Da Qing Ye (大青叶) — Isatis Leaf | TCM Herb Guide
Key Takeaways
- Nature: Cold | Taste: Bitter
- Category: Herbs that Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity
- Latin: Isatidis Folium
At a Glance
- Herb: Da Qing Ye
- Chinese name: 大青叶 (Dà Qīng Yè)
- Latin name: Isatidis Folium
- Nature: Cold
- Taste: Bitter
- Meridian: Heart / Lung / Stomach
- Category: Herbs that Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity
- Introduction: Da Qing Ye (大青叶), Folium Isatidis, is the dried leaf of Isatis indigotica, the same plant that yields Ban Lan Gen (root) and Qing Dai (processed indigo). The leaf is particularly potent at clearing heat and resolving toxicity for warm-febrile diseases, cools blood to resolve macules and rashes, and reduces swelling of the throat. Rich in indican and sinigrin, modern research confirms strong antiviral activity against influenza, herpes, and other viruses, as well as broad antibacterial effects.
Action
- Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- Cools blood and resolves macules and rashes
- Reduces swelling of the throat
- Broad antiviral and antibacterial action
Clinical Application
- Warm-febrile diseases: high fever, irritability, purpura, bleeding macules — combines with Xuan Shen, Sheng Di Huang
- Epidemic heat toxin: influenza, measles, mumps, erysipelas — combines with Ban Lan Gen, Jin Yin Hua
- Sore throat and mouth sores from heat toxin — combines with Niu Bang Zi, Jie Geng, Gan Cao
- Blood-heat rashes and purpura — combines with Chi Shao, Mu Dan Pi
- Viral hepatitis with damp-heat — combines with Yin Chen, Long Dan Cao
Precautions
- Dosage: 9–15 g in decoction; fresh juice 30–60 ml
- Contraindicated in spleen-stomach deficiency cold
- Avoid in deficiency cold patterns without heat toxin
- Use with caution in pregnancy
- Generally safe — widely used in both adult and pediatric practice
Formula
- Da Qing Ye Tang (大青叶汤): Da Qing Ye, Xuan Shen, Sheng Di Huang, Zhi Zi — clears heat, cools blood, resolves febrile eruptions
- Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin (普济消毒饮): Da Qing Ye, Ban Lan Gen, Huang Qin, Huang Lian, Niu Bang Zi, Lian Qiao, Bo He, Jie Geng, Gan Cao — epidemic toxin formula for mumps, erysipelas
- Ban Lan Gen Chong Ji: Da Qing Ye + Ban Lan Gen granules — most common OTC cold/flu formula in China
Combinations
- Isatis Leaf (大青叶) + Isatis Root (板蓝根) + Honeysuckle Flower (金银花) → clear heat toxin; viral infections, influenza, fever, and tonsillitis
- Isatis Leaf (大青叶) + Gypsum (石膏) + Anemarrhena Rhizome (知母) → clear qi-level heat; high fever and skin eruptions from warm febrile disease
Pharmacological Effects
- Antiviral
- influenza A/B, hepatitis B, herpes — indirubin, tryptanthrin
- Antibacterial
- broad spectrum
- Anti-inflammatory; antipyretic; antitumor
- indirubin — approved for CML in China
- immunostimulant; hemostatic
Classic Description
- Ming Yi Bie Lu (《名医别录》): ‘Treats epidemic qi headache, high fever, and mouth sores.’
- Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》): ‘Isatis Leaf can resolve heat toxin of the Heart and Stomach, not only treating wind-cold disorders; Zhu Hong’s Huo Ren Shu used Rhinoceros Horn and Isatis Leaf Decoction for red-spotted eruptions with vexation and pain in wind-cold disorders.’
- Ben Cao Bei Yao (《本草备要》): ‘Drains heat from the Liver, Stomach, and Heart channels; resolves toxin; treats warm toxin with skin eruptions, febrile disease with clouded consciousness, erysipelas, jaundice, mumps, and throat impediment.’
- Ben Cao Zheng Yi (《本草正义》): ‘Isatis Leaf is the strongest of the Isatis plant in clearing heat toxin; superior to Isatis Root for skin eruptions.’