Perilla seeds are a commonly used herbal remedy for relieving coughs and alleviating wheezing. They are the dried, mature fruits of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. arguta (Benth.) Hand.-Mazz. and wild perilla (P. frutescens (L.) Britt. var. purpurascens (Hayata) H.W.Li), both belonging to the genus Perilla in the Lamiaceae family.It has the effects of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, relieving cough and asthma, and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements. It is primarily used to treat phlegm-induced qi reversal, cough and wheezing, and constipation due to intestinal dryness.
Perilla Seeds
Perilla seeds are a commonly used herbal remedy for relieving coughs and alleviating wheezing. They are the dried, mature fruits of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. arguta (Benth.) Hand.-Mazz. and wild perilla (P. frutescens (L.) Britt. var. purpurascens (Hayata) H.W.Li), both belonging to the genus Perilla in the Lamiaceae family.It has the effects of regulating qi and resolving phlegm, relieving cough and asthma, and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements. It is primarily used to treat phlegm-induced qi reversal, cough and wheezing, and constipation due to intestinal dryness.
Chinese Name : 紫苏子
Latin Name : Perillae Fructus
Aliases : Perilla Seeds, Black Perilla Seeds, Iron Perilla Seeds, Renzi
Authentic Producing Area : Traditionally, Hubei is considered the primary production area for perilla.
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Pungent in taste, warm in nature; enters the Lung Meridian
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
This product has the effects of descending qi and resolving phlegm, relieving cough and calming wheezing, and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements.
Indications
It is primarily used for phlegm-obstruction with qi reversal, coughing and wheezing, and intestinal dryness with constipation.
Usage and Dosage
Decoct and take 3–10 g.
Precautions
Avoid eating carp while taking this medicine.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains fatty acids, such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid; phenolic acids, such as rosmarinic acid; and other components. In addition, it contains amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements.
Pharmacological Actions
This herb has expectorant, antitussive, bronchodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Collected Annotations to the Classic of Materia Medica*: Perilla seeds primarily descend qi; they are best used in combination with tangerine peel for treatment.
2. *Commentary on the Classic of Materia Medica*: Combined with Alpinia officinarum and Guangpi pills, it treats rheumatic beriberi; combined with japonica rice, it treats shortness of breath and coughing with counterflow.
3. *Compatible Herbs*: Combined with Sichuan fritillary bulb, it descends qi and stops coughing; combined with radish seeds and white mulberry bark, it treats diabetes with polyuria.
4. *A Synthesis of Chinese and Western Medicine*: When Perilla seeds are used with ginseng, they can also descend counterflowing qi caused by deficiency.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. It is particularly suitable for treating coughing, shortness of breath, excessive phlegm that is difficult to expectorate, and fullness and oppression in the chest and diaphragm—symptoms so severe that the patient cannot lie flat. It may be used in combination with Xianhu, Banxia, Chenpi, and Houpo, as in the Perilla Seed Qi-Descending Decoction from the *Bureau Formulas*.
2. For the elderly with spleen deficiency leading to impaired digestion, food stagnation mixed with phlegm, coughing and wheezing with copious phlegm, fullness and distension in the chest and epigastrium, and undigested food, it is often combined with White Mustard Seed and Radish Seed to transform food and resolve phlegm, as in the “Three Seeds Nourish Parents Decoction.”
3. To treat intestinal dryness and constipation, it is often combined with Fire Hemp Seed, Luffa Seed, and Apricot Kernel to enhance its ability to moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements.
Related Compatibility
1. Perilla Seed Combined with Mustard Seed: Perilla seed is pungent and warm in nature with a descending action; it excels at descending lung qi, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough and wheezing. Mustard seed is pungent and warm with a dispersing action; it is effective at warming the lungs, resolving phlegm, promoting qi circulation, and dispersing nodules.When used together, one disperses and the other descends, jointly achieving the effects of warming the lungs, dispelling cold, descending qi, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, and alleviating wheezing. This combination is suitable for cases of cold phlegm obstructing the lungs, characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and copious, difficult-to-expectorate phlegm.
