Chinese Prickly Ash
OTHER NAME(S): Chinese Pepper, Flatspine Prickly Ash, Hua Jiao, Pimienta China, Red Huajiao, Sansho, Sichuan Pepper, Szechwan Pepper, Szechuan Peppercorn, Zanthoxylum simulans, Zanthoxylum bungei, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, Prickley Ash, Fresno Espinoso Chino, Frêne Épineux Chinois
Overview
Chinese prickly ash is a plant. The bark, leaves, and berry are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse Chinese prickly ash with ash, or northern or southern prickly ash.
People take Chinese prickly ash to treat pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
In foods, Chinese prickly ash is used as a spice.
There isn't enough reliable information to know how Chinese prickly ash might work.
There isn't enough reliable information to know how Chinese prickly ash might work.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Aging skin. Early research suggests that using Chinese prickly ash fruit extract 2% cream once a day for 30 days can improve the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes (crow's feet).
- Diarrhea.
- Drowsiness.
- High blood pressure.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pain.
- Parasite infections.
- Snakebite.
- Stomach pain.
- Water retention.
- Other uses.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of Chinese prickly ash for these uses.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Chinese prickly ash is safe or what the side effects might be.
When applied to the skin: It is POSSIBLY SAFE to apply small amounts of Chinese prickly ash fruit extract 2% cream to the skin around the eyes for up to 30 days.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Chinese prickly ash is safe or what the side effects might be.
When applied to the skin: It is POSSIBLY SAFE to apply small amounts of Chinese prickly ash fruit extract 2% cream to the skin around the eyes for up to 30 days.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if Chinese prickly ash is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Surgery: Chinese prickly ash might slow blood clotting. There is some concern that it might increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using Chinese prickly ash at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with Chinese Prickly AshChinese prickly ash might slow blood clotting. Taking Chinese prickly ash along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of Chinese prickly ash depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for Chinese prickly ash. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- Chen IS, Wu SJ, Tsai IL. Chemical and bioactive constituents from Zanthoxylum simulans. J Nat Prod 1994;57:1206-11.
- Yang YP, Cheng MJ, Teng CM, et al. Chemical and anti-platelet constituents from Formosan Zanthoxylum simulans. Phytochemistry 2002;61:567-72..
- Zhang Y, Wang M, Dong H, Yu X, Zhang J. Anti-hypoglycemic and hepatocyte-protective effects of hyperoside from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves in mice with high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet and alloxan-induced diabetes. Int J Mol Med. 2018;41(1):77-86. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.3211.
- Wu T, Zhong L, Hong Z, et al. The effects of Zanthoxylum bungeanum extract on lipid metabolism induced by sterols. J Pharmacol Sci. 2015;127(3):251-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jphs.2014.12.002.
- Zhang Z, Shen P, Liu J, et al. In Vivo Study of the Efficacy of the Essential Oil of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Pericarp in Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Murine Experimental Colitis. J Agric Food Chem. 2017:26;65(16):3311-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b01323.
- Yang LC, Li R, Tan J, Jiang ZT. Polyphenolics composition of the leaves of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. grown in Hebei, China, and their radical scavenging activities. J Agric Food Chem. 2013;61(8):1772-8. doi: 10.1021/jf3042825.
- Hong L, Jing W, Qing W, et al. Inhibitory effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum essential oil (ZBEO) on Escherichia coli and intestinal dysfunction. Food Funct. 2017;8(4):1569-76. doi: 10.1039/c6fo01739h.
- Zeng X, Li X, Wang X, Wen X, Jiang X. The effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim extract on crow's feet: A double-blind, split-face trial. Dermatol Ther. 2019 Nov;32(6):e13079.