Black Wood Ear is a name for a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the fruiting body of Auricularia auricula (L. ex Hook.) Underw., a plant in the Auriculariaceae family. It has the effects of tonifying qi and blood, moistening the lungs and nourishing yin, cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, lowering blood pressure, and fighting cancer.It is primarily used to treat blood deficiency and qi deficiency, limb spasms, cough due to lung deficiency, hemoptysis, hematemesis, epistaxis, postpartum weakness, excessive leukorrhea, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, bloody dysentery, hemorrhoids with bleeding, constipation, and trauma.
Black Wood Ear
Black Wood Ear is a name for a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the fruiting body of Auricularia auricula (L. ex Hook.) Underw., a plant in the Auriculariaceae family. It has the effects of tonifying qi and blood, moistening the lungs and nourishing yin, cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, lowering blood pressure, and fighting cancer.It is primarily used to treat blood deficiency and qi deficiency, limb spasms, cough due to lung deficiency, hemoptysis, hematemesis, epistaxis, postpartum weakness, excessive leukorrhea, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, bloody dysentery, hemorrhoids with bleeding, constipation, and trauma.
Chinese Name : 黑木耳
Aliases : Tree Chicken, Wood Machine, Wood Ear
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Stomach, Liver, and Large Intestine meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Tonifies qi and blood; moistens the lungs and nourishes yin; cools the blood and stops bleeding; lowers blood pressure; and has anticancer properties.
Indications
Blood deficiency and qi deficiency; limb twitching; lung deficiency cough; hemoptysis; hematemesis; epistaxis; postpartum weakness; excessive vaginal discharge; metrorrhagia; bloody diarrhea; bleeding from hemorrhoids; constipation; and trauma.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: 6–30 g, decocted; or ground into powder and taken orally. External use: as needed.
Precautions
1. Avoid consuming while taking vitamin supplements. Black fungus contains various vitamins that are easily absorbed by the human body; consuming it while taking vitamins may lead to drug accumulation. Additionally, certain chemical components in black fungus can degrade synthetic vitamins; therefore, it should not be consumed while taking vitamin supplements. 2. Avoid consuming black wood ear mushrooms while taking tetracycline-class antibiotics, erythromycin, metronidazole, or cimetidine. The calcium in black wood ear mushrooms can form a stable compound with these medications, reducing both their nutritional value and antibacterial efficacy to varying degrees; furthermore, the calcium and magnesium ions in black wood ear mushrooms can bind with drugs such as erythromycin, delaying or reducing their absorption. 3. Do not soak black fungus in hot water. Black fungus is a type of fungus that contains a large amount of moisture when harvested; after drying, it becomes grass-like in texture. Soaking it in cold water allows moisture to penetrate slowly, restoring it to the translucent state it had during its growth phase. Black fungus prepared this way yields a larger volume, is crisp and tender, has a refreshing taste, and is easier to store.If soaked in hot water, the yield is reduced by about one-third compared to soaking in cold water, and the texture becomes soft and sticky, making it unsuitable for storage. 4. Fresh black wood ear mushrooms should not be consumed. They contain a photosensitive substance called porphyrin; after consumption, exposure of the body to sunlight can cause photodermatitis, resulting in itching, swelling, pain, and even necrosis. In rare severe cases, swelling of the throat may lead to breathing difficulties. However, this toxicity disappears once the mushrooms are dried. 5. Those with spleen deficiency, indigestion, or loose stools should avoid eating black wood ear mushrooms. Individuals allergic to black wood ear mushrooms or similar fungi should also exercise caution. People with conditions that increase the risk of bleeding, such as thrombocytopenia, should eat black wood ear mushrooms sparingly or avoid them altogether, as they may exacerbate bleeding tendencies. 6. Soak only the appropriate amount. If you soak too much, refrigerate it for 24 hours. After 24 hours, discard it regardless of whether it has spoiled.
Chemical Constituents
Black fungus is rich in protein, iron, calcium, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Its protein content is comparable to that of meat; its iron content is 10 times higher than that of meat; its calcium content is 20 times that of meat; and its vitamin B content is more than 10 times that of ordinary vegetables. It is highly beneficial for patients with obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperglycemia.
Pharmacological Actions
This product can lower blood cholesterol levels, inhibit platelet aggregation, and help prevent and treat atherosclerosis; it can increase the phagocytic index and percentage of macrophages in mice, counteracting the decrease in white blood cells caused by anticancer chemotherapy drugs; it can improve the survival rate of animals exposed to cobalt-60 radiation and has been proven to have radioprotective effects; it can also promote protein biosynthesis in mouse serum.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. Hemoptysis, bloody stools, bleeding from hemorrhoids, or excessive menstrual bleeding in women: Soak 15–30 g of wood ear mushrooms in water, rinse thoroughly, boil until tender, then add an appropriate amount of white sugar and consume.
