(Bei) Ban Lan Gen板蓝根

Radix IsatidisWoad Root

Also known asIsatidis Root · Indigo Wood Root

Usual doses

Drains Heat, relieves Fire toxicity, cools the Blood and benefits the throat: Warm febrile disease
Epidemic disorders, encephalitis B, measles, mumps
Seasonal toxic pathogens such as mumps, and painful, swollen throat conditions, upper respiratory infections
Damp-Heat jaundice, infectious hepatitis
Gallbladder Heat
Blood Heat

Patients allergic to sulfonylureas such as tolbutamide (Orinase), glipizide (Glucotrol) and glyburide (DiaBeta/Micronase), or to sulfonamides such as sulfanilamide, sulfisoxazole, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim/Septra) and erythromycin/sulfisoxazole (Pediazole), may also be allergic to Ban Lan Gen.
Caution is advised
when combined with anticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin) and enoxaparin (Lovenox), or antiplatelet agents such as aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine) and clopidogrel (Plavix).

Early-stage Wind-Heat.
- Xuan Shen
- Zhi Mu
Throat pain and swelling, acute tonsillitis and diphtheria.
- Xuan Shen
- Zhi Mu
- Jin Yin Hua
- Lian Qiao
- Shi Gao
Fever, irritability, dry throat and thirst caused by Heat.
- Shan Dou Gen
Marked pain, swelling and redness of the throat, teeth and gums from intense internal Heat accumulation; mouth and tongue ulcers.
- Niu Bang Zi
- Bai Jiang Cao
Mumps accompanied by throat pain and swelling.
- Qiang Huo
Heat toxin affecting the head and neck.
- Ma Bo
- Jie Geng
- Xuan Shen
Throat pain occurring within a massive febrile head disorder with pronounced fever and chills, and redness, swelling and burning facial pain.
- Yin Chen Hao
Jaundice from Damp-Heat, or Damp-Heat in the Liver/Gallbladder.
Febrile disorders.

In China it is used for a broad range of viral infections.
It is prepared as an instant tea for sore throat and hepatitis.
Applied topically, it can treat herpes simplex.
It is beneficial for carbuncles, oral ulcers, and bacterial and viral infections.
This is the northern form, Bei Ban Lan Gen, recognized as the standard plant by the Chinese pharmacopoeia.
The southern form, Nan Ban Lan Gen, is Rx. et Rz. Baphicacanthis and is regarded as inferior quality; when the exact plant source is unspecified, the name Ban Lan Gen alone is used.
Bei Ban Lan Gen can be substituted for Fol. Isatidis Da Qing Ye.
Bei Ban Lan Gen, Fol. Isatidis Da Qing Ye and Indigo Naturalis Qing Dai all derive from the same plants and share the ability to cool Heat in the Blood and fade skin blotches. Qing Dai is most effective for toxic sores from Fire and Heat, rashes from Warm toxins, hemoptysis, hematemesis and childhood convulsions; Da Qing Ye and Bei Ban Lan Gen both cool Heat toxin in the Heart and Stomach, though Da Qing Ye is generally used for rashes from Warm toxin while Bei Ban Lan Gen is used for massive febrile head disorders and throat obstruction caused by mumps.