E Jiao (Ass Hide Glue, Donkey Hide Gelatin)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of E Jiao?

  Roughly 5–9 g, up to ~15 g — the owner’s notes give 3–10 qián (commonly 1.5–3 qián), which at ~3 g per qián is about 5–9 g up to ~15 g, consistent with standard materia medica ranges. Preparation is distinctive: E Jiao is a gelatin and is not decocted with the other herbs — it is melted / dissolved (“濮化,” yáng huà) into the strained, still-hot decoction, or taken dissolved in warm rice wine.

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

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions for E Jiao?

  E Jiao is cloying and rich by nature — the blood-tonic chapter warns these herbs can cause indigestion and should be combined with Stomach-strengthening herbs. The notes give its contraindication as excess patterns — especially dampness, stagnation, and accumulation — and it is poorly suited to weak digestion, poor appetite, or phlegm/damp. It is best used under a qualified practitioner, particularly in pregnancy.

  • Dietary/ethical (reference note) — E Jiao is an animal-derived product (donkey hide) and is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans; the donkey-hide source should be disclosed.
  • Authenticity (reference note) — commercial ejiao has documented adulteration (substitution with other animal hides such as bovine or porcine); genuine, tested product matters for both safety and label accuracy (see research).

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; blood-tonic chapter cautions; authentication research (below). Animal-source and adulteration points are neutral reference disclosures.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Low. E Jiao is a food-grade gelatin with a long dietary history and no significant toxicity reported at normal doses. The main real-world concerns are not intrinsic toxicity but quality/adulteration and its status as an animal product (allergen potential for those sensitive to gelatin/collagen).

  Source: materia medica consensus; quality-control research (below). Reference note, not a safety guarantee.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented. Given its traditional blood-building use and preclinical hematologic / iron-affinity findings (below), practitioner awareness is reasonable for patients on anticoagulant or iron therapy — this is precautionary, not a demonstrated clinical interaction. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation.)

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 E Jiao (Asini Corii Colla)?

  Yes — one small human RCT plus preclinical support, with overall clinical evidence still limited. Chemically, E Jiao is a collagen-derived material: hydrolyzed collagen peptides, gelatin, and amino acids.

  • Human clinical (single RCT) — a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with TCM “blood-deficient” symptoms (n = 210 enrolled; 181 completers; 6 g/day for 8 weeks) reported that, versus placebo, the E Jiao group had a smaller decline in red-blood-cell count and hematocrit, improved dizziness scores, and improved SF-36 quality-of-life domains, with no significant difference in “heat” side effects. The authors note limitations: small sample, short duration, enrollment limited to blood-deficient participants, and no mechanistic investigation. Treat as preliminary, single-study evidence.
  • Preclinical hematopoiesis / anti-anemia — review and animal work report that E Jiao fractions promote hematopoiesis (e.g., in 5-fluorouracil–induced anemic mice) and show antioxidant and immune-modulating activity; cell and animal models, not clinical proof.
  • Iron bioavailability (preclinical) — donkey-hide gelatin hydrolysates show iron-binding/affinity and gut-microbiota-modulating properties proposed to support iron bioavailability; laboratory/animal research.
  • Authentication — DNA-based (cytochrome c oxidase I / PCR) methods have been developed specifically to detect adulterated Asini Corii Colla, reflecting a recognized quality-control problem in the market.

  Human clinical evidence remains limited; most support is preliminary or preclinical.

  Note: The current Sacred Lotus records the pharmaceutical Latin as “Gelatinum Corii Asini,” while the research literature more often uses “Colla Corii Asini” / “Asini Corii Colla.” We believe these refer to the same substance (donkey-hide gelatin); the identity field is left unchanged pending owner confirmation.

  Sources: DOI 10.3389/fphar.2021.718154, PMID 34707496, PMC 8542698 (randomized placebo-controlled trial); ScienceDirect S1756464625000209 (chemistry/pharmacology review, preclinical for efficacy); PMC 12658104 (iron affinity of donkey-hide gelatin hydrolysates, preclinical); PMC 5717782 (COI-based PCR authentication of adulterated Asini Corii Colla). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• How is E Jiao different from Shu Di Huang and He Shou Wu?

  All three tonify blood, but E Jiao is the most moistening and is the best choice for blood deficiency with concurrent loss of blood — its stop-bleeding action distinguishes it among the blood tonics.

  • He Shou Wu — tonifies the Liver and is not cloying.
  • Shu Di Huang — tonifies the Kidney and is cloying.
  • E Jiao — more moistening than Shu Di Huang, and the best choice for blood deficiency with concurrent loss of blood.

  Common combinations: with Huang Lian (± egg yolk) for yin-deficiency irritability and insomnia — the pattern behind Huang Lian E Jiao Tang. Because it is cloying, it is traditionally combined with Spleen/Stomach-strengthening herbs to protect digestion. It also features in numerous classical formulas including Zhi Gan Cao Tang (blood/yin deficiency with palpitations), Bu Fei E Jiao Tang (Lung), Da Ding Feng Zhu and San Jia Fu Mai Tang (nourish yin, extinguish internal wind), Wen Jing Tang (menstrual), Huang Tu Tang (tonify and stop bleeding), and E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang. (Traditional formula context, not treatment advice.)

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (differentiation & combinations); Sacred Lotus formula links.