Mulberry Twigs, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. These are the dried young twigs of the mulberry plant (Morus alba L.) of the Moraceae family. They have the efficacy of dispelling wind-dampness and promoting joint mobility. They are primarily used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, as well as soreness, pain, and numbness in the shoulders, arms, and joints.
Mulberry Twigs
Mulberry Twigs, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. These are the dried young twigs of the mulberry plant (Morus alba L.) of the Moraceae family. They have the efficacy of dispelling wind-dampness and promoting joint mobility. They are primarily used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, as well as soreness, pain, and numbness in the shoulders, arms, and joints.
Chinese Name : 桑枝
Latin Name : Mori Ramulus
Aliases : Mulberry Twigs
Authentic Producing Area : Mainly produced in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Slightly bitter in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Liver meridian
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind-dampness and promotes joint mobility.
Indications
Mainly used to treat rheumatic arthralgia and soreness and numbness in the shoulders, arms, and joints.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct 9–15 g in water. 2. External use: Use an appropriate amount; decoct in water for steam baths or washes.
Precautions
It should be used with caution or avoided in cases of cold syndromes, or in cases of weakness and soreness in the lower back and knees, and bone pain due to deficiency of the liver and kidney.
Chemical Constituents
Mulberry twigs contain tannins, sucrose, fructose, stachyose, glucose, maltose, raffinose, arabinose, xylose, and other compounds. Recently, four polyhydroxy alkaloids and two amino acids (7-aminobutyric acid and L-aspartic acid) have been isolated from water extracts of mulberry twigs.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica*: “*Formulas for Immediate Efficacy* states: ‘It treats generalized itching and dryness caused by wind, beriberi and wind-related conditions, stiffness of the limbs, shortness of breath, dizziness, cough due to lung qi deficiency, aids digestion, promotes urination, and with long-term use, lightens the body, sharpens the senses, imparts a radiant complexion, and also relieves dry mouth.’”
2. *Essentials of Materia Medica*: “It promotes joint mobility, nourishes body fluids, and facilitates the elimination of water and wind.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
*Formulas for Universal Relief* recommends using it alone as a decoction to treat wind-heat arthralgia, while *The Complete Works of Jingyue* suggests boiling it into a paste to treat aching tendons and bones and numbness in the limbs. However, since its efficacy is relatively weak when used alone, it is often combined with other herbs depending on whether the condition is characterized by cold or heat, and whether it is acute or chronic.For conditions with a predominance of cold, it is combined with Cinnamomum cassia (Gui Zhi) and Clematis chinensis (Wei Ling Xian); for conditions with a predominance of heat, it is combined with Lonicera japonica (Luo Shi Teng) and Lonicera japonica (Ren Dong Teng); for conditions with a predominance of qi and blood deficiency, it is combined with Astragalus membranaceus (Huang Qi), Milettia reticulata (Ji Xue Teng), and Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui). When combined with willow branches, Chinese fir branches, or Chinese locust branches for external washing, it can treat pain in the hands and feet caused by wind-toxin, as well as numbness of the skin, such as in the Mulberry Branch Decoction (Sang Zhi Tang) from *Sheng Hui Fang*.
Related Compatibility
1. Mulberry Twigs Combined with Cinnamon Twigs: Mulberry twigs dispel wind and unblock the meridians, effectively treating rheumatic stiffness and pain in the shoulders and arms; cinnamon twigs warm and unblock the meridians, effectively treating blood-related bi syndrome with numbness and pain in the upper limbs. When combined, these two herbs move upward and spread, producing significant results in treating pain in the joints of the shoulders, arms, and fingers. They are also highly effective for numbness, loss of sensation, stiffness, and pain in the skin.
2. Mulberry Twig Combined with Mulberry Parasite: Mulberry Twig travels horizontally through the limbs, dispels dampness, reduces swelling, unblocks the meridians, and relieves pain; Mulberry Parasite tonifies the liver and kidneys, strengthens tendons and bones, dispels wind and dampness, and nourishes the blood while unblocking the meridians. Mulberry Twig focuses primarily on unblocking, while Mulberry Parasite emphasizes tonification.When combined, these two herbs—one tonifying and one unblocking—complement each other to effectively tonify the liver and kidneys, strengthen tendons and bones, dispel wind and dampness, unblock the meridians, and relieve pain. This formula is suitable for treating lower back and leg soreness, restricted joint movement, and pain in tendons and bones caused by rheumatic arthralgia, as well as headaches, dizziness, and numbness in the limbs resulting from liver and kidney deficiency or yin deficiency with yang hyperactivity.
