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The dried mature seed of Prunus armeniaca, P. sibirica, P. mandshurica, or P. armeniaca var. ansu (Rosaceae). Enters the Lung and Large Intestine channels. Bitter and slightly warm, it is the principal herb for stopping cough and calming wheezing, capable of both diffusing and descending Lung qi. With appropriate pairings it addresses cough and dyspnea of any etiology.
去皮尖入药，润肺止咳平喘
缓和寒性，增强止咳作用，用于肺寒咳喘
煎服5–10g，宜打碎后下；婴幼儿慎用，用量酌减
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.
阴虚咳嗽及大便溏泻者禁服。婴儿慎用。孕妇慎用。
本品有小毒，含苦杏仁苷，水解释放氢氰酸。过量服用（尤其生品）可致中毒（头晕、恶心、紫绀、呼吸困难，严重者呼吸麻痹）。成人中毒量40–60粒，小儿10–20粒。婴儿尤其禁忌。
味甘，温。主咳逆上气雷鸣，喉痹下气，产乳金疮，寒心奔豚。
下品
@misc{bencaodian-xing-ren,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Xìng Rén 杏仁 (Bitter Apricot Kernel) — Armeniacae Semen Amarum},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/xing-ren},
urldate = {2026-04-17},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}© Bencaodian Editorial · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
苦杏仁主要活性成分为苦杏仁苷，经 β-葡萄糖苷酶水解释放微量氢氰酸，抑制呼吸中枢而止咳平喘；过量则致命，须焯制去皮去苦并严控剂量。
The principal constituent of bitter apricot seed is amygdalin, which is hydrolyzed by beta-glucosidase to release small amounts of hydrogen cyanide that mildly depress the respiratory center, producing antitussive and antiasthmatic effects; overdose is lethal, so blanching and strict dose limits are essential.
《中药学》（Bensky）强调苦杏仁必须焯制、剂量不超 10 g，婴儿禁用生品。
Bensky emphasizes that bitter apricot seed must be blanched, doses kept at or below 10 g, and raw seed is contraindicated in infants.
Brinker 详述苦杏仁苷水解产生氰化物的毒性风险，误服生杏仁可致中毒死亡。
Brinker details cyanide toxicity from amygdalin hydrolysis; ingestion of raw kernels has caused fatal poisoning.
《中国药典》以苦杏仁苷为含量测定指标，并规定炮制去毒工艺。
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia assays amygdalin content and prescribes detoxifying processing methods.
This section is provided for academic reference only and does not constitute medical advice.