large cluster-forming polypore (Polyporaceae) producing dozens of small, overlapping, brown-capped fruiting bodies from a buried, irregular black sclerotium.

growing from buried roots of beech, oak, and maple, often associated with Armillaria honey fungus as a co-inhabitant of the same root system. it is the sclerotium — the underground hardened mycelial mass — that is harvested as the primary medicinal material in TCM, not the fruiting bodies.

"Zhu Ling" translates to "pig spirit" — pigs were historically observed to dig up and eat the sclerotia.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8453004/

could protect renal fibrosis by regulating fatty acyl metabolism.
improves renal function and ameliorates renal collagen deposition and subsequent fibrosis.

crude polysaccharide extract plays a role in inhibiting breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.

the polysaccharide fraction activates NK cells, macrophages, and T-lymphocytes through Dectin-1 and TLR2 receptor signaling. the steroid fraction (ergone and polyporusterones) contributes direct cytotoxicity through apoptosis induction in tumor cell lines. ergone specifically inhibits cell cycle progression at G1/S checkpoint in bladder cancer cells.

P. umbellatus extract is approved in China as an adjunct cancer treatment, particularly for bladder cancer.

P. umbellatus demonstrates antiallergic effects and enhances microcirculation.
antiallergic activity through mast cell stabilization and histamine release inhibition.

pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that ergosterol and ergone have high distribution and absorption in plasma and are mainly excreted by feces.

its a powerful diuretic, traditionally used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), edema, and kidney stones by promoting urine flow and reducing water retention.

exhibits hepatoprotective effects, helping to detoxify and protect the liver from damage.

enhances the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages.

inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, particularly in cancers of the liver, lung, and breast.

The polysaccharides in Polyporus umbellatus support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

Antimicrobial and antifungal.

used to treat skin conditions like eczema and abscesses,

detox effects.

Active Compounds:

Polysaccharides, Ergosterol, Triterpenoids, Phenolic Compounds, Beta-glucans.

Used for centuries to treat urinary difficulties, edema, jaundice, and liver disease.

enhances insulin sensitivity and reducing oxidative stress in pancreatic cells.

it could inhibit viral replication, including hepatitis and influenza viruses.

believed to support lymphatic drainage.

used in tcm for ckd.

if you want more for ckd, use bupi yishen, it’s a chinese medicine made up of 86 compounds. it’s used to treat ckd. it preserves kidney function and prevents severe adverse outcomes in people with ckd.