Witnessed by: TCM

Saiga antelope horn (Saiga tatarica), of the Bovidae (Mammalia) family. A stocky pale steppe antelope with a swollen, downturned proboscis-like muzzle; only the male bears horns; native range: the steppe of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and the Russian Kalmyk steppe; formerly across the whole Eurasian steppe belt. Globally recognized as ling yang jiao (羚羊角) in Chinese, saiga horn, antelope horn in English, and Cornu Saigae Tataricae in Latin. The part used is the horn, shaved, filed or powdered. A slightly lyre-curved horn, translucent and waxy-white to pale yellow-grey, ringed with 10–20 raised annulations up its lower length and smooth at the tapering tip; a fine 'blood thread' runs within. Shaves to thin translucent flakes, tasteless and near odourless.

In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.

ANTELOPE HORN

IDENTITY

Name

Common: saiga antelope horn
Scientific name: Saiga tatarica (Linnaeus, 1766)
Family: Bovidae (Mammalia)

Form

Part used: the horn, shaved, filed or powdered

PROPERTIES

Nature

Taste

how the plant declares itself on the tongue

TCM: salty (咸)

Temperature

TCM: cold (寒)

Affinity

where in the body it travels

Organs / channels

TCM: Liver · Heart

PRACTICE

Virtue

Actions

TCM: extinguishes wind and stops tremors and convulsions, drains liver fire and subdues ascendant liver yang, clears heat and brightens the eyes, and clears heat and resolves toxicity

Cautions

Contraindications: cold from deficiency; spleen deficiency with loose stool; convulsion or dizziness from blood or yin deficiency without heat
Toxicity: low intrinsic toxicity; the decisive cautions are conservation and legality, not pharmacology. Saiga tatarica stands on CITES Appendix II under a zero commercial export quota, whose annotation CoP20 (2025) amended for the Kazakhstan population; the Appendix-I uplisting proposed at CoP18 was not adopted. Trade is permit-bound and commercial export is closed. Water-buffalo horn (shui niu jiao) and gou teng are the working substitutes
Sourcing status: cites-ii

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