Whole herbsHeat-clearingSolani Lyrati Herba

Bai Ying (Bittersweet Nightshade Herb)

A practical guide to Bai Ying: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Solani Lyrati Herba
Chinese Name & Pinyin	白英 · Bai Ying
Medicinal Part	Whole herbs
The item	Bai Ying is the dried above-ground part and root of the Solanum lyratum herb. Che Qian Cao (plantain herb) and other damp-heat-clearing herbs are not this drug.
Nature and channels	Cold, bitter, sweet. Enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Kidney. Cold bitter sweet clears damp-heat, resolves toxin, and disperses swelling.
Pharmacopoeia line	Clears damp-heat and resolves toxin. Used for damp-heat jaundice and heat-toxin swellings.
Pattern cues	Yellow skin and eyes. Deep dark urine. Bitter mouth. Yellow greasy tongue coat. Red swollen painful sores. Swollen sore throat.
In this article	Bai Ying versus Che Qian Cao. Clearing liver-gallbladder damp-heat versus promoting urination. Why cold-deficiency bodies should skip it. Home tea.

What Is Bai Ying?

Bai Ying (白英; Bái Yīng; Latin: Solani Lyrati Herba; English: bittersweet nightshade herb, Solanum lyratum) is the dried above-ground part — stem, leaves, and root — of a creeping perennial herb of the nightshade family, gathered in summer and autumn and dried in sections, the thin white-hairy stems with a faint grassy smell that practitioners add to formulas when damp-heat settles in the liver-gallbladder or shows on the skin. It is cold, bitter and sweet, enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Kidney channels, and its core actions are to clear damp-heat, and to resolve toxin and disperse swelling. The usual amount is 10–15 g in a decoction, and much less in daily teas. It is a medicinal piece — not an ordinary vegetable — and is not for casual long-term use.

It is not Che Qian Cao. Plantain herb is also cold and clears damp-heat — it leans to promoting urination and unblocking painful urination, plus resolving phlegm; this herb leans to clearing damp-heat and resolving toxin, better for damp-heat jaundice and skin sores. It is not a general damp-heat or sore herb; it acts within clear patterns. In spleen-stomach cold deficiency — cold hands and feet, loose stools — using it on your own is a poor match. Yellow skin and eyes with dark urine, or a fast-spreading red sore, needs a clinic first. Do not use it yourself for a long time.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Damp-heat jaundice — yellow skin and eyes, deep dark urine, a bitter mouth, a yellow greasy tongue coat
Heat-toxin swellings — red swollen painful sores with a pus tendency, or a swollen sore throat
Spleen-stomach cold deficiency, pregnancy, or a markedly unwell child — seek care / skip it

Cold, bitter, and draining, it is not a daily "damp-heat tea" to keep drinking. Cooling and draining when there is no damp-heat, or in a cold-stomach body, injures the middle yang instead of helping.

When damp-heat from a hot wet season or from irregular living gathers in the liver-gallbladder — yellowing skin and eyes, a bitter mouth, a yellow greasy coat — or shows as red swollen skin sores, the body needs a clear-and-resolve rather than a blind supplement. Bai Ying is cold, bitter, and sweet. It clears the damp-heat, resolves the toxin, and disperses the swelling, which is why it appears in Bai Ying Tang (Bittersweet Nightshade Decoction)–type formulas. It drains more than it holds. In spleen-stomach cold deficiency, without damp-heat, more makes it worse.

Bai Ying is not a catch-all damp-heat or sore herb. In spleen-stomach cold deficiency, in pregnancy, or without damp-heat, using it alone is a poor match. Whether it belongs in a formula, and at what dose, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Bai Ying: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Solani Lyrati Herba

Botanical Origin

The dried whole herb of Solanum lyratum Thunb. (Solanaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Henan and areas south of the Yangtze River.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is greenish, leafy, hairy.

