Du Huo is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the dried root of Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan, a plant belonging to the genus Angelica in the family Apiaceae. This herb has the therapeutic effects of dispelling wind and dampness, as well as relieving arthralgia and pain. It is primarily used to treat arthralgia caused by wind, cold, and dampness; pain in the lower back and knees; headaches caused by latent wind in the Shao Yin channel; and headaches caused by wind and cold combined with dampness.
Du Huo
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Du Huo is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the dried root of Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan, a plant belonging to the genus Angelica in the family Apiaceae. This herb has the therapeutic effects of dispelling wind and dampness, as well as relieving arthralgia and pain. It is primarily used to treat arthralgia caused by wind, cold, and dampness; pain in the lower back and knees; headaches caused by latent wind in the Shao Yin channel; and headaches caused by wind and cold combined with dampness.
Chinese Name : 独活
Latin Name : Angelicae Pubescentis Radix
Aliases : Hu Wang Messenger, Du Yao Cao, Du Hua, Changsheng Cao, Chuan Duhuo, Rou Duhuo, Ziqiu Duhuo, Badong Duhuo, Xiang Duhuo, Ji Duhuo, Da Huo, Shan Da Huo, Yu Huo
Authentic Producing Area : Sichuan, Hubei, Gansu
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : It has a slightly warm nature, a pungent and bitter taste, and enters the Kidney and Bladder meridians.
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind and dampness; relieves stiffness and alleviates pain.
Indications
It is primarily used for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, pain in the lower back and knees, headaches caused by hidden wind in the Shao Yin channel, and headaches caused by wind-cold combined with dampness.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct 3–10 g; or steep in wine; or incorporate into pills or powders. 2. External use: Decoct and use as a wash.
Precautions
If taken in excessive amounts, it may irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of poisoning may include numbness of the tongue, nausea, vomiting, and stomach discomfort. In mild cases, these symptoms may resolve after discontinuing the medication; in severe cases, symptomatic treatment should be administered.
Chemical Constituents
Contraindications for Combining Traditional Chinese and Western Medicines: Duhuo and atropine should not be used together, as atropine can partially or completely inhibit the blood pressure-lowering effect of Duhuo.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has certain anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiarrhythmic, anti-aging, antiplatelet, and antithrombotic effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Supplement to the Record of Famous Physicians*: “Treats all types of wind disorders and gout in the joints, regardless of whether the condition is chronic or acute.”
2. *Treatise on the Properties of Medicinal Substances*: “Primarily treats various wind-damp-cold conditions, shortness of breath and reverse qi, itching of the skin and muscles, pain in the hands and feet, and overwork-induced exhaustion; also treats wind-toxin-induced toothache.”
3. *The Meaning of Medicinal Substances*: “Duhuo can open and unblock the meridians from the crown of the head to the knees, thereby dispelling latent wind in the Kidney meridian. For any stiffness in the neck and shoulders, pain in the buttocks and legs, or weakness and numbness in both feet that prevents movement, nothing else can be as effective as this herb. It treats wind; since wind overcomes dampness, it specializes in dispelling dampness. For conditions such as soreness and heaviness in the lower back, cramping and atrophy of the limbs, and yellowish lumps in the muscles, it is considered an excellent remedy. Furthermore, when used to assist blood-nourishing herbs, it invigorates blood circulation and relaxes the tendons with remarkable efficacy.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For treating wind-cold-damp bi syndrome caused by exposure to wind, cold, and dampness, characterized by pain in the muscles, lower back, and limbs; it is often used in combination with Danggui, Baizhu, and Niuxi, as in the Duhuo Decoction (from *New Book on the Care of Infants and Children*).
2. For chronic bi syndrome with deficiency of the vital energy, characterized by soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, and stiffness in joint flexion and extension, it is combined with Sangjisheng, Duzhong, and Ren Shen, as in the Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (from *Qianjin Fang*).
3. To treat headaches, heaviness in the head, and generalized body pain caused by an exogenous invasion of wind-cold accompanied by dampness; it is often combined with Qianghuo, Gaoben, and Fangfeng, as in the Qianghuo Shengshi Decoction (from *Discussions on Distinguishing Confusions in Internal and External Injuries*).
4. To treat Shaoyin-type headaches caused by wind disturbing the Kidney meridian, where the condition is latent and not yet manifested; it is combined with Xixin and Chuanxiong, as in the Duhuo Xixin Decoction (from *Etiology, Pulse, and Treatment*).
Related Compatibility
1. Duhuo Combined with Ma Huang: Duhuo dispels wind, overcomes dampness, and relieves pain; Ma Huang releases the exterior and induces sweating. When combined, they work to dispel wind, release the exterior, eliminate dampness, and relieve pain. This combination is suitable for external invasion by wind-cold, characterized by a solid exterior without sweating and body pain. Duhuo unblocks the meridians and alleviates bi syndrome, while Ma Huang disperses bi syndrome, dispels cold, and relieves pain, making this combination suitable for pain associated with bi syndrome.