2. Perilla Seed Combined with Radish Seed: Perilla Seed is pungent, warm, and descending in nature, excelling at descending lung qi and transforming phlegm and saliva; Radish Seed is pungent and dispersing, capable of both aiding digestion and resolving food stagnation, as well as descending qi and transforming phlegm. When used together, these two herbs enhance the effect of descending qi and transforming phlegm. This combination is suitable for cases of profuse phlegm obstructing the lungs, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and thick, viscous phlegm.
3. Perilla Seed Combined with Cornflower Seed: Perilla seed is pungent, warm, and descending in nature, excelling at descending lung qi and resolving phlegm and saliva; cornflower seed is bitter, pungent, and extremely cold, specifically draining water retention and phlegm-fire from the lungs to relieve wheezing and cough. When combined, these two herbs enhance the ability to descend qi, resolve phlegm, and relieve wheezing. This combination is suitable for cases of lung-heat cough characterized by copious yellow phlegm, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
4. Perilla Seed Combined with Cinnamon Bark: Perilla Seed is pungent, warm, and descending in nature, excelling at descending lung qi and resolving phlegm; Cinnamon Bark is pungent, sweet, and extremely hot, capable of tonifying fire, assisting yang, dispelling cold, and relieving pain. When combined, these two herbs—one acting upward and the other downward—work together to warm the kidneys, descend lung qi, and resolve phlegm. This combination is used for chronic cough with phlegm and wheezing characterized by excess in the upper burner and deficiency in the lower burner.
5. Perilla Seed Combined with Dried Tangerine Peel: Both are pungent and warm herbs that eliminate phlegm and regulate qi. Perilla Seed is moist in nature and is notably effective at descending lung qi, stopping cough, and relieving wheezing; Dried Tangerine Peel is dry in nature and is highly effective at regulating qi and resolving phlegm, while also strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. When used together, they not only descend lung qi and resolve phlegm but also regulate the middle burner and harmonize the stomach. This combination is used to treat conditions characterized by excessive phlegm, coughing and wheezing, and a sensation of fullness and oppression in the chest and diaphragm.
6. Perilla Seeds Combined with Purple Aster: Perilla seeds eliminate phlegm, relieve coughs, and alleviate wheezing, while also dispelling stagnation and promoting diaphragmatic function; Purple aster moistens the lungs, descends qi, transforms phlegm, and relieves coughs. Perilla seeds excel at descending qi, while purple aster excels at moistening the lungs. When used together, they moisten the lungs and descend qi, making them suitable for chronic coughs and wheezing accompanied by difficult expectoration and chest and diaphragmatic fullness and oppression.
7. Perilla Seed Combined with Fire Hemp Seed: Perilla Seed has the function of descending Qi and moistening; Fire Hemp Seed specializes in moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. When combined, they descend Qi and moisten the intestines, and are used for conditions where lung Qi fails to descend and viscera Qi is stagnant, resulting in dry, hard stools and difficult, obstructed bowel movements.
Medicinal Identification
1. Perilla Seed and Bitter Apricot Kernel: Both can descend qi, relieve coughing and wheezing, and moisten the intestines to promote bowel movements; they are used for coughing and wheezing caused by upward-reversing lung qi, as well as intestinal dryness leading to constipation. However, Bitter Apricot Kernel also disperses the lungs and relieves wheezing; when combined, it can be used for coughing and wheezing caused by various factors. Perilla Seed, on the other hand, also has the function of resolving phlegm and excels at descending qi; it is particularly effective for treating coughing and wheezing caused by cold or damp phlegm obstructing the lungs and upward-reversing lung qi.
