Fruits and seedsBlood-activatingVaccariae Semen

Wang Bu Liu Xing (Cowherb Seed)

Q: How to choose between raw and processed? Can Lulutong replace it?

The seeds are stir-fried. Lulutong emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly promoting lactation, and cannot replace Wangbuliuxing in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized, so do not adjust arbitrarily.

Q: What is the dosage of Wangbuliuxing? Can it be used daily as a lactation-promoting tea?

Decoction dosage is 5–10 g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round Wangbuliuxing tea, and prolonged use in pregnancy may cause harm. For insufficient lactation, it should be used short-term with physician guidance and cannot replace evaluation.

Q: What are the contraindications of Wangbuliuxing? Can pregnant women use it?

It is not suitable for pregnant women. Blood deficiency without stasis requires physician evaluation. Stop if loose stools or abdominal pain occur, and seek immediate medical care for severe insufficient lactation or high fever.

Q: Can Wangbuliuxing activate blood, promote lactation, and relieve strangury?

It can be used to assist amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, insufficient lactation, breast abscess, and strangury with pain. It activates blood and unblocks the meridians, promotes lactation and reduces swelling, and promotes urination to relieve strangury, but it is not a specific remedy for all insufficient lactation or all strangury.

Q: Can Wangbuliuxing be taken daily as a lactation-promoting or meridian-unblocking tea?

Blood stasis with insufficient lactation can be treated short-term in formulas, but pregnancy may be harmed. The idea that Wangbuliuxing must promote lactation cannot replace evaluation; activating blood and promoting lactation requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

A practical guide to Wang Bu Liu Xing: 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	Vaccariae Semen
Chinese Name & Pinyin	王不留行 · Wang Bu Liu Xing
Medicinal Part	Fruits and seeds
The item	Wang Bu Liu Xing is the dried ripe seed of Vaccaria hispanica, usually fried before use. It usually goes into a standard decoction.
Nature and channels	Bitter, neutral. Enters the Liver and Stomach. It invigorates blood, unblocks the menses, and promotes lactation.
Pharmacopoeia line	Activates blood and unblocks the menses, promotes lactation and reduces swelling, and frees urination. Traditionally used for delayed scanty periods, postpartum scanty milk, breast swelling, and sores.
Pattern cues	Delayed clotted periods. Lower-abdominal pain. Postpartum breast distension. Scanty milk.
In this article	Wang Bu Liu Xing versus Lu Lu Tong. Unblocking menses versus expelling wind. Why pregnancy is a hard stop. Why broken or pus-filled breasts need a clinic. Who should skip it.

What Is Wang Bu Liu Xing?

Wang Bu Liu Xing (王不留行; Wáng Bù Liú Xíng; Latin: Vaccariae Semen; English: vaccaria seed) in the current pharmacopoeia is the dried ripe seed of Vaccaria hispanica, of the pink family; the raw seed is hard, so the fried seed, crisp and easy to extract, is the usual kitchen and decoction piece. It is bitter and neutral, enters the Liver and Stomach channels, and its core actions are to invigorate blood and unblock the menses, and to promote lactation and reduce swelling. It usually goes into a standard decoction, with no special first-decoct or late-adding step. The usual amount is 5–10 g, and a home tea stays around 3–5 g.

It is not Lu Lu Tong. Lu Lu Tong is bitter with a faint astringency and neutral; it expels wind, unblocks the collaterals, and promotes diuresis, suiting wind-damp joint pain and edema. Wang Bu Liu Xing descends and focuses on gynecological blood stasis and blocked milk flow. Pregnancy is contraindicated. Heavy periods should not add it themselves. A breast that is broken, pus-filled, or red-hot needs a clinic first. Use caution in yin deficiency with effulgent fire.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Blood-stasis menstrual block — delayed, scanty periods with dark clots and lower-abdominal pain
Postpartum blocked milk — breast distension and pain with scanty or absent milk
Breast swelling, carbuncles, and sores — seek care

Bitter and neutral, it is not a daily “flow seed” to keep taking. Moving blood when there is no stasis, or with heavy bleeding, scatters upright qi.

When stasis blocks the Conception and Penetrating vessels, the period is delayed and painful; when qi-blood cannot reach the breast after childbirth, milk stalls behind a tender, full breast. Wang Bu Liu Xing is bitter and neutral. It descends and opens rather than strongly warming, which is why it appears in Tong Ru Dan (Milk-Freeing Pill)–type formulas and Wang Bu Liu Xing San (Vaccaria Powder)–type formulas. It moves more than it builds. Pregnancy, or heavy periods, get worse if more is added.

