Bupleurum, Chai Hu, 柴胡

Hare’s Ear, Thoroghwax
Chai Hu (TCM)
Picture B. falcatum
Illustration by James Sowerby (Wikimedia)

Picture Bupleurum scorzonerifolium
(Photo by Лобачев Владимир) (Wikimedia)

Picture Cut Bupleurum Chai Hu (Adam 2023)

Picture Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION

Botanical name:


Bupleurum chinense, B. scorzonerifolium
Local varieties used include: B. marginatum, B. bicaule, B. sibiricum, B. longicaule, B. smithii

Parts used:


Root; the herb (above-ground parts) are used similarly, and the whole herb with root, collected in Spring, is also used.

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, dry. Bitter, pungent

Classifications:


A. Clear the Exterior

Uses:


1. Clears Wind-Heat, Reduces Fever, Clears Toxin:
-‘Lesser Yang’ disorders in TCM: chills and fever, bitter taste, flank pain, irritability
-Wind-Heat attack with Fever; Malarial Fevers
-adjunct herb for Deficient Heat
-Boils, Carbuncles, Furuncles
-heat conditions of the Eyes or Ears; Blurry vision, acute Deafness or Tinnitus
-Influenza, epidemic heat diseases, whole body pain from heat (Tibetan Medicine)
-‘ante- and post-partum Fever’ (Zhang Yuan Su)

2. Moves Liver Qi, Opens Obstructions:
-Emotional instability
-Menstrual disorders with Qi stagnation
-Chest and Flank distention; Hypochondriac distention
-Dizziness, Vertigo
-imbalance between Liver and Spleen: abdominal fullness and bloating, flank pain, nausea, indigestion
-‘pain in the back and shoulders due to invasion of pathogenic Heat’. (Zhen Quan)
-‘Long-term taking of the drug makes the person happy’ (Shen Nong Ben Cao)

3. Raises Yang Qi:
-dragging feeling in the lower abdomen
-Prolapses of the Uterus or Anus from sinking Qi
-raises the ‘clear Yang’ to the head


Dose:


Decoction: 3–9 grams

Preparation:


… available in PRO version

Comment:


1. Despite Bupleurum Chai Hu being given several important functions in modern TCM, its primary indication both in the Shang Han Lun and by later writers such as Su Song was for Chills and Fever: ‘Later doctors all take Bupleurum Chai Hu as a very important drug for the treatment of diseases with chills and fever’.
2. The European ThoroughWax (B. rotunifolium) was known as a medicine in Europe, but was rarely used. Its principle use was for Hernia, as well as Bruises, Wounds and chronic Ulcers. As can be seen from the illustration at the top of the page, both B. rotundifolium and B. falcatum are native to Europe, the latter being used in some areas for Bupleurum Chai Hu in TCM.
Picture

Main Combinations:


Fever, Infection
1. Wind-Cold Cold or Flu:
i. Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
ii, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
2. Lesser Yang disorders with Chills and Fever, fullness in the chest and hyponchondria; and acute Phlegm-Heat disorders, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
3. Alternating Fever and Chills, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
4. Malarial disorders, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
5. Chronic Malarial disorder, Bupleurum Chai Hu, … available in PRO version
6. Deficient Heat, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
7. Fever of Consumption, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version

Qi Stagnation
8. Pain and distention of the hypochondria, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
9. Constrained Q, Liver Qi Stagnationi:
i. Liver Qi obstruction, with Vertigo, Dizziness, Menstrual irregularity, Emotional disharmony, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
ii. Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
iii. Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
10. Breast Lumps, Nodes, Hyperplasia, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
11. Emotional disharmony, Depression, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
12. Menstrual irregularities, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version

Diseases of the Head
13. Headache from Trauma or Wind-Cold, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
14. Blurry vision, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
15. Tinnitus, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version

Other
16. Liver heat, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
17. To raise the Clear Yang, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version
18. Prolapse of the Rectum or Uterus, Bupleurum Chai Hu with … available in PRO version

Major Formulas:


Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Chai Hu Shu Gan San
Da Chai Hu Tang
Dan Zhi Xiao Yan San (Jia Wei Xiao Yao San)
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Si Ni San
Xiao Chai Hu Tang
Xiao Yao San
Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang

Cautions:


1. Not used in Yin deficiency
2. Not used in rising Liver Yang

Main Preparations used:



1. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Inhibition of inflammatory injure by polysaccharides from Bupleurum chinense through antagonizing P-selectin.

2. ANTI-ALLERGY:
–Bupleurum chinense extract ameliorates an OVA-induced murine allergic asthma through the reduction of the Th2 and Th17 cytokines production by inactivation of NFκB pathway

3. ANTI-OXIDANT:
–Radical scavenging activity of sulfated Bupleurum chinense polysaccharides and their effects against oxidative stress-induced senescence.
–Antioxidant and cytotoxic lignans from the roots of Bupleurum chinense.
–Antioxidant, anticancer and apoptotic effects of the Bupleurum chinense root extract in HO-8910 ovarian cancer cells.
–Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect of a polysaccharide from Bei Chaihu (Bupleurum chinense DC).

4. IMMUNOSTIMULATORY:
–Polysaccharides extracted from the roots of Bupleurum chinense DC modulates macrophage functions.
–Polysaccharides from Bupleurum Induce Immune Reversal in Late Sepsis
–Anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities induced by an alkali-extracted polysaccharide BCAP-1 from Bupleurum chinense via NF-κB signaling pathway.

5. CYTOTOXIC:
–Antioxidant and cytotoxic lignans from the roots of Bupleurum chinense.
–Cytotoxic triterpenoid glycosides (saikosaponins) from the roots of Bupleurum chinense.
 6. ANTI-TUMOR:
–Anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities induced by an alkali-extracted polysaccharide BCAP-1 from Bupleurum chinense via NF-κB signaling pathway.

7. ANTI-CANCER:
MELANOMA
–Bupleurum chinense polysaccharide inhibit adhesion of human melanoma cells via blocking β1 integrin function.
–Anti-melanoma activity of Bupleurum chinense, Bupleurum kaoi and nanoparticle formulation of their major bioactive compound saikosaponin-d.
OVARIAN:
–Antioxidant, anticancer and apoptotic effects of the Bupleurum chinense root extract in HO-8910 ovarian cancer cells.

8. AUTOPHAGIC:
–Autophagic effects of Chaihu (dried roots of Bupleurum Chinense DC or Bupleurum scorzoneraefolium WILD).

9. HEPATOPROTECTIVE:
–Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective effect of a polysaccharide from Bei Chaihu (Bupleurum chinense DC).

10. NEUROPROTECTIVE:
–Neuroprotective oleanane triterpenes from the roots of Bupleurum chinense.

11. PULMO-PROTECTIVE:
–Bupleurum chinense DC polysaccharides attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice.