IngredientsThe Chinese mountain ant is known by a range of synonyms and trade names including Changbai Mountain Ant, Ant Extract, Ant Powder, Black Mountain Ant Extract, Black Carpenter Ant Extract, Polyrhachis Ant Powder, and Edible Chinese Ant; it is derived from the ant species Polyrhachis vicina Roger. In some scientific literature it is also referenced under the synonym Polyrhachis dives Smith, and is commonly called the Chinese black ant; it is mainly found in southern parts of China. Taxonomically, the species belongs to the order Hymenoptera and the family Formicidae.
Of over 400 known species of ants that have been studied in China alone, Polyrhachis vicina is the only species of ant approved by the China Ministry of Public Health as a dietary supplement. While the U.S. FDA has not recognized its medicinal use, the Chinese Ministry of Public Health acknowledges Black Ant Extract as a potential medicinal resource for supplement manufacturing.
The ants are typically dried and then crushed into a powder, from which a tonic is typically made; however other products like health foods, drinks, and wine have also been produced with Polyrhachis. The practice of P. vicina supplementation in wine has continued for many years in China and certain Western countries; distilled liquor flavored with ants was believed to be highly effective against rheumatism and gout, and ant spirits as a pharmaceutical product were mentioned as early as 1698.
The black mountain or weaver ant, Polyrhachis vicina Roger, has a 3,000-year history in traditional Chinese medicine. Highly regarded as an anti-inflammatory, it has been prescribed as medicine, infused into tea and wine, and eaten as food. The first recorded mention of Chinese medicinal ants is in the Zhou-Li, an ancient text dating from the 8th century B.C., which mentions ants as an excellent food for the king.
By the 16th century, the many pharmacological properties of Chinese medicinal ants were known and detailed in the Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu), a text still respected today in China, where traditional medicine is studied and practiced alongside Western medicine. The Ben Cao Gang Mu was compiled by Li Shi-zhen (1518–1593), a medical expert of the Ming Dynasty, over a period of 27 years; the compendium lists, analyzes, and describes all the plants, animals, minerals, and other objects believed to have medicinal properties. In this classic, the ant is regarded as the "Herb of Kings," and it was considered a tonic herb of the highest order and a favorite among the ruling elite of ancient China, as recorded in the Imperial Records.
Polyrhachis vicina Roger has long been held in traditional practice to relieve bone and joint pain, promote longevity, vitality and sexual function, help regulate the immune system, and is noted for its anti-aging effects. This insect has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for the treatment of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes.
In traditional Chinese medicine, black ant is considered a premier Qi tonic, considered by some to be even more powerful than the highly esteemed ginseng, and is categorized as an adaptogen in the same class as Eleuthero, cordyceps, reishi, and schizandra. In terms of traditional Chinese medicine, black ant also tones the kidneys, which are considered the source of sexual energy.
Ancient texts including the Chinese Medicinal Classics mention Polyrhachis ant as a significant energy-increasing tonic. In China, Polyrhachis vicina extract is a traditional part of official pharmacopoeias and is registered as a pharmaceutical substance prescribed in relation to libido and vitality.
Edible black ant (Polyrhachis vicina Roger) is a traditional edible insect species in China that has been used as a functional ingredient in various tonics or health foods; nutritional studies have determined the composition of the ant, including minerals, amino acids, superoxide dismutase (SOD), Vitamin E, and total acid. Results showed that the ant powder contained 77,000 IU/100g of SOD, 56.6 g/100g protein, 9.0 g/100g fat, 13.2 g/100g volatile oil, 6.0 g/100g moisture, 1.6 g/100g total acid, and 6.3 g/100g ash; there were 18 amino acids, of which glutamic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, alanine, leucine, proline, and tyrosine were predominant.
Research reports that Polyrhachis is rich in the minerals potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, and zinc, as well as vitamins B, D, and E, and is scientifically recommended as a potential health food. It is particularly notable for its zinc content, known as the "life spark," with each kilogram of the dry material reportedly containing 120–198 mg of zinc.
Chemical analysis of the extract of Polyrhachis vicina Roger reveals dense nutritional content including amino acids and minerals in significant amounts, trace amounts of steroids and hormones, and the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD), a powerful antioxidant compound, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), noted for its role in intracellular energy transfer.
A study prepared the hydro-ethanolic extract of P. vicina and determined total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, antioxidant, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities in vitro; in total, 60 bioactive components were tentatively identified in the extract, with polyphenols and fatty acids further quantified using LC-MS and GC-MS respectively. Salicylic acid, gallic acid, liquiritigenin, and naringenin were identified as the major polyphenols in the extract; these interacted with pancreatic lipase through hydrogen bonding, hydrophilic or hydrophobic, and pi-cation interactions. The bioactive components of P. vicina are also reported to comprise linoleic acid, heptadecenoic acid, and octadecenoic acid.
Demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects have been linked to two novel and promising bicyclic polyketide lactones isolated from Polyrhachis ant extract, Polyrhacitide A and Polyrhacitide B; in 2009, a German research team achieved laboratory synthesis of these recently discovered Polyrhacitides, which opened the door to further pharmacological study. These two aliphatic polyketide natural products were synthesized in a concise and highly stereoselective manner, involving an auxiliary-based acetate aldol reaction and an iterative Wittig reaction, with one-pot acid-mediated global deprotection and cyclization reactions shaping the final bicyclic lactone core.
A 2005 study published in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin by Kou et al. evaluated the ethanol extract of Chinese medicinal ants (Polyrhachis lamellidens, a closely related species) for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in mice; the extract significantly inhibited acetic acid–induced writhing response and increased the hot-plate pain threshold of mice at doses of 1.5 and 3.0 g crude drug/kg, and significantly inhibited the increase in vascular permeability induced by acetic acid and ear edema induced by xylene, though it had no obvious effect on leukocyte migration induced by carboxymethylcellulose sodium. These results suggest that the species presents remarkable analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, supporting the traditional use of medicinal ants in the treatment of various diseases associated with inflammation.
Evidence strength: These findings are exclusively from animal (murine) models. No controlled human clinical trials have been published establishing equivalent anti-inflammatory or analgesic effects in humans. The studies support but do not confirm traditional use.
A PMC-indexed study found that P. vicina extract possessed excellent antioxidant and pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibition activities in vitro. Recent studies have shown that P. vicina contains many essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, along with significant amounts of minerals, polyphenols, and active ingredients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The high SOD content of the ant powder (77,000 IU/100g by published compositional analysis) has attracted attention as a potential endogenous antioxidant source.
Evidence strength: Antioxidant activity has been demonstrated convincingly in vitro and in cell-based models. No controlled human trials have established in vivo antioxidant benefit from supplementation.
A PubMed-indexed study evaluated the hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects of an active fraction from Polyrhachis vicina Roger (AFPR) in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats; hyperuricemia was induced in male rats, AFPR was orally administered for 12 consecutive weeks, and serum, liver, and kidney samples were collected for effects and mechanism analysis. The findings suggested that AFPR has anti-hyperuricemic activity attributed to the inhibition of uric acid generation in the liver and probably to the enhancement of urate excretion in the kidney, and possesses a nephroprotective effect in hyperuricemic rats due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. According to Su et al. (2018), P. vicina extract demonstrated the ability to reduce uric acid in the blood and protect renal function in a gout model, suggesting the ability to regulate inflammation through indirect effects on purine metabolism, with effective doses ranging from 285 to 2,000 mg/kg/day in the animal model.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; all evidence is from animal (rat) models. The effective doses reported (285–2,000 mg/kg/day in rats) are not directly translatable to human dosing without further clinical investigation.
Ant medicine has been studied for its role in liver protection and is used in China to treat patients suffering from chronic hepatitis; in one reported animal study, guanosine triphosphate content decreased in white rats after feeding with 2.4 g/kg ant paste per day for 5 days (Zhao et al., 1983). P. vicina extracts have also been reported to exert anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities in additional published studies.
