Arctium Semen, Burdock Seed, Niu Bang Zi 牛蒡子
Niu Bang Zi (TCM, Seed)
Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563
Medicinal Plants, Millspaugh, 1892
Burdock seed
(Adam, 2025)
Botanical name:
Artcium lappa
Greater and Lesser types were recognised.
Parts used:
Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Bitter, pungent (Some old TCM sources classed it as Neutral or Warm)
Classifications:
Uses:
1. Clears Wind-Heat, Resists Poison: (TCM, West)
-acute sore and swollen Throat; acute Cold or Flu with Heat symptoms; acute Heat-type Cough
-Boils, Toxic Sores, Carbuncles, Acne; skin Sores with pus
-promotes the expression of rashes: Measles, Mumps, Scarlet Fever etc.
-itchy red skin diseases; allergic Dermatitis, Eczema, Psoriasis, Neurodermatitis
-Ulceration and Fistulas (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-toxicity of mineral medicines (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-disperses Wind from the skin (Zhang Yuan Su)
2. Moisten the Intestines: (TCM, West)
-good for Constipation in Heat-toxin conditions
-‘Moistens the Luings’ (Zhang Yuan Su)
3. Clears Wind-Heat, Promotes Urine: (TCM, West)
-edema; inflammation of the kidneys and bladder; Cystitis
-Arthritis, Sciatica
-‘stagnant Qi in the waist and knees’. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-‘dredges through the 12 channels’ (Zhang Yuan Su)
-muscular and articular Rheumatism (King’s)
-Gall and Kidney Stones
Dose:
Root and Seed can be used in similar doses.
Decoction; 3–9 grams;
Powder: 500mg–3 grams
Preparation:
Stir-fried Burdock seed:
The seed is stir-fried until yellowish. This is best to facilitate urination
Main Combinations:
1. Heat-type acute Cough, Cold or Flu:
i. Burdock seed with Peppermint and Licorice
ii. Burdock seed, Coriander seed, Licorice
iii. Burdock seed, Elder Flower, Peppermint
iv. Burdock seed, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Platycodon Jie Geng, Peppermint, Licorice (as in Yin Qiao San)
2. Heat-Toxin Sore Throat, Tonsillitis:
i. Forsythia Lian Qiao, Isatidis Ban Lan Gen, Burdock seed
3. Boils, Abscesses:
i. Burdock seed, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Scutellaria Huang Qin
ii. Burdock seed, Chrysanthemum, Licorice
4. Heat-Toxin Dermatitis, Erysipelas, severe Sore Throat and Allergies, Burdock seed with Coptis Huang Lian, Forsythia Lian Qiao, Mint (Bo He), Scrophularia Xuan Shen, Licorice (as in Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin)
5. Itchy red skin diseases, Burdock seed with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Sophora Ku Shen, Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang (as in Xiao Feng San)
6. Eczema, Psoriasis:
i. Burdock seed, Fumitory, Violet
ii. Burdock seed, Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Licorice
7. Obstinate Piles, Burdock seed, Yarrow, Rhubarb
8. Gout, Burdock root, Burdock seed, Sarsaparilla (2 oz. each), Sassfras, Guaiacum, Mezereon (1 oz. each). Boil in 6 pints of water to 2 pints, strain, add a teaspoonful of Cayenne. Dose: a wineglassful 4 times daily. (Family Botanic Guide, Fox, 1924)
Major Formulas
Stone–Breaking Powder (Lithontripticon) (Nicholas)
Yin Qiao San
Xiao Feng San
Chai Hu Qing Gan Tang
Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Bu Fei E Jiao Tang
Cautions:
Not used in Cold conditions or Diarrhea.
Main Preparations used:
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