Polygonatum, a name in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the rhizome of Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce, a plant in the genus Polygonatum of the Liliaceae family. It is primarily produced in Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. This herb has the effects of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, promoting fluid production, and quenching thirst. It is mainly used to treat yin deficiency of the lung and stomach, dry-heat coughs, dry throat and thirst, and internal heat with excessive thirst.
Yuzhu
Polygonatum, a name in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the rhizome of Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce, a plant in the genus Polygonatum of the Liliaceae family. It is primarily produced in Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. This herb has the effects of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, promoting fluid production, and quenching thirst. It is mainly used to treat yin deficiency of the lung and stomach, dry-heat coughs, dry throat and thirst, and internal heat with excessive thirst.
Chinese Name : 玉竹
Latin Name : Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma
Aliases : Yushu, Mountain Yuzhu, Shiyangcuo, Bamboo Seven Root, Bamboo Joint Yellow, Yellow-legged Chicken, Bai Jieyao, Mountain Ginger, Yellow Turnip, Tail Ginseng
Authentic Producing Area : Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Slightly cold in nature, sweet in taste; enters the Lung and Stomach meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Nourishes yin, moistens dryness, generates body fluids, and quenches thirst.
Indications
Mainly used to treat yin deficiency of the Lung and Stomach, dry-heat cough, dry throat and thirst, and internal heat with excessive thirst.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 6–12 g; prepared as a paste, infused in wine, or incorporated into pills or powders. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount of the fresh herb, pounded and applied as a poultice; or apply a cooked paste.
Precautions
1. Not suitable for individuals with spleen-stomach deficiency, internal phlegm-dampness, or cold-induced loose stools. 2. Should not be used concurrently with antihypertensive medications. 3. Avoid salty and pickled foods.
Chemical Constituents
Contains steroidal saponins, flavonoids, and their glycosides. Steroidal saponins include lily-of-the-valley bitter glycoside, lily-of-the-valley glycoside, and yuzhu glycoside.The flavonoids and their glycosides consist primarily of kaempferol glucoside, 2″-O-sophoroside of vitexin, vitexin, and 2″-O-glucoside of vitexin. In addition, Yuzhu contains various trace elements, amino acids, and other nitrogen-containing compounds.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Effects on the cardiovascular system: A 20% decoction of Polygonatum, when administered in small doses, enhances cardiac contractility and increases the amplitude of heartbeats; in large doses, it weakens the heartbeat and causes it to stop rapidly. Polygonatum decoction can cause vasoconstriction. A 20% decoction of Polygonatum causes a gradual rise in blood pressure; small doses have no effect on blood pressure, while larger doses can cause a temporary decrease in blood pressure. 2. Effects on the Immune System: The ethanol extract of Yuzhu is an immunostimulant that primarily enhances humoral and phagocytic immune functions. 3. Effects on Blood Glucose: Methanol extracts of Yuzhu have a hypoglycemic effect. 4. Anti-Aging Effects: A decoction of Yuzhu significantly increases the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase in whole blood, significantly inhibits the formation of lipid peroxides (LPO), scavenges free radicals produced by metabolism, and delays aging. 5. Effects on Smooth Muscle: A 20% decoction of Yuzhu first stimulates and then inhibits intestinal activity and exerts a mild stimulating effect on the uterus. 6. Other Effects: In addition to the aforementioned pharmacological effects, Yuzhu also exhibits certain lipid-lowering effects, increases tyrosinase activity, and prolongs hypoxia tolerance.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Treatise on the Properties of Medicinal Herbs*: “It treats seasonal illnesses characterized by alternating chills and fever, replenishes internal deficiencies, and eliminates deficiency-related fatigue and external heat. For headaches and restlessness, increase the dosage for optimal results.”
2. *Changsha Explanation of Medicinal Herbs*: “It clears the Metal element of the Lung and moistens dryness.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For treating dry heat in the lungs and stomach, deficiency of yin fluids, dry cough with scant phlegm, and dryness of the mouth and throat, it is often combined with Saponaria root (沙参), Ophiopogon tuber (麦冬), and Mulberry leaf (桑叶) to collectively nourish yin, clear heat, moisten dryness, and relieve cough—as in the Saponaria and Ophiopogon Decoction (沙参麦冬汤) from *Treatise on Warm Diseases* (*温病条辨*).
