Perilla leaves are a medicinal herb used to dispel exterior pathogens; they are the dried leaves (or leaves with tender stems) of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a plant in the Lamiaceae family. They have the effects of dispelling exterior pathogens and cold, regulating qi, and harmonizing the stomach. They are primarily used to treat wind-cold colds, coughing and vomiting, pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, and poisoning from fish or crabs.
Perilla Leaves
Perilla leaves are a medicinal herb used to dispel exterior pathogens; they are the dried leaves (or leaves with tender stems) of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a plant in the Lamiaceae family. They have the effects of dispelling exterior pathogens and cold, regulating qi, and harmonizing the stomach. They are primarily used to treat wind-cold colds, coughing and vomiting, pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, and poisoning from fish or crabs.
Chinese Name : 紫苏叶
Latin Name : Perillae Folium
Aliases : Perilla Leaf, Perilla, Nori
Authentic Producing Area : Mainly produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Hebei
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Pungent in taste, warm in nature; enters the Lung and Spleen meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Relieves exterior syndromes and dispels cold; regulates qi and harmonizes the stomach.
Indications
Used to treat wind-cold common colds, coughing and nausea, morning sickness, and poisoning from fish or crab.
Usage and Dosage
Decoct and take 5–10 g.
Precautions
1. Avoid cold foods (such as cold drinks and ice cream) and spicy foods (such as chili peppers) while taking this medicine. 2. Do not drink alcohol or smoke.
Chemical Constituents
Mainly contains essential oils: perillaldehyde, perillone, perillene, chrysanthemene, camphene, menthol, menthone, perillol, dihydroperillol, citral, eugenol, etc.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, lipid-regulating, anti-atherosclerotic, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Mingyi Bielu*: “It regulates qi and dispels cold from the abdomen.”
2. *Diannan Bencao*: “It induces sweating, relieves common cold headaches, eliminates phlegm, and alleviates wheezing and shortness of breath.”
3. *Bencao Gangmu*: “It regulates qi and soothes the middle burner, eliminates phlegm and benefits the lungs, harmonizes the blood, warms the middle burner, relieves pain, alleviates wheezing, and stabilizes pregnancy.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For sudden onset of cold-induced shortness of breath: 3 liang of dried perilla leaves, 4 liang of aged tangerine peel; boil with 4 sheng of wine until reduced to 1.5 sheng; divide into two doses. (*Formulas for Emergency Care*)
2. For coughing with shortness of breath: 1 liang of Perilla stems and leaves (chopped) and half a liang of ginseng. Coarsely pound and sift the two ingredients; take 3 qian per dose, add one zhan of water, decoct until reduced to seven-tenths of the original volume, strain, and drink while warm, twice daily. (*Shengji Zonglu*, Perilla Decoction)
3. For treating regurgitation of breast milk: Perilla, licorice, and talc in equal parts; decoct in water and take orally. (*Shen Zhai Yi Shu*)
4. For treating dysphagia with vomiting and inability to eat: 2 liang of Perilla leaves, 0.5 fen each of white honey and ginger juice; mix well and simmer over low heat until boiling. Take half a spoonful at a time, sipping slowly on an empty stomach. (*Shou Shi Qing Bian*: Perilla-Honey Decoction)
5. For treating typhoid fever during pregnancy: Perilla, Scutellaria baicalensis (wine-fried), and Atractylodes macrocephala (earth-fried)—1.5 qian each; Glycyrrhiza—1 qian; with scallions and ginger as guides. (From *Yifang Yipan Zhu*: Four-Ingredient Perilla Decoction to Nourish the Fetus)
6. For treating beriberi affecting the heart, causing confusion and loss of consciousness, with vomiting and inability to retain food: 1.5 liang of Perilla stems and leaves; 0.1 fen each of Evodia (soaked in hot water to remove mucus, then stir-fried until golden) and tangerine peel (soaked in hot water to remove white pith, then baked).Pound and sift the ingredients. Take 3 qian per dose; decoct in one zhan of water until reduced to seven-tenths of the original volume; strain out the residue; add one he of a child’s urine; and take while warm. (Per *Formulas for Universal Relief*: Perilla Decoction)
7. For treating edema due to water retention with red, scanty, and painful urination: 1 liang of aged tangerine peel (white pith removed), 5 qian each of Stephania root, Akebia stem, and Perilla leaves. Grind the ingredients into a powder; take 2 qian per dose with three slices of ginger.Decoct in water and take before meals. (Xiangsu Powder from *Chishui Xuan Zhu*)
8. For treating malignant sores, scabies, and tinea: Grind Perilla frutescens leaves into a fine powder and apply topically. (*Pu Ji Fang*)
9. For treating bleeding from traumatic wounds: Pound tender Perilla frutescens leaves and mulberry leaves together and apply as a poultice. (*Yong Lei Qian Fang*)
Related Compatibility
1. Perilla Leaves Combined with Guang Huoxiang: Both herbs can release the exterior to dispel cold, regulate qi, and harmonize the middle jiao. Perilla leaves excel at promoting qi circulation and relieving epigastric fullness; Guang Huoxiang excels at transforming dampness and harmonizing the middle jiao. When used together, they work to release the exterior, dispel cold, regulate qi, transform dampness, and harmonize the middle jiao. This combination is commonly used to treat symptoms such as chills, fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea caused by external invasion of wind-cold and internal dampness stagnation.