Wang Bu Liu Xing is not a catch-all flow or milk seed. In pregnancy, with heavy periods, or without any stasis, using it alone is a poor match. Raw or fried, and whether it belongs in a formula, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Wang Bu Liu Xing: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Vaccariae Semen

Botanical Origin

The dried mature seed of Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke.(Caryophyllaceae)

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is full, black.

Macroscopic Features

Spherical, about 2mm diameter. Externally black, occasionally reddish-brown, slightly lustrous, with intricate granular raised spots, with one pale round spotted hilum and one indented longitudinal shallow groove. Firm texture, fractured surface is grayish-white, horn-like. faint odor, slightly astringent, bitter taste.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Traditional materia medica and industry experience value the Wang Bu Liu Xing of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan, but actual quality also depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. Good-quality seeds should be plump, black and shiny, free of worm damage and impurities, with a faint grassy odor and a slightly astringent taste. The difference between raw and processed: the raw seed is hard with a shiny surface; the stir-fried seed shows a milky-white surface with slightly burst scorch spots and a crisp texture. The common look-alikes are the seeds of other plants of the same family — those seeds are smaller, lighter in color, and their surface granulations are less obvious; check carefully.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Bitter; NeutralLiverStomach

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: says Wang Bu Liu Xing "mainly treats metal wounds, stops bleeding and expels pain, draws out thorns, and removes wind bi with internal cold."
Ming Yi Bie Lu: adds that it "stops vexation, nasal bleeding, deep abscesses and malignant sores, breast fistula, and difficult childbirth for women."
Xin Xiu Ben Cao: mentions that it can "promote milk."
Ben Cao Gang Mu: clarifies that it "frees urination and draws out wood and bamboo splinters."
De Pei Ben Cao: records that it "removes wind toxin and frees the blood vessels."
Zhong Hua Ben Cao: summarizes its actions as activating blood and freeing the meridians, promoting lactation and reducing swelling, and promoting urination to relieve strangury.

These records mostly revolve around freeing the meridians and dispersing blockage — none mention a tonifying action.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Views among physicians differ somewhat. Some early physicians leaned more on its blood-activating, mass-scattering action — mostly for metal wounds, abscesses, and other external-injury or sore conditions; later physicians gradually came to its gynecological use, especially postpartum low milk; some stress its "activating blood without breaking qi" character — holding that it frees the meridians without damaging the healthy qi, fitting some of the weaker-constitution people. Still others point out that Wang Bu Liu Xing leans sinking — not for pregnant women or those with heavy periods — showing a strict control of its scope, to avoid treating it as a universal herb.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Activates blood and unblocks menses, promotes lactation and reduces swelling, and promotes diuresis and relieves stranguria.

1. First Direction: Activating Blood and Freeing the Meridians

Traditional action: free the blocked meridians, promote the movement of qi and blood, and improve the problem of blocked menstruation.
Typical signs: mostly the blood-stasis type of irregular menstruation — delayed periods, scanty flow, dark red blood with clots, accompanied by lower-abdominal pain and breast distension and pain.
Usual combinations: often paired with blood-activating, menstruation-regulating herbs such as Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Hong Hua; qi-regulating herbs such as Xiang Fu and Chai Hu may be added to regulate qi movement and promote the qi-blood flow.
Who should not self-use: pregnant women — the blood-activating action may cause uterine contractions; those with heavy periods — self-use may worsen the bleeding.

2. Second Direction: Promoting Lactation and Reducing Swelling

Traditional action: promote the secretion of milk while dispersing the breast swelling and blockage.
Typical signs: mostly postpartum no milk or milk stasis — breast distension and pain, poor milk flow, or with breast redness, swelling, and pain.
Usual combinations: often paired with lactation-promoting herbs such as Chuan Shan Jia and Tong Cao; for mastitis signs with breast redness, swelling, heat, and pain, the heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herbs Pu Gong Ying and Jin Yin Hua can be combined to disperse the swelling.
Who should not self-use: those with excessive postpartum milk — self-use may cause over-secretion; those with broken breast skin or obvious suppurative infection — do not self-treat; seek medical care in time.

3. Classic Pairing: Wang Bu Liu Xing With Chuan Shan Jia

The common pair is Wang Bu Liu Xing with Chuan Shan Jia. Chuan Shan Jia frees the meridians, promotes lactation, reduces swelling, and expels pus; Wang Bu Liu Xing activates blood, frees the meridians, promotes lactation, and reduces swelling. Combined, the two mutually strengthen the meridian-freeing and milk-secreting actions; Chuan Shan Jia can also help Wang Bu Liu Xing reach the blocked meridian areas — serving a guiding role. This fits the patterns of postpartum blocked milk flow or milk stasis — but the physician's pattern diagnosis is needed; do not pair and take on your own.

Modern Research

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

1. Main Chemical Constituents

The constituents detected in the plant include triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, cyclopeptides, organic acids, and sterols — the triterpenoid saponins being one of the main active constituents. In in vitro experiments, some triterpenoid saponin constituents showed a certain anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors; in animal experiments, the Wang Bu Liu Xing extract showed a certain promoting effect on the proliferation of mouse mammary cells, and improved the blood-circulation state of rats. No human clinical study of Wang Bu Liu Xing has been conducted yet, so no conclusion on the specific effect after human use can be drawn.

2. Current Research Directions

Current research mainly focuses on the screening of blood-activating and lactation-related active constituents, and the effects on mammary cells and blood circulation:

In experiments, the extract can inhibit the activation of some inflammatory cells in vitro — hinting at a possible anti-inflammatory potential.
In animal experiments, it also showed a promoting effect on the milk secretion of postpartum rats.

Such results still need more human research to verify before the actual value of its human use can be clarified.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — in vitro and animal results cannot be directly equated with the therapeutic effect after taking Wang Bu Liu Xing, because the human physiological environment differs greatly from the experimental environment.
Extracts and monomers are not the same as traditional decoction pieces — the dose, purity, and administration of the extracts or monomers used in modern research differ completely from the traditional Wang Bu Liu Xing slices — they cannot be converted directly.
Doses and preparation methods vary between studies — the dose and extraction method differ across studies, so the experimental results may differ and no unified conclusion can be formed.
A single component does not define the whole herb — Wang Bu Liu Xing is a whole of many constituents acting together; studying only one constituent's activity cannot fully reflect the whole herb's actual function.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Choosing Lu Lu Tong as the similar herb, the two share these points:

Both have the main action of activating blood and freeing the collaterals — freeing the blockage of the meridians.
Both can be used for the traditional patterns of gynecological irregular menstruation and postpartum blocked milk flow.
Both need constitution and dose considered — avoid over-freeing, which damages the healthy qi.

2. The Key Differences: Wang Bu Liu Xing vs. Lu Lu Tong

Nature and flavors: Wang Bu Liu Xing is neutral with a leaning-bitter flavor; Lu Lu Tong is neutral with a bitter flavor and a faint astringency — the natures are close, but Lu Lu Tong's astringency gives it a converging feature, while Wang Bu Liu Xing's bitterness leans more to discharge and scatter.
Focus: Wang Bu Liu Xing leans to activating blood, freeing the meridians, promoting lactation, and reducing swelling — a common herb in gynecological regulation for qi-blood blockage; Lu Lu Tong leans to expelling wind, freeing the collaterals, draining water, and reducing swelling — often for wind-damp bi pain, limb and joint numbness, and edema.
Qi tendency: Wang Bu Liu Xing's action leans sinking — mainly regulating the qi-blood blockage in the meridians and promoting downward, inward movement; Lu Lu Tong's action leans free-passing — regulating qi and blood and also sorting out the superficial meridians, moving qi outward and upward.
Best fit: Wang Bu Liu Xing's indicators concentrate on gynecological menstrual blockage and postpartum no milk — lower-abdominal pain and breast distension and pain; Lu Lu Tong's indicators are broader — besides gynecological problems, also limb and joint pain with limited movement, and edema with difficult urination.
Not suitable: Wang Bu Liu Xing's contraindications lean to pregnant women and those with heavy periods; Lu Lu Tong's contraindications include, besides pregnant women, those with yin deficiency with vigorous fire and heavy periods — because its wind-expelling, collateral-freeing action may worsen the internal deficiency fire.
Use scenes: Wang Bu Liu Xing more often appears in gynecological menstruation-regulating and lactation-promoting formulas — such as the Tong Ru Dan for postpartum low milk; Lu Lu Tong more often appears in the formulas for wind-damp bi pain and edema — such as the Juan Bi Tang for joint pain.

