Stops bleeding, dispels blood stasis, disperses swelling, clears heat, resolves toxins, relieves pain.

Yunnan Baiyao (YNBY; “White medicine from the Province of Yunnan” in Mandarin), is among the well-known proprietary traditional Chinese medicine products. It was formulated a century ago and became a popular remedy for wound healing during the Vietnam War. In the last few decades, the trade name YNBY has been expanded into a product line that includes pills, tinctures, and toothpaste. The original formula is believed to contain multiple herbs with notoginseng as the main ingredient. It is also promoted as a dietary supplement that can be used both externally and internally to stop bleeding and to treat cancer in humans and in animals. Other claims include relief from minor aches and pains associated with backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains ⁽¹⁾.In vitro and animal studies suggest YNBY and notoginseng have hemostatic ^{(2) (3) (4) (5)}, anti-inflammatory ^{(8) (9) (10) (11) (12)} and antimicrobial ⁽⁵⁾ effects. Notoginseng by itself demonstrated anticoagulant, antiplatelet ⁽⁶⁾, and fibrinolytic ⁽⁷⁾ activities.Clinical studies suggest that YNBY may help treat uterine hemorrhage, ulcerative colitis and skin ulcers ⁽¹³⁾. Other preliminary data suggest topical application of a yunnan baiyao paste may reduce hospital-acquired pressure ulcers ⁽³¹⁾. It also reduced intraoperative blood loss during prostate ⁽¹⁴⁾ and oral surgery ⁽¹⁵⁾. Case reports suggest that adjunctive topical YNBY may reduce bleeding in cancer patients ⁽²⁹⁾, but it has not been studied as a cancer treatment.YNBY demonstrates hemostatic effects when applied topically on open wounds ⁽²⁾. Microscopic examination identified nanofiber components which may help activate blood clotting, act as scaffolding for tissue repair, and prevent infection by wound sealing ⁽⁴⁾. Preclinical studies suggest anti-inflammatory activity may occur through lymphocyte suppression and proinflammatory cytokine expression ⁽¹¹⁾ and modulation of COX and LOX pathways ⁽³⁰⁾. YNBY extract may also activate intracellular prostaglandin E(2) and thromboxane B(2) in osteoblasts ⁽⁸⁾.