Centipede, Wu Gong 蜈蚣
Wu Gong (TCM)
Scolopendra spp.
Medical Zoology and Mineralogy, Stephendon, 1832
Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans
Photo by Yasunori Koide) (Wikimedia)
Dried Centipede available in bunches or rows for medicinal use
(Chengdu Herb Medicine Market, Adam, 2015)
Entomological name:
Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans
Parts used:
Dried Insect
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent. Toxic
Classification:
Uses:
1. Calms Wind, Stops Spasms:
-Epilepsy, Convulsions, Spasms, Tics
-Tetanus, including Neonatal Tetanus.
-hemiplegic paralysis caused by stroke (proven effect when combined with Scorpion)
-Traditionally for “Demon attachment illness” (where a demon or evil spirit attaches to a person) (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
2. Resits Poison, Clears Toxic Swellings:
-Scrofula, Ringworm, Erysipelas, joint and bone Tuberculosis.
-clears bad and toxic blood; used for toxic Swellings, Tumors, and Cancers.
-venomous bites of Snakes and Insects, as well as Seafood poisoning.
-traditional anti-malarial.
-“Centipedes are also able to eliminate Wind and to attack any Poison”. (Li Shi Zhen)
-“injuries caused by Snakes”. (Li Shi Zhen)
3. Moves the Blood, Clears Obstructions, Relieves Pain:
-serious types of pain, especially from Liver heat and wind,
-serious, persistent, and Migraine-type headaches,
-arthritic pain.
-“They cure accumulations in Heart and Abdomen”. (Bie Lu)
-“cure concretion-illness”. (Li Shi Zhen)
4. Abortifacient.
-“They cause miscarriage”. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
5. Externally:
-poisonous bites and stings of insects and Snakes
-boils, swellings, tumors;
-externally with an equal amount of Licorice powder for joint pain, rheumatism, facial paralysis etc. (Tincture or Paste)
-Herpes Zoster
Dose:
1. Traditionally, some sources regarded the head as toxic, and therefore ordered it to be removed. Other texts stated the head was the strongest part. In some cases the head and/or tail were used for specific conditions. Today, the whole dried Centipede with head is used for all functions.
2. When used in Decoction, it is best to take the powder with the decoction rather than decocting the Centipede.
Powder: 500mg–2, or 2.5 grams.
Decoction: 1.5–4.5 grams
It may be applied topically with vinegar or wine in the form of a paste.
Comment:
Scorpion and Centpiede are similar in use and often used together. Scorpion is regarded as strionger for Twitching and Tremors while Centipede is stronger for Spasms, Convulsions and Toxic Swellings.
Preparation:
1. Legs are removed, usually the head also. It is often dry-fried gently.
2. It may be stir-fried with a little alcohol to make is stronger to move the Blood and clear obstructions
3. Sometimes, they are dry-fried until yellowish.
Main Combinations:
Centipede (Wu Gong) with Scorpion (Quan Xie)
Usually Centipede (Wu Gong) is combined with Scorpion (Quan Xie) in TCM. Together, they are strong to stop spasms and convulsions, relieve Wind diseases, resolve Toxic swellings and relieve pain including severe Headache and Migraine.
1. Infantile Convulsions:
i. Centipede (Wu Gong), Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Tabasheer (Tian Zhu Huang), Amber
ii. Centipede (Wu Gong) with Cinnabar
2. Severe Headache associated with Blood Stasis, Centipede, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, Asarum Xi Xin
3. Chronic Cold-type (Yang deficient) convulsions: Centipede (Wu Gong) with Wasp nest, powdered and taken with wine.
4. Hemiplegic paralysis caused by stroke:
i. Centipede (Wu Gong) with Scorpion (equal parts as a powder; clinically proven effect)
5. Tetanus:
i. Centipede (Wu Gong) with Scorpion, Aconitum Fu Zi, Aconitum Wu Tuo (as in Wu Gong San from Ru Men Shi Qin [How the Literati Care for Their Parents]).
ii. Tetanus-induced limb spasms, Lockjaw, Centipede (Wu Gong) with Arisema bile-prepared (Dan Nan Xing), Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, and River-fish Swim bladder (Jiang Bao) (as in Wu Gong Xing Feng San from Yi Zong Jin Jian [Golden Mirror of Orthodox medicine]).
6. To move the Blood and resolve masses, Centipede (Wu Gong) with Leech
7. Furuncle that is hot and painful, Centipede (Wu Gong) with Scorpion and Realgar topically
8. Snake Bite, Centipede (Wu Gong) with Angelica Dahurica Bai Zhi, Realgar, Camphor (Zhang Nao) (Wu Gong San fromDong Tian Ao Zhi [Profound Essence of the Heaven]).
