Xing Ren - 杏仁 - Semen Armeniacae - Apricot Kernel

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Armeniacae / Armeniacae Semen Amarum
Common English:	Apricot Kernel Apricot Seed Bitter Apricot Kernel

Category

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Herbs that Relieve Coughing and Wheezing

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Bitter (Sweet)	Slightly Warm Slightly Toxic	Lung Large Intestine	3-10g Tincture: 2-4ml Crush, then add toward the end of decoction.

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Stops coughing and calms wheezing	Coughs due to either Heat or Cold (depending on combination) Wind-Dry coughs (especially useful)
Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels	Constipation

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Fol. Perillae Zi Su Ye Rz. Pinelliae Preparata Zhi Ban Xia (Poria) (Fu Ling)	Fol. Mori Sang Ye Flos Chrysanthemi Ju Hua	Fol. Mori Sang Ye Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen
Dry cough due to Wind-Cold.	Non-productive dry cough due to Wind-Heat.	Non-productive cough due to Dry Heat scorching the Lungs.
Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong	Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang	Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang Gypsum Fibrosum Shi Gao
A dry cough due to Dryness and Heat injuring the Lungs.	Coughing and wheezing due to Excess.	Coughing, thirst and wheezing due to Excess with Lung Heat.
Fr. Perillae Zi Su Zi	Fr. Amomi Rotundus Bai Dou Kou Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren	Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui
Coughing and wheezing with constipation.	Early-stage Damp Warmth disorder with heaviness of the head and body, a stifling sensation in the chest, poor appetite and afternoon fever.	Constipation due to Deficient Qi and dry Intestines.
Sm. Persicae Tao Ren	Cx. Magnoliae Officinalis Hou Po	Bul. Fritillariae Cirrhosae Chuan Bei Mu
Constipation due Lung Qi Stagnation. Blood Stasis with pain in the chest, abdomen or throughout the body. Wheezing and cough due to Lung constraint.	Strongly descends Qi , disperses Phlegm-Dampness and calms wheezing to treat cough and wheezing from Phlegm-Dampness leading to Lung Qi Stagnation. Upper and Middle Jiao Dampness with a stifling sensation in the chest and epigastric and abdominal distention with a feeling of fullness.	Wheezing and coughing from externally contracted Lung disorders. Non-productive cough from Lung Deficiency disorders. Coughing of thick, yellow sputum due to Phlegm-Fire.
Fol. Mori Sang Ye	Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao	Sm. Cannabis Huo Ma Ren Rx. et Rz. Rhei Da Huang Fr. Aurantii Zhi Ke
Headache, fever and a dry non-productive cough from External Warm-Dryness disorders.	Coughing with profuse sputum, nasal obstruction and a hoarse voice.	Constipation due to Deficiency or Qi, Blood and/or Body fluids.
Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren Sm. Pruni Yu Li Ren
Constipation due to Dryness.

Notes

1. Its high oil content relieves constipation.
2. An overdose can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headache, and may progress to dyspnea, dilated pupils, arrhythmias and coma. Its toxicity is reduced by cooking, removing the cover and mixing with sugar. Apricot bark or the cortex of its root serve as antidotes.
3. It appears in expectorant formulas, particularly those for Lung Cold.
4. It inhibits cancer cell growth.
5. In powdered form, it can fully inhibit the growth of strongly carcinogenic fungi.
6. It can be used for intestinal cancer.
7. It is helpful for externally contracted coughs.
8. Its descending action makes it effective for stopping cough and wheezing.
9. According to some sources, it relieves muscle tension.
10. It releases pathogenic factors from the muscles and skin, drives out Wind, descends Qi, eliminates Dryness and relieves Qi Stagnation.
11. Owing to its toxicity, it is used to treat sores and kill parasites.
12. Xing Ren unblocks the Lung collaterals and is soft, pressing down internally. Rx. Ephedrae Ma Huang opens the pores and interstices and is hard, expanding the exterior. In combination, they eradicate the pathogen completely.
13. Xing Ren and Sm. Persicae Tao Ren are both useful for constipation from either Qi or Blood Stagnation. Xing Ren cures asthma because it circulates Qi, while Sm. Persicae Tao Ren cures mania because it invigorates the Blood.
14. For deficient patients unable to tolerate strong purgation, Xing Ren and Per. Citri Reticulate Chen Pi are used together.
15. Sm. Armeniacae Amrum Ku Xing Ren (bitter or northern Apricot Kernel) is the type most often used. Its outer coating is toxic and has to be removed.
16. Sm. Armeniacae Dulce Tian Xing Ren (sweet or southern Apricot Kernel) is used for dry or deficient coughs. It is less toxic and more moistening and is used for cough and wheezing, acting more gradually and less strongly than Ku Xing Ren. These kernels are eaten as food as well.
17. Dry-fried Apricot Kernel Chao Xing Ren suits patients with a weak Spleen and Stomach who tend toward loose stools, while still relieving cough and wheezing.
18. Defatted Apricot Kernel Xing Ren Shuang lacks the Intestine-moistening properties but still transforms Phlegm and eliminates cough, and it may have Blood-invigorating and collateral-opening properties.