Ai Ye

Chinese Name
Ai Ye

Latin Name
Artemisia argyi, A. vulgaris, A. indica, A. integrifolia

Family
Asteraceae

Common Name
Mugwort

Energy
Warm, dry

Taste
Bitter, pungent, fragrant

Part Used
Herb

Category
Regulates qi, disperses cold

Western Classification
Antifungal

Antimalarial

Antiviral

Bitter tonic

Carminative

Cholagogue

Diaphoretic

Expectorant

Hemostatic

Nervine

Triune Classification
Female Reproductive 	0

Digestion		-

Blood/Xue		-

Lung			- mild

Nervous System		0

Ch. Stomach/Spleen	-

Liver			- mild

Major Constituents
Aesculetin (Hydrocoumarin) Cadinene

Cineole (Essential Oil)

Pinene (Essential Oil)

Quercitin (Flavonoid)

Thujone (Essential Oil)

Vulgarin (Sesquiterpene Lactone)

Black Letter Symptoms
Warming bitter that disperses cold and damp in the GI tract and uterus.

Primary Uses
Mugwort is used for menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhea caused by cold (dull pain with dull brownish blood; the patient feels cold). It is combined with White Peony, Cinnamon, and Yarrow. It can also be used for excess menstrual bleeding (use ashed leaves), post-abortion bleeding, epistaxis, and hemoptysis.

It relieves pain and dispels cold in the GI tract - stomach ache, gas, nausea, cold/damp in the stomach/spleen, bacterial diarrhea - use it with Ginger, Cinnamon, Cyperus, or Spicebush. Moxibustion is used as an external source of heat to bring blood and qi to the injured tissue. It can be used on a stiff neck, sprains, to warm the kidneys and expel cold [early stages of the ﬂu, for blocked meridians caused by cold (arthralgias)], and to help turn breech babies. With an acute injury use ice ﬁrst, then moxa to enhance recovery. Moxa comes in sticks or powder.

It is a nervine and can be used for bad dreams (with Zizyphus seed and Gou Teng) or to stimulate dreaming as a tea combined with Rosemary, Holy Basil, and Lavender.

Secondary Uses
Damp coughs and asthma (with mucus) may be helped by Mugwort.

The fresh leaves crushed on warts are an effective treatment.

The dry leaves are used as a wash for oozing, red skin conditions, and itching.

A vinegar liniment of Mugwort can be applied topically for bruises and fungal infections.

In animal studies, Mugwort was effective for treating trichinellosis (Caner, et al, 2005) and showed hepatoprotective activity (Gilani, et al, 2005).

Dosage
Tea (Infusion): 1 tsp. dried herb, 8 oz. water, steep, covered, 40 min., take 4 oz. 3x/day

Tincture (1:5, 1:2.5), 40% ETOH Dose: 1-1.5 ml (20-30 gtt.) TID

Triune: 1/9 part

Preparations
Vinegar extract 1:5, 30-40 gtt. 3x/day

Stir-fried with vinegar: relieves abdominal pain

Stir-fried black: stops bleeding

Contraindications & Drug Interactions
Avoid its use in pregnancy unless reduced to ash.

Fire poison heat, i.e., a boil (blood heat)

Overdose can cause nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, dizziness, and diarrhea.

Special Notes
Japanese name: Gaiyo

Korean name: Aeyop

Mugwort is used in dream pillows to stimulate dreaming.

Additional Resources & References
Caner, A., Doskaya, M., et al, Comparison of The Effects of Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia absinthium Growing in Western Anatolia Against Trichinellosis (Trichinella spiralis) in Rats, Exp Parasitol, 2008, May;119(1):173-9

Cardini, F., Weixin, H., Moxibustion For Correction of Breech Presentation: A Randomized Controlled Trial, JAMA, 1998, Nov. 11; 280(18): 1580-4

Gilani, A.H., Yaeesh, S., et al, Hepatoprotective Activity of Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Artemisia vulgaris, Phytother Res., 2005, Feb;19(2):170-2