Lulutong is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the dried, mature fruit clusters of Liquidambar formosana Hance, a plant of the genus Liquidambar in the Hamamelidaceae family. It is primarily produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Fujian. This product has the therapeutic effects of dispelling wind and activating the meridians, promoting diuresis, and regulating menstruation. It is primarily used to treat joint pain and stiffness, numbness and spasms, edema and distension, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea.
Lulutong
Lulutong is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the dried, mature fruit clusters of Liquidambar formosana Hance, a plant of the genus Liquidambar in the Hamamelidaceae family. It is primarily produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Fujian. This product has the therapeutic effects of dispelling wind and activating the meridians, promoting diuresis, and regulating menstruation. It is primarily used to treat joint pain and stiffness, numbness and spasms, edema and distension, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea.
Chinese Name : 路路通
Latin Name : Liquidambaris Fructus
Aliases : Maple Seed, Maple Fruit, Maple Tree Cones, Liquidambar Fruit, Jiukongzi, Wolf’s Eye, Maple Tree Cones, Maple Cone Seeds
Authentic Producing Area : Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Neutral in nature, bitter in taste; enters the Liver and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind and activates the meridians; promotes diuresis; unblocks the meridians.
Indications
Mainly used for joint pain and stiffness, numbness and spasms, edema and distension, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct and take 5–10 g. 2. External use: Apply as needed.
Precautions
1. Do not use in cases of blood collapse due to deficiency-cold. 2. Contraindicated in cases of menorrhagia.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains 28-nor-quercetone acid, suhoksin, epoxy-suhoksin, iso-epoxy-suhoksin, caryophyllene oxide, betulinic acid, and 24-ethylcholest-5-enol, among others.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Wards off miasma and epidemic diseases, improves eyesight, removes dampness, relieves stiffness and spasms of the tendons and meridians, alleviates generalized arthralgia, and treats pain in the hands, feet, and lower back; burning it and inhaling the smoke cures all these conditions.”
2. *Record of Medicinal Plant Collection in Lingnan*: “Treats pain caused by wandering rheumatism, as well as abscesses, boils, and toxic swellings.”
3. *Flora of Medicinal Plants in Zhejiang*: “Regulates qi and soothes the middle burner; invigorates blood and unblocks meridians; promotes diuresis. Treats stomach pain and abdominal distension, rheumatic arthralgia, breast lumps, blocked lactation, difficulty urinating, irregular menstruation, and urticaria.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. To treat rheumatic arthralgia, numbness, and stiffness, it is often combined with Stretching-Tendon Herb, Loxostigma vine, and Chinese Gentian.
2. To treat stagnation of qi and blood, obstruction of meridians, and hemiplegia following a stroke, it may be used in combination with Astragalus, Chuanxiong, and Safflower.
3. To treat trauma-induced injuries, bruising, swelling, and pain, it is often combined with Peach Kernel (Taoren), Safflower (Honghua), and Sappan Wood (Sumu).
4. To treat edema and abdominal distension, it is frequently used in combination with Poria (Fuling), Polyporus (Zhuling), and Alisma (Zexie).
5. To treat scanty or absent menstruation due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, as well as lower abdominal distension and pain, it is often combined with Chinese Angelica (Danggui), Chuanxiong, and Leonurus Seed (Chongweizi).
6. For treating blocked lactation, breast distension and pain, or insufficient milk production, it is often combined with Pangolin Scale, Wangbuliu, and Green Orange Peel.
7. For treating hives and itching, it can be combined with Groundsel Seed, Tribulus, and Sophora Root, either taken internally or used as a topical wash.
Related Compatibility
1. Lu Lutong Combined with Motherwort: Lu Lutong primarily enters the Liver Meridian and has the effects of soothing the liver, regulating qi, removing blood stasis, and unblocking the menstrual channels; Motherwort, with its bitter, purgative, and pungent, dispersing properties, primarily enters the Blood Division and excels at promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and regulating menstruation, making it an essential herb in gynecology for menstrual and postpartum conditions.When combined, these two herbs can invigorate blood circulation, regulate menstruation, dispel blood stasis, and relieve stagnation. They are suitable for dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, and postpartum abdominal pain due to blood stasis.