3. One-Sentence Summary

Simply put, Wang Bu Liu Xing leans toward activating blood, freeing the meridians, promoting lactation, and reducing swelling — mostly for gynecological qi-blood blockage; Lu Lu Tong leans toward expelling wind, freeing the collaterals, draining water, and reducing swelling — mostly for limb-joint and edema regulation. Both can be used for meridian blockage, but they are not interchangeable.

Classical Formulas Containing Wang Bu Liu Xing

Classic Formula 1: Tong Ru Dan (Milk-Freeing Pill)

Combination logic: In Tong Ru Dan, Wang Bu Liu Xing serves as a minister; Huang Qi is the lord for tonifying qi, Dang Gui is a minister for nourishing blood, and Wang Bu Liu Xing works with Zhu Ti Jia and Tong Cao as assistants — playing the lactation-promoting, collateral-freeing role. The formula mainly addresses the blocked milk flow of postpartum qi-blood deficiency: Wang Bu Liu Xing's blood-activating, collateral-freeing action helps the effects of Dang Gui and Huang Qi reach the breasts and promotes milk secretion — coordinating with the other herbs to both tonify qi-blood and free the meridians. Wang Bu Liu Xing cannot be used alone, because alone it lacks the qi-tonifying, blood-nourishing foundation and cannot fundamentally improve the milk deficiency.

Traditional use: traditionally used for the postpartum milk-block of qi-blood deficiency with meridian blockage — shown as scanty or completely absent postpartum milk, soft breasts without distension or pain, with a pale complexion, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires the doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care — do not self-apply just because the formula name relates to postpartum low milk.

Classic Formula 2: Wang Bu Liu Xing San (Vaccaria Powder)

Combination logic: In Wang Bu Liu Xing San, Wang Bu Liu Xing is the lord — activating blood, scattering accumulations, stopping bleeding, and settling pain — with Huang Qin, Hou Po, and Shao Yao as ministers and assistants — coordinating to regulate qi and blood and clear internal heat. The formula mainly addresses the metal-wound bleeding and pain of external injury, and the swelling and pain of abscesses and sores: Wang Bu Liu Xing's mass-scattering action helps disperse the sore blockage, and its bleeding-stopping action eases the traumatic bleeding — coordinating with the other herbs to attend to activating blood, stopping bleeding, and clearing heat. Wang Bu Liu Xing cannot be used alone, because alone it lacks the heat-clearing and qi-regulating herbs and cannot fully improve the external-injury or sore symptoms.

Traditional use: traditionally used for metal wounds, deep abscesses and malignant sores, traumatic bleeding, and pain.

Modern note: modern clinical use requires the doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care — do not self-apply just because the formula name relates to external injury.

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

A formula is a whole in which many herbs act together. A single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effect — the doses and combinations in a formula are holistic, and the synergy between the different herbs is something a single herb cannot achieve. The common misunderstanding: a herb that works in a formula means taking it alone produces the same effect — in fact, the herbs in a formula are combined by the lord-minister-assistant-courier principle and the doses are adjusted to the specific pattern; taking one alone cannot reach the same regulating effect. Do not build formulas from online articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Tea

Tea: stir-fried Wang Bu Liu Xing 5 g, stir-fried Mai Ya 10 g, Mei Gui Hua 3 g. Put the three ingredients into a cup, steep in boiling water, cover 10 minutes, and drink; it can be re-steeped until the flavor fades. Suited to postpartum milk stasis with mild breast distension and pain, or menstrual breast distension and pain with pent-up emotions. Not for pregnant women, those with heavy periods, or those with excessive postpartum milk. Suggested: 2–3 times a week, 1 cup each time; do not drink continuously long-term.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The raw Wang Bu Liu Xing is hard in texture — the active constituents do not release easily when decocted directly, so the stir-fried form is generally used for home decoction; after stir-frying, the seed becomes crisp and releases its active constituents more easily. Wang Bu Liu Xing needs no special decocting method — it can be put into the pot with the other herbs, soaked in water 30 minutes, then decocted; no pre-boiling, late addition, or bag-boiling is needed. Different forms cannot be converted directly — for example, the dose in the tea is far smaller than that in a medicinal prescription; do not use the tea dose as the medicinal dose.

