Shiraia bambusicola P. Henn.
Aliases：Zhú Huā (literally "Bamboo Flower"), Zhú Jiǎn (literally "Bamboo Cocoon"), Chì Tuán Zǐ (literally "Red Ball"), Zhú Chì Tuán Zǐ (literally "Bamboo Red Ball"), Zhú Sān Qī (literally "Bamboo Sanqi" — implying hemostatic and pain-relieving effects similar to Sanqi), Xuè Sān Qī (literally "Blood Sanqi"), Zhú Shēn (literally "Bamboo Ginseng"), Dàn Zhú Huáng (literally "Light Bamboo Yellow"), Tiān Zhú Huā (literally "Heavenly Bamboo Flower"), Dàn Zhú Huā (literally "Light Bamboo Flower"), Dàn Jú Huā (literally "Light Chrysanthemum"), and Zhú Chì Bān Jūn (literally "Bamboo Red‑Spotted Fungus"). (These are all alternative names for Zhú Huáng, i.e., the stroma and spores of Shiraia bambusicola / Bamboo Fungus.)
Zhú Huáng (Bamboo Fungus) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the stroma and spores of the fungus Shiraia bambusicola P. Henn., belonging to the family Hypocreaceae.It grows on bamboo stems of the genera Bambusa and Phyllostachys, mostly in bamboo forests that are decaying or have already decayed.
Efficacy & Actions
Resolves phlegm, relieves cough, activates blood, dispels wind, and promotes diuresis.
Indications
Cough with excessive phlegm and whooping cough. Rheumatic arthralgia and numbness of limbs. Stomach pain and deficiency‑cold stomach pain. Leukorrhea (excessive vaginal discharge). Infantile convulsions. Traumatic injuries. Rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, and tracheitis.
Modern Pharmacology
Anti‑inflammatory effect: The main active component of Zhú Huáng, hypocrellin A, can inhibit the assembly and activation of inflammasomes by acting on the NLRP3 protein, demonstrating good therapeutic effects in a mouse model of gout. Analgesic effect: Exhibits significant analgesic effects. Cardiovascular effects: Affects cardiac output, dilates small arteries, and reduces peripheral resistance. Anticoagulant effect: Prolongs coagulation time, which may be related to prolonged recalcification time. Antitumor effect: Components such as hypocrellin A have antitumor activity. Hypoglycemic effect: The ethyl acetate extract of Zhú Huáng exhibits excellent hypoglycemic activity and can be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Hepatoprotective effect: Has certain therapeutic effects on hepatitis.
Ingredients
Perylene quinone compounds: Hypocrellin A, hypocrellin B, hypocrellin C, hypocrellin D, etc. Among them, hypocrellin A is the main active component of Zhú Huáng. Other compounds: Hexasporin, hypomycin A, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide, 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, ethyl stearate, stearic acid, etc. Metabolites: Lipids, amino acids, nucleotides, flavonoids, terpenoids, organic acids, etc.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: decoct in water, 6–15 g; or steep in wine. For topical application: appropriate amount, steeped in wine and applied topically.
Contraindications
Contraindicated during pregnancy. Contraindicated in patients with hypertension. Avoid radish, sour, and spicy foods during the course of treatment. It is recommended to use under the guidance of a physician.
Selected Formulas
For bronchitis with cough and profuse phlegm (empirical formula) Take 30g of Zhuhuang (bamboo fungus), add 60g of honey, and soak in 500g of 50% white liquor. It is ready for use after 24 hours. Take 9g each morning and evening. For deficiency-cold stomach pain (empirical formula) Take 50g of Zhuhuang (prepared slices), soak in 500g of 50% white liquor. It is ready for use after 24 hours. Take 9g each time, 3 times daily. For stomach qi pain (empirical formula) Take 1 liang of Zhuhuang and 1 jin of distilled liquor. Soak together for 3-5 days. Take one small wine cup twice daily. For superficial local pain and wind-cold pain (empirical formula) Apply the wine-soaked Zhuhuang residue to the painful area, rubbing until the skin becomes warm (in combination with oral administration of Zhuhuang wine), several times daily. For cold-fire toothache (empirical formula) Bite on the wine-soaked Zhuhuang residue. Pain usually disappears within 1 minute. For infantile convulsion with fever (empirical formula) Take 2 qian of Zhuhuang, 1 qian each of Xionghuang (Realgar) and Qianniu (Pharbitis seed, ground). Grind together evenly, mix with flour paste to form pills the size of millet grains. Take 3-5 pills each time with mint decoction.
Daily Consumption
In folk medicine, Zhú Huáng is often steeped in wine and taken orally for treating stomach pain, rheumatic arthralgia, cough with excessive phlegm, and other conditions.
Medicinal Parts
It is the stroma and spores of the fungus Shiraia bambusicola P. Henn., belonging to the family Hypocreaceae.
Selection & Storage
Store in airtight dry containers in a cool, dry place, protected from mold and insects.