2. Perilla Seeds, Perilla Leaves, and Perilla Stems: These three herbs share the same source but differ in the parts used and their therapeutic functions.Specifically: Perilla leaves are pungent and warm in nature, promoting dispersion; they excel at releasing the exterior and dispelling cold, and can also regulate qi and relieve epigastric distension. Clinically, they are often used for exterior syndromes caused by wind-cold, particularly those accompanied by chest tightness, nausea, or cough. They are also effective for conditions involving spleen-stomach qi stagnation, chest tightness, and vomiting;Additionally, it can neutralize the toxicity of fish and crabs and is used to treat abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea caused by consuming them. Perilla Stems are pungent, sweet, and slightly warm; while their ability to release the exterior is limited, they excel at regulating qi, relieving epigastric fullness, alleviating pain, and stabilizing the fetus. They are suitable for conditions such as epigastric fullness and oppression, epigastric pain, belching and vomiting, and fetal restlessness.Perilla seeds are pungent, warm, and descending in nature. They function to descend qi, transform phlegm, relieve cough, and alleviate wheezing, and are commonly used for cough and wheezing caused by phlegm obstruction and qi reversal. Furthermore, because of their moisturizing nature and entry into the Large Intestine, they have the effect of moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, and can also be used for constipation due to intestinal dryness.
3. Perilla Seed and Radish Seed: Both possess the ability to descend qi and transform phlegm, treating conditions characterized by cough, wheezing, and excessive phlegm. However, Perilla Seed has a descending, slippery, and lubricating nature; it is rich in oils and can moisten dryness and lubricate the intestines, making it particularly effective for treating constipation due to intestinal dryness. Radish Seed has a pungent taste and dispersing action; it excels at aiding digestion and relieving distension, and is often used for food stagnation and qi stagnation.
Related Medicines
Perilla Seed Qi-Descending Pills, Pediatric Cough-Relief Pills, Cough-Relief Tablets, Phlegm-and-Fluid Retention Pills, and Cough-and-Wheezing-Relief Pills.
Related Prescriptions
Perilla Seed Decoction for Regulating Qi (from *Formulas of the Bureau of Medicinal Preparations*), Perilla Seed Decoction (from *Secret Essentials from Beyond the Palace*, citing the ancient *Record of Current Treatments and Verified Efficacy*), Perilla Seed Decoction (from *Secret Essentials from Beyond the Palace*, citing *Formulas of Master Shen*), Hemp Seed and Perilla Seed Porridge (from *Formulas for Universal Relief*), Perilla Seed Decoction (from *New Compilation of Verified Formulas*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
1. 10 grams each of Perilla seeds, sweet almonds, and radish seeds; 100 grams of rice; and xylitol to taste. Decoct the first three ingredients in water to extract the liquid, then add the rice and cook into porridge. Season with xylitol to taste. Take one dose daily, divided into two servings. This formula warms the body, dispels fluid retention, descends qi, and relieves wheezing. It is suitable for cold-type asthma accompanied by gastrointestinal dysfunction and constipation.
2. 15 grams of perilla seeds, 6 grams each of dried ginger and fried licorice, 100 grams of glutinous rice, and an appropriate amount of white sugar. Decoct the first three ingredients in water to extract the liquid, then add the glutinous rice and cook into porridge. Season with white sugar to taste. Take one dose daily, divided into two servings. This formula helps resolve phlegm, descend qi, clear the lungs, and relieve wheezing. It is suitable for patients with cold-type asthma accompanied by excessive phlegm and chest tightness.
3. 100 grams of Perilla seeds, 250 grams each of fresh ginger, condensed milk, and honey, and 1,000 grams of pitted pear chunks.Finely chop the ginger and duck pears, then strain the juice through clean cheesecloth and set aside; decoct the Perilla seeds twice, combine the decoctions, and simmer with the pear juice over low heat until it reaches a paste-like consistency. Add the ginger juice, condensed milk, and honey, stir until well blended, continue heating until it boils, remove from heat, allow to cool, and store for future use.Take 50 grams twice daily, mixed with plain boiled water; use one dose every 3 days. This formula helps descend qi, resolve phlegm, tonify the kidneys, and relieve wheezing. It is suitable for patients with asthma accompanied by abdominal distension, poor appetite, and cough with excessive phlegm.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and issue a prescription.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest when the fruits ripen in the fall and sun-dry them.
Processing Methods
1. Perilla Seeds: Take the raw herbal material, remove impurities, and wash thoroughly. Dry.
2. Roasted Perilla Seeds: Place the cleaned perilla seeds in a pan and roast over low heat until they crackle and release a fragrant aroma. Remove and set aside to cool.
3. Honey-coated Perilla Seeds: Dilute refined honey with an appropriate amount of boiling water, then add the cleaned Perilla seeds and mix thoroughly. Let stand until thoroughly infused, then place in a pan and stir-fry over low heat until deep brown and no longer sticky to the touch. Remove and let cool. Use 10 kg of refined honey for every 100 kg of Perilla seeds.
4. Perilla Seed Powder: Roast the cleaned perilla seeds until they crackle, then remove and crush them. Wrap in a clean cloth or oil-absorbing paper and press to remove the oil until it is nearly all gone. Crumble the seeds by hand into a powder, then grind them to a fine consistency.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container: keep honey-roasted perilla seeds in an airtight container and place in a cool, dry place to prevent insect infestation and moisture; store perilla seed powder in a lime jar to prevent insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
1. The powder of this product is grayish-brown. In cross-section, the epidermal cells of the seed coat are extremely flat and possess hook-shaped thickened walls; when viewed from the surface, they appear subelliptical, with walls featuring dense, carved, hook-like thickening. The cells of the outer endosperm are yellowish-brown; in cross-section, they are flat with papillate outer walls; when viewed from the surface, they appear subcircular, with slightly curved walls and a surface bearing fine, horny striations.In cross-section, the endocarp tissue consists primarily of irregularly shaped heteromorphic stone cells; in apical view, they appear polygonal with indistinct intercellular boundaries and star-shaped cell cavities. Endosperm cells vary in size and contain fat oil droplets; some contain minute calcium oxalate crystals. Cotyledon cells are oblong and filled with fat oil droplets.
2. Take 1 g of the powdered sample, add 25 mL of methanol, subject to ultrasonic treatment for 30 minutes, filter, evaporate the filtrate to dryness, and dissolve the residue in 1 mL of methanol to prepare the test solution.Separately, take 1 g of Perilla frutescens seed reference material and prepare a reference solution using the same method. Perform thin-layer chromatography (General Chapter 0502): pipette 2 μL of each of the two solutions and apply them separately onto the same silica gel G plate. Develop with a mobile phase of n-hexane–toluene-ethyl acetate-formic acid (2:5:2.5:0.5) as the developing agent, develop the plate, remove it, air-dry, spray with aluminum trichloride solution, and examine under ultraviolet light (365 nm). In the test solution chromatogram, spots of the same color appear at positions corresponding to those in the reference herbal material chromatogram.
Properties of Crude Drugs
1. Perilla Seeds: Small, nut-like, ovoid or subglobose. Diameter 0.6–2 mm. Surface grayish-brown or grayish-brown, with slightly raised dark purple reticulate patterns; base slightly pointed, with grayish-white punctate scars from the fruit stalk. Pericarp thin and brittle. Easily crushed. Seeds yellowish-white, with a membranous seed coat. Two cotyledons, off-white, rich in oil.When crushed, they emit a fragrant aroma and have a slightly pungent taste.
2. Wild Perilla Seeds: Slightly smaller, 0.6–1.5 mm in diameter, with a few reaching 2 mm. The surface is brown or grayish-brown; the outer layer often peels off, revealing a pale yellow layer of stone cells.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Perilla Seeds: See “Characteristics of the Medicinal Material.”
2. Roasted Perilla Seeds: Resemble Perilla Seeds in shape; grayish-brown in color with fine cracks on the surface; possess a roasted aroma.
3. Honey-coated Perilla Seeds: Deep brown in color with fine cracks on the surface; possess a honey-like aroma and a slightly sweet taste.
