Property

performance and application regularity of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important part of TCM theory. During explorations for TCM property theory in all aspects and at different levels in recent years

some experimental studies have made a progress in key elements of properties of a specific herb. Heat-clearing herbs are cold in nature

with efficiencies of clearing heat

resolving toxin

draining fire

cooling blood

drying dampness

clearing deficiency heat

and mainly used to treat such interior heat symptoms as exogenous evil invasion and transformation into heat

direct attack of pathogenic heat

hyperactivity of fire due to Yin deficiency

with main symptoms of fever

red tongue and rapid pulse

particularly damp-heat diarrhea and dysentery

jaundice

welling-abscess swellings and sores

heat toxin with skin eruption

carbuncle toxin and hectic fever due to Yin deficiency. With a high value of clinical application

it can be used to treat many infectious diseases and non-infectious diseases in modern times. Due to its cold property

it is commonly used as a representative herb in TCM property theories and experimental studies. In this paper

we summarized all of studies for property theory of TCM about heat-clearing herbs (four Qi

five flavors

channel entry and toxicity) in recent years

in the hope to reveal the progress of studies for properties and mechanisms of heat-clearing herbs

systematically summarize study methods and results

provide enlightenment and reference for further studies and advance a new leap in modern studies for TCM theory.