Ding Xiang (Clove Flower Bud)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Ding Xiang?

  1–3 g in decoction (owner’s notes: 0.5–1.5 qián). It is aromatic and potent, so it is used in small doses — added near the end of cooking, or taken as a powder.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; standard materia medica ranges. Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions or contraindications for Ding Xiang?

  Ding Xiang is warm and drying, so it is contraindicated in heat or febrile conditions and in Yin deficiency with heat (owner’s notes). Per the classical Nineteen Antagonisms, it is traditionally not combined with Yu Jin (Curcuma).

  Additional caution — the herb versus concentrated clove oil: the whole bud at normal doses is food-grade and safe, but concentrated clove essential oil / isolated eugenol is a different matter and has caused toxicity in overdose (notably accidental pediatric ingestion). This profile’s guidance applies to the herb, not to high-dose essential-oil products. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation.)

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; classical Nineteen Antagonisms list; clove-oil safety distinction from the biomedical literature.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Low for the herb at therapeutic doses. The whole flower bud is regarded as safe and food-grade in normal TCM amounts. The important distinction is with concentrated clove essential oil / isolated eugenol, which is toxic in overdose — documented hepatotoxicity and CNS effects, especially in accidental pediatric ingestion of the oil. This is stated plainly for reader safety and does not apply to the herb at normal doses.

  Source: materia medica consensus for the herb; eugenol/clove-oil toxicity from the biomedical literature (see PubMed 38191032, a pharmacology/toxicity review of eugenol). Not a therapeutic claim.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented for Ding Xiang at normal therapeutic doses. Caution is reasonable with concentrated clove oil / high-dose eugenol products, which are a different preparation from the herb. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation — absence of documented interactions is not proof of safety.)

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on clove (Ding Xiang)?

  Yes — clove is one of the most-studied culinary aromatics, though most evidence is in vitro, animal, or topical rather than human clinical. Its essential oil is roughly 70–95% eugenol (with eugenol acetate and β-caryophyllene). Animal studies report gastroprotective and carminative activity, consistent with the traditional “warms the Middle, settles the Stomach” use, and it shows broad antimicrobial activity in vitro, including against Helicobacter pylori. Eugenol is also a well-known topical dental analgesic.

  Sources: PubMed 21140134 (gastroprotective activity of Syzygium aromaticum essential oil and eugenol in animal models); PubMed 18543354 (mechanisms of eugenol gastroprotection in indomethacin-induced ulcer); PubMed 42199855 (clove antibacterial action against H. pylori). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• What is Ding Xiang commonly combined with, and how does it differ from the herb vs. clove oil?

  Ding Xiang is most classically paired with Shi Di (persimmon calyx) to settle cold hiccups, and with Rou Gui or Fu Zi to reinforce Kidney-yang. The Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang combination directs rebellious Stomach qi down for hiccups and vomiting from Stomach cold.

  Key points of use and differentiation:

  • With Shi Di — for hiccups and vomiting from Stomach cold (the Ding Xiang Shi Di Tang pairing).
  • With Rou Gui / Fu Zi — to reinforce Kidney-yang in cold, deficient patterns.
  • The herb vs. concentrated clove oil — the whole flower bud at normal TCM doses is a safe, food-grade aromatic; concentrated clove essential oil / isolated eugenol is a much more potent, different preparation and should not be conflated with the herb.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (combinations); herb-vs-oil distinction flagged for practitioner confirmation.

This herb antagonizes or is antagonized by:

• Yu Jin (Tuber Curcumae)