4. Perilla Seed Powder: A grayish-white coarse powder with a faintly fragrant aroma.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Perilla frutescens and Perilla erubescens, plants of the genus Perilla in the Lamiaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
1. Perilla: An annual herb, 30–200 cm tall. Possesses a distinctive aroma. The stem is erect, highly branched, purple, purplish-green, or green, bluntly quadrangular, and densely covered with long soft hairs. Leaves are opposite; petioles are 3–5 cm long, purplish-red or green, and covered with long, jointed hairs;leaf blades are broadly ovate, ovate-orbicular, or ovate-triangular, 4–13 cm long and 2.5–10 cm wide, with an acuminate or abruptly pointed apex, sometimes with a short tail-like extension; the base is rounded or broadly cuneate; the margins are coarsely serrate, sometimes with deep serrations or shallow lobes; both surfaces are purple or purple only on the underside; both surfaces are sparsely pubescent, with denser pubescence along the veins;the underside of the leaf bears fine oil glandular dots; lateral veins 7–8 pairs, those in the lower part slightly closer together, ascending obliquely. Inflorescences are verticillate, consisting of 2 flowers arranged asymmetrically on one side to form a pseudoraceme, terminal and axillary. Inflorescences are densely covered with long soft hairs; bracts are ovate, ovate-triangular, or lanceolate, entire, ciliate, with glandular dots on the outer surface, and membranous margins;flower pedicels 1–1.5 mm long, densely pubescent; calyx campanulate, ca. 3 mm long, 10-veined, densely covered with long soft hairs and yellow glandular dots on the lower part of the outer surface, 5-lobed at the apex, 2-lipped, the upper lip broad with 3 lobes, the lower lip with 2 lobes, enlarging at fruiting, the base saccate; corolla labiate, 3–4 mm long.White or purplish red; the corolla tube bears a ring of hairs inside and is pubescent on the outside; the upper lip is slightly concave; the lower lip is 3-lobed, with nearly circular lobes, the middle lobe being larger; 4 stamens, diadelphous, attached to the middle of the corolla tube, almost not protruding beyond the corolla; anthers 2-celled; the disk is swollen at the front; 1 pistil, ovary 4-lobed, style attached at the base, stigma 2-lobed.The nutlets are nearly spherical, grayish-brown or brown, 1–1.3 in diameter, reticulate, with a calyx approximately 10 mm long. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting occurs from July to September.
2. Wild Perilla: This variety differs from Perilla frutescens in that the calyx is small, 4–5.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent on the underside, and bears glandular dots;the stems are covered with short soft hairs; the leaves are smaller, ovate, 4.5–7.5 cm long and 2.8–5 cm wide, with sparse soft hairs on both surfaces. The nutlets are smaller, earthy yellow, and 1–1.5 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to August, and fruiting from July to September.
Distribution Area
1. Perilla: Widely cultivated throughout China. 2. Wild Perilla: Distributed in East China, South China, Southwest China, as well as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Taiwan.
Growth Habits
It prefers a warm, humid climate and grows vigorously with high yields in full sun. It is best cultivated in loose, fertile loam with good drainage and irrigation.
Propagation Methods
Propagated by seed.
Cultivation Techniques
When selecting seeds, choose those with leaves that are purple on both sides. For direct seeding, sow in mid- to late April in the north and late March in the south. Both row seeding and hole seeding are acceptable.For row sowing, space rows 50 cm apart and make shallow furrows 0.5–1 cm deep; for hole sowing, space rows and plants at 30 cm × 50 cm. For seedling transplantation, sow seeds in March in the south and April in the north, and transplant in early May. During the growing season, thin out and replant as needed, leaving 2–3 seedlings per hole. Cultivate the soil to control weeds and apply fertilizer 2–3 times; water during droughts and drain excess water during the rainy season.
Pest and Disease Control
Diseases include leaf spot and rust. Control leaf spot with 70% zinc mancozeb suspension concentrate; control rust with a 1,000-fold dilution of 25% triazole. Pests include the silver-striped night moth, which can be controlled with a 100-fold dilution of 90% crystal diazinon.