He Shi (Carpesium Fruit)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of He Shi?

  Roughly 3–10 g in decoction, with sources noting up to about 15 g under practitioner supervision only, or 1–3 g as powder taken directly. It is traditionally used for short courses only — not prolonged use — and dosing is reduced for children or weaker constitutions.

  Source: multiple online sources (Fructus Carpesii). Reference only — not a prescription; dosing of a toxic anthelmintic should be set by a qualified TCM practitioner.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions for He Shi?

  He Shi is contraindicated in pregnancy and should be used only for short courses under a qualified practitioner. Multiple materia medica sources report uterine-stimulating activity in animal studies and advise strict avoidance during pregnancy. It is also cautioned against in active diarrhea or loose stools, and dosage should be reduced for weak/deficient constitutions or children, since its toxicity and harsh nature can overtax an already compromised digestive system.

  • Pregnancy — avoid; documented uterine-stimulating effects in animal studies.
  • Digestive weakness / active diarrhea — use with caution or avoid; may further irritate the digestive tract.
  • Duration — short courses only; prolonged use is associated with greater risk of digestive and nervous-system side effects.

  Source: multiple online sources. Neutral reference disclosure, not a substitute for practitioner guidance.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Slightly toxic — classified as such in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and standard materia medica. Traditional sources note possible side effects such as dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, and headache at higher doses, which is why use is limited to short courses at controlled dosage. Modern research on zebrafish embryos/larvae confirms developmental toxicity: exposure to Carpesii Fructus (140–320 mg/L) produced pericardial edema, yolk-sac edema, bleeding, and growth abnormalities, with the developing heart identified as the likely target organ, alongside markers of oxidative stress and apoptosis. This is preclinical (zebrafish) evidence supporting, not establishing new limits beyond, the herb’s traditional toxicity classification.

  Source: PMID 30090514, PMC 6062322, DOI 10.1039/c7tx00005g (zebrafish developmental toxicity assay); multiple online sources. Reference note, not a safety guarantee — professional supervision advised.

• This herb is considered slightly toxic.
  (while some Chinese herbs are toxic, it must be noted that many come prepared, or are combined, to mitigate their toxicity)

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented for He Shi. As a slightly toxic anthelmintic intended for short-course, practitioner-supervised use, general caution applies alongside other agents that stress the liver, GI tract, or cardiac system, but no specific interaction has been demonstrated in the literature reviewed. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation.)

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on He Shi (Fructus Carpesii)?

  Yes — mostly preclinical (in vitro and animal/embryo) research, with no clinical trials in humans identified. A 2022 phytochemical and pharmacological review of Carpesium abrotanoides catalogued 118 metabolites from the plant, including sesquiterpene lactones such as carabrone, carpesiolin, and telekin, considered the main bioactive (and potentially toxic) constituents.

  • In vitro antiparasitic activity — the same review reports that a water decoction of C. abrotanoides killed cultured Taenia asiatica (a tapeworm) cysticerci, with up to 95% mortality at a concentration of 60 mg/mL, supporting the traditional anti-tapeworm use; laboratory evidence, not a clinical demonstration in infected patients.
  • Developmental toxicity (zebrafish) — a 2017 study exposed zebrafish embryos/larvae to Carpesii Fructus and found dose-dependent cardiac malformations (pericardial/yolk-sac edema, bleeding, growth retardation) linked to oxidative stress and apoptosis, providing modern pharmacological support for the herb’s classical toxicity rating.

  No human clinical trials of He Shi were identified in this review; evidence remains preclinical.

  Note: This site’s own record currently records He Shi’s channel entry as Liver (LIV) only, while Bensky-consensus materia medica sources (cross-checked across multiple independent references) consistently give Spleen and Stomach (SP/ST) as its channels, with no source found supporting a Liver channel entry. This content uses the SP/ST channel attribution per the multi-source consensus; this site’s own identity record is left unchanged pending owner confirmation.

  Sources: PMID 35736748, PMC 9230109, DOI 10.3390/plants11121598 (phytochemistry/pharmacology review, includes in vitro antiparasitic data); PMID 30090514, PMC 6062322, DOI 10.1039/c7tx00005g (zebrafish developmental toxicity study). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• What is He Shi commonly combined with?

  He Shi is typically paired with other antiparasitic and purgative herbs to broaden and strengthen its effect, most classically in the formula Hua Chong Wan (“Expel Parasites Pill”), where it serves as a lead herb alongside Bing Lang (Areca Seed) and Ku Lian Gen Pi (Chinaberry Root Bark).

  • Bing Lang — covers mixed parasitic infections and promotes bowel evacuation to help expel the killed parasites.
  • Ku Lian Gen Pi — another broad-spectrum anthelmintic; the pairing increases antiparasitic power and helps relieve associated pain.
  • Shi Jun Zi (Quisqualis Fruit) — a gentler anthelmintic favored for pediatric roundworm cases; supports Spleen function alongside He Shi’s stronger action.
  • Wu Mei (Mume Fruit) — a sour astringent classically used in anti-roundworm formulas (e.g. Wu Mei Wan) that can accompany anthelmintics like He Shi.

  (Traditional formula context, not treatment advice.)

  Source: multiple online sources; this site’s own record (Hua Chong Wan formula, which lists He Shi among its ingredients).

This herb is considered toxic