3. Mulberry Twig Combined with Stephania: Mulberry Twig has a bitter taste and neutral nature; it dispels wind, unblocks meridians, relaxes tendons, and soothes the vessels. Stephania has a pungent, dispersing, and descending action; it dispels wind, removes dampness, unblocks meridians, and relieves pain. When combined, these two herbs work to dispel wind and remove dampness, relax tendons, activate meridians, and alleviate acute pain. This combination is suitable for treating limb stiffness, numbness, and pain caused by external invasion of wind-dampness.
4. Mulberry Twig Combined with Milky Vine: Mulberry Twig has a nature that readily penetrates and moves through the body, capable of dispelling wind and unblocking the meridians; Milky Vine relaxes the tendons and activates the meridians, and is also effective at nourishing and invigorating the blood. When used together, they have the effect of invigorating blood circulation and unblocking the meridians. This combination is suitable for pain in the limbs and bones caused by rheumatism complicated by blood stasis.
5. Mulberry Twig Combined with Pine Knots: Both herbs are used to dispel wind-dampness. Mulberry Twig is slightly bitter and neutral in nature; it moves freely and is specifically effective at dispelling wind-dampness, unblocking meridians, and improving joint mobility. It is commonly used to treat rheumatic arthralgia and stiffness in the limbs. Pine Knots excel at unblocking meridians, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, and improving joint mobility; they are particularly effective at dispelling wind, cold, and dampness from the tendons and bones.When used together, these two herbs enhance the effects of dispelling wind-dampness, unblocking meridians, and improving joint mobility. This combination is suitable for conditions such as restricted flexion and extension of the limbs, pain, and numbness caused by rheumatic bi syndrome.
Medicinal Identification
1. Mulberry Twig and Qin Jiao: Both are herbs that dispel wind-dampness and clear heat; they function to dispel wind and unblock meridians, and are used for rheumatic arthralgia, stiffness of the limbs, and paralysis of the hands and feet due to stroke.However, Qin Jiao has a bitter and pungent taste and a slightly cold nature, making it particularly suitable for cases involving fever, redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the joints. Furthermore, it dispels wind and dampness without causing dryness; it is known as “the moisturizing agent among wind-dispelling herbs and the tonifying agent among dispersing herbs.” Thus, it can nourish the blood, relax the tendons, and clear deficient heat. It can also be used to treat bone-steaming fever, damp-heat jaundice, and fever due to malnutrition in children;Qinjiao can direct damp-heat downward, making it suitable for treating damp-heat jaundice as well. Mulberry twigs have a bitter taste and neutral nature; they enter the Liver meridian and are particularly effective in the upper limbs, making them especially suitable for pain and stiffness in the shoulder and arm joints. They can also dispel wind, harmonize the blood, relieve itching, promote diuresis, and reduce swelling. They are used to treat limb soreness, skin itching, vitiligo, and edema caused by external wind pathogens.
2. Mulberry Twig and Pine Knots: Both are herbs for dispelling wind-dampness; they can dispel wind and remove dampness, unblock the meridians, and relieve pain, and are both used to treat rheumatic arthralgia. However, Mulberry Twig has a bitter taste, a neutral nature with a slightly cooling effect, and specializes in relieving wind-dampness-induced stiffness and contractures. Its action is focused on the upper limbs, making it particularly suitable for rheumatic heat-type arthralgia of the upper limbs, as well as pain and stiffness in the shoulder and arm joints.Mulberry twigs are used for their ability to dispel wind, unblock meridians, eliminate dampness, and transform phlegm; they are also employed for conditions such as facial paralysis and hemiplegia caused by phlegm-fire stagnation. Mulberry twigs can dispel wind and harmonize the blood, making them effective for generalized itching and dryness of the skin, such as skin pruritus and vitiligo; they can also promote diuresis and reduce swelling, making them suitable for conditions like edema and beriberi.Pine knots are warm and drying in nature, entering the Liver and Kidney meridians. They excel at unblocking the meridians, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, and facilitating joint mobility. They are particularly effective at dispelling wind, cold, and dampness from the tendons and bones, and are primarily used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, trauma, and toothaches.
