Fu Pen Zi (覆盆子) — Chinese Raspberry | TCM Herb Guide

At a Glance

• Herb: Fu Pen Zi
• Chinese name: 覆盆子 (Fù Pén Zǐ)
• Latin name: Rubus chingii immature fruit
• Nature: Slightly Warm
• Taste: Sweet / Sour
• Meridian: Liver / Kidney / Bladder
• Category: Herbs that Stabilize and Bind
• Introduction: Fu Pen Zi (覆盆子), Fructus Rubi, is the dried immature fruit of Rubus chingii, harvested before full ripening in early summer. It tonifies kidney yang and yin, astringes kidney essence, and improves vision — making it a key herb for deficiency patterns presenting with enuresis, seminal emission, and failing eyesight. Modern research identifies anthocyanins and ellagitannins with antioxidant, estrogenic, and vision-protective activities.

Action

• Tonifies kidney yang and secures kidney essence
• Constrains urine and stops enuresis
• Nourishes liver and brightens the eyes
• Astringes to treat seminal emission

Clinical Application

• Kidney yang deficiency: seminal emission, premature ejaculation, impotence — combines with Tu Si Zi, Wu Wei Zi, Gou Qi Zi
• Enuresis, urinary frequency (especially in children and elderly) — combines with Yi Zhi Ren, Sang Piao Xiao
• Liver-kidney deficiency with dim vision, blurred vision — combines with Gou Qi Zi, Che Qian Zi
• General kidney deficiency with fatigue and low libido — combines with Shu Di Huang, Du Zhong

Precautions

• Dosage: 6–12 g in decoction
• Contraindicated in kidney deficiency with heat signs (yin deficiency fire)
• Avoid in dysuria or oliguria — astringent nature may worsen urinary obstruction
• Contraindicated in damp-heat patterns of the lower jiao
• Warm and astringent — use with caution if there is unresolved external pathogen

Formula

• Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan (五子衍宗丸): Fu Pen Zi, Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi, Wu Wei Zi, Che Qian Zi — tonifies kidney essence and yang, promotes fertility; classic ‘five seed’ formula
• Fu Pen Zi Wan (覆盆子丸): Fu Pen Zi, Yi Zhi Ren, Wu Yao — warms kidney, stops enuresis
• Qi Ju Di Huang Wan variant: adds Fu Pen Zi to nourish liver-kidney and brighten eyes

Combinations

• 枸杞子 (Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ) + 菟丝子 (Tú Sī Zǐ) + 五味子 (Wǔ Wèi Zǐ) + 车前子 (Chē Qián Zǐ) — 五子衍宗丸: kidney deficiency infertility, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, impotence. 2. 金樱子 (Jīn Yīng Zǐ) — spermatorrhea and enuresis from kidney deficiency. 3. 沙苑子 (Shā Yuàn Zǐ) + 莲须 (Lián Xū) — kidney essence deficiency with frequent urination. 4. 菊花 (Jú Huā) + 枸杞子 (Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ) — liver-kidney yin deficiency with blurred vision. 5. 熟地 (Shú Dì) + 山茱萸 (Shān Zhū Yú) — kidney deficiency causing impotence and early ageing. Source: 摄生众妙方 (五子衍宗丸), 本草纲目.

Pharmacological Effects

• ellagitannins
  • Reproductive tonic: stimulate Leydig cell testosterone production
  • Reproductive tonic: improve sperm count, motility, and morphology in oligospermia models
• anthocyanins regenerate rhodopsin in rod cells
  • Vision protection: reduce retinal oxidative stress (similar to bilberry)
• among the highest ORAC values of TCM fruits
  • Antioxidant: reduces lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation
• ellagic acid
  • Anti-inflammatory: inhibits NF-κB and COX-2
• Antibacterial
  • active against H. pylori, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus
• Antidiabetic
  • reduces postprandial glucose via α-glucosidase inhibition

Classic Description

• Ming Yi Bie Lu (《名医别录》): ‘Governs benefiting qi and lightening the body, and prevents hair from turning white.’
• Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》): ‘Chinese Raspberry strengthens the Kidney without the bias of dryness and heat; secures essence without the harm of congealing and stagnating — it is an herb of gold and jade quality.’
• Ben Cao Bei Yao (《本草备要》): ‘Sweet, sour, and slightly warm; tonifies Liver and Kidney, secures essence, reduces urination, brightens the eyes; treats Kidney deficiency seminal emission, impotence, dim vision, and frequent urination.’