Gentiana scabra. 龙 胆 草 Lóng dǎn cǎo   Japanese gentian   Family: Gentianaceae      
PART USED: Root- harvested in the Spring or Autumn.
Nature: Cold   FLAVOR: Very Bitter- Gentian is the King of bitter herbs  CHANNEL: Liver, Gall Bladder, Stomach
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Drying Dampness
1. Purges Liver/Gall Bladder Fire.[1,3] Drains Damp Heat from the Liver and Gallbladder channels.[5] Drains and pacifies excessive Liver fire.[5]
2. Strengthens Stomach- promotes the secretions of fluids from the Stomach.[3]
ACTIONS
INDICATIONS
1. Fire of Excess type in the Liver and Gall Bladder:[3,5] manifested as headache, fullness in the head, blood shot, swollen and painful eyes, pain in the hypochondriac region, sore throat, bitter taste in the mouth, acute conjunctivitis, acute tonsilitis.[1,5] High fever.[1,4] Convulsion.[1] Pain in ribs. Painful ears and deafness-[5] since Gall bladder channel goes around ears. Hematuria. Dysuria. Acute hepatitis.[3] Cholycystitis.[3]
2. Jaundice due to Damp Heat in the lower Burner Liver and Gall bladder channels. Vaginal pruritus and discharge, open sores of the scrotum.[1] Pain, swelling or dampness in the genital area, or faul-smelling vaginal discharge and itching.[5]
-Jaundice with the downward flow of Damp Heat. Scrotal swelling, perineal pruritus and yellow thick leukorrhagia. Vaginal pruritis and discharge.[1] Open sores of the scrotum.[1] Abscesses and boils.[1]
3. Wind syndrome induced by excessive Heat in the Liver marked by persistent high fever, spasm and convulsion. Liver Fire blazing upwards with headache or red eyes.[5] Also for Liver Wind Heat with fever, spasms, convulsions, or flank pain.[5]
4. Give lightness and elasticity to the body.[4]
5. Chronic gastritis.[3] Anthelmintic.[4].
6. Nocturnal sweating.[4] Haematuria.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Stomach and Spleen deficiency with diarrhea, it can cause vomiting.[5] Overdoses can cause nausea and vomiting since too cooling.[3]
Prolonged use is contraindicated as it can damage the Stomach Qi. When there is no excessive Fire, do not use.[3] Cold Spleen/Stomach.[2]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Root Decoction 3-8 g.[1,2,3,5] Can be used in bolus or powder.[2] Good quality is long, thick, intact, and yellow or brownish yellow in color.
     
HABITAT: Grows on wasted slopes and grassland shrub thickets.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb. Subterranean perennial roots rumerous, fleshy, slender and fine. Stem; branching, slightly 4- angled, green. Leaves; opposite, nonpetioled, shape ovate-lanceolate, apexes acute, bases clasping stem, margins intact. Flowers; in autum-winter, blue, singly or clustered, to form terminal cymose infloerescence. Capsule; long and rounded.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research

Hepatoprotection of Gentiana scabra extract and polyphenols in liver of carbon tetrachloride-intoxicated mice. Ko HJ, Chen JH, Ng LT.
Abstract:
In traditional Chinese medicine, the rhizomes of Gentiana scabra are used to treat hepatitis, stomatitis, and inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the protective effects of G. scabra aqueous extract (GS) and polyphenols in liver of CCl4-intoxicated mice. Antioxidant activities of GS were also evaluated. Results showed that GS exhibited anti-lipid peroxidation, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and superoxide radical scavenging activities with IC50 values of 45.84, 183.38, and 56.25 μ/mL, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the major polyphenolic constituents of GS were kaempferol, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Daily oral administration of 500 mg/kg GS (GS500) and 1000 mg/kg GS (GS1000) significantly prevented the elevation of glutamic pyruvic transaminase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels, while enhancing the levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and serum total antioxidant activity in mice with hepatoxicity. At 1000 mg/kg, GS was as effective as 100 mg/kg silymarin in reducing oxidative stress and preventing liver injury. Histopathological studies further confirmed the hepatoprotective activity of GS. Taken together, these results show that the antioxidant activities and polyphenolic compounds (kaempferol, ellagic acid, and quercetin) of GS may have contributed to its hepatoprotective activity in CCl4-intoxicated mice, and its mechanism of action could be mediated through the reduction of oxidative stress in liver tissue.
J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2011;30(3):179-87. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antioxidant and immunological activities of polysaccharides from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots. Wang Z, Wang C, Su T, Zhang J.