2. Lulu Tong Combined with Pangolin Scale: Lulu Tong can unblock the menstrual channels, promote lactation, soothe the liver, and relieve depression; Pangolin Scale has a nature that penetrates deeply, reaching the internal organs and meridians, and can unblock the flow of qi and blood to promote lactation.When combined, these two herbs are even more effective at removing blood stasis, regulating menstruation, and promoting lactation. They are suitable for conditions such as stagnation of qi and blood, blocked lactation, and breast distension and pain. Furthermore, Lulu Tong regulates qi and relieves epigastric fullness, promotes blood circulation and unblocks meridians, and promotes diuresis to reduce swelling; while Pangolin Scale promotes blood circulation and regulates menstruation, directly targeting the site of the condition.Both herbs possess properties that promote free flow; when used together, they enhance the ability to clear stagnation of blood and fluid, and regulate the functions of the viscera, Chong, and Ren meridians. This combination is suitable for infertility caused by disharmony of the Chong and Ren meridians, with obstruction of the fallopian tubes due to a mixture of blood stasis and fluid stagnation; as well as for masses and accumulations, abdominal distension and ascites, and enlargement of the liver and spleen resulting from blood stasis and retention of fluid and dampness.
3. Lulu Tong combined with Poria: Lulu Tong is pungent and dispersing, bitter and descending; it traverses the Twelve Meridians and regulates the body’s qi mechanisms. Poria is sweet and tonifying, bland and diuretic; it drains dampness and promotes diuresis. With a neutral nature and gentle action, it can be used for all types of edema, regardless of whether they are caused by cold, heat, deficiency, or excess. When combined, these two herbs promote diuresis and reduce swelling. This combination is suitable for edema and difficulty urinating.
4. Lulu Tong combined with Shenjincao: Lulu Tong is pungent and dispersing, bitter and drying, excelling at dispelling wind-dampness and unblocking the meridians; Shenjincao is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature, with a moving action that travels without lingering. It dispels wind and dampness, invigorates blood, and unblocks the meridians, and is particularly effective at relaxing tendons and relieving spasms.When combined, these two herbs can dispel wind and dampness, unblock the meridians, and relieve pain. This formula is suitable for rheumatic arthralgia, numbness, and limb stiffness.
Medicinal Identification
Lututong and Pangolin Scale: Both herbs can regulate qi and blood, unblock meridians, disperse blood stasis, and promote lactation; they are essential herbs for regulating menstruation and promoting lactation, and are commonly used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum lack of lactation, and masses or accumulations.However, Lulutong can circulate through all twelve meridians and is particularly effective at dispelling pathogenic factors of wind, cold, and dampness that linger in the muscles, tendons, bones, joints, and meridians; therefore, it is suitable for conditions such as wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, stiffness of tendons and vessels, and generalized joint pain. Lulutong is also effective at regulating the body’s qi mechanisms to promote qi circulation, relieve epigastric distension, promote diuresis, and reduce edema; thus, it is also used to treat edema and difficulty urinating;It also has a certain effect in dispelling wind and relieving itching, and is used for itching associated with wind rashes. Pangolin Scale can both invigorate blood and remove blood stasis, as well as unblock the meridians and expel wind; its action extends throughout the body. When combined with herbs that dispel wind-dampness, it is commonly used to treat rheumatic arthralgia, joint stiffness, and stiffness of the hands and feet.It has a salty taste and a cold nature; its pungent, penetrating quality is specifically directed toward dispersing and resolving, with the ability to reduce swelling and expel pus. It can disperse abscesses that have not yet formed pus and rapidly cause those that have formed pus to rupture, making it an essential herb in the treatment of skin ulcers.
Related Medicines
Anti-Rheumatic Solution, Deafness-Relieving and Orifice-Opening Pills, Lactation-Promoting Tablets, Lactation-Promoting Granules, and Heart-Nourishing Tablets.
Related Prescriptions
Liver-Harmonizing and Kidney-Nourishing Decoction (*Selected and Commented Medical Formulas of Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu*), Milk-Nourishing Decoction (*A Synthesis of Chinese and Western Medicine*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
Pangolin Scale and Lulu Tong Porridge:
1. Benefits: Promotes menstrual flow, invigorates blood circulation, and stimulates lactation. Suitable for postpartum blocked milk ducts and low milk supply.
2. Ingredients: 10 grams of Pangolin Scale, 15 grams of Lulu Tong, 50 grams of japonica rice, and brown sugar to taste.
3. Preparation: First, place the washed Pangolin Scale and Lulutong in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and decoct to extract the medicinal liquid; set aside. Rinse the japonica rice thoroughly, pour the medicinal liquid over it, add some brown sugar, and simmer together until it becomes porridge.
4. Usage: Consume 1–2 times daily while warm.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate herbal formula.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest the fruits in winter after they have ripened, remove impurities, and dry them.
