Che Qian Zi (Semen Plantaginis / Psyllium)

This product is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. In "Shennong's Materia Medica" 《神农本草经》 it is listed as the top grade. There are two types of products: small-grain psyllium and large-grain psyllium.

1. Plantago depressa Willd

Source:  Dried mature seeds of Plantago depressa Willd., a perennial herb of the psyllium family.

Plant morphology: The taproot is distinct, often unbranched. The leaves are all basal, the stalk length is 1/3 or shorter, the leaves are ovate-lanceolate, 4~11cm long, the apex is pointed, the base is narrow into a stalk, and the edge is sparsely serrated and wavy. The surface is green, with 5~7 nearly parallel arc-shaped main veins. The flower stem has several branches, 10~30cm high, and the spike is 1/2 or 1/3 of the flower stem; The flowers are pale green, and the capsule is lobed. The seeds are usually 5, rarely 4, black-purple.

Origin: all over the country, though mainly produced in places such as  Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei; wild ones also grow in the mountains, at roadside, in field stalks and near riverside.

Trait identification: the seeds are oval or irregular oblong and fine-grained, 1~1.5mm long, less than one millimeter wide, slightly convex on one side, and slightly flat on one side. The surface is tan or blackish-purple. When viewed under the enlarged microscope, fine reticulation can be seen, and small concave dots (commonly known as eye openings) can be seen in the slightly convex middle. The texture is hard, the smell is slight, the taste is light, and once chewed it contains mucus. It is considered better quality to have plump, purple-black, and no impurities.

2. Large-grained psyllium

Alias: Jiangche, Guanche.

Source: Dried mature seeds of the plantago asiatica L, a perennial herb of the psyllium family.

Plant morphology: basically similar to the previous species, the main difference is that the taproot is not obvious, and they are all fibrous roots. Up to 50cm. The leaves are broadly ovate, with long stalks, almost equal to or longer than the leaves, and slightly enlarged at the base. The flower stem has several branches, and the height is 12~50cm. The capsule contains 4~8 seeds, and the rest is the same as the plantain.

Origin: Mainly produced in places such as Jiangxi, Liaoning, Henan, Sichuan; but are also found all over the country.

Trait identification: the shape is slightly the same as that of psyllium small-grained. Only the particles are larger, 2 mm long and 1 mm wide. It is better to have large black grains and obvious white concave spots.

Main ingredients: Contains psyllic acid, psyllin succinic acid, mucin. and contains a lot of mucus.

Pharmachologic effect

（1）  Diuretic: It can increase the excretion of water, and at the same time, the excretion of urea, sodium chloride and uric acid is also increased. However, some experiments have failed to confirm / repeat this effect.

（2）  Tonic: a little tonic, can be beneficial and supplemental, that is, the so-called "good urination without causing loss of Qi", can benefit yin and clear the eyes. It may be related to the effect of the vitamin A substances it contains.

Preparation: raw or stir-fried in salted water.

Taste: sweet, cold.

Meridians: into the liver, kidneys, small intestine, and lung meridians.

Function: dilute water and dampness, clear heat and eyes, dissolve phlegm and relieve cough.

Indications / Used to Treat: gonorrhea urinary continence, summer dampness and diarrhea, red eyes, phlegm, fever and cough.

 Clinical application

（1）  It is used for the treatment of hot heat based UTI (acute urethritis, cystitis), and its diuretic and heat-clearing effects are often compatible with the use of Bian Xu and Shi Wei. Formulas such as “Ba Zheng San” and “Shi Wei San” will use psyllium.

（2）  It is used to treat nephritis edema. If there is difficulty in urination and there are symptoms of kidney deficiency, it is necessary to mix herbs such as Niu Xi, Shu Di, Yu Rou, Rou Gui, etc., so as to make the formula “Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan”.

（3）  It is used for ophthalmic diseases. Adding in tonifying herbs can make up for the deficiency, and used with antipyretics it can be laxative. For example, when paired with Dang Gui, Shu Di, Gou Ji Zi, Tu Si Zi, etc., it can nourish qi and blood and be used to treat eye cataract (specifically it tends to be used for senile cataract), such as in the formula “Jia Jian Zhu Jing Wan”. When paired with Huang Qin, Ling Dan Cao, Qiang Huo, Ju Hua, etc., it can clear the liver and treat the accumulation of heat in the eyes, blood perfusion pupil abnormalities, and difficulty with light and polyscarcity (equivalent to blistering keratitis), such as with the formula “Che Qian Zi San”.