2.To treat lung damage caused by cold dryness, it may be combined with Apricot Kernel, Perilla Leaf, Xianhu, and Platycodon Root to disperse dry pathogenic factors, moisten the lungs, and relieve cough.
3. To treat yin-deficient chronic cough, Yuzhu nourishes yin and moistens the lungs; it is often combined with Raw Rehmannia, Anemarrhena, and Fritillaria to nourish yin, clear heat, moisten the lungs, and relieve cough. For cases accompanied by persistent low-grade fever, ingredients such as Lycium Bark, Artemisia, and White薇 may be added to clear and resolve deficiency heat.
4. For treating the late stage of febrile diseases where stomach yin has not yet recovered, or cases of organ disharmony and internal heat damaging stomach yin—manifesting as loss of appetite despite hunger and dryness of the mouth and tongue—it is often administered together with Saponaria root, Ophiopogon tuber, raw Rehmannia root, and rock sugar, as seen in the Yuzhu-Ophiopogon Decoction and Yiwei Decoction from *Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*.
5. To treat internal heat-induced thirst, it can be combined with Tianhuafen, Shanyao, Sheng Dihuang, and Sheng Ge Gen to nourish yin, clear heat, generate body fluids, and quench thirst.
6. To treat constitutional yin deficiency complicated by exogenous pathogenic factors manifesting as fever, slight aversion to wind and cold, dry cough with scant phlegm, restlessness, and dry mouth, it is often combined with Bo He (Peppermint), Dou Chi (Fermented Soybeans), and Jie Geng (Platycodon Root) to nourish yin and release the exterior, as seen in the Modified Wei Rui Decoction from *The Popular Treatise on Cold Damage*.
Related Compatibility
1. Yuzhu combined with Shashen: Yuzhu excels at nourishing yin, moistening dryness, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst; Shashen excels at nourishing yin, clearing the lungs, benefiting the stomach, and generating body fluids. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of nourishing lung yin and moistening lung dryness. This combination is suitable for conditions such as dry heat injuring the lungs, dry cough with scant phlegm, and a red tongue with scant saliva.
2. Yuzhu combined with Jiegeng: Yuzhu excels at nourishing yin, moistening dryness, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst; Jiegeng excels at dispersing lung qi, resolving phlegm, relieving throat discomfort, and expelling pus. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of clearing lung heat, resolving phlegm, moistening the lungs, and relieving cough. This combination is suitable for conditions such as cough with hot phlegm caused by intense pathogenic heat in the Lung Meridian damaging lung yin.
3. Yuzhu Combined with Sheng Dihuang: Yuzhu excels at nourishing yin, moistening dryness, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst; Sheng Dihuang excels at clearing heat, nourishing yin, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of clearing heat, nourishing yin, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst. This combination is suitable for conditions such as yin depletion caused by febrile diseases, deficiency of body fluids, restlessness and thirst, and dryness of the mouth and tongue.
4. Yuzhu combined with Bohe: Yuzhu is sweet, cold, and moist in nature; it nourishes yin without retaining pathogenic factors. Bohe is light, ascending, and floating; it disperses pathogens and clears heat from the head and eyes. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of nourishing yin and dispersing wind-heat. This combination is suitable for individuals with yin deficiency who have contracted an external wind-heat pathogen, presenting symptoms such as headache, fever, restlessness, thirst, a red tongue, and a floating, rapid pulse.
5. Yuzhu Combined with Dangshen: Yuzhu excels at nourishing yin, moistening dryness, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst; Dangshen excels at tonifying the middle, benefiting qi, generating body fluids, and nourishing blood. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of tonifying qi and nourishing yin. This combination is suitable for conditions involving deficiency-heat fever, deficiency of both qi and yin, emaciation, mental fatigue and physical weakness, spontaneous sweating, and night sweats.
6. Yuzhu Combined with Baiwei: Yuzhu excels at nourishing yin, moistening dryness, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst; Baiwei excels at clearing heat, cooling the blood, nourishing yin, and eliminating heat. When combined, these two herbs enhance the effects of nourishing yin and clearing heat. This combination is suitable for conditions of yin deficiency with exogenous pathogens.
