Jiaogulan

Scientific Name(s): Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino.
Common Name(s): Amachazuru (Japan), Dungkulcha (Korea), Five-leaf ginseng, Giao-co-lam tea (Vietnam), Herb of immortality, Immortal grass, Jiaogulan, Miracle grass, Penta tea, Poor man’s ginseng, Southern ginseng, Sweet tea vine, Twisting-vine orchid, Xiancao (China)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 9, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

Limited clinical studies have been conducted to support therapeutic applications. Jiaogulan may have a role in the management of type 2 diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, immune response (such as asthma), and cancer. G. pentaphyllum extracts may also have a place in beneficial antioxidant therapy.

Dosing

Clinical information is lacking. Jiaogulan tea (aqueous extract) 6 g/day, in divided doses twice a day 30 minutes before meals, has been studied in 2 clinical trials in patients with type 2 diabetes; 225 mg twice daily was used for 12 weeks in an antiobesity trial.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Severe nausea and increased bowel movements are possible.

Toxicology

No data available for human toxicity.

Scientific Family

• Cucurbitaceae (Squash)

Botany

G. pentaphyllum (synonym: Vitis pentaphyllum) is a climbing, perennial vine native to China, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia. The plant is dioecious—having both male and female flowers on separate plants. The leaves commonly grow in groups of 5, and small greenish-white florets are produced. Although a member of the gourd/cucumber family, G. pentaphyllum does not produce the characteristic fruit of this family. The plant grows abundantly and is harvested from the wild; it has been brought under cultivation and tissue culture has been achieved. The plant is now naturalized in the hotter, drier parts of the United States.1, 2, 3, 4

History

Jiaogulan has been incorporated into traditional Chinese medicine only in the last 20 years, although it has a history of folk use in the Guizhou province. Its properties are said to have been investigated when a Chinese census revealed a large number of elderly people in the province reported using the plant. The plant's potential as a sweetening agent stimulated chemical investigations in Japan. Commercialization and scientific study of the leaves have been promoted by provincial Chinese authorities, and the discovery that several ginseng-like saponins occur in the leaves has prompted aggressive promotion of the plant as a substitute for ginseng. The appearance of jiaogulan in American commerce has been heralded in popular publications.5, 6

Chemistry

Plant constituents primarily include sterols, acetylenic sterols, and triterpenols.7 The phenolic, saponin, and flavonoid composition is known to vary both geographically and by genotype.8 A large number of dammarane (triterpene) saponins, called gypenosides, have been elucidated from the plant leaves. Initial work on the gypenosides was undertaken primarily by 1 group of researchers, but constituents continue to be further described.9, 10, 11, 12, 13,