9. Herpes Zoster, topically as a paste, Centipede (Wu Gong) with Coptis Huang Lian, Borneo Camphor (Bing Pian)
10. Painful Piles:
i. Centipede baked and powdered, add a little Borneol, mix with saliva to form a paste which apply. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
ii. “soak 3 to 4 Centipedes in Sesame oil, boiled once or twice to bubbling, and then add two to three qian of Chinese
Gallnut powder. This is to be stored closely sealed in a jar. If one happens to encounter an unbearable pain, he is to drip the oil on and the pain will end immediately. Very effective”. (Sun Shi JI Xiao)
Major Formulas:
Zhi Jing San (Scorpion & Centipede Powder, equal parts)
Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy. “They cause miscarriage”. (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
2. Not used in those with Kidney or Liver disease.
3. Toxic in overdose. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, unconsciousness, slow heartbeat, difficulty breathing, decreased body temperature, low blood pressure. Hemolytic effects cause brown urine, black stool, and hemolytic anemia usually follows. Overdose has been associated with Liver dysfunction and acute renal failure. Therefore, dosage should be strictly adhered to. Long-term use should be avoided, or a break in treatment every 2–3 weeks. Periodic Liver and Kidney function tests could be indicated with long-term use, or in the elderly, or those susceptible to Liver and Kidney dysfunction.
4. Allergic reactions may include rash and anaphylactic shock in severe cases.
Antidotes:
1. Tea
2. Decoction of Feng Wei Cao (phoenix-tail fern), Honeysuckle Flower (Jin Yin Hua), and Licorice.
3. “If an overdose was given, it is resolved with Earthworms and Mulberry tree bark”. (Li Shi Zhen)
Main Preparations used:
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans Extract Suppresses Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain In Vitro and In Vivo.
–Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans attenuates neuroinflammation in symptomatic hSOD1(G93A) mice.
ANTIOXIDANT:
–Antioxidant effects of quinoline alkaloids and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol isolated from Scolopendra subspinipes.
ANALGESIC:
–Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans Extract Suppresses Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain In Vitro and In Vivo.
ANTIBACTERIAL:
–Antibacterial action of lactoferricin B like peptide against Escherichia coli: reactive oxygen species-induced apoptosis-like death.
–Inhibition of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms by centipede oil and linoleic acid.
–Antimicrobial activity and mechanism of action of a novel peptide present in the ecdysis process of centipede Scolopendra subspinipes subspinipes.
–Biologically active metabolite(s) from haemolymph of red-headed centipede Scolopendra subspinipes possess broad spectrum antibacterial activity.
–A novel antimicrobial peptide isolated from centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans stimulates neutrophil activity through formyl peptide receptor 2.
–Antibacterial Action of Jineol Isolated from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans against Selected Foodborne Pathogens.
–Antimicrobial Activity of the Scolopendrasin V Peptide Identified from the Centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
–Antimicrobial peptide scolopendrasin VII, derived from the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans, stimulates macrophage chemotaxis via formyl peptide receptor 1.
–Antimicrobial peptides in the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
–[Antibacterial activity of water soluble fraction from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans].
ANTI-FUNGAL
–Inhibition of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms by centipede oil and linoleic acid.
–Scolopendin, an antimicrobial peptide from centipede, attenuates mitochondrial functions and triggers apoptosis in Candida albicans.
–Identification of a novel antimicrobial peptide, scolopendin 1, derived from centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans and its antifungal mechanism.
–Antifungal effect and pore-forming action of lactoferricin B like peptide derived from centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
CARDIOTONIC (increase cardiac muscle contraction)
HEMOLYTIC:
INHIBITS UTERINE CONTRACTIONS.
NEUROPROTECTIVE:
–Protective Effects of Scolopendra Water Extract on Trimethyltin-Induced Hippocampal Neurodegeneration and Seizures in Mice.
ANTI-CONVULSANT:
IMMUNOSTIMULATORY:
–Antitumor and immunostimulatory activity of a polysaccharide-protein complex from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch in tumor-bearing mice.
VASODILATOR:.
ANTITHROMBOTIC / ANTIPLATELET/ANTICOAGULANT:
–Antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities of small-molecule alkaloids from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
–Purification and characterization of a novel antithrombotic peptide from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
–[Research on TLC identification and anti-coagulant activity quantitatively methods of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans].
FIBRINOLYTIC:
–Hematological studies on naturally occurring substances. II. Effects of animal crude drugs on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis systems.
ANTI RENAL FIBROTIC:
–Structurally Diverse Alkaloids with Anti-Renal-Fibrosis Activity from the Centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
ANTI-ARTHRITIC
–ZhiJingSan Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis via Regulating RANKL/NF-κB Signaling Pathway and Ameliorates Bone Erosion in Collagen-Induced Mouse Arthritis.
–A novel antimicrobial peptide acting via formyl peptide receptor 2 shows therapeutic effects against rheumatoid arthritis.
ANTI-TUMOR:
–Antitumor and immunostimulatory activity of a polysaccharide-protein complex from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L. Koch in tumor-bearing mice.
ANTI-CANCER:
–Anticancer Activity of the Antimicrobial Peptide Scolopendrasin VII Derived from the Centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans.
GLIOMA
–Two new isoquinoline alkaloids from Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human glioma cancer U87 cells.
LUNG:
–Scorpiones, Scolopendra and Gekko Inhibit Lung Cancer Growth and Metastasis by Ameliorating Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironment via PI3K/AKT/mTOR/HIF-1alpha Signaling Pathway.
MELANOMA:
–Extracts of centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A375 human melanoma cells.
