TCM Properties

Traditional Use

Clears Heat and resolves toxicity — principal herb for hot dysentery and diarrhea
Cools Blood and stops bleeding — hematochezia, uterine bleeding, hemorrhoids
Anti-inflammatory for skin disorders — eczema, urticaria, carbuncles, insect bites
Treats bacterial dysentery and enteritis

Detoxifies snake and insect bites — external application of fresh herb
Edible medicinal food — consumed raw or cooked in Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Mediterranean cuisine; nutritional supplementation

Ma Chi Xian Dan (马齿苋单方) — single-herb decoction of fresh purslane for bacillary dysentery; classic folk formula still cited in modern TCM emergency texts
Combined with Bai Tou Weng (白头翁) and Huang Lian (黄连) in formulas for hot bloody dysentery

Ben Cao Gang Mu (Li Shizhen): 'Ma Chi Xian (horse-tooth amaranth, named for the leaf shape) cools blood, clears heat, resolves sores, treats dysentery and diarrhea, expels toxicity, and eliminates carbuncles — it is an herb of longevity if eaten regularly'
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: documents Ma Chi Xian for treating cardiac pain and removing evil Qi — later commentaries clarified the cardiac reference as a metaphor for reducing excessive Heat from the Heart channel

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA; one of the highest plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids)
Quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol (flavonoids)
Betacyanins and betaxanthins (pigments; antioxidant)
Noradrenaline (catecholamine; present in leaves)
Melatonin (highest plant-source concentration among edible vegetables)
Polysaccharides (immunomodulatory)
Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol

Comprehensive pharmacological review: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, anti-ulcerogenic, and anticancer activities confirmed; omega-3 ALA content supports anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits consistent with the Blood-cooling, Heat-clearing TCM profile (PMID 25692148)
Ulcerative colitis: polysaccharides and flavonoids from P. oleracea reduce colonic inflammation in DSS-induced colitis models via NF-κB inhibition and restoration of colonic mucosal barrier integrity — provides mechanistic basis for classical dysentery/intestinal heat application (PMC11646371)
Antibacterial: new compounds (portulacatol and related dihydrobenzofurans) isolated from P. oleracea show significant activity against enteropathogenic bacteria including Shigella dysenteriae and E. coli — directly validates the bacillary dysentery folk application (PMID 26378504)

Cold-Damp dysentery or diarrhea (pale stools, cold abdomen, no fever)
Spleen-Stomach Deficiency Cold with loose stools
Pregnancy — cooling and Blood-moving properties; traditional caution against use in pregnancy

Standard dose 9–15g dried herb; 30–60g fresh herb
Considered safe at food and therapeutic doses based on centuries of culinary and medicinal use across multiple cultures
High oxalate content in fresh herb — caution in patients with kidney stones (calcium oxalate type) or hyperoxaluria; cooking reduces oxalate load
Melatonin content: may have mild sedative synergy with central nervous system depressants; clinically minor at standard doses