金银花 / 双花 / 忍冬 — Lonicera japonica Thunb.

Pinyin: Jīnyínhuā / Shuānghuā · Malay: Bunga Madu / Bunga Dedalu Nanyang · Family: Caprifoliaceae (忍冬科)

Energetics

Cold (寒)

Flavor

Sweet, fragrant (甘、芳香)

Meridians

Lung (肺), Heart (心), Stomach (胃)

Traditional Edict

Clears toxic heat, disperses exterior wind-heat, cools blood and resolves dysentery. Sovereign top-grade herb for wind-heat fevers, epidemic pestilence, carbuncles, severe sore throat (Hou Bi), and heat dysentery.

Cautions & Contraindications

Prolonged rolling boiling beyond 15 min degrades chlorogenic acid into quinic acid. Contraindicated in Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold (chronic watery diarrhea).

Clinical Applications

Influenza A & B, upper respiratory viral infections, acute pharyngotonsillitis, pneumonia, pediatric enterovirus/hand-foot-mouth disease, sepsis endotoxemia, and acute mastitis.

Quality Markers

Chlorogenic Acid (绿原酸) >= 1.50% & Luteoloside >= 0.05% (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)

Mechanism & Phytochemistry

1. Chlorogenic acid blocks viral neuraminidase/hemagglutinin adsorption, neutralizes bacterial LPS endotoxin, and blocks TLR4/MyD88/NF-kB cascade. 2. Luteoloside downregulates COX-2, iNOS, TNF-a, and IL-6. 3. Secoiridoids disrupt cell membranes of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa.

Preparation & Dosage

Whole dried unopened buds. Added to decoctions during final 5-10 minutes (Hou Xia / 后下) or infused as tea: 6-15 g daily (up to 30 g in acute viral epidemics). Standardized extract: 300-600 mg.

Appended Prescriptions

1. The Sovereign Anti-Epidemic Formula (Yin Qiao San / 银翘散) with Forsythia, Platycodon, and Peppermint. 2. Lingnan Five Flowers Cooling Tea (Wu Hua Cha) with Plumeria rubra and Chrysanthemum.

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Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only