''Bupleurum chinense'' (Chai Hu, , ''Thorowax'') is a plant of the family Apiaceae.

Distribution and appearance

''Bupleurum chinense'' is native to East Asia. The leaves of the plant are long and thin and resemble

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

Use in traditional Chinese medicine

The root of ''B. chinense'', known as Radix Bupleuri, is used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

. Its proposed use is to strengthen the liver. There is no good evidence that Chinese herbal medicines, including those derived from ''B. chinense'', are of any benefit in treating fatty liver disease, and the safety of these drugs is unknown.

Chemical constituents

''Bupleurum chinense'' roots, also known as Radix Bupleuri, contain

polyacetylenes Polyacetylene (IUPAC name: polyethyne) usually refers to an organic polymer with the repeating unit . The name refers to its conceptual construction from polymerization of acetylene to give a chain with repeating olefin groups. This compound is ...

and

saponins Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of), also selectively referred to as triterpene glycosides, are bitter-tasting usually toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality when agitated in water. They are widely distributed ...

triterpenoids Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1031631 chinense