Natural Herb Library

White Stiff Silkworm

Chinese
白僵蚕
Pinyin
Bai Jiang Can
Latin
Bombyx Batryticatus
Scientific specimen plate of White-Stiff Silkworm, Bombyx batryticatus, showing pale whole specimens, broken sections, and diagnostic material details.
Botanical plate by Kodi .

Known in TCM as Bai Jiang Can (白僵蚕), this acrid and salty, neutral herb enters the Liver and Lung. Traditionally, it extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Bai 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

Bai Jiang Can White Jiang Can Pale Trade-Form Stiff Silkworm

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

TCM Properties

Taste
acrid, salty
Temperature
neutral
Channels
Liver, Lung

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Bai 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 page keeps the pale trade-form lane and should not be collapsed into the already-live `stiff-silkworm` or `prepared-stiff-silkworm` records ... the source animal is the same, but the commerce presentation is different.
  • The white presentation reflects the cleaned, chalky, pharmacy-facing form emphasized in the illustration workflow rather than a different species or a radically different therapeutic category.

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 ... traditional context in which Bai Jiang Can links channel unblocking with phlegm dispersion.
  • Spasm-relieving combinations for internal wind ... especially when convulsion or twitching occurs together with stubborn phlegm obstruction.

Classical References

  • Traditional texts emphasize stopping spasm, resolving phlegm, and dispersing nodules for the Jiang Can family.
  • The white trade form is best understood as a presentation and dispensing distinction, not a different underlying medicinal identity.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Proteins, peptides, and amino-acid rich fractions ... major bioactive categories in Bombyx batryticatus research
  • Flavonoid-rich fractions ... linked to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory experimental studies
  • Polysaccharide and small-molecule fractions ... supportive immune and tissue-response components
  • Fungal transformation products ... relevant because the medicament derives from silkworms affected by Beauveria infection

Studied Effects

  • A 2017 review summarized the traditional uses, origins, chemistry, and pharmacology of Bombyx batryticatus, providing the broad modern overview that still underpins both Jiang Can and Bai Jiang Can pages (PMID 29053625).
  • A 2023 review in Chinese traced the processing history, chemical constituents, and pharmacologic actions of Bombyx Batryticatus, which is especially relevant for understanding why cleaned and processed trade forms are discussed separately in pharmacy practice (PMID 37382011).
  • A 2025 study reported that a flavonoid-rich extract from Bombyx batryticatus alleviated LPS-induced acute lung injury through PI3K, MAPK, and NF-kappaB pathway effects, offering a modern respiratory anti-inflammatory correlate while remaining preclinical (PMID 41465486).

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

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

Cautions

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

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is White Stiff Silkworm used for?

White Stiff Silkworm is traditionally used to Extinguishes wind and stops spasm ... Bai 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 broad modern overview that still underpins both Jiang Can and Bai Jiang Can pages (PMID 29053625).; A 2023 review in Chinese traced the processing history, chemical constituents, and pharmacologic actions of Bombyx Batryticatus, which is especially relevant for understanding why cleaned and processed trade forms are discussed separately in pharmacy practice (PMID 37382011)..

What are other names for White Stiff Silkworm?

White Stiff Silkworm is also known as Bai Jiang Can, White Jiang Can, Pale Trade-Form Stiff Silkworm. In TCM: 白僵蚕 (Bai Jiang Can); Bombyx Batryticatus.

Is White Stiff Silkworm safe during pregnancy?

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

What are the contraindications for White Stiff Silkworm?

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