Jiaogulan: A Potential Chinese Medicine Superstar?

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Jiaogulan is a popular Chinese medicine that is traditionally used for various complaints, such as hepatitis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Considering the major costs these can have to health, longevity and quality of life, the therapeutic potential of this plant is worth exploring. Part of the appeal of plant-derived medicines and nutraceuticals such as jiaogulan lies in the fact that they are natural, and therefore can be perceived to be gentler and safer than synthetic drugs. This is not actually true- there are plenty of natural things that can be toxic and harm, even kill, you. So here, we examine this eastern medicine through the lens of western science, to see what the evidence says…

Key Points:

1. Jiaogulan is a herb that has long been used in Chinese medicine for a variety of concerns that are common today. Western science is starting to explore its potential.
2. Animal and cell-culture studies show that extracts or components of jiaogulan have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential; can improve a number of metabolic markers; may protect against some of the consequences of heart disease, liver disease and cancer; improve the gut microbiome; and reduce anxiety levels.
3. The clinical trials investigating the real world effect on humans are quite limited in number and power. What we do have provides some support for its role in managing weight and body composition and as a potential complement to anti-cancer therapies. More clinical data is required before we can clearly and safely recommend jiaogulan for these or other purposes.

What is jiaogulan?

It is a herb that grows wildly in China and other parts of Asia. It’s commonly used in tea, but is also available as a supplement in drinks, other foods, and beauty products. 

Different parts of the plant (eg: leaf, stem, root) will have different relative amounts of these compounds. For example, it’s seeds are particularly rich in linolenic acids (an omega-3). In fact, linolenic acids comprise around 80% of all the fatty acids within the seeds. It also contains essential amino acids, squalene, tocopherol and phytosterols.

What are the potential benefits of jiaogulan?

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

Animal studies have shown that components of jiaogulan have antioxidant potential. For example, extracts and gypenosides have been seen to reduce a harmful oxidation of LDL cholesterol and support the antioxidant capacity of heart muscle in a model of ischaemia-reperfusion injury (see more about this injury below). The oil has been seen to protect against oxidative stress and dull the impact of ageing among old mice. Meanwhile, in vitro studies have shown three isolated polysaccharides are also capable of antioxidant activity (scavenging free radicals and stabilising ions). 

Further robust studies are needed.

Jiaogulan and metabolic health

A number of indicators of metabolic health seem to be improved, particularly with the use of jiaogulan extract or gypenosides on mice and rats (which form the basis of the bulk of studies). For example, we have seen:

Such results were seen among animals in unhealthy conditions. For example, they were fed a high fat diet; diabetic; or were fed a normal diet but who had a genetic  mutation that led to persistent hyperphagia, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and fatty liver. Whether jiaogulan has the same potential among healthy animals (let alone humans) is less well explored. It is interesting to note, however, that in one study 250mg/kg of extract of only improved glucose tolerance among obese rats, not lean ones.

Protective effects in heart disease

In another study, anaesthetised guinea pigs were subjected to medicinal interventions that would cause a temporary occlusion of an artery which supplies blood to the heart, arrhythmias, increased blood pressure and heart rate. In these situations, a jiaogulan leaf extract had a protective effect. 

Jiaogulan and liver health 

In a mice model of NAFLD, jiaogulan extract reduced the weight, fat retention and inflammation of the liver. Meanwhile it provided a bunch of other associated metabolic benefits (eg: reduced body weight, greater insulin sensitivity, maintained cholesterol metabolism) and an improved intestinal microbiota. It is thought that the microbiota may alter the progression of NAFLD. We need more research to explore not only the effects of jiaogulan, but proposed mechanisms for these. 

Animal models also show that gypenosides can protect the liver from ischaemia-reperfusion injury.

Anti-cancer effects

The few clinical trials suggest that jiaogulan could potentially have curative effects. A trial of 59 patients with advanced malignant tumours and a  5-year observational study of multiple cancer types both showed that those who were treated with a jiaogulan formula had lower relapse and metastasis rates. In the 5-year observational study reduced mortality and improved immune function was also seen. 

Immune function may be improved. For example, greater activity of Natural Killer cells has been seen in breast cancer patients. They do just what the name suggests- kill tumour cells. Jiaogulan has also been observed to improve the immune function in some lung cancer patients after chemotherapy. 

In fact, jiaogulan may even be able to work in synergy with chemotherapy (as seen in one study of mid-late gastric cancer patients who displayed better quality of life and short-term curative rates). 

The mechanisms for any anti-cancer effects are far from fully elucidated, however in vitro studies (and to a lesser extent animal and human studies) suggest cell cycle arrest, induction of programmed cell death, inhibition of invasion and metastasis, inhibition of cancer cells’ glucose metabolism, and the immunomodulating activities may play a part in different cancers.

Jiaogulan and the gut microbiome

An improved diversity of microbes, and reduced ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes has also been seen both in normal animals and those with NAFLD fed a high fat diet. This is significant as a higher Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio is correlated with obesity and other metabolic diseases. Bacteroides also help absorb and degrade host polysaccharides, to the benefit of the host. 

Akkermansia muciniphila is a bacteria whose abundance is correlated with lower body weight and obesity in mice and humans. It tends to comprise 3-5% of the gut microbes in healthy people. It also degrades intestinal mucin (a component of mucus). When gypenosides were given to mice fed a high fat diet, it increased Akkermansia levels. However, in the study of mice with NAFLD, high-fat high-cholesterol diets increased Akkermansia levels greatly compared to normal diets, whereas the provision of glypenosides in combination with the high-fat high-cholesterol diet reversed much of this increase. It is possible the effect of gypenosides and diet on Akkermansia are modulated by pathophysiology or other variables. More research is needed in this area, particularly on humans.

Jiaogulan and anxiety

Animal models show anti-anxiety effects, improved dopamine and serotonin levels within brain, and a correction of increased corticosterone levels elicited by stress.

What type of jiaogulan product is best?

Unfortunately, there is also a lot of variability in the chemical composition of the jiaogulan fractions and extracts used in research. Different procedures are used to prepare the products. And a lot of studies haven’t even specified what their chemical components are (eg: the exact molecular structure of each, the number of different gypenosides in the mixture, the relative amounts of them, and their molecular structures). Standardisation would be valuable to advancing research, and, in turn, allow us to take a more targeted approach in matching products with their optimal uses. 

The Verdict

According to the science, jiaogulan potentially has many health benefits such as those promoted by centuries of Chinese medicine. Unfortunately, the majority of evidence comes from animal and cell-culture studies, so we can’t be too confident in its practical applications for us humanoids. Let’s assume for a moment that in the future firm data will support its clinical use… Then we have another issue: research tends to administer high levels of jiaogulan-derived products. Whether comparative levels would be achievable for humans to achieve in a normal diet is doubtful. Concentrated supplements of jiaogulan extracts or specific compounds would likely be required- and we don’t know enough about the safety of this, either. Furthermore, the inconsistency in the research means we know little about the mechanisms of action or the relative value of different products. So, until these issues are resolved, the best I can say is adding an occasional jiaogulan tea or other jiaogulan-containing foodstuff to an otherwise varied and balanced diet would be the way to go… both for general health promotion and safety.

Have you tried jiaogulan? Let us know what you think!