2. Duhuo Combined with Fangfeng: Duhuo is pungent and aromatic, with a penetrating action; it can eliminate latent wind, overcome dampness, unblock the meridians, and relieve pain; Fangfeng ascends and disperses, excelling at opening the skin pores, unblocking the blood vessels, and dispelling wind-dampness. Duhuo excels at overcoming dampness, while Fangfeng excels at dispelling wind. When used together, these two herbs complement each other, yielding remarkable therapeutic effects. This combination is suitable for headaches, low back pain, joint pain, and other conditions caused by external invasion of wind-dampness.
3. Duhuo Combined with Qianghuo: Qianghuo acts on the Upper Jiao to regulate the upper part of the body; it excels at dispelling wind-cold, ascending directly to the crown of the head, and traveling laterally through the limbs and arms. Duhuo acts on the Lower Jiao to regulate the lower part of the body; it excels at dispelling wind-dampness, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, alleviating discomfort in the lower back and knees, and descending to the legs and feet. When combined, these two herbs—one acting above and one below—directly penetrate the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian, jointly achieving the effects of dispelling wind and cold, invigorating the meridians, and relieving pain. Indicated for rheumatic arthralgia, exogenous wind-cold, and polyarthritis.
4. Du Huo Combined with Xi Xin: Du Huo dispels latent wind in the Kidney Meridian and eliminates dampness, unblocking the meridians to relieve pain and regulating the Qi level; Xi Xin disperses wind-cold in the Kidney Meridian and directs it outward. When combined, these two herbs have the effects of dispelling cold, eliminating dampness, unblocking arthralgia, and relieving pain. Indicated for headaches caused by external wind-cold pathogens latent in the Shao Yin channel—characterized by pain extending to the teeth and cheeks, worsening when exposed to wind, and being stubborn and persistent; as well as for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome causing low back pain, stiffness and coldness in the spine, and bi pain in the lower limbs.
5. Duhuo Combined with Gaoben: Both herbs have the effects of dispelling wind and cold, eliminating dampness, and relieving pain. However, Duhuo tends to warm and disperse latent wind, while Gaoben tends to ascend and disperse to the crown of the head; when combined, they are more effective at dispelling wind and cold, as well as eliminating dampness and relieving pain. This combination is suitable for headaches and pain at the crown of the head caused by wind, cold, and dampness pathogens.
6. Duhuo combined with Cangzhu: Both herbs have the effects of dispelling wind, overcoming dampness, and relieving arthralgia. Duhuo excels at dispelling latent wind, unblocking the meridians, and relieving bi pain; Cangzhu excels at opening the pores, eliminating dampness and turbidity, and drying spleen dampness. When combined, these two herbs induce sweating to dispel wind, eliminate dampness, and relieve pain. This combination is suitable for headaches, body aches, and bi syndrome—including joint swelling and pain—caused by external invasion of wind-dampness.
7. Duhuo combined with Mulberry Twig (Sangzhi): Duhuo dispels cold, relieves pain, and alleviates bi syndrome; Mulberry Twig dispels wind-dampness, unblocks the meridians, and travels horizontally through the limbs. When used together, this combination is suitable for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, upper limb pain, and periarthritis of the shoulder, among other conditions.
8. Duhuo combined with Mulberry Parasite (Sangjisheng): Duhuo seeks out wind, dispels dampness, and alleviates bi syndrome, and is particularly effective at eliminating latent wind in the Kidney meridian; Mulberry Parasite tonifies the liver and kidneys, dispels wind and unblocks the meridians, nourishes the blood, and moistens the tendons. When used together, these two herbs dispel wind and dampness, relieve bi syndrome and alleviate pain, and enter the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian to tonify the kidneys and strengthen the tendons and bones. This combination is indicated for soreness and pain in the lower back and knees, stiffness in joint flexion and extension, weakness and numbness in the feet, and difficulty walking—conditions resulting from deficiency of the liver and kidneys or from wind-dampness invading the meridians.
Medicinal Identification
Du Huo and Qiang Huo: Both herbs have the properties of dispelling wind, dispersing cold, and eliminating dampness, and are often combined to treat rheumatic arthralgia, as well as headaches and body aches caused by external invasion of wind-cold with dampness. However, Duhuo excels at dispelling wind-dampness; it primarily disperses internal cold and dampness to unblock the joints and relieve pain, and is primarily used to treat wind-cold-damp arthralgia from the waist down and headaches caused by latent Shaoyin wind. Qianghuo has a strong, pungent aroma; it ascends and disperses to release the exterior, excelling at dispelling wind-cold. It primarily disperses wandering wind and cold-dampness at the muscle surface to unblock the joints and relieve pain, and is primarily used to treat wind-cold-damp arthralgia in the upper body and headaches along the Taiyang meridian.
