fructus mume

Fructus mume is the dried or processed near-mature fruit of Prunus mume (family Rosaceae), widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a food ingredient. It is known for its sour and astringent properties and is traditionally used to treat chronic coughs, prolonged diarrhea, asthenic fever, roundworm-induced vomiting and abdominal pain, thirst due to heat from deficiency (wasting and thirsting disorder), rectal prolapse, bleeding disorders (such as hemafecia or excessive uterine bleeding), corns and warts[1][2][5]. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that extracts of fructus mume possess antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, antidiarrheal effects[2][4][5], as well as potential blood glucose-lowering activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus[3]. The main active components identified include organic acids (citric acid, malic acid), phenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid), amygdalin, rutin among others[2][6]. Mechanistically it acts primarily through astringency—stabilizing intestinal function—and may exert anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. It has also been shown to alleviate chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in breast cancer patients with few side effects[4].

Other names

Wu MeiMume FructusBlack PlumSmoked PlumPrunus mume fructus