Evidence strength: The hepatoprotective evidence is very preliminary. Available studies are animal-based and older. There are no rigorous randomized controlled trials in humans confirming a hepatoprotective benefit.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Inflammation Research investigated whether neuroinflammation—recognized as a significant etiological factor in depression—could be modulated by AFPR; the active fraction of Polyrhachis vicina Roger was found in a previous study to exert antidepressant and anti-neuroinflammatory effects. The 2023 study examined the impact of AFPR on depression-associated inflammation via the FTO/miR-221-3p/SOCS1 axis, using both chronic unpredictable stress (CUMS)-induced rats and LPS-induced BV2 cell models in vivo and in vitro.
AFPR has been shown in preclinical work to have great potential on neurological disease due to its remarkable anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects; a 2023 study in Phytomedicine examined AFPR's effects in alleviating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. This study sought to elucidate the role of SIRT3 in regulating mitophagy and angiogenesis after stroke, using a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CIR) rat model developed by middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Evidence strength: All neurological research on Polyrhachis vicina to date is preclinical (rodent models and cell culture). No human clinical trials have been conducted.
Peer-reviewed work published around 2023 identified active components of Polyrhachis vicina as capable of inhibiting colorectal cancer progression via activation of ERK to cause necroptosis in colorectal cancer cells (Li et al., 2023, Journal of Ethnopharmacology), and as suppressing breast cancer growth and progression via the EGR1/lncRNA-NKILA/NF-κB axis.
Evidence strength: All anti-cancer evidence is from cell line and rodent studies. No clinical evidence in human cancer patients exists. These findings are early-stage and exploratory.
In vitro research found that P. vicina extract possessed excellent pancreatic lipase inhibition activity, with major polyphenols interacting with the enzyme through multiple molecular interactions; the authors suggested that P. vicina extract may be usable as a nutraceutical to alleviate oxidative stress–induced disease and manage obesity.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; based solely on in vitro enzyme inhibition assays. No animal or human metabolic trials have been published to date.
Common preparations include the dried and crushed ant as a powder, from which tonics are made, as well as various health foods, drinks, and wine products. Modern commercial forms include capsules, tablets, and standardized extracts.
In preclinical research, the following dosage levels have been reported in the scientific literature:
No standardized, validated human clinical dosage has been established in published peer-reviewed literature as of the time of writing. These animal dosages cannot be directly applied to humans without appropriate pharmacokinetic and safety data from clinical trials.
The ant species has been shown to be of low toxicity in many experimental models, further strengthening its potential for application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Clinical tests reported in the Shizhen Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research indicate that Polyrhachis vicina Roger has high nutritional value and is not toxic.
Since Black Ant Extract is derived from insects, there is a potential risk of allergic reactions, particularly for individuals sensitive to shellfish, dust mites, or other insect proteins. Individuals with known insect allergies, particularly to ants or other members of the Hymenoptera order (which includes bees and wasps), should avoid Black Ant Extract. Although it is rare, some people develop an allergy to Polyrhachis ant extract, described as being a similar reaction to an ant bite.
Of over 400 known species of ants studied in China, Polyrhachis vicina is the only species approved by the China Ministry of Public Health as a dietary supplement. In the European Union, Polyrhachis vicina does not have approved efficacy claims, similar in status to other traditional Chinese adaptogens such as cordyceps. The U.S. FDA has not recognized its medicinal use.
The overall body of scientific evidence for Polyrhachis vicina is substantially limited to preclinical studies (animal models and cell culture), with a concentration of research from Chinese institutions. As of the available literature, no rigorously controlled, peer-reviewed human clinical trials have been published evaluating efficacy or safety in human populations. Multiple studies from 2005, 2009, and 2015 show that extracts taken from Polyrhachis improve inflammation and pain in rats, but a larger, human study is required; the current research supports, without definitively confirming, the traditional use of the ant to treat inflammation.
Health conditions that Chinese mountain ant may help support.
Chinese mountain ant (Polyrhachis vicina) is a traditional Chinese tonic used for millennia to enhance male vitality, sexual function, and energy. It contains zinc, ATP precursors, and polyrhacitides. Animal studies support its androgenic and pro-sexual effects, though human clinical trial evidence is very limited.
Body systems that Chinese mountain ant may help support.
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