Related Medicines
Duhuosijing Compound, Gujin Pills, Guciping Tablets, Rheumatism Medicinal Wine Mix, and Blood-Activating and Pain-Relieving Plaster.
Related Prescriptions
Du Huo Ji Sheng Decoction (*Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold for Emergency Use*), Jing Fang Bai Du Powder (*A Collection of Wonderful Formulas for Nourishing Life*), San Bi Decoction (*Effective Prescriptions for Women*), and Du Huo Xi Xin Decoction (*Causes, Symptoms, Pulse, and Treatment*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
Two-Bark Duhuo Wine:
1. Benefits: Strengthens the lower back and bones. Primarily treats weakness and pain in the lower back and knees, numbness in the limbs, stiff joints, and difficulty bending or stretching.
2. Ingredients: 30g of Pteris bark, 30g of Acanthopanax bark, 30g of Duhuo, 10g of processed Aconite, 30g of Dendrobium, Cinnamon Bark (Gui Xin) 30g, Fangfeng 30g, Angelica Root (Dang Gui) 30g, Eucommia Bark (Du Zhong) 30g, Epimedium (Xian Ling Pi) 30g, Smilax Rhizome (Bi Xie) 30g, Achyranthes Root (Niu Xi) 30g, Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren) 30g, Raw Rehmannia Root (Sheng Di Huang) 30g, white liquor 1.5L.
3. Preparation: Crush all the above herbs, place them in a white gauze bag, and place the bag in a clean container. Pour in the white liquor, seal the container, and let it steep. Open the container after 7 days in spring and summer, or 14 days in fall and winter. Remove the herb bag, filter the liquid, and bottle it for future use.
4. Usage: Drink 10–20 ml warm, 1–2 times daily.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
For plants grown from seedlings and transplanted, harvest in October–November of the same year; for direct-sown plants, harvest after two years of growth. Dig up the roots, remove withered stems and leaves, shake off the soil, spread them out to air-dry, then stack them on a drying rack. Smoke the rack with firewood; when the branches are about 50 percent dry, straighten each branch, bundle them together, and and continue drying on the heated bed until completely dry.
Processing Methods
1. Du Huo: Take the raw herb, remove impurities and any pieces that have become oily or discolored, sort by size, rinse thoroughly with cold water, moisten thoroughly, slice thinly, and dry in the sun or at a low temperature.
2. Roasted Du Huo: Take the cleaned Du Huo slices, roast them over low heat until slightly charred, then remove and let cool.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a cool, dry place. Protect from mold and moths.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
1. Cross-section of this specimen: Several rows of cork cells. The inner cork layer is narrow and contains a few oil bodies. The phloem is broad, occupying approximately half of the root; it contains numerous oil bodies arranged in several rings, with a tangential diameter of up to 153 μm, surrounded by 6–10 secretory cells. The cambium forms a ring. The xylem rays are 1–2 cell rows wide; vessels are sparse, with a diameter of up to approximately 84 μm, and are usually arranged radially in single files. Parenchyma cells contain starch grains.
2. Take 1 g of the powdered sample, add 10 mL of methanol, subject to ultrasonic treatment for 15 minutes, filter, and use the filtrate as the test solution. Separately, take 1 g of Du Huo reference herbal material and prepare a reference herbal solution using the same method. Next, take reference standards of dihydro-cercetin angelic acid ester and cnidicin, and prepare solutions containing 0.4 mg per mL in methanol, respectively, as reference standard solutions. Perform the test by thin-layer chromatography (General Chapter 0502). Pipette 8 μL each of the test solution and the reference herbal material solution, and 4 μL each of the reference substance solutions, and apply them separately onto the same silica gel G plate. Develop the plate using a mobile phase of petroleum ether (60–90°C) and ethyl acetate (7:3) as the developing agent. Remove the plate, allow it to air-dry, and examine it under ultraviolet light (365 nm). In the test sample chromatogram, fluorescent spots of the same color appear at positions corresponding to those in the reference herbal material and reference substance chromatograms.
Properties of Crude Drugs
The root of this plant is slightly cylindrical, with 2 to 3 branches—or more—at the lower part, and measures 10 to 30 cm in length. The root head is swollen and conical, with numerous transverse wrinkles; it has a diameter of 1.5 to 3 cm, and its apex bears remnants of stems and leaves or a depression. The surface is grayish-brown or brownish-gray, with longitudinal wrinkles, long transverse lenticel-like protrusions, and slightly raised fine root scars. The texture is relatively hard but softens when exposed to moisture; the cross-section shows a grayish-white phloem with numerous scattered brown oil cells, a grayish-yellow to yellowish-brown xylem, and a brown cambium ring. It has a distinctive aroma and tastes bitter, pungent, and slightly numbing on the tongue.
