Glabrous Sarcandra Herb

Chinese
肿节风
Pinyin
Zhong Jie Feng
Latin
Herba Sarcandrae

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter, acrid
Temperature
neutral
Channels
Liver, Heart

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Clears Heat and resolves toxicity
  • Cools the Blood and invigorates Blood circulation
  • Dissipates Blood stasis and reduces swelling
  • Stops bleeding

Secondary Actions

  • Dispels Wind and opens the collaterals
  • Alleviates pain in joints and sinews

Classic Formulas

  • Xuekang Oral Liquid (血康口服液) — used in modern practice for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia; Zhong Jie Feng is the principal herb promoting platelet recovery
  • Compound Sarcandra Tablets (复方肿节风片) — patent formula combining Zhong Jie Feng with other heat-clearing herbs for infections, abscess, and inflammatory swelling

Classical References

  • Included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) since 1977; isofraxidin designated as quality-control marker compound for standardisation of medicinal preparations

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Isofraxidin (coumarin; ChP quality-control marker)
  • Rosmarinic acid
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • Caffeic acid
  • Quercetin
  • Astilbin (flavonoid)
  • β-sitosterol
  • Chloranthalactones (sesquiterpenes)
  • Sarcandralactones (sesquiterpenes)

Studied Effects

  • Anti-thrombocytopenic: promotes megakaryocyte proliferation via TPO-C-mpl and SDF-1-CXCR4 pathways; Xuekang oral liquid shown effective for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia without significant adverse effects (PMID 33967794)
  • Anti-tumour: network pharmacology and in-vitro study identified quercetin, β-sitosterol, and anhydroicaritin as active compounds targeting PPARG, GSK3B, STAT1, and ERBB2; S. glabra extract significantly inhibited PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cell growth (PMID 40098117)
  • Anti-inflammatory: inhibits NF-κB signalling and suppresses TNF-α production; isofraxidin reduces inflammatory cytokines via MAPK pathway (PMID 33967794)

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Yin deficiency with Fire Rising
  • Pregnancy (blood-invigorating action; contraindicated)

Cautions

  • Standard dose 9–15g decoction; up to 30g reported for severe infections under supervision
  • Long-term adverse effects not systematically established — avoid prolonged unsupervised use
  • Patients using concurrent oncology treatment should inform their oncologist before use

Conditions