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The dried ripe fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii or T. rosthornii (Cucurbitaceae). Enters the Lung, Stomach, and Large Intestine channels. Sweet, bitter, and cold, it clears the Lung and transforms phlegm for phlegm-heat cough, expands the chest and dissipates nodules for chest impediment (xiong bi), and moistens the intestines for constipation. It is the key herb for chest impediment, commonly combined with xie bai and ban xia as in Gua Lou Xie Bai Bai Jiu Tang.
清热化痰、宽胸散结、润肠通便并重
减其滑润之性，长于化痰而不致滑肠
全瓜蒌9–15g；瓜蒌皮6–10g偏于宽胸；瓜蒌仁9–15g偏于润肠。打碎入煎。
Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.
Protective guidance only — when to avoid or use with caution. This block deliberately omits pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric dosing: any such use must be managed by a qualified TCM practitioner or appropriate specialist.
脾胃虚寒、大便溏泄及湿痰、寒痰者不宜。反乌头（十八反），不宜与川乌、草乌、附子同用。
含脂肪油，滑肠作用明显，脾虚便溏者慎用。与乌头类药物配伍有毒性协同风险，属十八反禁忌。
味苦，寒。主消渴，身热，烦满，大热，补虚安中，续绝伤。
中品
@misc{bencaodian-gua-lou,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Guā Lóu 瓜蒌 (Snakegourd Fruit) — Trichosanthis Fructus},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/gua-lou},
urldate = {2026-04-17},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}© Bencaodian Editorial · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
瓜蒌（含瓜蒌皮、瓜蒌仁及全瓜蒌）主含脂肪油、三萜皂苷、葫芦素类与黄酮苷，药理示其祛痰、扩冠、抗炎、润肠通便与抗血小板作用。
Gualou (peel, seed, whole fruit) contains fatty oils, triterpene saponins, cucurbitacins and flavonoid glycosides; pharmacology shows expectorant, coronary-dilating, anti-inflammatory, laxative and antiplatelet effects.
《中国药典》分别收载瓜蒌、瓜蒌皮与瓜蒌子，并规定各自的质量标准。
Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists gualou, gualou pi and gualou ren separately with distinct quality standards.
瓜蒌薤白白酒汤为治疗胸痹经典方。
Gualou Xiebai Baijiu Tang is the classical formula for chest bi (angina-like pain).
十八反：瓜蒌不可与乌头、附子同用。
Classical eighteen-antagonism: gualou incompatible with wutou and fuzi.
This section is provided for academic reference only and does not constitute medical advice.