chai hu

Name: chai hu
Creator: Bencao Index

柴胡·Radix Bupleuri

Bupleurum

About chai hu

Chai Hu (柴胡) is the root of bupleurum, a plant of the carrot family, recorded as Radix Bupleuri. It is bitter and acrid in flavour and cool in temperature, entering the Liver, Gallbladder, Pericardium and San Jiao channels. The catalogue files it among the cool, acrid herbs that release the Exterior.

Names

Pinyin	chai hu
Chinese	柴胡
Latin Name	Radix Bupleuri
English Name	Bupleurum·bupleurum; hare's ear root; thorowax root·hare's ear root·thorowax root
Japanese	saiko
Korean	siho

Classification

Category: Cool, Acrid, Release Exterior
Channels: Pericardium, San Jiao, Gallbladder, Liver
Flavour: Acrid, Bitter
Temperature: Cool
Part used: Root
Family: Apiaceae
Species: Bupleurum Chinense|Bupleurum scrzonerifolium
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Harmonises Shao Yang and reduces fever

Shao Yang pattern: chills alternating with fever, a bitter taste, fullness in the chest, pain along the flanks, dizziness and ringing in the ears, irritability, and nausea or vomiting
Deficiency Heat, as a supporting herb
Gallbladder Fire

Spreads Liver Qi and relieves constraint

Constrained Liver Qi with chest and flank pain, dizziness, emotional strain and irregular periods
Liver overacting on the Spleen and Stomach, with epigastric and rib-side pain, a tight chest, bloating, nausea and poor digestion
Liver and Gallbladder disharmony

Raises the Clear Yang of the Middle Jiao

Sinking Qi of the Spleen and Stomach with prolapse of the rectum or uterus, hemorrhoids, long-standing diarrhea or exhaustion
Vaginal discharge or bleeding when Qi fails to lift and hold

Disperses Wind-Heat and clears Phlegm congestion

Wind-Heat invasion

Combinations

huang qin
Shao Yang Heat; restores normal Liver and Gallbladder function; Womb Heat with delirium, fever and chills
huang qin + zhi ban xia
Shao Yang disorder with alternating fever and chills and fullness in the chest and hypochondrium
huang qin + zhi ban xia + gui zhi + gan jiang
Shao Yang disorder in which Cold predominates
huang qin + zhi ban xia + shi gao + zhi mu
Shao Yang disorder in which Heat predominates
huang qin + zhi ban xia + zhi shi + chi shao
Mainly Excess-type Shao Yang disorder
huang qin + zhi ban xia + ren shen + gan cao
Weak patients.
bai shao

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 3-12g; Tincture: 1-3.5ml	3-12 g	—	1-3.5 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Cough from Yin deficiency
contraindication Severe damage to Yin or Body Fluids
contraindication Liver Fire or Liver Yang rising to the head, which its ascending, dispersing nature can aggravate
caution Can cause nausea or vomiting, mainly at higher doses; reducing the dose usually prevents it
caution Not for continuous use on its own
caution May loosen the bowels or cause drowsiness
caution Prolonged or high-dose use calls for professional supervision, especially with existing liver disease; higher doses of Bupleurum formulas have been associated with liver injury in people with hepatitis B

Interactions

Drug interactions

Interferon: interstitial pneumonitis has been reported in chronic hepatitis patients given interferon and Bupleurum formulas such as Xiao Chai Hu Tang; combine only with close monitoring

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