Buffalo Horn – 1 lb (454 g)

Buffalo Horn, known in Chinese as 水牛角 (Shuǐniújiǎo) and scientifically as Cornu Bubali, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Buffalo Horn carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Buffalo Horn helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Buffalo Horn provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Buffalo Horn has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Buffalo Horn, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This product is also known as Niujiao or Sha Niujiao. It is the horn of the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis Linnaeus, a member of the Bovidae family. It is mainly produced in South China and East China. After harvesting the horn, it is boiled in water, the horn core is removed, then dried, sliced, or filed into coarse powder.

[Properties] Bitter in taste, cold in nature. Enters the Heart and Liver meridians.

[Actions] Clears heat, cools the blood, detoxifies, and calms convulsions.

[Applications]
1. Used for warm diseases with high fever, persistent strong fever, delirium, and coma. It can be combined with concentrated buffalo horn powder, gypsum, Scrophularia (Xuanshen), antelope horn, and others in formulas such as Zixue (紫雪). For treating epilepsy caused by phlegm-heat obstructing the heart, it can be combined with Acorus (Shichangpu), Scrophularia (Xuanshen), and Forsythia (Lianqiao).
2. Used for bleeding rashes and epistaxis caused by reckless movement of blood heat, often combined with Rehmannia (Shengdi), Moutan Cortex (Danpi), and Red Peony Root (Chishao).
3. Used for carbuncles, sores, and throat pain, can be combined with Coptis (Huanglian), Scutellaria (Huangqin), and Forsythia (Lianqiao).
Currently, it is often used clinically as a substitute for rhinoceros horn in acute infectious diseases such as meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, and acute hemorrhagic fever. Its efficacy is basically similar to rhinoceros horn, but a larger dosage is required to achieve better results.

[Dosage and Administration] Oral: decoction, 15–30 g, decocted for more than 3 hours first; powder, 3–9 g per dose. External use: appropriate amount, powdered and mixed or applied as a paste.

[Cautions] Use with caution in patients with spleen and stomach deficiency cold and in pregnant women.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical Constituents: Buffalo horn contains cholesterol, cardiotonic components, peptides, keratin fibers, and various amino acids.
2. Pharmacological Actions: Buffalo horn has cardiotonic effects, especially notable in improving weakened cardiac contractility caused by calcium deficiency; excessive doses may cause cardiac arrest during systole. Experiments show sedative and anticonvulsant effects, though some reports indicate no significant anticonvulsant effect against epilepsy. It has anti-inflammatory effects, significantly reducing capillary permeability and enhancing the phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system; it also has certain lipid-lowering and hepatoprotective effects; shows significant protective effects in mice challenged with Escherichia coli and beta-hemolytic streptococcus.
3. Clinical Reports:
1) Schizophrenia: The solid tip portion of buffalo horn is sliced, dried, powdered, and encapsulated. Taken three times daily; after symptom relief, reduced to twice or once daily. Maximum daily dose 21 g, minimum 5 g, average 15 g; one course lasts one month. In 23 cases treated, 13 with buffalo horn powder alone: 2 cured, 2 markedly improved, 5 improved, 4 ineffective. In 10 cases combined with antipsychotics: 6 markedly improved, 3 improved, 1 ineffective. [Journal of Chengdu College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1984,(4):18]
2) Thromboangiitis obliterans: Oral administration of Niuhuang Qingluo San composed of buffalo horn powder, artificial bezoar, Panax notoginseng (Sanqi), and Dragon’s blood (Xuejie) in 161 cases; clinical cure rate 82%. [Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1986,(9):404]
3) Refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: Buffalo horn powder 20 g, decocted twice daily; after consolidation of efficacy, medication stopped. Minimum total dose 1000 g, maximum 5000 g, average 2072 g. In 146 cases treated: 125 clinically cured, 9 markedly effective, 10 effective, 2 ineffective. [Journal of Binzhou Medical College, 2001, 24(5):486]

Addendum: Buffalo Horn Concentrated Powder (Shuiniujiao Nongsuofen) is a semi-concentrated powder of buffalo horn. Its properties, actions, and applications are the same as buffalo horn. Oral administration: taken with water, 1.5–3 g per dose, twice daily.