Medicinal Identification
1. Raw Yuzhu and Processed Yuzhu: Yuzhu is divided into two types: raw Yuzhu and processed Yuzhu. Raw Yuzhu excels at generating body fluids and quenching thirst; it is primarily used to treat constitutional yin deficiency, fever with cough, thirst with sore throat, dryness-pathogen damaging body fluids resulting in dry mouth and tongue, or intense stomach fire manifesting as restlessness, thirst, and excessive hunger.Processed Yuzhu primarily nourishes yin and tonifies qi. It is used for dry cough due to deficiency-syndrome, the late stage of febrile diseases with depletion of yin fluids, the middle stage of febrile diseases with sweating following purgation, and dry mouth and throat.
2. Sasheng and Yuzhu: Both have a sweet taste and a slightly cold nature, entering the Lung and Stomach meridians. They both nourish yin, moisten the lungs, tonify the stomach, and generate body fluids, and are similarly used to treat dry cough due to lung heat, thirst caused by fluid depletion, and internal heat-induced diabetes.However, Saponaria root also has a slightly bitter taste and excels at nourishing yin and clearing lung heat. It is particularly effective for dry cough with scant phlegm, dry throat, and thirst caused by heat damaging lung yin, as well as consumptive cough with hemoptysis due to yin deficiency. Yuzhu is sweet, cold, and moist in nature; it nourishes yin without retaining pathogenic factors. It excels at tonifying stomach yin, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst, and is particularly effective for thirst and dry tongue caused by yin depletion due to febrile diseases, as well as external pathogen invasion syndromes resulting from yin deficiency.
3. Fritillaria and Yuzhu: Both enter the Lung Meridian and possess the effects of clearing heat, nourishing yin, moistening the lungs, and relieving cough; they are used for coughs caused by lung heat and lung dryness. However, Fritillaria (Zhimu) is cold in nature and slightly bitter in taste; it can clear lung heat, dispel heat, and transform phlegm. Additionally, its sweet taste and moist nature can moisten the lungs and relieve cough, making it particularly suitable for chronic coughs due to internal injury, dry coughs, and conditions involving heat-type phlegm.Yuzhu excels at nourishing lung yin and moistening lung dryness; it is commonly used for conditions where dry heat has injured the lungs, presenting with a dry cough with scant phlegm and a red tongue with little saliva.In addition, Anemarrhena rhizome also has the effects of dispersing nodules and reducing swelling, and can be used for scrofula, abscesses, mastitis, and lung abscesses. Meanwhile, Solomon’s seal root can nourish stomach yin, moisten stomach dryness, generate body fluids, and quench thirst; it can be used to treat yin deficiency caused by febrile diseases, deficiency of body fluids, restlessness, fever, thirst, dryness of the mouth and tongue, as well as yin deficiency with external pathogen invasion.
4. Anemarrhena and Polygonatum: Both enter the Lung and Stomach meridians and possess the effects of nourishing yin, moistening the lungs, generating body fluids, and quenching thirst. They are used for yin-deficient dry cough with scant phlegm, as well as febrile diseases causing yin depletion, deficiency of body fluids, restlessness and thirst, and dryness of the mouth and tongue.However, Anemarrhena is sweet, cold, and moist in nature; it excels at clearing excess heat in the Qi aspect of the Lung and Stomach meridians to relieve restlessness and quench thirst. It also nourishes Kidney Yin, moistens lung dryness to alleviate bone-steaming fever, and has the effect of moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, making it suitable for treating constipation due to intestinal dryness caused by Yin deficiency.Yuzhu is also used for conditions of yin deficiency with external pathogenic factors and deficiency-heat fever, as well as for cases of both qi and yin deficiency characterized by emaciation, mental fatigue, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, blurred vision, and redness, pain, or dimness in the eyes.
Related Medicines
Luohan Guo and Yuzhu Granules, Xiaoke’an Capsules.
Related Prescriptions
Modified Wei Rui Decoction (*Revised Popular Treatise on Cold Damage*) and Yi Wei Decoction (*Treatise on Warm Diseases*).
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate herbal formula.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest in the fall; remove the fibrous roots, wash thoroughly, and sun-dry until soft. Then, repeatedly knead and sun-dry until the hard core is gone, and finally sun-dry completely; or steam thoroughly, knead until semi-translucent, and sun-dry.
Processing Methods
1. Yuzhu: Take the raw herb, remove impurities, wash thoroughly, moisten thoroughly, cut into thick slices, and dry.
2. Roasted Yuzhu: Place refined honey in a pot, dilute with an appropriate amount of boiling water, add the cleaned yuzhu slices, and stir-fry over low heat until evenly coated and no longer sticky to the touch; remove and allow to cool. Use 12 kg of refined honey per 100 kg of yuzhu slices.