3. Mulberry Twigs and Cinnamon Twigs: Both can dispel wind and unblock meridians, and both can be used to treat rheumatic arthralgia. However, mulberry twigs excel at dispelling wind, removing dampness, and unblocking meridians, while cinnamon twigs excel at warming the meridians, dispelling cold, and unblocking meridians. Both tend to target the upper limbs—specifically the shoulders and arms. Ancient physicians believed that mulberry twigs, when combined with cinnamon twigs, effectively treat shoulder and arm pain; therefore, they are often used in combination for rheumatic arthralgia of the upper limbs.The difference lies in their properties: Mulberry Twig has a slightly cool nature and is suitable for rheumatic arthralgia with heat; it is particularly effective at dispelling wind and removing dampness, so it is also commonly used for rheumatic itching. It can also promote diuresis and reduce swelling, making it useful for treating edema and beriberi. Cinnamon Twig, which is pungent and warm, is primarily used to treat cold-induced arthralgia; its ability to warm the meridians and invigorate yang also makes it suitable for treating chest pain, dysmenorrhea, epigastric and abdominal pain, and phlegm-fluid retention.
Related Medicines
Mulberry Twig Ointment, Body-Strengthening and Bone-Fortifying Wine, Joint and Bone Pain-Relieving Ointment, Damp-Heat Bi Granules (Tablets).
Related Prescriptions
Mulberry Twig and Gentiana Decoction (*Complete Collection of the Blue Satchel*), Shen’s Mulberry Tip Decoction (*A Clear Illumination of the Origins and Course of Miscellaneous Diseases*), Mulberry Twig Decoction (*Formulas of Divine Benevolence*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
Mulberry Twig Chicken:
1. Efficacy: Clears heat and relieves arthralgia; tonifies qi and nourishes blood; clears and drains damp-heat; used for systemic lupus erythematosus.
2. Ingredients: 60g mulberry twigs, 30g mung beans, 250g chicken.
3. Preparation: Wash the chicken, add an appropriate amount of water, then add the mung beans and the washed, segmented mulberry twigs. Simmer gently until the meat is tender. Just before serving, season with salt, ginger, scallions, and other seasonings to taste.
4. Usage: Drink the broth and eat the meat; adjust the amount as desired.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital to receive a prescription following a professional TCM differential diagnosis.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvested in late spring to early summer; remove leaves and sun-dry, or slice while fresh and sun-dry. Used raw or stir-fried.
Processing Methods
1. Mulberry Twigs: Take the raw herbal material, remove impurities, soak briefly, wash thoroughly, moisten thoroughly, cut into thick slices, and dry.
2. Roasted Mulberry Twigs: Place mulberry twig slices in a pan, heat over low heat, and roast until they turn a light yellow color; remove and allow to cool.
3.Mulberry Twigs in Rice Wine: Take clean mulberry twig slices, mix thoroughly with rice wine, let stand until thoroughly moistened, place in a pan, heat over low heat, and stir-fry until yellow. Remove and let cool. Use 12 kg of rice wine per 100 kg of mulberry twigs.
4. Wheat Bran-Stir-Fried Mulberry Twigs: First, heat the pan, sprinkle in wheat bran until it smokes, add the mulberry twig slices, and stir-fry until pale yellow. Sift out the bran and let cool.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a well-ventilated, dry place. For wine-processed mulberry branches, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
The powder of this product is grayish-yellow. It contains numerous fibers, which are either bundled or scattered, pale yellow or colorless, slightly curved, with a diameter of 10–30 μm and a wall thickness of 5–15 μm. The curved sections exhibit wrinkles, and the cell cavities are very fine. Stone cells are pale yellow, circular or square in shape, with a diameter of 15–40 μm, a wall thickness of 5–20 μm, and small cell cavities.Crystalliferous thick-walled cells occur in clusters or are scattered; their shape and size are similar to those of stone cells, and their cell cavities contain 1–2 calcium oxalate prisms. Calcium oxalate prisms are present within thick-walled cells or are scattered, with a diameter of 5–20 μm. Cork cells appear polygonal in surface view, with vertical walls that are straight or curved.
Properties of Crude Drugs
Young branches are long cylindrical, rarely branched, of varying lengths, and 0.5–1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow or yellowish-brown, with numerous yellowish-brown punctate lenticels and fine longitudinal striations, as well as grayish-white, slightly semicircular leaf scars and yellowish-brown axillary buds. The texture is tough and resilient, making the branches difficult to break; the cross-section is fibrous.Slices are 0.2–0.5 cm thick, with a relatively thin phloem; the xylem is yellowish-white, with radially arranged rays; the pith is white or yellowish-white. It has a faint odor and a bland taste. Those with a tender texture and a yellowish-white cross-section are considered superior.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Mulberry Branch: Thick, nearly circular or oval slices with a yellowish-white surface displaying a radial grain pattern and a white pith. The edges are grayish-yellow or yellowish-brown. The slices are tough and resilient, with a faint odor and a mild taste.
2. Roasted Mulberry Twigs: Resemble Mulberry Twig Slices, with a slightly yellow surface and occasional scorched spots. They have a faint aroma.
3. Wine-Infused Mulberry Twigs: Resemble Mulberry Twig Slices, with a yellow surface and slight scorched spots. They have a faint aroma of wine.
4. Bran-Roasted Mulberry Twigs: Resemble Mulberry Twig Slices, with a pale yellow surface.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Morus alba, a plant of the genus Morus in the family Moraceae.
Morphological Characteristics
A deciduous shrub or small tree, 3–15 m tall. The bark is grayish-white with shallow, striated fissures; the root bark is yellowish-brown or reddish-yellow and highly fibrous. Simple leaves are alternate; petioles are 1–2.5 cm long;leaf blades are ovate or broadly ovate, 5–20 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with an acute or acuminate apex, a rounded or nearly cordate base, and coarsely serrate or rounded-toothed margins, sometimes with irregular lobes; the upper surface is glabrous and glossy, while the lower surface has short hairs along the veins and axillary hairs; three basal veins interweave with fine veins to form a reticulate pattern that is more prominent on the underside;Stipules are lanceolate and early deciduous. Flowers are unisexual; the plant is dioecious. Both female and male inflorescences are arranged in axillary spikelike catkins; female inflorescences are 1–2 cm long, hairy, with a peduncle 5–10 mm long; male inflorescences are 1–2.5 cm long, pendulous, and slightly pubescent;Male flowers have 4 perianth segments and 4 stamens, with a sterile pistil in the center; female flowers have 4 perianth segments fused at the base and a 2-lobed stigma. The fruit is an achene, with numerous achenes densely aggregated into an ovoid or oblong syncarp, 1–2.5 cm long, initially green, becoming fleshy, blackish-purple, or red upon maturity. The seeds are small. Flowering occurs from April to May, and fruiting from May to June.
Distribution Area
Distributed throughout China.
Growth Habits
Prefers a warm, humid climate and is moderately shade-tolerant. Bud break begins at temperatures above 12°C; the optimal growth temperature is 25–30°C. Growth is inhibited at temperatures exceeding 40°C and ceases when temperatures drop below 12°C. It is drought-tolerant but intolerant of waterlogging and can tolerate poor, infertile soils. It is highly adaptable to various soil types.
Propagation Methods
Propagated by seed, grafting, and layering.
Cultivation Techniques
1. Seed Propagation: Harvest ripe purple mulberries, rub off the pulp, wash the seeds, and sow immediately or store them in moist sand. Sowing can be done in spring, summer, or fall. For summer and fall sowing, use fresh seeds from the current year.Before sowing, soak the seeds in 50°C warm water; after they have cooled naturally, soak them for another 12 hours. Store them in moist sand to promote germination, keeping them consistently moist. Sow once the seed coat cracks and the embryo becomes visible. Dig furrows with a row and plant spacing of 20–30 cm and a depth of 1 cm. Use 7.5–15 kg of seed per hectare. Cover with soil. Seedlings will emerge in about 10 days.When seedlings reach 3–4 cm in height, thin them out by removing weak ones and retaining strong ones, and replant where necessary. In spring and fall, thin to a final plant spacing of 10–15 cm.
2. Grafting Propagation: The “pouch grafting” method. Twenty days before grafting, cut the scions and store them in moist sand to allow the bark and wood at the rootstock’s cut surface to separate into a pouch-like structure. Then insert the scion until it fits snugly.For bud grafting, use the “T”-shaped bud graft or tubular bud graft (sleeve graft) in spring and summer.
3. Layering Propagation: In early spring, lay the mother plant horizontally on the ground and secure it. Bury it in a trench, leaving the apical shoot exposed. Cover with soil and compact it. Once roots have formed, separate the new plant from the mother plant.Transplant in spring or fall. Dig planting holes with a row spacing of 2 m and a plant spacing of 0.4 m; each hole should be 0.5–0.7 m in diameter. Apply well-rotted manure to the bottom of the hole, cover with a thin layer of soil, plant the sapling, and backfill with topsoil. Gently lift the plant upward to spread the roots, then fill with more soil, compact it, and water thoroughly.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Diseases include mulberry wilt, mulberry blight, mulberry brown spot, and mulberry root-knot nematode disease.
2. Pests include the mulberry moth, mulberry leaf beetle, mulberry weevil, mulberry mealybug, mulberry longhorn beetle, mulberry thrips, and mulberry leaf mite.