Macroscopic Features

Stem is twining, 30~70cm long, externally grayish-yellow or dark green, covered with white hairs. Leaves alternate, often shrunken; leaf blade is ovate or harp-shaped, 3~8cm long, grayish-green. Fruit is spherical, red or black when ripe. Faint odor, taste bitter.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Classic texts and trade experience favor herbs from several provinces along the middle and lower Yangtze, but quality still depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. The good piece shows thin stems with obvious white soft hairs, intact fresh green leaves, a faint grassy smell, and a slightly bitter taste. The raw and processed pieces differ little — mainly the section-cutting for decoction. The common look-alike is another nightshade-family plant with fewer leaf hairs and black-red ripe berries — check these features to tell them apart.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Sweet, Bitter; Cold; Slightly toxicLiverGallbladderKidney

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: lists Bai Ying in the upper class — "for feverish chills, the eight evils, wasting-thirst, and boosting the middle and supplementing the qi."
Ming Yi Bie Lu: adds — "not toxic; is used for scabbed sores and long-standing foul sores."
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: notes — "eaten raw in soup, it relieves fatigue."
Ben Cao Gang Mu: records its use for malarial chills and fever and jaundice.
De Pei Ben Cao: notes it dispels wind and clears damp-heat.
Zhong Hua Ben Cao: includes its use for damp-heat jaundice and swellings with sores and toxin.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Early records lean on the "boost the middle and supplement the qi" side; later records — especially Ben Cao Gang Mu — stress the clearing damp-heat and resolving toxin; some doctors add its use for alternating chills and fever of malarial type, and some warn it is not for cold-deficient bodies. The range keeps its scope flexible but bounded — damp-heat and toxin, not a universal tonic for every constitution.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Clears heat and drains dampness, resolves toxin and reduces swelling.

1. Main Use 1: Clearing Damp-Heat

(1) Traditional action: clearing the damp-heat of the liver-gallbladder and kidney channels and helping the body drain the damp-heat evil. (2) Typical patterns: damp-heat jaundice (yellow skin and eyes, deep dark urine), difficult or painful scanty urination from damp-heat below, plus a bitter mouth and a yellow greasy tongue coat. (3) Usual pairings: Yin Chen and Zhi Zi to strengthen the jaundice-clearing and urine-unblocking. (4) Not for self-use: spleen-stomach cold deficiency — cold hands and feet, loose stools — the cold-draining nature may worsen the deficiency cold.

2. Main Use 2: Resolving Toxin and Dispersing Swelling

(1) Traditional action: clearing heat-toxin and dispersing swellings — for heat-toxin gathering on the surface or inside. (2) Typical patterns: skin sores with pus tendency (red swollen painful spots), a swollen sore throat, or gum swelling and red swollen eyes from heat-toxin. (3) Usual pairings: Jin Yin Hua and Pu Gong Ying for surface heat-toxin; Ban Lan Gen and Xuan Shen for throat heat-toxin. (4) Not for self-use: weak long-ill bodies — over-draining may consume the healthy qi.

3. A Classic Pairing

Bai Ying pairs classically with Che Qian Cao: the bittersweet herb clears damp-heat of the lower burner; the plantain herb clears heat, promotes urination, and unblocks painful urination — the pair strengthens the urine-flow and damp-heat clearing for difficult or painful scanty urination from damp-heat below. The pairing needs a practitioner's pattern diagnosis — never self-pair.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Detected in the plant are alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and volatile oils. In vitro, some alkaloid constituents inhibit the growth of certain bacteria; in animals, the extract eases some inflammation-type responses; no human clinical study has yet reached a clear conclusion about its effects.

2. Current Research Directions

Current work centers on two directions: the inflammation-related effects — the extract modulates some inflammation-related signaling pathways in cell experiments; and the metabolism-related effects — the polysaccharide constituents may regulate water-salt metabolism in animals. Most of this is at the basic stage and still needs human verification.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — the human environment differs greatly from animals and cell cultures.
Extracts are not decoction pieces — the experimental doses differ greatly from daily medicinal or food doses.
Doses and preparations vary between studies — the variety, extraction method, and dose differ, so results cannot be compared directly.
One component does not define the whole herb — the herb acts as a team of constituents; one component cannot represent the whole.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Both clear damp-heat as a core action.
Both are used for difficult or painful urination from damp-heat.
Both need constitution and dose care — cold-deficient bodies should be cautious.

2. Key Differences

Nature and flavor: Bai Ying is cold, bitter, and sweet, entering the Liver, Gallbladder, and Kidney; Che Qian Cao is also cold and sweet, entering the Liver, Kidney, Lung, and Small Intestine. Both are cold clearing-draining herbs, but Bai Ying is more bitter and leans to the liver-gallbladder and kidney channels; Che Qian Cao is sweeter and leans to the small intestine and lung. Focus: Bai Ying clears damp-heat to fade jaundice and resolves toxin to disperse swelling — for damp-heat jaundice and skin sores; Che Qian Cao promotes urination, unblocks painful urination, and resolves phlegm — for painful scanty urine and cough with much phlegm. Tendency: Bai Ying drains downward and outward — pushing damp-heat and heat-toxin out without disturbing the lift-sink of the qi; Che Qian Cao drains downward with a phlegm-resolving note — unblocking urine and easing lung phlegm-damp. Best fit: Bai Ying for liver-gallbladder damp-heat jaundice and red swollen skin; Che Qian Cao for lower-burner painful scanty urine and lung phlegm cough. Who should avoid: Bai Ying — spleen-stomach cold deficiency, cold hands and feet, loose stools, and pregnancy without a practitioner; Che Qian Cao — same cold-deficiency caution, with clearer warnings for lung-qi-deficient chronic cough and small-intestine cold loose stools. Where you meet them: Bai Ying in jaundice and skin-sore formulas and bitter-mouth, sore-throat care; Che Qian Cao in painful-urination and phlegm-cough formulas and summer damp-heat daily care.

3. One-Line Takeaway

In short, Bai Ying leans to clearing liver-gallbladder damp-heat and resolving toxin; Che Qian Cao leans to promoting urination and resolving phlegm. Both serve damp-heat urinary problems — but they are not stand-ins for each other.

Classical Formulas Containing Bai Ying

Classic Formula 1: Bai Ying Tang

Role of this herb: in Bai Ying Tang (Bittersweet Nightshade Decoction), Bai Ying is the monarch — clearing damp-heat and resolving toxin — with Yin Chen and Zhi Zi as supporting herbs strengthening the liver-gallbladder damp-heat clearing and jaundice-fading, and Fu Ling and Ze Xie assisting the urine-flow so the damp-heat leaves through the urine. Alone, the herb cannot cover the urine-unblocking and jaundice-fading of the full pattern. Traditional focus: liver-gallbladder damp-heat jaundice — yellow skin and eyes, deep dark urine, a full belly, poor appetite. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — never self-apply the formula just because its name sounds related to jaundice.

Classic Formula 2: Pai Feng San

Role of this herb: in Pai Feng San (Wind-Dispelling Powder), Bai Ying is the monarch — dispelling wind, clearing damp, and resolving toxin — with Fang Feng and Qin Jiao as supporting herbs strengthening the wind-damp clearing and channel-easing pain relief, and Jin Yin Hua and Lian Qiao adding toxin resolution and harmonizing the nature. Alone, the herb cannot cover the wind-dispelling and toxin-resolving of the full pattern. Traditional focus: wind-damp-heat-toxin — joint pain, skin sores, and a swollen sore throat. Modern note: professional diagnosis first — never self-apply the traditional indications; adjust by the actual case.

Formula vs. Single Herb

A formula is a coordinated whole — each herb has a clear job and the pairings are designed together; a single herb cannot reproduce the full effect. The common misunderstanding is that a herb that works in a formula will work the same way alone — the formula's synergy is missing, and the single herb may even bring discomfort from its one-sided nature. Do not self-formulate from web articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Tea

Example — Bai Ying and green-tea drink: Bai Ying 5 g, Lv Cha 3 g — put both in a cup, pour boiling water, cover 10 minutes, and drink. Fit: mild damp-heat — occasional bitter mouth, yellow urine — for summer or damp-heat-leaning bodies. Not for: spleen-stomach cold deficiency and loose stools. Frequency: 1–2 times a week; no long continuous use. Note: Bai Ying is a medicinal piece, not an ordinary food — never raise the dose or drink it long-term.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The raw piece is the common form — no special processing — and fits daily teas and decoctions. Bai Ying needs no first, last, wrapped, or rinsed-down step: at home, rinse the pieces, soak 20 minutes, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. Different forms cannot be converted directly — the tea dose of 5 g differs greatly from the prescription dose of 10–15 g; never swap them.

