This product is the root and rhizome of the perennial herbaceous plant Aster (Aster tataricus L. f.) of the Asteraceae family. It is mainly produced in Hebei, Anhui, and the northeastern, northern, and northwestern regions of China. It is harvested in spring and autumn, with the jointed rhizomes removed, then braided and dried, or directly dried. It is used in thick slices either raw or honey-fried.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, sweet and bitter, warm. Act on lung meridian.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Moistening dryness and resolving phlegm to relieve cough.

bubble_chart Indications

For cough with phlegm. This product is sweet and moist, bitter and draining, acrid and warm but not drying. It mainly enters the lung meridian and is particularly effective in moistening the lungs, lowering qi, opening lung stagnation, resolving phlegm turbidity, and stopping cough. It can be used for coughs of any duration, whether due to cold or heat, deficiency or excess. For example, in cases of wind-cold invading the lungs, with cough and itchy throat, it can be combined with Schizonepeta and Platycodon Root. If there is yin deficiency with chronic cough and blood in the phlegm, it can be combined with Donkey-hide Gelatin and Fritillaria Bulb to nourish yin, moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and stop cough, as in Wang Hai-zang's Aster Decoction. Additionally, this product can also be used for lung abscess, lung impediment, and difficulty in urination, as it helps to open and regulate lung qi.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. 《Mujing》: "Mainly treats cough with dyspnea, chest cold in the middle heat accumulation qi."
2. Bencao Congxin: "Specifically treats blood phlegm, it is a holy medicine for blood consumptive disease, and also can promote urination."
3. 《Mucao Zhengyi》: "Aster is soft and moist, although it is said to be bitter, pungent, and warm, it is not comparable to dryness and harshness. It specializes in opening and discharging lung depression, stopping cough and reducing counterflow, promoting the flow of stagnation, and also dispersing the qi and blood of the lung. All conditions such as wind-cold external contraction, lung qi congestion, unrelieved cough, panting and wheezing, and qi fire scorching, depressed into lung abscess, coughing up pus and blood, foul-smelling and fishy phlegm, it can treat all; and it is especially suitable for cold phlegm accumulation, turbid saliva solidification, and throat sounds like a water chicken."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 5-6g. Use raw for external contraction fulminant cough disease; use honey-fried for lung deficiency chronic cough disease.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains Aster saponins, Aster ketones, Daimyo Oak Bark extract, friedelin, epifriedelanol, volatile oils, etc. The decoction and extracts have significant effects in dispelling phlegm and relieving cough. They also exhibit inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli, dysentery bacillus, cold-damage disease bacillus, paracold-damage disease bacillus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Daimyo Oak Bark extract has diuretic properties, and epifriedelanol has anticancer effects against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice.