This product is the mature seed of the annual herbaceous plant of the legume family, Cassia obtusifolia (Cassia obtusifolia L.) or Cassia tora (Cassia tora L.). It is mainly produced in Anhui, Guangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and other provinces, and is cultivated in both northern and southern regions. It is harvested in autumn, dried, and the seeds are collected for use either raw or roasted.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet, bitter and salty, slightly cold. Act on liver, kidney and large intestine meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Clearing heat and improving vision, moistening intestines to relieve constipation.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for red eye and dim vision. This product discharges heat with bitter cold, sweet and salty to benefit yin, can clear liver fire, and also benefits kidney yin. The liver is associated with the eyes, the pupil belongs to the kidney, hence it is an excellent product for improving vision, applicable for both deficiency and excess eye diseases. For liver channel excess fire, red eye with swelling and pain, photophobia and excessive tearing, it is often used with Prunella, Gardenia, etc.; for wind-heat attacking upwards, headache and red eye, it is often used with Chrysanthemum Flower, Mulberry Leaf, etc.; for liver and kidney yin deficiency, dim vision, it is often used with Flatstem Milkvetch Seed, Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, etc.
2. Used for intestinal dryness and constipation. This product has a cool and moist nature, and also has the effect of clearing heat and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation. For internal heat and intestinal dryness, severe constipation, it is often used in combination with Hemp Seed, Trichosanthes Seed, etc.
3. In addition, this product combined with Chrysanthemum Flower to make Ju Ming Jiang Ya tablets, has a certain therapeutic effect on hypertension. Cassia Seed decoction, syrup, and tablets are effective for treating hyperlipidemia.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Treats bluish blindness (optic atrophy), excessive tearing with red eyes and white membranes, and painful, red eyes with tearing. Long-term use improves vision and brightness."
2. Materia Medica Examination: "Jueming, with a salty taste that enters the blood, and a cold nature that treats heat, thus it treats bluish blindness (optic atrophy), skin membranes, and tearing caused by heat damaging the blood aspect. However, if the eye conditions are due to qi aspect or wind-cold, it is not suitable."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct 10-15g for oral administration. For laxative purposes, avoid prolonged decoction.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Those with qi deficiency and loose stools should not use it.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

The fresh seeds of this product contain Rhubarb Rhizoma phenols, Rhubarb Rhizoma elements, fire bright elements, orange-yellow cassia elements, and also contain vitamin A.

1. The water and alcohol extracts of Cassia Seed have hypotensive and diuretic effects on experimental animals.
2. The contained anthraquinone glycosides have a laxative effect.
3. This product can also contract the uterus.
4. Both animal experiments and clinical applications have proven that it can inhibit the elevation of serum cholesterol and the formation of main stirred pulse atherosclerotic dissipating ecchymosis plaques.
5. The water extract of Cassia Seed has an inhibitory effect on skin fungi, and the alcohol extract has inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus, diphtheria bacillus, large intestine bacillus, cold-damage disease, and paracold-damage disease bacilli.