Chai Hu

Botany

Bupleurum chinense is a plant of the family Apiaceae and is native to East Asia. Its leaves are long and thin and resemble fennel. The genus Bupleurum has about 190 species. The name of the genus comes from the Latin boupleuron, ox rib, and describes the shape of the roots. Most Bupleurum species are perennial herbs with compound umbels.

Traditional use

According to TCM theory, Radix Bupleuri is thought to regulate the exterior and interior metabolisms and to soothe the liver. It has been used widely for the treatment of influenza, fever, inflammation, malaria, menstrual disorders and hepatitis in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. The 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists 97 Chinese patent medicines containing Radix Bupleuri. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia recommends a daily dose of 3 to 10 g. Radix Bupleuri could also lead to hepatotoxicity, particularly in high doses and with long-term use.

Chemistry

The plant contains essential oils, triterpenoid saponins, polyacetylenes, flavonoids, lignans, fatty acids and sterols. Saikosaponins are the major bioactive compounds of the root. In the genus Bupleurum, saikosaponins amount to up to 7% of the total dry weight in roots. Essential oils from the roots of 10 Chinese Bupleurum species consist mainly of aliphatic aldehydes and acids. Hexanal and heptanal are among these aldehydes, while the oils of European species are rich in alpha- and beta-pinene, limonene and 1,8-cineole instead.

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