scrophularia ningpoensis

Scrophularia ningpoensis is a perennial herb in the family Scrophulariaceae whose root (known as Xuan Shen or 玄参) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two millennia. The root is traditionally employed for its "heat-clearing," "detoxifying," and yin-nourishing properties. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as inflammation (including sore throat and skin infections), feverish illnesses with rashes or delirium, hypertension, diabetes mellitus symptoms (notably thirst), carbuncles/abscesses and other inflammatory skin disorders. Modern pharmacological studies have identified more than 160 compounds from the root—including iridoid glycosides (e.g., harpagide and harpagoside), phenylpropanoid glycosides (e.g., acteoside/angoroside C), phenolic acids/flavonoids/triterpenes/saponins—many of which exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant/cytoprotective effects on cardiovascular/liver/nervous systems[2][7][9]. The main active constituents are believed to be iridoid glycosides and phenylpropanoid glycosides[2][7]. Mechanistically it may modulate inflammatory pathways but specific molecular targets remain under investigation.

Other names

Xuan Shen玄参Scrophularia RootScrophularia Ningpoensis RootNingpo Scrophularia RootChinese ScrophulariaNingpo RootScrophularia RadixHerbal Xuan ShenFigwort RootRoot of Scrophularia