Bupleurum Bupleurum chinense


  • Common Names
  • Bupleurum , chai hu, Chinese thorowax root
  • Botanical Name
  • Bupleurum chinense
  • Family
  • APIACEAE

Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Bupleurum

remedyHow to Use| Side Effects | Plant & Garden|

How to Use: Bupleurum


Bupleurum is an important Chinese tonic herb for the liver and circulatory system that is not widely used by Western herbalists. As with most traditional Chinese herbs, bupleurum is rarely used alone, but is often combined with ginseng, ginger, and combined with peony to treat menstrual problems, with bitter orange peel for irregularity or loss of appetite, with scutellaria for chills and fever.

Preparation Methods & Dosage :Traditionally used in teas, sometimes encapsulated and as an extract. Bupleurum is available in the form of saikosaponin extract at Chinese pharmacies, as chai hu from practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and in combination with other herbs in many important Chinese herbal formulas. Some over-the-counter formulas available at retail stores combine bupleurum with dong quai or scutellaria.1


Traditional Chinese Medicine traditional Chinese medicine It's Chinese name that literally means "kindling of the barbarians." Bupleurum is a primary ingredient an ancient Chinese medicinal formula known as Xiao Chai Hu Tang, first recorded in the Treatise on Cold Induced Febrile Disease (Shang Han Lun) circa 280 AD. 2

Bupleurum Side Effects: Bupleurum should not be used during pregnancy or if you are undergoing interferon therapy for hepatitis, or taking antibiotics. Take the tea with food

^ Top^

Plant Description


  • Flowers:clusters of small yellow flowers
  • Plant type:Perennial herb, grows up to 3 feet
  • Leaves: long, thin, sickle-shaped leaves resembling fennel.
  • Root: part used in herbal medicine
  • Preferred Habitat:
  • Flowering Season:Harvest in spring and autumn
  • Distribution: native to in East Asia

Regional Traditions :Traditional Chinese Medicine *

Related Species Bupleurum scorzoneraefolium (southern bupleurum)


References:
books citedWorks Cited
  1. Prescription for Herbal Healing (2002) Phyllis A. Balch
  2. Mountain Rose Herbs