2. Perilla Leaf Combined with Cicada Shedding: Perilla Leaf dispels wind-cold, promotes the flow of qi, and relieves epigastric fullness; Cicada Shedding, with its light, floating, and ascending nature, disperses wind-heat, soothes the throat, and promotes the eruption of rashes. When used together, these two herbs have a mild and balanced nature, effectively dispelling wind and resolving exterior syndromes. They are suitable for mild cases of exterior syndrome caused by external pathogenic factors.
3. Perilla Leaf Combined with Bitter Apricot Kernel: Perilla leaf excels at resolving exterior syndromes and dispelling cold, while also nourishing the lungs, transforming phlegm, and relieving cough; bitter apricot kernel excels at descending qi, relieving cough, and alleviating wheezing. When combined, these two herbs externally resolve exterior syndromes and dispel cold to induce a mild sweat, while internally regulating lung qi to transform phlegm and relieve cough. This combination is commonly used to treat symptoms such as chills, headache, cough with thin phlegm, shortness of breath, and nasal congestion caused by wind-cold or cool dryness invading the lungs.
4. Perilla Leaves Combined with Dried Tangerine Peel: Perilla leaves promote the flow of qi and relieve epigastric distension; dried tangerine peel regulates qi, harmonizes the middle burner, dries dampness, and resolves phlegm. When used together, they not only regulate qi, dry dampness, and resolve phlegm to treat coughs with copious phlegm and chest tightness caused by phlegm-dampness obstructing the lungs, but also promote the flow of qi, relieve epigastric distension, and eliminate bloating to treat epigastric and abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting resulting from qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach.
5. Perilla leaves combined with Coptis: Perilla leaves clear the lungs, regulate qi, and harmonize the stomach; Coptis clears heat, dries dampness, and harmonizes the stomach. One is warming and the other is cooling; together, they harmonize the stomach and stop vomiting, treating incessant vomiting and nausea day and night caused by residual damp-heat pathogens lingering in the stomach.
6. Perilla Leaf Combined with Amomum: Both herbs have the effects of regulating qi, harmonizing the middle burner, and stabilizing the fetus. Perilla Leaf excels at relieving exterior syndromes and dispelling cold; Amomum excels at transforming dampness. When combined, they are commonly used to treat chest and abdominal distension, vomiting, nausea, and fetal restlessness caused by internal obstruction of cold-dampness and impaired qi circulation.
Medicinal Identification
Perilla Leaf and Perilla Stem: The leaves of Perilla frutescens, a plant of the Lamiaceae family, are used medicinally as Perilla Leaf, while its stems are used as Perilla Stem. It is generally believed that Perilla Leaf is more effective at releasing the exterior and dispelling cold, and is often used for wind-cold exterior syndromes; Perilla Stem is more effective at regulating qi, relieving epigastric fullness, alleviating pain, and stabilizing the fetus, and is often used for qi stagnation with chest and epigastric fullness and distension, epigastric pain, belching and vomiting, and fetal restlessness.
Related Medicines
Wind-Cold Common Cold Granules, Apricot-Perilla Cough-Relieving Granules, Jiji Ning Sou Pills, Xiangsu Zhengwei Pills.
Related Prescriptions
Xiangsu Powder (*Formulas of the Bureau of Medicinal Preparations*), Xingsu Powder (*Treatise on Warm Diseases*), Sansu Decoction (*Formulas of the Bureau of Medicinal Preparations*), Banxia Houpo Decoction (*Essentials of the Golden Cabinet*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
A medicinal dish related to Perilla frutescens leaves is Ginger-Perilla Tea.
