Benefits of Jiaogulan

Jiaogulan is a perennial vine belonging to the cucumber family that is native to China, Korea and Japan. Since the herb is similar to ginseng in terms of chemical composition, and grows so abundantly in southern China, jiaogulan is sometimes referred to as "southern ginseng." Residents of the Guizhou Province, who regularly drink jiaogulan tea and reputedly live to a very old age, know the plant as the "immortality herb."

Historical Use

Jiaogulan has been used as an herbal remedy for thousands of years. David Winston, RH, co-author of Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, says that jiaogulan was first described as a survival food in Materia Medica for Famine, written by Zhu Xio in 1406 A.D. The herb was also commonly used during the Ming Dynasty period to treat tumors, trauma and inflammation of the pharynx and neck.
Today, jiaogulan is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an antioxidant and adoptogenic herb. According to Winston, jiaogulan leaves contain triterpenoid saponins collectively called gypenosides. At least 82 distinct gypenosides have been identified in the herb, says Winston, four of which are chemically identical to agents found in Asian ginseng.

Cancer

According to Drugs.com, jiaogulan has demonstrated activity against a number of different cancers. For instance, the site describes a 1992 study published in Modern Applied Pharmacy, in which the researchers reported that jiaogulan extract inhibited the growth of rectal cancer cells. The site provides additional resources to other studies showing that jiaogulan compounds improved immune function in mice with Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and those with induced bone marrow DNA mutation.

Cholesterol Reduction

In a 2005 study published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, lead researcher Samer Megallia concluded that jiaogulan gypenosides effectively reduce triglyceride, cholesterol and nitrite levels in rats.

Cardiovascular Effects

A group of researchers from the University of Messina in Italy investigated the cardiovascular effects of the liquid extract of jiaogulan given intravenously to anaesthetized guinea pigs. The results, which were published in the Sept. 12, 2005 issue of Phytomedicine, showed that the extract provided a protective effect against coronary spasm, ventricular tachyarrhythmias and arrhythmias.

Parkinson's Disease

A research team from the Chungbuk National University in Korea led by Hyun Sook Choi studied the effects of ethanol extracts of jiaogulan on the substantia nigra, the area of the brain affected by Parkinson's. For 28 days, the team induced lesions in the brains of rats with 6-hydroxydopamine, a neurotoxin that selectively destroys dopamine neurons. Three days later, the mice were treated with jiaogulan extracts for another 28 days. The researchers found that neuron depletion in the substantia nigra improved from 40.2 percent to 75.8 percent. The study abstract, which was published in the Swiss journal Molecules, concluded that jiaogulan extracts may be of benefit in the prevention of Parkinson's disease.