Also known as fructus toosendan or Sichuan pagoda tree fruit, it refers to the dried ripe fruit of wild or cultivated Melia toosendan Sieb. Et Zucc., which is one of deciduous species and belongs to the family of Meliaceae. In China it grows mainly in the south but the fruits produced from Sichuan are preferred medicinally. As a result, it is named Chuan Lian Zi in Chinese Pinyin. The medicinal chinaberry is generally collected in winter. Next, remove the impurities before drying. It is used smashed and unprocessed or fried.

Fruits of the chinaberry tree are spherical or elliptical, in diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 cm. The surface is yellow-brown, shiny, slightly wrinkled, and with dark dots. At one end there is a circular depression, which is traced by carpopodium. At the other end there is a point-like brown stylopodium marks. And often there are gaps between leathery pericarp and pulp. The pulp is from yellow to dark yellow, slightly soft. The kernel consists of oval hard wood, with 6 to 8 vertical edges on surface and 6 to 8 black brown oblong seeds inside. The seeds are white, oblong, and oily. The fruits have a peculiar odor and sour-bitter taste. Medicinally the preferred ones are large, plump, yellow, fleshy, and soft.

CHINABERRY HEALTH BENEFITS 
As mentioned earlier, this herb is commonly used in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It was first documented in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica Classic), in which it was classified into the category of low grade herbs. But then the Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc. and the Melia azedarach L. were treated as the same herb. Now commercially it comes in two species, but for medicinal purpose, the former is the major one.

Chinaberry

TYPICAL CHINABERRY RELATED CHINESE FORMULAS 
TCM believes that it is bitter, cold, and slightly toxic in nature. It covers four meridians, such as liver, stomach, small intestine, and bladder. Typical functions are to promoting Qi circulation to relieve pain, soothe liver to vent heat, and kill parasites. Main uses and indications are pains in chest, flanks, abdomen, and ribs, hernia pain, abdominal pain due to roundworms or tape worms, and tinea capitis. Usual dosage is from 4.5 to 9 grams, in decoction generally. Appropriate amount is advisable in external use. And cold will be reduced after fried.

1) Jin Ling Zi San (Melia Toosendan Powder)
There are a few different versions of Jin Ling Zi San available. But no matter it comes from Su Wen Bing Ji Qi Yi Bao Ming Ji (Collection for Preserving Life of Pathogenesis in Plain Questions), Huo Fa Ji Yao (Essentials of Flexible Methods), or Tai ping sheng hui fang (Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief), chinaberry always combines with Yan Hu Suo (Corydalis Rhizome) for stagnation of liver-qi or all thoracico-abdominal pains induced by liver depression forming fire.

2) Dao Qi Tang
Dao Qi Tang is from Yi Fang Jian Yi (Concise Explanation of Prescriptions). This formula is mainly formulated for cold mounting, swelling with bearing-down pain of one testis, and colic in small intestine. Other herbal ingredients include Xiao Hui Xiang (Fennel Seed), Mu Xiang (Costus Root), and Wu Zhu Yu (Evodia Fruit).