Herb module
Mu Dan Pi
Peony Tree Root Cortex (Moutan)Paeonia suffruticosa
Root bark of the tree peony, used to cool and move the Blood and clear Heat wherever it gathers.
Mu Dan Pi is the bark peeled from the root of the tree peony, a woody shrub famous for its huge blossoms. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is used to clear Heat, cool and move the Blood, and calm Liver Fire. Zoi includes it in both Allergy Relief | Atsáli™ and Kidney Meridian™.
Best functions
- Clears both excess and deficiency Heat
- Cools the Blood and keeps it moving, traditionally used to dispel Stasis
- Clears Liver Fire
- Used to drain pus and reduce swelling
Fascinating facts
- The tree peony is a woody shrub that keeps its stems through winter, unlike the garden peonies that die back to the ground each year.
- Zoi works with three different peony herbs. Mu Dan Pi is the root bark of the tree peony. Bai Shao is white peony root, and Chi Shao is red peony root, each with its own role.
- In China the tree peony is often called the 'king of flowers' and has a long place in painting and poetry. The city of Luoyang is especially known for its peony gardens.
- Research has looked at paeonol, a compound in the root bark, for its effects on several inflammatory pathways at once and on eosinophils, white blood cells involved in allergic reactions.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Mu Dan Pi is slightly cold in nature, with a bitter and pungent flavor, and enters the Heart, Liver, and Kidney meridians. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is a Blood-regulating herb.
Biomedical deep dive
Mu Dan Pi Peony Tree Root Cortex (Moutan)
From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.
On the fact sheet
- Mu Dan Pi (Peony Tree Root Cortex, Cortex radicis moutan) is slightly cold and enters the HT, LIV, and KI meridians; clears excess and deficiency Heat, cools and invigorates Blood, clears Liver Fire, drains pus and reduces swelling. Allergy Relief | Atsáli · Kidney Meridian sheets
Key active constituents
- Moutan Cortex polysaccharides (long sugar chains), named in cited rat studies (Zhang et al., Int J Biol Macromol 2022)
Pharmacology and mechanisms
- In Kidney Meridian, Cortex radicis moutan is grouped with Rehmannia, Dioscorea and cinnamon as herbs that reduce fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to slow harmful changes and protect the kidney in animals.
- Peony tree root has been shown to down-regulate eosinophil migration (allergy-related white blood cells) into the respiratory system.
- Paeonol (a key compound) inhibits COX-2, 5-LOX and NF-κB (three inflammation pathways) at once. Noa’s notes
- Antiallergic. Noa’s notes
- Antithrombotic (reduces blood clotting). Noa’s notes
What the research says
- Moutan Cortex polysaccharide eased diabetic kidney changes in rats, partly through the gut microbiota (Zhang et al., Int J Biol Macromol 2022).
- In animal studies, it decreased urinary protein and serum creatinine, two markers of kidney strain (Zhang et al., Int J Biol Macromol 2022).
- Moutan Cortex polysaccharide components protected against kidney injury in diabetic rats (Zhong and Zhi, 2022).
- Moutan Cortex Radicis reduced eotaxin release in human lung cells and slowed eosinophil migration (Kim et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2007).
Safety, interactions and cautions
- Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
- Use caution in pregnancy. Noa’s notes
- Use caution with heavy menstrual bleeding. Noa’s notes
In these Zoi formulas
- ★ Allergy Relief | Atsáli (#3 on the fact sheet)
- Kidney Meridian (#5 on the fact sheet)