Properties of Processed Slices
This product consists of thin, nearly circular slices. The outer surface is grayish-brown or brownish-gray, with wrinkles. The cross-section shows a grayish-white to grayish-brown phloem with numerous scattered brown oil dots; the xylem is grayish-yellow to yellowish-brown, and the cambium ring is brown. It has a distinctive aroma. The taste is bitter, pungent, and slightly numbing to the tongue.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
A plant of the genus Angelica in the family Apiaceae, known as “Heavy-toothed-haired Angelica.”
Morphological Characteristics
A tall, perennial herb. The roots are cylindrical, brownish-red, up to 15 cm long, 1–2.5 cm in diameter, and have a distinctive aroma. The stem is 1–2 m tall, up to 1.5 cm thick, hollow, often purplish, smooth or with slight shallow longitudinal grooves, and bears short, rough hairs on the upper part. Leaves are twice-ternately pinnately compound, broadly ovate, 20–30 (–40) cm long, and 15–25 cm wide; the petioles of the cauline leaves are up to 30–50 cm long, with the base swollen into a long, tubular, semi-clasping, thick membranous leaf sheath. Spreading, glabrous or slightly pubescent on the underside; ultimate segments membranous, ovate to oblong, 5.5–18 cm long, 3–3.6 cm wide, apex acuminate, base cuneate, margin with irregular sharp or double serrations, with short, inward-curving points at the tips of the teeth; the terminal lobes are usually deeply three-lobed, with the base often extending downward along the leaf axis to form wings; lateral lobes are short-petiolate or sessile, with short soft hairs along the veins and margins on both surfaces; the bracts are reduced to sac-like, swollen leaf sheaths, glabrous, occasionally sparsely covered with short hairs. Compound umbels are terminal and lateral; peduncles are 5–16 (–20) cm long, densely covered with short, rough hairs; the involucral bract is single, long-subulate, ciliate, and early deciduous; rays number 10–25, 1.5–5 cm long, densely covered with short, rough hairs; each umbel bears 17–28 (–36) flowers; minor bracts 5–10, broadly lanceolate, shorter than the pedicel, with a long apex, the back and margins covered with short hairs; flowers white; no calyx teeth; petals obovate, with an indented apex; style base flattened and disc-shaped. Fruit elliptical, 6–8 mm long, 3–5 mm wide; lateral wings as wide as or slightly narrower than the fruit body; dorsal ridge linear and raised; with (1–)2–3 oil tubes between the ridges; 2–4 (–6) oil tubes on the fused surface. Flowering period: August–September; fruiting period: September–October.
Distribution Area
It is distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, and other areas. It has been cultivated in the alpine regions of Sichuan, Hubei, Gansu, and other areas.
Growth Habits
It grows on shady, damp hillsides, in grassy areas under forests, or among sparse shrubs.
Propagation Methods
Propagate by seed, either by raising seedlings and transplanting them or by direct seeding.
Cultivation Techniques
Harvest the fruit clusters in October–November, sun-dry them to remove the seeds, and store them for future use. Seedling cultivation and transplanting: Broadcast the seeds by preparing raised beds 1.3 m wide. Use 60–75 kg of seeds per hectare; mix them with wood ash and manure slurry to create a seed-ash mixture, then broadcast this mixture over the bed surface. Cover lightly with wood ash or humus-rich soil, then cover with straw to keep the soil moist. Once the seedlings have emerged uniformly, remove the straw covering. Transplant either after the seedlings have been hardened off in winter or after the ground thaws in March–April of the following year. Dig holes with row and hole spacings of 33 cm each; plant 1–2 seedlings per hole and firm the soil around them. For winter planting, cover the seedlings with a thick layer of soil; 90,000–150,000 seedlings are required per hectare. For direct seeding, winter sowing should be carried out immediately after seed harvest in October–November; spring sowing should take place in March. Dig holes with a spacing of 33 cm between holes. Use approximately 15 kg of seed per hectare, mix it with wood ash and manure slurry to create a seed-ash mixture, spread it evenly into the holes, and cover with about 2 cm of fine soil. Propagation via root suckers is also possible.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Root rot: This disease is prone to occur during hot and rainy seasons. Drench the affected areas with a 5% lime solution or a 1,000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim.
2. Brown spot disease: Before the onset of the disease and during its early stages, spray with a 1:1:150 Bordeaux mixture or a 1,000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder.
3. Carrot aphids: These occur from May to July. Control measures should be implemented once overwintering eggs have fully hatched or before young leaves begin to curl.
Copyright: Excerpt from Internet, Copyright belongs to the Original Author and all original sources, This article was shared by DeDe on October 22, 2026, Please credit the source and include a link to the original article when reposting.
Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | October 22, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | October 22, 2026
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