Japan Ox Gallstones

Since Monday’s story on a Queensland abattoir employee who was charged with gallstone theft (click here to read original story), there has been a lot of interest in the topic. This reporter has done some research and found out that ox gallstones are a highly prized cattle by-product that is in great demand in China as an herbal medicine.

Origin

The earliest references to animal biles, both gallstones and other substances, in the literature of Japan date from at least 2,000 years ago. The most extensive and detailed lore concerned bile from a specific species, the Asiatic black bear (Ursus Thibetanus). It was divided into two groups: bile from “hillock-bears” collected in Ishikawa district in northern Japan, and bile from “island-bears” from Matumeezo district in east Japan.

These bile-based drugs, or their synthetic equivalents, were prescribed as a remedy for a number of diseases in ancient times. They were especially indicated for infantile convulsions and nocturnal crying inflicted by fear. It was also used for polydipsia, diarrhea, vomiting and rheumatic diseases.

In addition, it was prescribed for hepatobiliary diseases, such as jaundice and cholecystitis. Moreover, it was often used in Chinese herbal preparations.

Ox gallstones, a calcium bilirubinate salt, have long been popular in China as a drug for high fever, pneumonia, pyogenic tonsillitis, bronchitis and other acute hepatitides. This is because it is believed that this compound has the ability to bind to cholic acid and urate, as well as to the other minerals in the liver.

However, it is a challenge to produce enough natural ox gallstones by collecting them from abattoirs to meet demand. Fortunately, since 1955, Chinese scientists have developed a method for making artificial ox gallstones ex vivo employing fresh ox gallbladder bile. Moreover, a new technique for implanting natural ox gallstones has been introduced.

According to this technique, a small hole is made in the fundus of a restrained cow’s gallbladder with forceps. Then, a pinhead-sized natural ox gallstone is implanted in the hole. Then, it is left to grow and develop into a large pigment gallstone in 1-3 years.

This method is very effective, and the chemical compositions of these artificial ox gallstones are identical to those of naturally forming gallstones. In addition, it can be used to treat a number of different hepatobiliary diseases in animals, and even in humans.

Currently, ox gallstones are mainly produced in countries that have beef processing plants, such as China, Australia and India. They are regarded as one of the most expensive traditional Chinese medicines. Nevertheless, fake versions are also available in some regions.

Characteristics

There are many characteristics that make Japan ox gallstones unique. They are pigmented (brown), composed of calcium bilirubinate, and have a low molecular weight (50 kDa).

In TCM, ox gallstones are used to treat a number of conditions. For example, they are used in treatment of infantile convulsions. The ancient literature lists the symptoms of these infantile convulsions as sudden onset, upward gazing of the eyes, lockjaw, rigidity of the neck, limb convulsions, frothy salivation and “rattling” of pharyngeal phlegm (mostly febrile nightmares).

Ox gallstones are also used in veterinary medicine. The bilirubin extracted from these ox gallstones has antipyretic, anticonvulsive, and antihypertensive effects. They are also known to be effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels.

This is because ox bile contains a variety of bile acids and phospholipids. Among these is a dihydroxy bile acid known as ursodeoxycholic acid. This is thought to be responsible for the aforementioned pharmacological activities.

Moreover, ox bile contains several other chemical elements that have been shown to be useful in treating various diseases. For example, ox bile has been used to cure hyperthyroidism and to expel intestinal parasites.

These ox bile acids and phospholipids are also used in pharmacological preparations for the treatment of gastrointestinal ulcerations, hepatitis B, and inflammatory bowel disease. The ox bile compounds are also used to prevent and treat steatorrhea.

The ox bile compounds can be obtained from ox gallstones by extracting them using a high-speed grinder and an organic solvent. The resulting purified bilirubin is then incorporated into a tincture.

In China, ox gallstones have been used for more than 2500 years to procure pure unconjugated bilirubin. This bilirubin can be employed for multiple therapeutic purposes in Chinese herbal medicine, including the treatment of hyperpyrexia-induced infantile convulsions, as well as the relief of polydipsia and diarrhea.

In addition, ox bile has been demonstrated to be beneficial in the treatment of hepatitis C infection. Its ability to suppress bacterial growth has also been demonstrated in animal models. Unlike in the West, where ox bile is extracted from ox gallstones and subsequently dissolved in an acid solution, ox bile in China is prepared by fermenting natural ox bile in a microbial culture medium, which leads to the formation of ox bile components.

Uses

In Chinese traditional medicine (TCM), ox gallstones (calculus bovis) have been used in multiple therapeutic preparations. Ox gallstones have also been extensively studied in modern pharmacological and medical literature.

The use of animal biles and the gallstones they form for a variety of medicinal purposes enjoys a three-millennium history in China. The earliest documented references to this practice are found in Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic during the Qin (221-206 BCE) and Western Han Dynasties (206 BCE-25 CE).

Throughout Chinese history, biles, or pigment stones, have been a common drug used to treat a wide range of diseases. In particular, ox gallstones (calculus bilirubinate) were highly prized for their healing properties. Besides their anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, and sedative properties, they were also used to expel intestinal parasites.

They were also used as a treatment for jaundice, a condition in which the liver is unable to produce sufficient bile. It was believed that this jaundice could be prevented or reversed by taking ox bile in the form of pills with flavescent sophora root (Sophora flavescens; Ku Shen), rough gentian root (Gentiana scabra; Long Dan Cao), and honey.

These were prescribed for patients with hepatobiliary disease involving jaundice, edema, abdominal fullness, or steatorrhea. The symptoms of these were usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

In TCM, ox gallstones were not only useful for treating hepatobiliary disease causing jaundice but were also useful in preventing the occurrence of gallstones in the first place. Unlike in the West, where natural ox gallstones were collected and reconstituted as a drug, in China they were artificially produced from fresh ox gallbladder bile through a technique similar to culturing pearls.

The primary ingredient of ox gallstones, calcium bilirubinate, has been employed for over two thousand years in Chinese medicine for its numerous therapeutic benefits. In addition to its anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, antihypertensive, and bacterial growth inhibition effects, ox gallstones are also known to possess antipyretic, anti-spasmodic, and inotropic effects on cardiac muscle.

In recent years, the demand for ox gallstones has increased in the Hong Kong market. Beef processing plants in the United States should consider importing this valuable cattle by-product to the mainland as they can be sold for a substantial profit in the Hong Kong market.

Preparation

The bile of an ox (Bos taurus domesticus) has been used for therapeutic purposes in China since at least the Qin (221-206 BCE) and Han Dynasties (206 BCE-25 CE). This bile contains a variety of lipids, mainly phospholipids, bile acids, and cholesterol, and it is also the source of pure unconjugated calcium bilirubinate.

Although gallstones formed in the biliary tract of animals such as cows and bulls are uncommon, they do exist in some quantities. Ox gallstones are the best known, and have been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to cure a wide range of diseases.

These stones are typically large and crystalline in nature, and the main component of these stones is calcium bilirubinate. These calcified bile stones are a very important and rare ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine.

In the TCM world, ox gallstones are usually combined with other ingredients to produce complex compounds that can act as potent medicines. Typical preparations include Bezoar Bovis, Zhong Huang, and Gan Huang.

Interestingly, ox gallstones have been reported to be one of the most expensive medicinal products in China. This is because a single natural gallstone from a healthy ox can cost as much as HK$19,000, which is equivalent to US$65.

During the past 50 years, Chinese scientists have developed several techniques to artificially and ex vivo produce ox gallstones. The most popular method involves implanting a pinhead-sized artificial gallstone into the biliary tract of an ox. This process is reminiscent of culturing pearls, and has been demonstrated to produce gallstones that match those of spontaneously forming ones.

Japan Ox Gallstones