Bupleurum

Bupleurum chinense syn. B. scorzoneraefolium

Bupleurum or Chinese thorough wax is a perennial herb growing wild on the sunny sides of sedge thickets. Its leaves are alternative, and broad linear-lanceolate; its apexes are acuminate; its bases gradually narrowing; the margins are intact and parallel veins 7 to 9 inches. In the autumn, small golden flowers that are either terminal or axillary appear to form compound umbellate inflorescences. The seed capsule is flat and elliptical in shape.

First mentioned in text from the 1st century BC, bupleurum is one of China's "harmony" herbs, balancing different organs and energies within the body. Bupleurum is used as a tonic, strengthening the action of the digestive tract, improving liver function, and helping to push blood to the surface of the body. Recent research in Japan has confirmed traditional use, showing that bupleurum protects the liver.

Other names

• Hare's Ear Root
• Chai Hu

Parts used

Roots.

Uses

Ancient Chinese remedy - Bupleurum has been taken in China for over 2,000 years as a liver tonic. Bupleurum is traditionally believed to strengthen liver qi and to have a tonic action on the spleen and stomach. In Chinese medicine, bupleurum is used to treat "disharmony" between the liver and the spleen, a condition that manifests itself in problems of the digestive system such, as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and indigestion.
Liver problems - In common with milk thistle and members of the Glycyrrhiza genus -for example, licorice and gan cao -  bupleurum is an excellent remedy for a poorly functioning or weakened liver. Its anti-inflammatory action may contribute to its overall use in the treatment of liver disease.
Fever - In China, bupleurum is taken to reduce fever, especially in instances when it is accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth; irritability, and either  vomiting and abdominal pain, or dizziness and vertigo.
Modern Japanese remedy - The traditional uses of bupleurum and scientific research accord so well that many Japanese doctors practicing conventional Western medicine now use extracts of bupleurum root to treat patients with liver problems.
Other medical uses - Bupleurum is sometimes useful in the treatment of hemorrhoids and of prolapsed tissue in the pelvis, such as a prolapse of the uterus.

Habitat & cultivation

Bupleurum grows in China and is cultivated throughout the central and eastern parts of that country. Bupleurum is also found in other parts of Asia and in Europe. Bupleurum is propagated from seed in spring or by root division in autumn and requires well-drained soil and plenty of sun. The root is unearthed in spring and autumn.

Research

Saikosides - Research in Japan from the 1960s onward into the Bupleurum genus has revealed that the saikosides are potent medicines. They appear to protect the liver from toxicity and strengthen liver function, even in people suffering from immune system disorders. Following this discovery, clinical trials during the 1980s in Japan demonstrated that bupleurum is effective when used in the treatment of hepatitis and other chronic liver problems.
Anti - inflammatory - The saikosides stimulate the body's production of corticosteroids and increase their anti - inflammatory effect.

Constituents

Bupleurum contains:
- Bupleurumol
- Triterpenoid saponins - saikosides (saikosaponins)
- Flavonoids (rutin)

Back To Top