3. Steamed Yuzhu: Take the raw herb, remove impurities, wash thoroughly, place in a suitable container, and steam until the exterior is black and the interior is dark brown. Cut into sections and dry.
4. Wine-Infused Yuzhu: Take the cleaned Yuzhu slices, mix thoroughly with yellow wine, let stand to moisten, place in a steamer basket, and steam thoroughly. Remove and spread out to cool. Use 25 kg of yellow wine per 100 kg of Yuzhu slices.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a cool, well-ventilated, dry place to prevent mold and discoloration. Roasted, wine-treated, and steamed Yuzhu should be stored in airtight containers.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
Cross-section of this product: Epidermal cells are flattened circular or flattened rectangular in shape, with slightly thickened, keratinized outer walls. The parenchyma contains numerous mucilage cells scattered throughout, measuring 80–140 μm in diameter and containing bundles of calcium oxalate needle crystals. Vascular bundles are of the exarch type, with rare pericycle-type bundles, and are scattered.
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is oblong-cylindrical, slightly flattened, rarely branched, 4–18 cm long, and 0.3–1.6 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown, translucent, with longitudinal wrinkles and slightly raised nodes, as well as white, dot-like fibrous root scars and disc-shaped stem scars. The texture is hard and brittle or slightly soft; it breaks easily, and the fracture surface is horn-like or distinctly granular.It has a faint odor and a sweet taste; when chewed, it feels sticky.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Yuzhu: This product consists of irregular thick slices or segments. The outer surface is yellowish-white to pale yellowish-brown, translucent, and sometimes shows nodes. The cross-section is horn-like or distinctly granular. It has a faint odor, a sweet taste, and feels sticky when chewed.
2. Roasted Yuzhu: Resembles Yuzhu slices, with a brownish-yellow surface and a slightly sweet taste.
3. Steamed Yuzhu: Resembles Yuzhu segments; the surface is black, and the interior is brownish-black.
4. Wine-Infused Yuzhu: Resembles Yuzhu slices; the color is darker, and it has a slight aroma of wine. It has a faint odor and a sweet taste.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Yuzhu (Polygonatum), a plant of the genus Polygonatum in the Liliaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
A perennial herb. The rhizome is creeping, fleshy, yellowish-white, and densely covered with numerous fibrous roots. The stem is solitary, 20–60 cm tall, bearing 7–12 leaves. Leaves are alternate and sessile; the leaf blades are elliptical to ovate-oblong, 5–12 cm long and 2–3 cm wide, with an acute apex and a cuneate base; the upper surface is green, and the lower surface is grayish-white;veins raised, smooth or with papillate projections. Flowers axillary, usually clustered in groups of 1–3; peduncle 1–1.5 cm long, without bracts or with linear-lanceolate bracts; perianth tubular, 13–20 mm long, yellowish-green to white, 6-lobed at the apex, lobes ovate, about 3 mm long, often tinged with green;There are 6 stamens, attached to the middle of the perianth tube; the filaments are filiform, nearly smooth to bearing papillate projections; the ovary is 3–4 mm long, and the style is 10–14 mm long. The berry is spherical, 7–10 mm in diameter, and bluish-black when ripe. Flowering occurs from April to June, and fruiting from July to September.
Distribution Area
It is distributed in North China, Northeast China, East China, as well as Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Taiwan.
Growth Habits
It thrives in a warm, humid climate and prefers shaded, moist environments; it is relatively cold-tolerant and can be cultivated in both mountainous and flatland areas. It is best grown in deep, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy loam. It should not be planted in clay soil or areas with excessive moisture. Avoid continuous cropping.
Propagation Methods
Propagation is by rhizomes.
Cultivation Techniques
Propagation by rhizomes: During harvest in August–September, select plump, yellowish-white rhizomes weighing at least 15 g and bearing buds as planting stock. Plant immediately after digging. Dig transverse furrows in the beds with row and plant spacing of 30 cm × (13–17) cm and a furrow depth of 17–20 cm.There are two planting methods: one is the double-row interlaced method, in which the rhizomes are arranged in a “figure-eight” pattern within the trench, with one row of buds facing right and the other facing left; the other is the single-row dense planting method, in which the rhizomes are arranged in a single row along the trench, with buds alternating left and right. After planting, cover with well-rotted dry manure, followed by a layer of fine soil to level with the bed surface.