Dosage: 3~15g, as a decoction to wrap cloth into decoction, and water should be fried, and the deficiency should be made of wine.

Prescription examples

（1）  Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan ("Jisheng Fang" 《济生方》): Prescription, 9~12g per serving, 1~2 times a day, taken with warm water, if you can take Huang Qi, Dang Shen and deconcoct it would be even better. If it is used as a decoction, you can press the following: Huai Niu Xi 9g, Che Qian Zi 12g (deconcoction bagged), Huai Shan Yao 12g, Yun Ling 12g, Shu Di 24g, Shan Yu Rou 9g, Dan Pi 6g, Ze Xie 9g, Fu Zi 9g, Rou Gui 3g (baked), decoction in water.

（2）  Jia Jian Zhu Jing Wan ("Bureau Formula" 《局方》): Che Qian Zi 60g, Dang Gui 15g, Shu Di 15g, Wu Wei Zi, Gou Ji Zi, Chu  Shi Zi, Chuan Jiao 30g each ground together into fine powder; Cooked with honey and made into balls, to the size of sycamore seeds, 30 pills per serving, and preferably downed with salt water on an empty stomach.

（3）  Che Qian Zi San ("Examination of Yao Han" 《审视瑶函》): Che Qian Zi, Mi Meng Hua, Qiang Huo, Bai Ji Li, Huang Qin, Ju Hua, Long Dan Cao, Cao Jue Ming, Gan Cao, ground together into fine powder, 6g per serving, and downed with soup was after eating.

Note: Che Qian Zi (Psyllium) is the same size for medicinal purposes, only the sales habits are different. The former is mainly sold in East China, Central South and Southwest China and exported, while the latter is mainly sold in North China and Northeast China. Northwest provinces, Beijing and Tianjin it is common to use either.

Che Qian Cao (plantain)

This product is a rarely used traditional Chinese medicine, and the "Compendium of Materia Medica" 《本草纲目》 is listed under the item of grass plantain type.

Source: Dried whole grass for psyllium, all wild.

Trait identification: as seen above, it is flat plantain morphology. After the whole grass is dried, the leaves are shrunken and curled in a clumpy, gray-green, and the flower stems are short and slender like rat's tail. Often with young unopened flower buds. The smell is slight and the taste is slightly bitter. It is better to have young stems and leaves, gray-green and no weeds.

Processing: Cut into raw sections.

Taste: sweet, cold.

Meridian: goes into the small intestine and large intestine meridian.

Function: diuretic and aiding difficulty urinating, clearing blood heat.

Indications: urinary seizure, blood in the urine, gonorrhea, epistaxis, vomiting blood, bloody dysentery and other symptoms.

Note: Che Qian Cao is the dried whole grass of plantain. Sweet in taste and cold in nature. Contains psyllin and glycosides. It has a mild inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus and dysentery bacillus. Its function is basically the same as that of psyllium, and the diuretic effect is not as good as that of psyllium, but the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing inflammation and stopping bleeding, and stopping diarrhea is stronger, and it also has a certain antitussive and expectorant effect. Main uses:(1) to treat bloody urine, (2) to treat diarrhea due to  dampness and heat;(3) to treat chronic bronchitis. Dosage: 9~30g dry product; Fresh 60~120g. Prescription example: 90~120g of fresh plantain, decoction in water, with 30g of honey to be taken together to treat damp and hot dysentery (acute enteritis, bacterial dysentery）。

  Animal experiments have proved that plantain can inhibit the respiratory center and enhance the secretion function of the mucus membrane, so that the secretion of the trachea and bronchi increases, so it has antitussive and expectorant effects. In addition, it has a diuretic and antihypertensive effect. Its decoction has an inhibitory effect on dysentery bacilli. It has been clinically reported that it can be used to suppress cough and expectoration, and it is effective in treating hypertension and bacillary dysentery. Che Qian Cao can be made into tissue therapy infusion, which is used for chronic bronchitis with good effect.

Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.