Descurainia Seed – 1 lb (454 g)

Descurainia Seed, known in Chinese as 葶苈子 (Tínglìzǐ) and scientifically as Semen Descurainiae, 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 Descurainia Seed carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

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

Trusted for centuries, Descurainia 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 Descurainia 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 Da Shi, Da Shi, Tingli. It is the seed of plants from the Cruciferae family: Lepidium apetalum Willd. (commonly called “Northern Tinglizi”) mainly produced in Hebei, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia; and Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb (commonly called “Southern Tinglizi”) mainly produced in Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, and other regions. The aerial parts are harvested when the fruits mature in summer and autumn, dried in the sun, then threshed to obtain seeds, removing stems, leaves, and impurities.

[Properties] The taste is pungent and bitter; the nature is very cold. It enters the Lung and Bladder meridians.

[Actions] Purges the Lung to relieve asthma, promotes urination to reduce edema.

[Applications]
1. Used for phlegm and qi obstruction causing Lung failure to descend, resulting in asthma and inability to lie flat, coughing with copious phlegm, or facial and body edema. Often combined with jujube to moderate the herb’s harshness, as in Tinglizi Dazao Xiefei Tang (葶苈大枣泻肺汤). For abundant phlegm-dampness, also combined with Pinellia, apricot kernel, perilla seed, and white Qianhu. This herb can also treat lung abscess with coughing of purulent blood-tinged sputum, often combined with honeysuckle, forsythia, peach kernel, and reed rhizome.
2. Used for edema due to internal retention of water, urinary difficulty, suspended fluids, and chest and abdominal hydrops. When Lung qi is obstructed and qi transformation fails, causing water retention with edema, chest and abdominal hydrops, and urinary difficulty, it can be combined with Stephania, black pepper, and rhubarb, as in Ji Jiao Li Huang Wan (己椒苈黄丸). For chest binding with pleural and abdominal effusion and fullness, it can be combined with apricot kernel, rhubarb, and mirabilite, as in Da Xian Xiong Tang (大陷胸汤).
Additionally, this herb is used externally for all kinds of abscesses, sores, scrofula, phlegm nodules, eczema, and itching.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 3–9 g, wrapped in a bag for decoction; or used in pills or powders. External use: appropriate amount, decocted for washing or ground into powder and applied topically. For promoting urination and reducing edema, use raw; for treating phlegm-fluid asthma and cough, use stir-fried; for Lung deficiency with phlegm obstruction and asthma, use honey-fried.

[Cautions] Use with caution in Lung deficiency asthma and Spleen deficiency edema. Not suitable for long-term use.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Seeds of Lepidium contain sinalbin; seeds of Descurainia contain sinapic acid, toxic convolvulin glycoside aglycone, yellow-white glucosinolate (sinigrin), Euonymus monosaccharide glycoside, Euonymus disaccharide glycoside, glucosinolates, and mustard oil glycosides. The volatile oil of the seeds contains mustard oil glycosides, erucic acid, benzyl isothiocyanate, allyl isothiocyanate, diallyl disulfide, and also contains fatty oils.
2. Pharmacological effects: Tinglizi has a cardiotonic effect; its alcohol extract can strengthen myocardial contractility in vivo in rabbits; the alcohol extract of Descurainia seeds can cause frog hearts in vivo to stop in systole, enhance myocardial contractility in rabbits and cats, slow heart rate, raise blood pressure, and cause conduction block. Electrocardiograms in cats show typical cardiac glycoside-like effects. It also has antitussive effects.
3. Clinical reports: 1) Heart failure: Antifailure Formula No. 1 (Tinglizi 30–50 g, Dan Pingchuan Shen 10–15 g, Zhishi 10–15 g) decocted and taken twice daily. Treated 24 cases of various heart failures with 8 markedly effective, 12 effective, 4 ineffective, total effective rate 83.3%. [Chinese Journal of Medical Science, 1989, (3):40]
2) Superficial wounds and pressure sores: Tinglizi is stir-fried in a pot until slightly puffed and lightly golden with fragrance, then cooled and ground into fine powder. After routine disinfection and cleaning of the wound, Tinglizi powder is evenly sprinkled at 0.5–1.0 g/cm2, dressing changed once daily; for larger wounds with more exudate, dressing changes may be increased. Treatment results: epidermal abrasions begin scabbing after 1 day, generally heal in 3–4 days; dermal abrasions and stage II pressure sores scab in 2–3 days, generally heal in 5–7 days; stage III pressure sores begin scabbing in 3–4 days, scabs fall off and heal within 10 days. [Chinese Folk Therapy, 2003, 11(11):39]