2. For women with excessive uterine bleeding or blood stasis: Take 60 g of black fungus and stir-fry until smoke appears; add 10 g of charred human hair and grind both into a fine powder. Take 6–10 g at a time, washed down with warm water or light vinegar.
3. Hemorrhage in the fundus of the eye due to hypertension: 30 g of black wood ear mushrooms, 20 red dates, 100 g of rice, and 150 g of rock sugar; cook together into congee.
4. Anemia and general weakness in women: 25 g of black wood ear mushrooms, 15 g of longan, 15 red dates, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Simmer over low heat until tender, then consume.
5. To calm the mind, lower blood pressure, reduce platelet aggregation, and prevent blood clots: 250g of rehydrated black fungus, 100g of rehydrated kelp, 1 clove of garlic, and seasonings to taste.
6. To reduce blood clotting, prevent blood clots, and combat aging and cancer: 1 pork front trotter (approx. 500g), 25g of rehydrated black fungus, and seasonings to taste.
Medicinal Diet Therapy
1. Red Date and Black Fungus Soup: Wash and soak 20g of black fungus until softened, place it in a bowl, add an appropriate amount of water, 20 red dates, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Steam in a steamer for 1 hour. Used for anemia and spleen-stomach deficiency.
2. Cold Black Fungus Salad: Wash and soak 30g of black fungus until softened, blanch in boiling water until tender, then tear into pieces;then wash and julienne a small amount of cucumber and carrot, place them in a bowl, add the wood ear mushrooms, chicken bouillon to taste, salt, and vinegar, and toss to combine. Used for constipation, obesity, and anemia.
3. Black Wood Ear Mushroom Porridge: Wash and soak 30g of black wood ear mushrooms and 50g of rice until softened, place them in a pot, add water, and cook into porridge. Once the porridge is done, add rock sugar to taste.Used for spleen and stomach deficiency, constipation, and anemia.
4. Black Wood Ear Mushrooms with Chinese Yam: Wash and soak 30g of black wood ear mushrooms until rehydrated; wash and peel 30g of Chinese yam, cut into chunks, coat with a layer of starch, and deep-fry in oil; in a wok, sauté shredded scallions and minced garlic, then add the black wood ear mushrooms and Chinese yam, season with salt, and serve. Used for spleen deficiency and anemia.
5. Black Fungus and Pork Tail Soup: Wash and soak 30g of black fungus until rehydrated; wash 10g of raw rehmannia root; blanch 100g of pork tail in boiling water. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, bring to a boil over high heat with water, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 hours. Used to treat anemia.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvested in summer and fall, then sun-dried.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
The fruiting body consists of irregular chunks or slices, often shriveled and varying in size. The surface is dark brown or purplish-brown with sparse, very short hairs, while the hymenium is lighter in color. When soaked in water, it swells to resemble an ear, approximately 2 mm thick, brownish-black, soft and moist, slightly translucent, and coated with a slippery mucus. It has a faintly fragrant aroma and a mild taste.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
Edible fungi of the Auricularia genus have gelatinous fruiting bodies that are disc-shaped or irregular in form, with diameters ranging from 3 to 12 cm. Black wood ear fruiting bodies grow in clusters, often overlapping in a roof-tile pattern; they are ear-shaped or leaf-like, with wavy, thin margins, 2–6 cm wide (up to 12 cm for the largest specimens), and approximately 2 mm thick. They are attached to the substrate by short lateral stalks or narrow, slender bases.Initially soft and gelatinous, they are sticky and elastic; later, they become slightly cartilaginous. When dried, they shrink significantly, turning black, hard, and brittle, with a texture ranging from horny to nearly leathery.The underside is arched, purplish-brown to dark bluish-gray, sparsely covered with short villi. The villi are brown at the base, tapering upward, with nearly colorless tips, measuring (115–135) μm × (5–6) μm.The inner surface is concave, smooth or with slight reticulate wrinkles, and ranges in color from blackish-brown to brown. The flesh consists of hyphae with clamp connections, 2–3.5 μm in diameter. The hymenium is located on the inner surface and consists of basidia, basidiospores, and paraphyses.Bores are 60–70 μm long and approximately 6 μm thick, with distinct cross-walls. Spores are reniform, colorless, (9–15) μm × (4–7) μm; conidia are nearly spherical to ovoid, (11–15) μm × (4–7) μm, colorless, and often occur on the surface of the hymenium.
Distribution Area
It is distributed in Sichuan, Fujian, Jiangsu, and other regions.