Di Gu Pi (地骨皮) — Wolfberry Root Bark: TCM Uses & Formulas

At a Glance

• Herb: Di Gu Pi
• Chinese name: 地骨皮 (Dì Gǔ Pí)
• Latin name: Lycium chinense Mill.
• Nature: Cold
• Taste: Sweet / Bland
• Meridian: Lung / Liver / Kidney
• Category: Herbs that Clear Heat from Deficiency
• Introduction: Di Gu Pi (地骨皮), the dried root bark of Lycium chinense Mill. or Lycium barbarum L. — the same plant whose fruit (Gou Qi Zi) tonifies liver-kidney yin — is a key herb for cooling deficiency heat and clearing lung fire. First recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, it is particularly suited to the pattern of steaming bone fever (骨蒸) from yin deficiency, where pathological heat rises from deep within. Modern pharmacology has confirmed betaine, rutin, and polysaccharides with demonstrated anti-febrile, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and antihypertensive activities.

Action

• Cools blood and clears deficiency heat — treats steaming bone fever, afternoon fever, night sweats
• Clears lung fire and relieves cough — treats lung heat with cough, wheezing, and hemoptysis
• Generates fluids and reduces blood glucose — modern application for diabetes and thirst from heat
• Cools blood and stops bleeding — addresses epistaxis and hemoptysis from blood heat

Clinical Application

• Yin deficiency with steaming bone fever: afternoon fever, night sweats, hot sensation in palms and soles
• Lung heat with cough, wheezing, and yellow phlegm — combined with Sang Bai Pi, Gan Cao
• Hemoptysis and epistaxis from lung heat or blood heat
• Diabetes (xiao ke) with thirst, polyuria from heat injuring fluids
• Hypertension with liver-kidney yin deficiency (modern application)

Precautions

• Standard dose: 9–15 g
• Use with caution in spleen-stomach cold deficiency with loose stools
• Avoid in exterior patterns where the pathogen has not been resolved — its cooling action may trap the pathogen
• Contraindicated in cold-type deficiency patterns without clear heat signs

Formula

• Di Gu Pi Tang (地骨皮汤): Di Gu Pi, Chai Hu, Zhi Mu — classic formula for steaming bone fever
• Xie Bai San (泻白散): Di Gu Pi, Sang Bai Pi, Zhi Gan Cao, Jing Mi — clears lung fire, stops cough and wheezing; classic pediatric formula
• Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang (青蒿鳖甲汤): Di Gu Pi, Qing Hao, Bie Jia, Sheng Di, Zhi Mu — for late-stage febrile disease with yin deficiency and lingering heat
• Qin Jiao Bie Jia San (秦艽鳖甲散): Di Gu Pi, Qin Jiao, Bie Jia, Chai Hu, Dang Gui — for deficiency-type steaming bone fever with emaciation

Combinations

• For yin deficiency with steaming bone disorder and night sweats (classical formula): combine with Zhi Mu, Bie Jia, Qin Jiao (Qin Jiao Bie Jia San).
• For lung heat with cough and hemoptysis: combine with Sang Bai Pi, Gan Cao (Xie Bai San).
• For childhood nutritional fever: combine with Yin Chai Hu, Hu Huang Lian.
• For diabetes with thirst and polyuria: combine with Tian Hua Fen, Mai Dong, Ge Gen.
• For hypertension from yin deficiency: combine with Gou Teng, Niu Xi, Bai Shao.
• For blood-heat uterine bleeding: combine with Sheng Di Huang, Mu Dan Pi, Han Lian Cao.
• For deficiency heat after febrile illness: combine with Qing Hao, Sheng Di Huang.

Pharmacological Effects

• Antipyretic
  • reduces fever by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis
• betaine and polysaccharides
  • Antidiabetic: improve insulin sensitivity
• kukoamine A
  • Antihypertensive: inhibits ACE
  • Antihypertensive: scopoletin relaxes vascular smooth muscle
• Antitussive
  • reduces bronchial inflammation, calms cough reflex
• scavenges free radicals
  • Antioxidant: reduces lipid peroxidation
• polysaccharides
  • Immunomodulatory: enhance T-cell and NK-cell activity
• Cholesterol-lowering
  • reduces LDL and total cholesterol levels

Classic Description

• Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (《神农本草经》): ‘Governs pathogenic qi in the five organs, internal heat, wasting-thirst, and generalized impediment; long-term use consolidates sinews and bones, lightens the body, and prevents aging.’
• Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》): ‘Eliminates Liver and Kidney deficiency heat in the lower burner.’
• Ben Cao Jing Shu (《本草经疏》): ‘Wolfberry Root Bark is the root bark of the wolfberry plant; bitter and sweet in flavor, cold in qi, non-toxic; it descends and is yin; enters the Foot Shao Yin and Hand Shao Yang channels. Governs pathogenic qi in the five organs, internal heat with wasting-thirst, and generalized wind-damp impediment: heat generates wind, heat produces impediment — cooling blood and eliminating heat allows wind-damp generalized impediment to resolve on its own.’
• Ben Cao Zheng (《本草正》): ‘Wolfberry Root Bark is cooling but not harsh — can treat deficiency taxation.’