Qian Gen 茜根 — Chinese Herbal Medicine

Qian Gen (茜根) At a Glance

• Herb: Qian Gen
• Chinese name: 茜根 (Qian Gen)
• Latin name: Rubiae Radix et Rhizoma
• Nature: Cold
• Taste: Bitter
• Meridian: Liver
• Category: Cooling blood and stopping bleeding

Qian Gen (茜根), the dried root and rhizome of Rubia cordifolia, is a classical hemostatic herb whose cold nature targets blood heat as the root cause of reckless bleeding. What distinguishes it from purely astringent hemostatics is its simultaneous blood-moving action, preventing clot stagnation after bleeding is arrested. Entering the Liver channel — the organ that stores and governs blood — it is applied across uterine, gastrointestinal, and urinary bleeding disorders as well as stasis-driven menstrual obstruction.

Actions & Therapeutic Effects

• Cools blood and stops bleeding — addresses hemorrhage driven by heat forcing blood out of vessels
• Activates blood and dispels stasis — prevents static blood accumulation after bleeding episodes
• Unblocks channels and alleviates pain — used for stasis-type bi syndrome and traumatic injury
• Regulates menstruation — restores flow in amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea due to blood stasis
• Clears heat and resolves toxicity — applied topically and internally for early carbuncles and sores

Clinical Applications in TCM

• Hematemesis or epistaxis from blood heat — combine with Sheng Di Huang and Mu Dan Pi
• Uterine flooding and spotting (beng lou) from heat in the blood — pair with Di Yu and Huai Hua Mi; reference Si Sheng Wan modifications
• Blood-heat hematuria — use with Xiao Ji and Bai Mao Gen in Xiao Ji Yin Zi framework
• Amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea from blood stasis — combine with Tao Ren, Hong Hua, and Chuan Xiong
• Traumatic injury with swelling and pain — pair with San Qi and Ru Xiang
• Heat-toxin carbuncles or joint swelling in damp-heat bi — combine with Jin Yin Hua and Wei Ling Xian

Precautions & Safety

• Dosage: 10–15 g in decoction; up to 30 g in acute hemorrhage; powdered form 3–6 g
• Contraindicated in deficiency-cold patterns without heat signs or blood stasis
• Use with caution in pregnancy — blood-activating action may stimulate uterine contractions
• Prolonged high-dose use may cause gastrointestinal irritation; monitor liver enzymes with extended courses

Classical TCM Formulas

• Qian Cao San (茜草散): Qian Cao Gen, Di Yu, Huai Hua, Ce Bai Ye — various bleeding conditions.
• Shi Hui San (十灰散) includes Qian Cao Gen among the ten herbs.
• Gu Chong Tang (固冲汤) includes Qian Cao Gen: Bai Zhu, Huang Qi, Long Gu, Mu Li, Shan Zhu Yu, Bai Shao, Hai Piao Xiao, Qian Cao Gen, Zong Lü Tan, Wu Bei Zi — severe uterine bleeding. Source: Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu.

Herb Combinations

• Qian Cao Gen (茜草根) + Di Yu (地榆) + Huai Hua (槐花): the Blood-cooling haemostatic triad for intestinal bleeding and haemorrhoids.
• Qian Cao Gen (茜草根) + San Qi (三七) + Pu Huang (蒲黄): stops bleeding and dispels stasis simultaneously for traumatic injury.
• Qian Cao Gen (茜草根) charred (Qian Cao Tan) — the carbonised form is more strongly haemostatic.

Pharmacology & Research

Hemostatic: shortens clotting time and promotes platelet aggregation via quinone constituents.
Anti-inflammatory: inhibits COX-2 expression and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine release.
Antimicrobial: active against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., and dermatophytes.
Antitumor: alizarin and purpurin derivatives show cytotoxic activity against hepatic and cervical cancer cell lines in vitro.
Hepatoprotective: reduces ALT and AST elevation in experimental hepatic injury models.

Classical Descriptions

• “茜根，行血涼血，能止血而不留瘀。” — *Bencao Gangmu* (本草綱目), Li Shizhen, 1578: “Qian Gen moves blood and cools blood; it is able to stop bleeding without retaining stasis.”