1. Effects: Dispels wind-cold, regulates qi, and harmonizes the stomach. Suitable for wind-cold colds, particularly gastrointestinal-type colds accompanied by headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, epigastric discomfort, and abdominal distension. In this formula, ginger induces sweating to release the exterior and harmonizes the stomach to stop vomiting, while Perilla frutescens releases the exterior and harmonizes the middle jiao. The combination of these two herbs is simple yet effective.Simple and practical. Suitable for mild wind-cold colds; it can also be used for spleen-stomach deficiency-cold syndromes caused by cold exposure to the epigastric region.
2. Ingredients: 3 g ginger, 3 g black tea, 3 g perilla leaves.
3. Preparation: Rinse all the herbs thoroughly with clean water, then place them in a thermos. Pour in an appropriate amount of boiling water, steep for about 10 minutes, and it’s ready.
4. Usage: Drink frequently.
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
Harvest from July to September when the branches and leaves are lush; spread them on the ground or hang them in a well-ventilated, shaded area to air-dry; once dry, pick off the leaves.
Processing Methods
Remove impurities and old stems; or rinse with clean water, chop finely, and dry.
Storage Methods
Store in a cool, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
The leaves of this product are mostly shriveled, curled, and broken; when flattened, intact leaves are ovate, 4–11 cm long and 2.5–9 cm wide. The apex is long-acuminate or acute, the base is rounded or broadly cuneate, and the margin has rounded serrations.Both surfaces are purple, or the upper surface is green and the lower surface is purple; sparsely covered with grayish-white hairs; the lower surface has numerous pitted glandular scales. The petiole is 2–7 cm long, purple or purplish-green. The texture is brittle. If containing young twigs, the twig diameter is 2–5 mm, purplish-green, with a pith in the center of the cross-section. It has a fresh, fragrant aroma and a slightly pungent taste.
Properties of Processed Slices
This product consists of irregular segments or uncut leaves. The leaves are mostly shriveled, curled, and broken; when flattened, intact leaves are ovate. The margins have rounded serrations. Both surfaces are purple, or the upper surface is green and the lower surface is purple, with sparse grayish-white hairs. The petioles are purple or purplish-green. When accompanied by young branches, the branches are 2–5 mm in diameter, purplish-green, and have a pith in the center when cut. It has a fresh, fragrant aroma and a slightly pungent taste.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Perilla frutescens, a plant of the genus Perilla in the family Lamiaceae.
Morphological Characteristics
An annual herb, 30–200 cm tall. Possesses a distinctive aromatic scent. The stem is erect, bluntly quadrangular, highly branched, purple, greenish-purple, or green, and densely covered with long soft hairs. Leaves are opposite; petiolate; leaf blades are broadly ovate, ovate-orbicular, or ovate-triangular, with coarse serrations along the margins and fine oil gland dots on the underside; lateral veins number 7–8.Whorled inflorescences, consisting of two flowers arranged laterally to form a pseudo-raceme, terminal and axillary; calyx campanulate; corolla labial, white or purplish-red; stamens 4, diadelphous; pistil 1, ovary 4-lobed.The nutlets are nearly spherical, grayish-brown or brown, and reticulate. Flowering period: June–August; fruiting period: July–September.
Distribution Area
Widely cultivated throughout China.
Growth Habits
It prefers a warm, humid climate and grows vigorously with high yields in sunny environments. It is best cultivated in loose, fertile loam with convenient irrigation and drainage.
Propagation Methods
Propagated by seed, either by direct seeding or by raising seedlings and transplanting them.
Cultivation Techniques
When collecting seeds, select those with purple leaves on both sides.
1. Direct Seeding Method: Mid- to late April in the north; late March in the south. Both row seeding and hole seeding are acceptable. For row seeding, space rows 50 cm apart and make shallow furrows 0.5–1 cm deep; for hole seeding, space rows and plants 30 cm × 50 cm apart.
2. Seedling Transplanting Method: Sow seeds in March in the south and in April in the north to raise seedlings, then transplant in early May.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Leaf Spot: At the onset of the disease, control by dusting with 70% mancozeb suspension concentrate dry powder.
2. Rust: At the onset of the disease, control by spraying a 1,000-fold dilution of 25% triazole.
3. Silver-striped Night Moth: Control by spraying a 100-fold dilution of 90% crystal diazinon or by dusting with 5% carbaryl powder.