Yu Li Ren (Bush Cherry Pit)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Yu Li Ren?

  Roughly 3–9 g in decoction is the range recorded on this site, consistent with standard materia medica ranges. The part used is the seed kernel, and it is crushed before use — standard practice for oily kernel medicinals so the fixed oil can be extracted.

  • Part used — the dried ripe seed. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia recognises the seed of Prunus humilis, P. japonica or P. pedunculata as the official source of Pruni Semen.
  • Structure matters — analytical work shows the flavonoids are concentrated in the seed coat while the cyanogenic glycosides sit in the kernel, so how the seed is processed changes what ends up in the preparation.

  Source: the site’s own dosage record; botanical source and seed-coat/kernel distribution from PMID 36320598, PMC 9615524, DOI 10.1016/j.jpha.2022.06.007. Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions for Yu Li Ren?

  Yu Li Ren is contraindicated during pregnancy, and in yin deficiency or depletion of fluids — it is a downward-moving purgative and is not suitable where fluids are already exhausted or where a purgative action would be inappropriate. It should be used only within a pattern diagnosis made by a qualified practitioner.

  • Cyanogenic glycoside content (reference note) — the kernel contains amygdalin; see the toxicity section below. This is a documented constituent of this material, not a theoretical concern.
  • Authenticity (reference note) — adulteration of Pruni Semen with same-genus look-alike seeds is a documented market problem, and matters here because the substitute species differ measurably in both the purgative constituent and the cyanogenic glycoside content. Verified material from a reputable supplier matters.

  Source: the site’s own cautions record; constituent and adulteration findings from PMID 36320598, PMC 9615524 and PMID 38575088, DOI 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105942. Reference note, not a safety guarantee.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Is Yu Li Ren toxic?

  Amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, is documented in this kernel at the species level — it is not an inference from the genus. Quantitative analysis of Pruni Semen measured average amygdalin content of about 18.5 mg/g in Prunus humilis seed and 17.7 mg/g in Prunus japonica seed, with markedly higher averages (about 31 mg/g) in the larger-seeded substitute species P. pedunculata and P. triloba. The same work localised the cyanogenic glycosides to the kernel and the flavonoids to the seed coat.

  • What this means in reference terms — amygdalin is the same class of constituent that underlies the “slightly toxic” designation carried by other Prunus kernels; it is why dose ceilings exist for kernel medicinals generally and why they are used under professional supervision.
  • What is not documented — we found no species-specific human toxicity case series, no established toxic dose, and no clinical poisoning literature for this kernel. Those are omitted here rather than estimated from other species.
  • Record note — this site does not currently flag Yu Li Ren as a toxic herb, whereas it does flag Xing Ren as slightly toxic. Both are Prunus kernels containing amygdalin. This is noted for owner review; the record is left unchanged.
  • The purgative constituent — separately from the cyanogenic glycosides, multiflorin A has been identified as a notable purgative compound in Pruni Semen, at roughly 3.0 mg/g in P. humilis and 6.9 mg/g in P. japonica, versus under 0.5 mg/g in the larger-seeded substitutes.

  Source: PMID 36320598, PMC 9615524, DOI 10.1016/j.jpha.2022.06.007 (amygdalin and multiflorin A quantification, tissue distribution); PMID 38575088, DOI 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105942 (species chemistry and adulteration). Neutral reference facts — not preparation or dosing guidance.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented for Yu Li Ren. As a purgative, general practitioner awareness is reasonable alongside other laxatives or where fluid and electrolyte balance is a concern — this is precautionary reasoning from its traditional action, not a demonstrated clinical interaction. Patients taking prescription medication should tell their prescriber about any herbal use.

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 Yu Li Ren (Semen Pruni)?

  Yes, but it is limited and preclinical — mostly chemistry, quality control and authentication, with no clinical trials for the traditional indications.

  • Chemistry and the purgative constituent — a study of 46 samples from four source species isolated ten compounds and identified 76 shared components, with acetyl flavonoid glycosides as characteristic constituents and multiflorin A as the notable purgative compound. The small-seeded species (P. humilis, P. japonica) were higher in multiflorin A and lower in amygdalin than the large-seeded species, leading the authors to conclude small seeds are the superior source.
  • Authentication and market quality — a 2024 study combining DNA barcoding, morphology and chemical profiling across 37 samples reported that essentially no authentic Pruni Semen was found in the market batches sampled, with morphologically similar same-genus seeds substituted in. A striking finding, and a reason authentication methods are being developed.
  • Sperm motility (unrelated to the traditional indication) — ethanolic P. japonica seed extract increased total and progressive motility of human spermatozoa in vitro via proton-channel modulation, and a hexane fraction increased boar sperm motility via the CatSper calcium channel. These are laboratory findings on isolated cells with no bearing on the herb’s traditional use, included only for completeness.

  There is no clinical evidence here for the traditional laxative or diuretic indications; this is research context only.

  Sources: PMID 36320598, PMC 9615524, DOI 10.1016/j.jpha.2022.06.007 (chemical profile, multiflorin A, amygdalin); PMID 38575088, DOI 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105942 (DNA barcoding and adulteration); PMID 35590125, DOI 10.1111/and.14471 (human sperm, in vitro); PMID 36846677, PMC 9950932 (boar sperm, in vitro). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• How is Yu Li Ren different from Huo Ma Ren, Tao Ren and Xing Ren?

  All four are oily seeds that moisten the intestines, but only Yu Li Ren is primarily a laxative that also moves qi and promotes urination. The distinction is about what each seed does besides lubricating.

  • Yu Li Ren — the moist laxative for constipation with qi stagnation and abdominal distension; also promotes urination for oedema. Described as the stronger and more moving of the two herbs in its category on this site.
  • Huo Ma Ren — the other moist laxative recorded here; sweet and neutral, gentler, and the usual choice for dry constipation in the elderly, postpartum, or in fluid-depleted patients.
  • Tao Ren — a peach kernel, but categorised on this site as a blood-invigorating herb; it moistens the intestines only as a secondary action, with blood stasis as its main use.
  • Xing Ren — an apricot kernel used for cough and wheezing; it too moistens the intestines secondarily, and is the one of the group flagged as slightly toxic on this site.

  Is Yu Li Ren related to the apricot and peach kernels?

  Yes — Yu Li Ren, Tao Ren and Xing Ren are all kernels from the genus Prunus, which is why they share an oily, intestine-moistening character. That shared botany also means they share the genus’s cyanogenic glycoside chemistry; see the toxicity section for what is documented for this kernel specifically.

  Source: the site’s own records for Yu Li Ren, Huo Ma Ren, Tao Ren and Xing Ren; genus placement per PMID 38575088 and PMID 36320598. Cross-referenced against multiple online sources.