Oral supplementation of Lithospermum erythrorhizon prevents the development of atopic dermatitis with reducing ceramide degradation in the epidermis of NC/Nga mice.
Kim J, Cho Y. Oral supplementation of Lithospermum erythrorhizon prevents the development of atopic dermatitis with reducing ceramide degradation in the epidermis of NC/Nga mice. Phytother Res 2009;23(9):1250-1256.
Study type: Animal · Added to this library August 23, 2026
What the researchers did
Long-term Zi Cao extract in eczema-prone mice, measuring skin lipids.
What they found
Less scratching, lower IgE — and higher epidermal ceramides, because Zi Cao reduced the enzyme that degrades them.
Why it matters
Eczema skin is ceramide-starved. The Blood-nourishing herb literally restocks the lipid mortar between the skin's bricks.
Relates to the patterns: Blood Heat · Blood Deficiency / Wind-Dryness
This summary is educational and does not replace care from your child's pediatrician. Evidence tiers matter: a finding in cells or animals is a reason a treatment could work, not proof that it does.
More in Zi Cao Gao
Efficacy of Shiunko for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Higaki S, et al. Efficacy of Shiunko for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. J Int Med Res 1999;27(3):143-147.
Study type: Small controlled human study
What: Shiunko (the Japanese Purple Cloud Ointment) vs petrolatum vs salt water on atopic dermatitis.
Found: Clinically effective in 4 of 7 Shiunko patients vs 0 of 7 on petrolatum; staphylococcal counts on the skin fell in most Shiunko patients.
Why it matters: Tiny, but the only head-to-head human eczema data for the transitional ointment — and the effect ran through the bacteria, as the "resolve Toxin" function predicts.
The prevention of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced inflammation in atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice by Jawoongo.
Ku JM, Hong SH, Kim SR, et al. The prevention of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced inflammation in atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice by Jawoongo. BMC Complement Altern Med 2018;18:215.
Study type: Animal + in vitro
What: Jawoongo (Korea's Purple Cloud Ointment) in the standard chemical-induced eczema mouse model.
Found: Reduced skin thickening and immune-cell infiltration; lowered IgE, IL-4, IL-13, IL-6 and TNF-α; suppressed the MAPK and NF-κB inflammatory machinery.
Why it matters: Three national traditions (China, Japan, Korea) kept the same formula for the same job; the mouse data shows what the job is molecularly.
Lithospermum erythrorhizon Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions by Restoring Immune Balance and Skin Barrier Function in 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced NC/Nga Mice.
Oh J-S, Lee S-J, Choung S-Y. Lithospermum erythrorhizon Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Lesions by Restoring Immune Balance and Skin Barrier Function in 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene-Induced NC/Nga Mice. Nutrients 2021;13(9):3209.
Study type: Animal (dose-controlled, vs prednisolone comparator)
What: Zi Cao (Lithospermum) extract tested against the steroid prednisolone in eczema mice.
Found: Matched the steroid on dermatitis scores and beat it on IgE and histamine; rebalanced Th1/Th2; lowered the itch cytokine IL-31 and alarm signal TSLP; raised filaggrin, involucrin, loricrin and the tight-junction proteins.
Why it matters: The "cool Blood, generate flesh" herb rebuilt the entire barrier program while matching a steroid on inflammation — with none of a steroid's thinning.
A Study of the Effect of Shiunko, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, on Fibroblasts and Its Implication on Wound Healing Processes.
Chak K-F, Hsiao C-Y, Chen T-Y. A Study of the Effect of Shiunko, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, on Fibroblasts and Its Implication on Wound Healing Processes. Adv Wound Care 2013;2(8):448-455.
Study type: In vitro (human fibroblasts) + animal wound model
What: What Purple Cloud Ointment does to the cells that rebuild skin.
Found: Fibroblast proliferation up ~50%, collagen secretion up 125–160%, and the master repair signal TGF-β up 10- to 40-fold; wounds closed faster in vivo.
Why it matters: "Generates flesh" (生肌) is a four-hundred-year-old phrase. TGF-β is its name in the new vocabulary.