shredded herb to the pot with water and cook until soft and thick. Season with brown sugar to taste and serve.
Medicinal Parts
Dried above-ground part.
Selection & Storage
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place. Store in a dry, airtight container in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture.