Home > Herbal Glossary > Chinese Herb List > Radix Puerariae

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Name
Origin
Where Does It Grow?
Nature and Flavor
Identified Active Components / Major Chemical
Constituents
Drug actions in TCM
Traditional Uses in TCM
Pharmacological Actions
Toxicology
Administration and Dosage
Adverse Effect, Side Effects and Cautions
References

Fresh kuduz root

Dried kuduz root

Name
Latin Name: Radix Puerariae
Common Name: Kudzu root
Scientific Name: Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi / Pueraria thomsonii Benth.
Chinese Name:
Pinyin Name: ge gen

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Origin
The dry root of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi / Pueraria thomsonii Benth., a perennial deciduous vine of the
Leguminosae family. The cane, leaf, flower bud and seed are also used medicinally.[1],[2]

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Where Does It Grow?
Kudzu root is widely produced in China. Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi is mainly produced from provinces like
Hunan, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. Pueraria thomsonii Benth. is mainly cultivated from
Guangxi and Guangdong, other districts like Sichuan and Yunan also cultivated.[1],[2]

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Nature and Flavor
Kudzu root is cool in nature, sweet and pungent in flavor, and mainly manifests its therapeutic actions in the
spleen, stomach, lung and bladder meridians.[3],[6]

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Identified Active Components/ Major Chemical Constituents
Kudzu root contains many kinds of isoflavones, triterpenes and saponins. It also has rich starch, alkaloids, sitosterol, daucosterol, coumarin and other phenol compounds.[1],[5],[6]
The root of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi contains isoflavones such as puerarin, daidzein, daidzin, 3hydroxypuerarin, 3-methoxypuerarin, biochanin A, genistein, formononetin, tectorigenin, 7,4-di-Omethyltectorigenin, puerarinxyloside (PG-2), and 4-O-glucosylpuerarin(PG-6); its saponins include
sophoradiol, cantoniensistriol, soyasapogenols A-B, kudzusapogenols A & C, kudzusapogenol B methylester,
formononetin-7-glucoside; others include puerarol, lupenone, allantoin, -sitosteryl--D-glucoside, 6,7dimethoxycoumarin, and 5-methylhydantoin.
For the root of Pueraria thomsonii Benth., the total amount of flavones is lower than the above type, but both
have similar ingredients, such as daidzein, daidzin, puerarin, 4-methoxypuerarin, daidzein-4, 7-diglucoside,
and -sitosterol.
The total amount of flavones will decline significantly if the herb becomes molded. In thePharmacopoeia of
People's Republic of China (2015 Edition) - Part I, the level of puerarin should not less than 2.4%, as the
standard quality of the herb.

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Drug actions in TCM
Kudzu root expels pathogens from muscles and skin, reduces fever, promotes fluid production, quenches
thirst, promotes eruption and circulation in the meridians and collaterals, and also alleviates hangover.[3],[6]

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Traditional Uses in TCM
Kudzu root is often used in conditions like fever, headache, dizziness, neck stiffness, extreme thirst, diabetes,
eruptive problem, diarrhea, limb weakness after stroke, chest pain and alcoholism.[3],[4],[5]
Kudzu root expels pathogens from muscles and skin to reduce fever
For cold and flu conditions that develop high fever, slight chills, headache, dry nose, and a thin yellow tongue
coating, kudzu root can work with bupleurum root, baical skullcap root, and Dahurian angelica root to expel
heat pathogens from the muscles and skin. In case if individuals have obvious chills, aversion to wind
blowing, no sweating, neck and shoulder stiffness, then kudzu root can work with ephedra, cassia twig, white
peony root and liquorice root to expel wind and cold pathogens from the muscles and skin.
Kudzu root promotes eruption to detoxify
Kudzu root is often used in rash problems such as measles, the herb promotes the skin eruption process and
facilitate recovery. Kudzu root often works along with bugbane rhizome, red peony root and liquorice root for
the conditions. Sometimes, peppermint, great burdock fruit, schizonepeta herb and cicada slough are used to
work with kudzu root.
Kudzu root reduces fever and promotes fluid production
Kudzu root is ideal for quenching thirst. It can work alone, but will be better when combining with other herbs.
For feverish individuals who accompanied with thirst, kudzu root can work with gypsum and anemarrhena
rhizome in the remedy. After recovered from feverish conditions, some individuals may still have persistent
thirst, it is proper to use kudzu root along with dwarf lily-turf tuber, dendrobium and reed rhizome to resume a
normal fluid metabolism. When internal heat disturbed body fluid metabolism, individuals can have excessive
drinking and eating, which similar diabetic conditions, physician may use kudzu root along with herbs like
smoked plum, snakegourd root, dwarf lily-turf tuber, pilose asiabell root and astragalus root in the remedies.

Kudzu root promotes the up-flow of pure-qi in spleen and stomach to stop diarrhea
Infection of the intestines may result in severe diarrhea, which is regarded as a damp-heat disharmony in
TCM, physicians use kudzu root along with baical skullcap root, golden thread rhizome and liquorice root for
the treatment; when the diarrhea is bloody or occurred after drinking, kudzu root can work with rehmannia
root, baical skullcap root and bitter orange for the treatment. Chronic diarrhea is usually associated with
spleen deficiency, which can be treated by kudzu root in combination with ginseng, poria, and liquorice root.
Modern TCM often uses kudzu root in the treatment of feverish conditions, intestinal flu, enteritis,
hypertension accompanied with dizziness, headache or neck stiffness, coronary problems accompanied with
pain and stuffiness in the chest, stroke complications, cervical spondylosis, diabetes, retinal disorder and
sudden deafness.
Kudzu root is also a common soup ingredient in Southern China.

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Pharmacological Actions
Studies showed that kudzu root has effects in reducing fever, anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, expanding
blood vessels in the heart and brain, -blocking extensively, reducing heart beating, lowering blood pressure,
muscle relaxing, anti-coagulation, regulating immune and blood sugar levels, antioxidant, anti-tumor, skin
beauty and estrogenic hormonal benefits.[3],[5],[6]

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Toxicology
Puerarin via intravenous injection to rat, the LD50 was found to be 738.1mg/kg or 1g/kg. The maximal dose of
puerarin (172.2 mg/kg) to rat via intraperitoneal injection, and the maximal dose of puerarin (91.3mg/kg) to
rabbit via intravenous injection, for 14 consecutive days, nothing abnormal was found in the behavior, blood
pictures, biology and organ structures. The results indicate that kudzu root has minimal toxicity.[5]

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Administration and Dosage
Taking orally, the usual dosage for kudzu root is 915g, or can be higher to 1530g. It is recommended to
use dried herb for the purposes of reducing fever and promoting fluid production, while for the purposes of
stop diarrhea, the herb has to be processed.[3],[5]

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Adverse Effect, Side Effects and Cautions
Clinical demonstrations show that it is safe to take kudzu root orally within the suggested dosage; there is no
adverse response even for a large dose (below 30g) or long-term consumption. However, individuals with
stomach problems, hypotension and a slow heart beating should take kudzu root with caution.[5]

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References
1. Li Jiashi (editor-in-chief), Chinese Medicine Identification, Shanghai Scientific and
Technical Publishers, 2000-2.
2. Jiang Su New Chinese Medicine College (edited), Chinese Medicine Encyclopaedia,
Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2005-5.
3. Lui Daiquan (editor-in-chief), Chinese Herbal Medicine, Shanghai Scientific and Technical
Publishers, 2000-6.

4. Tao Yufeng, Clinical Herbal Medicine, Peoples Medical Publishing House, 2005-5.
5. Chen Pian, Clinical Application of Tonifying Herbs, Second Military Medical University
Press, 2008-8.
6. http://www.zysj.com.cn/zhongyaocai/yaocai_f/fuling.html