Processing Methods
1. Lulutong: Take the raw herbal material, sort out impurities, trim off the fruit stalks, wash thoroughly, and dry.
2. Roasted Lulutong: Place the cleaned herbal material in a pan, heat over low heat, and roast until it turns a light golden brown and releases a fragrant aroma. Remove and allow to cool. Rub off the sharp spines and sift to remove any remaining debris.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container, tightly sealed, in a dry place to protect from moisture.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
1. The powder of this product is brownish-black. The fibers are mostly fragmented, with a diameter of 13–45 μm; their ends are slightly blunt or rounded; the walls are mostly undulating and lignified; the cell cavities are wide or narrow and often contain a brownish-yellow substance.The pericarp stone cells are square, prismatic, irregular, or branched in shape, with a diameter of 53–398 μm; their walls are extremely thick, and their pore channels are branched.Epidermal cells are rectangular in cross-section, 34–55 μm long; when viewed from the surface, they are polygonal, 6–17 μm in diameter, with thick walls bearing pits and containing a brownish-yellow substance. Single-celled non-glandular trichomes are often curved, 42–126 μm long, 11–19 μm wide at the base, and contain a brownish-yellow substance.
2. Take 2 g of the powdered sample, add 50 mL of ethyl acetate, sonicate for 30 minutes, filter, and concentrate the filtrate on a water bath to approximately 2 mL. Apply the filtrate to a neutral alumina column (200–300 mesh, 2 g,with an inner diameter of 10 mm), elute with 25 mL of ethyl acetate, discard the eluate, then elute with 25 mL of 50% methanol, collect the eluate, evaporate to dryness, and dissolve the residue in 1 mL of ethyl acetate to prepare the test solution.Separately, prepare a reference solution of Lulutong acid by dissolving the reference standard in ethyl acetate to a concentration of 1 mg per mL. Perform the test according to the Thin-Layer Chromatography method (General Chapter 0502). Pipette 6 μL of each of the two solutions and apply them separately in a band-like pattern onto the same silica gel G plate. Use the upper layer of a mixture of toluene-ethyl acetate-formic acid (20:2:1) at 5–10 °C for 12 hours; the upper layer of this mixture serves as the developing solvent. Pre-equilibrate the developing chamber for 15 minutes, then perform the chromatography. Remove the plate, allow it to air-dry, and spray it with a 10% ethanol solution of sulfuric acid containing 1% vanillin. Heat at 80 °C until the spots become clearly visible.In the chromatogram of the test sample, bands of the same color appear at positions corresponding to those in the reference standard chromatogram.
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is a polycarp, composed of numerous small capsules aggregated into a spherical shape with a diameter of 2–3 cm. It has a common fruit stalk at the base. The surface is grayish-brown or brownish-black, with numerous sharp spines and small, blunt, beak-like spines 0.5–1 mm long that often break off; the tops of the small capsules are split open, revealing honeycomb-like pores.It is light in weight, hard in texture, and difficult to break open. It has a faint odor and a bland taste.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Lulutong: See the “Medicinal Materials” section.
2. Roasted Lulutong: Resembles Lulutong in appearance, with a slightly scorched yellow color and a fragrant aroma.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Liquidambar tree, a species of the genus Liquidambar in the family Hamamelidaceae.
Morphological Characteristics
A deciduous tree, 20–40 m tall. The bark is grayish-brown and peels off in square blocks.Leaves are alternate; petioles are 3–7 cm long; stipules are linear and fall off early; leaf blades are heart-shaped, usually 3-lobed, though those on young shoots and emerging branches are mostly palmately 5-lobed, 6–12 cm long and 8–15 cm wide; lobes are ovate-triangular or ovate, with a caudate-acuminate apex, a heart-shaped base, and finely serrated margins bearing glandular projections at the tips of the teeth.Flowers are unisexual; the plant is monoecious and lacks a perianth. Male flowers are pale yellowish-green, arranged in spikelike inflorescences that are further arranged in racemes, borne at the branch tips; stamens are numerous, with filaments of unequal length. Female flowers are arranged in spherical capitula; the calyx has 5 drill-shaped teeth; the ovary is semi-inferior, 2-chambered, with 2 styles and curved stigmas.The capitulum is globose, 2.5–4.5 cm in diameter, with spines on the surface; the capsule retains the calyx and styles, splits into two valves, each of which is shallowly bifid. The seeds are numerous and minute. Flowering occurs from March to April; fruiting occurs from September to October.
Distribution Area
Distributed throughout areas south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River.