What are the safety considerations for Chuanbei Loquat Syrup?

Contains apricot kernel (Xìng Rén), its TCM dosage and short-term use are considered safe, but it should not be combined with other CNS-depressant medications without professional guidance. Not appropriate for cough with profuse white, watery phlegm (a "cold-phlegm" pattern), the formula is described as moistening and cooling, not warming. People with diabetes are typically advised to use with caution, the honey base is high in sugar. Persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, especially with blood or weight loss, should be evaluated by a clinician rather than self-addressed with OTC syrups.

Chuanbei Loquat Syrup

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A flagship "runfei zhi-ke" loquat-and-fritillaria syrup from the 1956 Pharmacopoeia, the more "classical" sibling of the modern honey-refined Strong Loquat Syrup.

Cultural reference - how this formula has been discussed in Chinese medical tradition. Not medical advice.

Background & origin

Standardized in the 1956 Pharmacopoeia of the PRC and built around the signature "Chuanbei + loquat" pairing, it is one of the oldest continuously produced "famous-brand" loquat syrups in China. In Japan, loquat-based syrups and pastilles are sold under the Ryukakusan (龍角散 / クラシエ) brand and by Tsumura and other kampo makers as "含類似品", products sharing the same general idea. In Korean hanbang, the formula family is reflected in Kyungdong's (경동) loquat-syrup (과상등) range. The product is, in short, a TCM loquat formula that has been re-expressed in the OTC lines of every major East Asian manufacturer.

In tradition

In TCM framing, associated with patterns of "lung-heat" or "lung-dryness", a cough that is dry or produces small amounts of sticky yellow phlegm, a sensation of heat or tightness in the chest, dry throat, hoarseness, and night-time worsening. It is one of the most culturally recognizable "loquat syrup" formulas and is the loquat-syrup brand most often presented in overseas Chinese grocery stores. Similar loquat-and-fritillaria syrups (含類似品) are sold by Tsumura, Kracie (龍角散) and other Japanese makers as "Ryukakusan-style" products, while in Korean hanbang the formula family is reflected in Kyungdong's "과상등" loquat-syrup range.

Formula composition

Monarch1

Loquat leaf (Pí Pá Yè / 枇杷叶) - principal herb, moistens the lung

Other ingredients6

Fritillaria cirrhosa bulb (Chuān Bèi Mǔ / 川贝母) - clears heat, transforms phlegm
Coltsfoot flower (Kuǎn Dōng Huā / 款冬花) - stops cough
Apricot kernel (Xìng Rén / 杏仁) - descends lung qi, calms cough
Platycodon root (Jié Gěng / 桔梗) - guides lung qi, expels phlegm
Menthol (Bò Hé / 薄荷) - soothes the throat
Honey (Fēng Mì / 蜂蜜) - moistens, carries the formula

International availability

Taiwan & Hong Kong

順天堂OTC川貝枇杷膏Chuan Bei Pi Pa Gao

Cautions & context

Contains apricot kernel (Xìng Rén), its TCM dosage and short-term use are considered safe, but it should not be combined with other CNS-depressant medications without professional guidance.
Not appropriate for cough with profuse white, watery phlegm (a "cold-phlegm" pattern), the formula is described as moistening and cooling, not warming.
People with diabetes are typically advised to use with caution, the honey base is high in sugar.
Persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, especially with blood or weight loss, should be evaluated by a clinician rather than self-addressed with OTC syrups.

Related formulas

Other formulas from this text· "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China"

Other formulas by this contributor· Pharmacopoeia Commission of the PRC

Related concerns

Concern · immune

Immune Support

The everyday language of "wanting to stay well", a sense of being run down, the change of seasons, occasional mouth ulcers, the slow recovery after a cold.

Sleep

Difficulty falling asleep, light sleep, dream-disturbed sleep, and the "tired but cannot switch off" pattern that follows overwork or worry.

Editorial note

Compiled from "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China" (1956).

Last reviewed: July 18, 2026

Three layers of evidence

Classical source

≈ 100 years · "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China" (1956)

Pharmacopoeia indication

"Clear heat and diffuse the lung, resolve phlegm and stop cough. Used for wind-heat invading the lung with phlegm-heat obstruction: cough with yellow phlegm or difficult expectoration, sore and swollen throat, chest oppression and distension; common cold and bronchitis with the above presentation."

Modern research status

As of 2026-07-18, a PubMed search using the formula name and the Latin / Korean / Japanese transliterations together with "systematic review" and "meta-analysis" did not identify a dedicated systematic review for this formula. Any clinical evidence that does exist is fragmented across small individual trials or covered in broad herbal-medicine umbrella reviews, which do not allow a per-formula evidence assessment; the absence of a dedicated SR is itself the relevant editorial fact here.

No systematic review identified on PubMed

Read our editorial method →

References

References reviewed on July 18, 2026 · PubMed search on 2026-07-18

01
PharmacopoeiaChinese Pharmacopoeia Commission, 《中华人民共和国药典》 2020 edition, vol. 1 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yàodiǎn, Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 2020 ed., vol. 1), China Medical Science Press, 2020, the official national monograph for Chuān Bèi Pí Pá Gāo (糖浆剂), "functional indication" reads "clear heat and diffuse the lung, resolve phlegm and stop cough. Used for wind-heat invading the lung with phlegm-heat obstruction: cough with yellow phlegm or difficult expectoration, sore and swollen throat, chest oppression and distension; common cold and bronchitis with the above presentation", the formula being a flagship "Chuanbei + loquat" loquat-syrup standardized in the 1956 Pharmacopoeia and re-confirmed in each subsequent edition through 2020.
02
TextbookGao Xuemin (高学敏) et al. (eds.), 《中药学》 (Zhōngyào Xué / Science of Chinese Materia Medica), 1st edition, People's Medical Publishing House, 2002, the standard national textbook of Chinese-medicine higher education in mainland China, with Chuān Bèi Pí Pá Gāo analysed in the "化痰止咳平喘剂 / phlegm-transforming, cough-stopping, wheeze-leveling formulas" chapter as a representative modern "Chuanbei + loquat-leaf" formula, with explicit discussion of the cooling-moistening approach, the apricot-kernel (Xìng Rén) and Platycodon (Jié Gěng) descending-qi mechanism, and the classical contraindications for cold-phlegm patterns.
03
TextbookZhonghua Bencao Editorial Committee (中华本草编委会), 《中华本草》 (Zhōnghuá Běncǎo / Chinese Materia Medica Compendium), Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 1999, the most comprehensive modern TCM-materia-medica compendium in mainland China (30 volumes, 8980 monographs), with a dedicated monograph on Chuān Bèi Pí Pá Gāo and cross-references to each of its 7 component ingredients, providing the standard scholarly reference for the "Chuanbei + loquat" formula family and its "lung-heat / lung-dryness" indications.

Important Notice

The information on PCMWiki is for general educational and cultural reference only. It is not medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, nor as a substitute for professional care.

Throughout this site, phrases such as "traditionally used for" or "in TCM tradition, often associated with" describe how a formula has been discussed within the Chinese medical tradition over centuries. They are cultural and historical descriptions, not claims that the product is effective, safe, or appropriate for any particular condition.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medication, managing a chronic condition, or considering any of these remedies for a child, please consult a qualified healthcare practitioner familiar with both Chinese and Western medicine before use. Stop use and seek care if you notice any unexpected reaction.

Last reviewed: July 18, 2026.