| Polygala tenuifolia | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae |
| Genus: | Polygala |
| Species: | P. tenuifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Polygala tenuifolia Willd. | |
Polygala tenuifolia (yuǎn zhì; Chinese: 远志) is an herb in the family Polygalaceae which is hardy to USDA Zone 6.
Phytochemistry
P. tenuifolia contains tenuifolin, senegenin, and polygalacic acid.
Medicinal uses
Yuan zhi is used primarily as an expectorant. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called yuǎn zhì (Chinese: 遠志) and believed to have neuropsychiatric effects. It has been studied as a potential drug source in depression and Alzheimer's. However, quality of the herb varies widely, and as of 2020 there have been no toxicological studies or clinical trials.
References
- Deng, X.; Zhao, S.; Liu, X.; Han, L.; Wang, R.; Hao, H.; Jiao, Y.; Han, S.; Bai, C. (2020). "Polygala tenuifolia: a source for anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs". Pharmaceutical Biology. 58 (1): 410–416. doi:10.1080/13880209.2020.1758732. PMC 7301717. PMID 32429787.
- "Polygala tenuifolia - Willd. database report". Plants for A Future. 1996–2012. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- Shin, Im-Joon; Son, Sung Un; Park, Hyunwoo; Kim, Yoorim; Park, Sung Hyun; Swanberg, Kelley; Shin, Joo-Yeon; Ha, Sang-Kyu; Cho, Yoonju; Bang, Soo-Yong; Lew, Jae-Hwan; Cho, Seung-Hun; Maeng, Sungho (2014). "Preclinical evidence of rapid-onset antidepressant-like effect in Radix Polygalae extract". PLOS ONE. 9 (2): e88617. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...988617S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088617. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3919798. PMID 24520403.
- ^ Deng, Xinxin; Zhao, Shipeng; Liu, Xinqi; Han, Lu; Wang, Ruizhou; Hao, Huifeng; Jiao, Yanna; Han, Shuyan; Bai, Changcai (2020-01-01). "Polygala tenuifolia : a source for anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs". Pharmaceutical Biology. 58 (1): 410–416. doi:10.1080/13880209.2020.1758732. ISSN 1388-0209. PMC 7301717. PMID 32429787.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Polygala tenuifolia |
|