Natural Herb Library

Stiff Silkworm

Chinese
僵蚕
Pinyin
Jiang Can
Latin
Bombyx Batryticatus
Scientific specimen plate of Stiff Silkworm, Bombyx batryticatus, showing raw Jiang Can specimen forms and diagnostic material details.
Botanical plate by Kodi .

Known in TCM as Jiang Can (僵蚕), this acrid and salty, neutral herb enters the Liver and Lung. Traditionally, it extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Jiang Can is used for convulsion, facial twitching, and wind-phlegm obstructing the channels, most often applied for facial paralysis, epilepsy, and sore throat. Modern research has identified Proteins, among its active constituents.

Also Known As

Raw Jiang Can Bombyx batryticatus Silkworm medicament

Latin: Bombyx Batryticatus | Pinyin: Jiang Can | Chinese: 僵蚕

TCM Properties

Taste
acrid, salty
Temperature
neutral
Channels
Liver, Lung

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Jiang Can is used for convulsion, facial twitching, and wind-phlegm obstructing the channels.
  • Dispels wind and transforms phlegm ... it is important for facial paralysis, headache, sore throat, and head-neck patterns where phlegm and wind intertwine.
  • Softens hardness and disperses nodules ... traditional use extends to scrofula, thyroid swelling, and certain phlegm masses.

Secondary Actions

  • This raw page should stay distinct from `prepared-stiff-silkworm` and the still-stub `white-stiff-silkworm` sibling ... the source animal is the same, but the presentation lane is not.
  • Compared with the prepared form, the raw specimen keeps more of the classic insect-materia-medica identity and less of the cleaned pharmacy-processing emphasis.

Classic Formulas

  • Qian Zheng San ... classic pairing with Bai Fu Zi and Quan Xie for wind-phlegm facial deviation.
  • Wind-phlegm throat and nodule powders ... Jiang Can is used for its dual channel-unblocking and phlegm-dispersing role.
  • Spasm-relieving combinations for internal wind ... especially when phlegm obstruction is also present.

Classical References

  • Traditional texts emphasize stopping spasm, resolving phlegm, and dispersing nodules.
  • Jiang Can is one of the characteristic herbs that links internal wind with phlegm obstruction.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Proteins, peptides, and amino-acid rich fractions
  • Flavonoid-rich fractions
  • Other antioxidant and immune-active components

Studied Effects

  • A 2017 review summarized the traditional uses, origins, chemistry, and pharmacology of Bombyx batryticatus, providing the broadest modern overview for Jiang Can (PMID 29053625).
  • A 2025 study reported that a flavonoid-rich extract from Bombyx batryticatus alleviated LPS-induced acute lung injury through PI3K, MAPK, and NF-κB pathway effects, offering a respiratory anti-inflammatory correlate for the traditional medicinal family (PMID 41465486).
  • A 2023 experimental study reported that Bombyx Batryticatus extract promoted microglia polarization and improved neuronal injury markers in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, extending modern interest into neuroprotection (PMID 37005847).

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Known allergy to silkworm or related insect products
  • Blood deficiency without wind-phlegm or nodules as the main pattern

Cautions

  • Raw Jiang Can is an animal-source medicament and should come from a properly processed pharmacy supply.
  • Because the material derives from silkworms affected by fungal disease, authentication and contamination control matter.

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Stiff Silkworm used for?

Stiff Silkworm is traditionally used to Extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Jiang Can is used for convulsion, facial twitching, and wind-phlegm obstructing the channels., Dispels wind and transforms phlegm ... it is important for facial paralysis, headache, sore throat, and head-neck patterns where phlegm and wind intertwine., Softens hardness and disperses nodules ... traditional use extends to scrofula, thyroid swelling, and certain phlegm masses.. Research has investigated its effects on: A 2017 review summarized the traditional uses, origins, chemistry, and pharmacology of Bombyx batryticatus, providing the broadest modern overview for Jiang Can (PMID 29053625).; A 2025 study reported that a flavonoid-rich extract from Bombyx batryticatus alleviated LPS-induced acute lung injury through PI3K, MAPK, and NF-κB pathway effects, offering a respiratory anti-inflammatory correlate for the traditional medicinal family (PMID 41465486)..

What are other names for Stiff Silkworm?

Stiff Silkworm is also known as Raw Jiang Can, Bombyx batryticatus, Silkworm medicament. In TCM: 僵蚕 (Jiang Can); Bombyx Batryticatus.

Is Stiff Silkworm safe during pregnancy?

The safety of Stiff Silkworm during pregnancy has not been established. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use.

What are the contraindications for Stiff Silkworm?

Stiff Silkworm should not be used in: Known allergy to silkworm or related insect products; Blood deficiency without wind-phlegm or nodules as the main pattern. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.