About Chai Hu
Bupleurum (Chai Hu, 柴胡) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine herb used for 2000+ years as the chief herb in 'harmonizing' formulas, most famously Xiao Yao San (mood and digestive complaints, Song dynasty) and the Japanese Kampo formula Sho-saiko-to. The principal pharmacologically studied species are Bupleurum chinense DC. and B. scorzonerifolium Willd. (both official in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Radix Bupleuri), with B. falcatum L. in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. Active constituents are saikosaponins (saikosaponin a and d are the principal bioactives; c is secondary), plus polysaccharides and essential oil components including bupleurumol. Modern clinical evidence is limited: small Chinese-language trials suggest hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory effects, but no Western RCTs meet methodological standards for strong efficacy claims. Animal/cellular research supports anti-inflammatory and liver-related mechanisms via NF-κB and TGF-β1 pathways. Safety: case reports and a 1996 Japanese MHW warning linked Sho-saiko-to specifically to interstitial pneumonia, particularly when combined with interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis (Ishizaki et al., Eur Respir J 1996, PMID 8980988). LiverTox documents idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity with Sho-saiko-to, with autoimmune-pattern hepatitis features in some cases, and mechanistic studies show saikosaponin-d hepatotoxicity at higher exposures. Avoid in pregnancy. Avoid combining with interferon therapy.
What Chai Hu supports
- Traditional Chinese Medicine use for liver and digestive support
- Used in TCM 'harmonizing' formulas for mood and stress
How much Chai Hu to take
Clinical studies typically use 100–500 mg of Chai Hu. Concentrated supplement extract dose. Chinese Pharmacopoeia specifies 3-10 g of dried root in decoctions; modern Western supplements are concentrated extracts often standardized to saikosaponins, dosed at 100-500 mg/day.
- Effective range
- 100–500 mg
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. Long traditional TCM use (2000+ years); limited modern Western RCT evidence — clinical data is mostly from small Chinese-language trials with methodological limitations. Real safety signals exist for the Sho-saiko-to + interferon combination and for rare idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity
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