3. Dosage and How Long to Use

The classic range is 10–15 g; food-remedy doses are 3–5 g — the two differ clearly and must not be confused. No long continuous use — generally no more than 1 week; special groups should consult a practitioner or pharmacist first and never extend the use on their own.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Spleen-stomach cold deficiency — cold hands and feet, loose stools — avoid; pregnancy and nursing — insufficient safety data, be cautious; children and the elderly — weaker tolerance, use under a practitioner; liver or kidney impairment — the herb is metabolized by the liver and kidney, avoid self-use; allergy to Bai Ying or the nightshade family — avoid.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

Bai Ying may interact with anticoagulant, blood-pressure, and blood-sugar medicines, affecting absorption or metabolism. No blanket "food clash" between ordinary foods is established, but certain herbs may interact with specific medicines — consult a doctor or pharmacist before self-pairing.

3. Side Effects and Overuse

Overuse may bring stomach-gut discomfort — nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If marked discomfort, an allergic reaction, persistent vomiting, breathing difficulty, confusion, or a rapid worsening of symptoms occurs, stop at once and seek care — never self-manage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bai Ying

What is Baiying? Is it the same as Longkui or Baimaoteng?

Baiying is the dried whole plant of Solanum lyratum, Latin name Solani Lyrati Herba. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on clearing heat and draining dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling, and anti-cancer effects. Longkui clears heat and detoxifies while promoting urination. Baimaoteng is related. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Baiying. Caution in spleen-stomach deficiency cold.

What are the composition and effects of Baiying?

Pharmacopoeial name Baiying, Latin Solanum lyratum Thunb. Bitter in taste, cold in nature, slightly toxic, enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians. Functions to clear heat and drain dampness, detoxify and reduce swelling, and exert anti-cancer effects. Used for damp-heat jaundice, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, nephritic edema, wind-damp joint pain, damp-heat vaginal discharge, pediatric high fever with fright and convulsions, abscesses and malignant sores, and cancerous swelling. Clears heat and detoxifies.

How to choose between raw and processed? Can Longkui replace it?

Whole plant is used raw. Longkui emphasizes promoting urination rather than strongly exerting anti-cancer effects, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Baiying? Can it be used daily as a heat-clearing tea?

Decoction, 15-30g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Baiying tea." Slightly toxic. Spleen-stomach deficiency cold will be further injured by prolonged use. Damp-heat requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Baiying? Can pregnant women use it?

Slightly toxic. Not suitable for spleen-stomach deficiency cold. Pregnant women require physician evaluation. Stop if dry mouth or fatigue occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe damp-heat or high fever.

Can Baiying clear heat, drain dampness, and exert anti-cancer effects?

It can assist damp-heat jaundice, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, nephritic edema, wind-damp joint pain, damp-heat vaginal discharge, pediatric high fever with fright and convulsions, abscesses and malignant sores, and cancerous swelling. It clears heat and drains dampness, detoxifies and reduces swelling, and exerts anti-cancer effects, but is not a specific remedy for all jaundice or all cancerous swelling.

Can Baiying be taken daily as a heat-clearing or anti-cancer tea?

Damp-heat can be used short-term in formulas; spleen-stomach deficiency cold will be further injured. The idea that "Baiying must clear heat" cannot replace evaluation. Clearing heat and draining dampness requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Baiying, Longkui, Baimaoteng, Banzhilian, and Baihuasheshecao?

Baiying clears heat and exerts anti-cancer effects, suited to jaundice. Longkui clears heat and promotes urination. Baimaoteng is related. Banzhilian clears heat and promotes urination. Baihuasheshecao clears heat and exerts anti-cancer effects. Choose Baiying for clearing heat; Longkui for promoting urination; Banzhilian for promoting urination; Baihuasheshecao for anti-cancer effects. Pattern differentiation applies, but large doses of Baiying are contraindicated in spleen-stomach deficiency cold.

How is Baiying commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Yinchen for jaundice; add Baihuasheshecao for cancerous swelling. Specify Baiying; do not substitute Longkui in equal amounts for anti-cancer effects.

How to select and store Baiying?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact whole plants. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Baiying"; do not substitute Longkui or Banzhilian in equal amounts for clearing heat, draining dampness, and exerting anti-cancer effects.

Related Products

Nong's Bai Ying (Bittersweet Nightshade) Single Herb 5:1 Concentrated Granules $41.42

Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.