Natural Herb Library

Kochia Fruit

Chinese
地肤子
Pinyin
Di Fu Zi
Latin
Fructus Kochiae

Known in TCM as Di Fu Zi (地肤子), this bitter and sweet, cold herb enters the Kidney and Bladder. Traditionally, it clears damp-heat from the lower burner - Di Fu Zi is used for difficult, painful, or dribbling urination and other damp-heat urinary patterns, most often applied for urinary tract infection, leucorrhea, and eczema. Modern research has identified Triterpenoid among its active constituents.

Part used: Fruit Also known as: Kochia

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter, sweet
Temperature
cold
Channels
Kidney, Bladder

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Clears damp-heat from the lower burner - Di Fu Zi is used for difficult, painful, or dribbling urination and other damp-heat urinary patterns.
  • Dispels wind from the skin and stops itching - it is a classic choice for eczema, urticaria, vulvar itching, and damp-heat skin irritation.
  • Helps damp-heat leukorrhea - traditional use extends to lower-burner discharge patterns when heat and dampness irritate the genitourinary tract.

Secondary Actions

  • Di Fu Zi is milder as a heat-clearing diuretic than some stronger stranguria-relieving herbs, which is why it is often paired rather than used alone.
  • Both internal decoction and external washing are classical, especially for itching disorders.

Classic Formulas

  • Di Fu Zi Tang from Ji Sheng Fang - classical formula pairing Di Fu Zi with Mu Tong, Qu Mai, and Dong Kui Zi for damp-heat dysuria.
  • External wash lineages combine Di Fu Zi with Ku Shen, Long Dan Cao, Bai Fan, and related herbs for vulvar itching and damp-heat skin disease.

Classical References

  • TCM Wiki describes Di Fu Zi as bitter and cold, entering the Kidney and Bladder to clear heat, excrete dampness, and alleviate itching.
  • Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing is cited as an early source, and later materia medica emphasizes both urinary and dermatologic uses.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Triterpenoid saponins such as momordin-type compounds - important constituents in Kochiae Fructus research
  • Flavonoids - antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supportive constituents
  • Alkaloids and essential oils - smaller fractions discussed in phytochemical reviews
  • Sterols and organic acids - additional components contributing to the whole-herb profile

Studied Effects

  • A 2021 review summarized phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, quality control, and pharmacokinetics of Kochiae Fructus and highlighted anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiallergic, and antipruritic directions (PMID 33603816).
  • Kochia scoparia fruit extract attenuated allergic airway inflammation in an ovalbumin-induced murine asthma model, illustrating anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity beyond the skin (PMID 22122306).
  • Modern research interest continues to center on anti-itch, anti-allergic, and damp-heat-correlated inflammatory mechanisms rather than on high-level human trial data.

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Cold deficiency without damp-heat
  • Itching disorders caused primarily by blood deficiency and dryness rather than damp-heat

Cautions

  • External washing can irritate very sensitive skin or mucosa if overly concentrated.
  • Direct clinical evidence remains modest, and most modern support comes from review and preclinical literature.
  • MSK page not found - drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database

Conditions