Bitter Apricot Seed – 1 lb (454 g)

Bitter Apricot Seed, known in Chinese as 苦杏仁 (Kǔxìngrén) and scientifically as Semen Armeniacae Amarum, 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 Bitter Apricot Seed carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Bitter Apricot Seed 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, Bitter Apricot Seed provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Bitter Apricot Seed 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 Bitter Apricot Seed, 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 herb is also known as Xingren, Apricot Kernel, Apricot Seed, and Muluozi. It is the mature seed of Prunus armeniaca vulgaris var. ansu Maxim., Prunus sibirica L. from Northwest Liaoning, Prunus mandshurica (Maxim.) Koehne from Northeast, or Prunus armeniaca L. of the Rosaceae family. It is produced in most parts of China, mainly in Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, and Shaanxi provinces. The fruit is harvested in summer when ripe; the flesh and shell are removed, the seed is taken out, washed, and sun-dried.

[Properties] Bitter in taste, slightly warm in nature, with slight toxicity. Enters the Lung and Large Intestine meridians.

[Actions] Descends Qi and transforms phlegm, stops cough and calms wheezing, moistens intestines and unblocks bowels.

[Applications]
1. Used for cough, asthma, chest tightness with excessive phlegm. Applicable for cough and asthma caused by external pathogens regardless of duration or cold/heat nature. For wind-cold cough and asthma with nasal congestion and headache, often combined with Ephedra (Mahuang) and Licorice (Gancao), as in San Ao Tang (Three-Unbinding Decoction). For pathogenic heat cough and asthma, combined with Ephedra, Licorice, and Gypsum, as in Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang. For dry-heat cough with scanty phlegm difficult to expectorate, combined with Mulberry Leaf, Fritillaria, and Glehnia, as in Sang Xing Tang. For cold-fluid cough and asthma, combined with Asarum, Dried Ginger, and Schisandra. Also used for spleen-lung Qi deficiency with persistent cough, combined with Astragalus, Stemona, and Farfara; for lung Yin deficiency with dry cough and little phlegm, combined with Glehnia, Ophiopogon, and Lily.
2. Used for blood deficiency and fluid depletion causing intestinal dryness and constipation. Suitable for constipation due to fluid exhaustion, elderly or postpartum blood deficiency, often combined with Biota Seed, Prunus Seed, and Peach Kernel, as in Wu Ren Wan (Five Kernel Pill). Also used for gastrointestinal dryness and heat with dry, hard stools, combined with Hemp Seed, Rhubarb, and Magnolia Bark, as in Ma Zi Ren Wan.
Additionally, externally applied for vulvar itching, carbuncles, and sores.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 4.5–9 g; or incorporated into pills or powders. The seed should be crushed before use; when using apricot kernel powder in decoctions, it should be wrapped in cloth; raw herb should be added near the end of decoction. External use: appropriate amount, pounded and applied topically.

[Cautions] Use with caution in children and patients with Yin-deficiency cough. Contraindicated in cases of loose stools or diarrhea. Do not overdose to avoid toxicity.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Bitter apricot seed contains amygdalin and linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, inositol, beta-sitosterol, estrone, benzaldehyde, linalool, beta-sitosterol, pineneol, alpha-pineneol, and others.
2. Pharmacology: Amygdalin is hydrolyzed by intestinal microbial enzymes or endogenous amygdalin enzymes in the lower digestive tract, releasing trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide, which inhibits the respiratory center to achieve antitussive and anti-asthmatic effects. The fatty oil in apricot seed has a laxative effect. Water-soluble protease hydrolysates from apricot seed inhibit elevated AST, ALT, and hydroxyproline levels and reduce prolonged prothrombin time in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats. Amygdalin and its hydrolysis products hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde show weak antitumor effects in vitro; hot water extracts inhibit cervical cancer JTC 26 cell line by 50–70%. Proteins KRA and KRB extracted from apricot seed exhibit significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Acute and chronic respiratory infections: equal parts of apricot seed and raw Pinellia were powdered and mixed with a small amount of crushed garlic (white head, roots and peel removed) to form a paste, applied externally to the Yongquan acupoint on both feet, changed twice daily. In 116 cases treated, including 20 acute upper respiratory infections (15 markedly effective, 4 effective, 1 ineffective), 76 acute tracheitis and bronchitis (66 markedly effective, 9 effective, 1 ineffective), 15 acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (13 effective, 2 ineffective), and 5 pertussis cases (1 markedly effective, 2 effective, 2 ineffective). [Journal of Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1992, 11(1):45] (2) Enterobiasis: 30 apricot seeds with skin were crushed and decocted in boiling water over low heat to concentrate. When patients experienced anal itching at night, a cotton ball dipped in the decoction was inserted into the anus and removed the next morning. In 50 cases, 80% had satisfactory efficacy, generally cured after 3–6 treatments; 20% were ineffective due to anal abscess, prolapse, or fistula. [Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1984, (4):53]