3. Dosage and Course

The common dose in traditional prescriptions is 5–10 g; the food-therapy dose is generally 3–5 g — far below the medicinal dose. Long-term continuous use is not advised — do not use continuously beyond 2 weeks; if the symptoms do not improve, consult a physician or pharmacist. Special groups — such as pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children — should consult a professional first; do not adjust the dose or take long-term on your own.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Pregnant women — the blood-activating action may stimulate uterine contractions and increase the risk of miscarriage.
Those with heavy periods — self-use may worsen the bleeding.
Yin deficiency with vigorous fire — use cautiously; the bitter flavor may worsen the internal deficiency fire.
Broken or suppurating breast skin — do not self-treat; seek medical care in time.
Allergy to Caryophyllaceae (pink-family) plants — avoid use.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

There is no sufficient evidence of a "clash" between Wang Bu Liu Xing and ordinary foods, but certain herbs can interact with specific drugs — those taking anticoagulants, blood-pressure medications, and glucose-lowering medications should consult a doctor or pharmacist before using Wang Bu Liu Xing, to avoid affecting the absorption or metabolism of the drugs. Also, the blood-activating action may synergize with anticoagulants and increase the bleeding risk — use cautiously.

3. Adverse Reactions and Overdose Risk

At normal doses, Wang Bu Liu Xing is generally safe; a few people may have mild gastrointestinal discomfort — such as nausea and abdominal distension. An excessive dose may bring increased menstrual flow and abdominal pain. If marked discomfort, allergy signs (such as rash, itching, and breathing difficulty), persistent vomiting, altered consciousness, or rapidly worsening symptoms appear, stop at once and seek medical care — do not delay the condition.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wang Bu Liu Xing

What is Wangbuliuxing? Is it the same as Lulutong or Chuanshanjia?

Wangbuliuxing is the dried mature seed of Vaccaria segetalis, Latin name Vaccariae Semen. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on activating blood and unblocking meridians, promoting lactation and reducing swelling, and promoting urination to relieve strangury. Lulutong dispels wind and unblocks collaterals. Chuanshanjia activates blood and unblocks meridians to promote lactation. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Wangbuliuxing. Caution in pregnancy.

What are the composition and effects of Wangbuliuxing?

Pharmacopoeial name Wangbuliuxing, Latin Vaccaria segetalis (Neck.) Garcke. Bitter in taste, neutral in nature, enters the Liver and Stomach meridians. Functions to activate blood and unblock meridians, promote lactation and reduce swelling, and promote urination to relieve strangury. Used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, insufficient lactation, breast abscess, and strangury with pain. Activates blood and promotes lactation.

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

Seeds are stir-fried. Lulutong emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly promoting lactation, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Wangbuliuxing? Can it be used daily as a lactation-promoting tea?

Decoction, 5-10g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Wangbuliuxing tea." Pregnancy will be further injured by prolonged use. Insufficient lactation requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

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

Not suitable for pregnant women. Blood deficiency without stasis requires physician evaluation. Stop if loose stools or abdominal pain occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe insufficient lactation or high fever.

Can Wangbuliuxing activate blood, promote lactation, and relieve strangury?

It can assist amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, insufficient lactation, breast abscess, and strangury with pain. It activates blood and unblocks meridians, promotes lactation and reduces swelling, and promotes urination to relieve strangury, but is not a specific remedy for all insufficient lactation or all strangury.

Can Wangbuliuxing be taken daily as a lactation-promoting or meridian-unblocking tea?

Blood stasis with insufficient lactation can be used short-term in formulas; pregnancy will be further injured. The idea that "Wangbuliuxing must promote lactation" cannot replace evaluation. Activating blood and promoting lactation requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Wangbuliuxing, Lulutong, Chuanshanjia, Tongcao, and Loulu?

Wangbuliuxing activates blood and promotes lactation, suited to insufficient lactation. Lulutong dispels wind and unblocks collaterals. Chuanshanjia activates blood and promotes lactation. Tongcao clears heat and promotes urination. Loulu clears heat and detoxifies for lactation. Choose Wangbuliuxing for promoting lactation; Lulutong for unblocking collaterals; Chuanshanjia for unblocking meridians; Tongcao for promoting urination; Loulu for detoxifying. Pattern differentiation applies, but large doses of Wangbuliuxing are contraindicated in pregnancy.

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

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Tongcao for insufficient lactation; add Taoren for amenorrhea. Specify Wangbuliuxing; do not substitute Lulutong in equal amounts for promoting lactation.

How to select and store Wangbuliuxing?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact seeds. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Wangbuliuxing"; do not substitute Lulutong or Chuanshanjia in equal amounts for activating blood, promoting lactation, and relieving strangury.

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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.