Abstract:
Two polysaccharide fractions, GSP I-a and GSP II-b, were isolated from Gentiana scabra Bunge roots. Both GSP I-a and GSP II-b comprised seven monosaccharides: fructose, mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and fucose. Ultraviolet and infrared analyses show that GSP I-a and GSP II-b are proteoglycans. In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity suggests that GSP I-a and GSP II-b scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. However, the scavenging activity of the latter is stronger than that of the former. GSP I-a and GSP II-b have relatively low reducing powers and scavenging activities toward superoxide anions and hydroxyls. GSP I-a and GSP II-b significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation when lipopolysaccharide is used as a mitogen for lymphocytes, but only GSP I-a can significantly increase lymphocyte proliferation within the test-dosage range when concanavalin A is used as a mitogen.
Carbohydr Polym. 2014 Nov 4;112:114-8. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.05.077. Epub 2014 Jun 4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A bitter herbal medicine Gentiana scabra root extract stimulates glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion and regulates blood glucose in db/db mouse.
Suh HW, Lee KB, Kim KS, Yang HJ, Choi EK, Shin MH, Park YS, Na YC, Ahn KS, Jang YP, Um JY, Jang HJ.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Gentiana scabra root extract (GS) is frequently prescribed as an internal remedy in traditional Korean medicine for treatment of diabetes mellitus. GS contains bitter iridoid glycosides including loganic acid, gentiopicrin, trifloroside, and rindoside. We previously reported that the intestinal bitter taste sensation stimulates GLP-1 secretion, and thereupon hypothesized that the blood glucose regulatory effect of GS is due to its GLP-1 secreting effect in enteroendocrine L cells.
MATERIALS AND METHOD:
We studied GLP-1 secreting effect of GS treatment and its cellular downstream mechanism in human enteroendocrine NCI-H716 cells using the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathway inhibitors. Intracellular calcium assay also demonstrated the signal transduction pathway stimulated by the GS treatment. Using db/db mice, we performed oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to examine the blood glucose lowering effect of GS administration. We also collected the mouse plasma during the OGTT to measure the GLP-1 and insulin levels.
RESULT:
We demonstrated dose-dependent GLP-1 secreting effect of GS on the NCI-H716 cells. The GLP-1 secreting effect of GS is mediated by the G protein βγ-subunit and inositol triphosphate. Using db/db mice, we found that the effect of GS on lowering blood glucose is due to its GLP-1 secretion, and consequential insulinotropic effect. The chemical fingerprint of GS was obtained through a direct analysis in realtime mass spectrometry (DART-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/MS. Through the GLP-1 secretion study, we found that loganic acid, an iridoid glycoside, contributes to the GLP-1 secreting effect of GS.
CONCLUSION:
The findings of this study highlight the potential of exploiting the antidiabetic effect of GS on type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
PMID: 26129938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.042
J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Aug 22;172:219-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.042. Epub 2015 Jun 28. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Gentiana scabra Bunge. Formula for Herpes Zoster: Biological Actions of Key Herbs and Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety.
Wang K, Coyle ME, Mansu S, Zhang AL, Xue CC.
Abstract
This study reviewed the biological action of key herbs and evaluated systematically the efficacy and safety of oral Gentiana formula for herpes zoster (HZ). Experimental studies relevant to HZ were identified in PubMed. Randomized controlled trials using Gentiana formula for HZ were identified from nine English and Chinese databases. The primary outcome was evaluation of pain. Potential risk of bias was assessed. Meta-analysis was conducted using mean difference or risk ratio with 95% confidence intervals. Key herbs Gentiana scabra Bunge, Gentiana triflora Pall, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and Gardenia jasminoides Ellis have shown antiinflammatory actions through inhibition of inflammatory cytokines and pro-inflammatory enzymes. Twenty-six clinical studies, involving 2955 participants, were included. Modified Gentiana formula resolved pain earlier than pharmacotherapy when used alone or combined with topical Chinese herbal medicine. Incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was lower (risk ratio 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.03 to 0.74) with modified Gentiana formula plus topical Chinese herbal medicine. Mild adverse events were reported. Antiinflammatory actions of key herbs of Gentiana formula may explain clinical benefit in hastening pain relief and decreasing postherpetic neuralgia. Few adverse events were reported. Findings were limited by study quality and diversity in intervention and comparator dosage.
PMID: 28078812 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5769 Phytother Res. 2017 Mar;31(3):375-386. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5769. Epub 2017 Jan 12. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov