All-Grass of Diluteyellow Crotalaria

Chinese
黄花地丁
Pinyin
Huang Hua Di Ding
Latin
Herba Crotalariae Albidae

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter, sweet
Temperature
cool
Channels
Lung, Liver

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Clears heat and resolves toxin; treats carbuncles, sores, and infectious inflammatory conditions
  • Stops cough and calms wheezing; used for bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma
  • Prevents and treats malaria; traditional use in Yunnan province for febrile malarial patterns

Secondary Actions

  • Promotes urination and clears damp-heat in the lower jiao; treats urethritis and cystitis
  • Clears liver heat and supports liver function in hepatitis and gastroenteritis patterns
  • Transforms phlegm-heat in the Lung; relieves chest oppression with thick yellow sputum

Classical References

  • Regional folk medicine — Yunnan province (southwest China); commonly known as Huang Hua Di Ding (yellow-flower ground-nail) and used for cough, phlegm accumulation, and anti-inflammatory conditions

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Neocroalbidine (pyrrolizidine alkaloid)
  • Neocroalbidinone (pyrrolizidine alkaloid)
  • 2"-isopropenyl dihydrofuran isoflavonoids (novel compounds 1 and 3)
  • 2"-isopropenyl dihydrofuran chromone (novel compound 2)
  • Flavonoids (16 compounds isolated from aerial parts)

Studied Effects

  • Anti-obesity — isoflavonoids inhibit adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells via PPAR-γ pathway suppression (PMID 26285147)
  • Anti-inflammatory — genus-wide activity confirmed across multiple Crotalaria species
  • Antimicrobial — demonstrated against bacterial and fungal pathogens in Crotalaria genus studies
  • Hepatotoxic potential — pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are metabolised by CYP3A4/CYP2A6 to reactive pyrroles that cause hepatocyte nuclear damage

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Pre-existing liver disease or elevated liver enzymes — pyrrolizidine alkaloids are directly hepatotoxic
  • Pregnancy — pyrrolizidine alkaloids are fetotoxic; contraindicated throughout all trimesters
  • Paediatric use — immature hepatic metabolism increases PA toxicity risk
  • Concurrent hepatotoxic drug therapy — additive liver damage risk

Cautions

  • Limit duration of use; pyrrolizidine alkaloids accumulate and cause cumulative hepatotoxicity
  • Use with caution in renal impairment — nephrotoxic potential reported for pyrrolizidine class
  • Monitor for signs of pulmonary hypertension with extended use; monocrotaline-type PAs implicated in vascular toxicity
  • Cool thermal nature — use cautiously in cold-deficiency patterns, chronic diarrhea, or poor digestion

Drug Interactions

  • CYP3A4 and CYP2A6 substrates and inhibitors — Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are metabolised via CYP3A4 and CYP2A6 to hepatotoxic pyrrole intermediates; CYP inhibitors may reduce detoxification and increase toxicity; CYP inducers may accelerate formation of toxic pyrroles (High) Source: PMC6032134 — Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Food Safety
  • Hepatotoxic drugs (methotrexate, isoniazid, valproate, statins) — Additive hepatotoxic effect; simultaneous use of PA-containing herbs and hepatotoxic pharmaceuticals significantly raises risk of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS/VOD) (High) Source: PMC8508847 — Metabolic Toxification of 1,2-Unsaturated Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Causes Human Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome

Conditions