Bupleurum

Bupleurum chinense · Bupleurum falcatum · Chai hu

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Depressive symptoms¹ Chronic liver disease² Peptic ulcer symptoms³ Triple-negative breast cancer adjunct⁴ Hashimoto's thyroiditis⁵	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁶ Liver or gallbladder disorders⁷ Daisy family plant allergy⁷

Bupleurum (Chai hu), the root of Bupleurum chinense and Bupleurum falcatum, is a staple of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine whose saikosaponins are credited with its activity⁸. They act mainly through anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effects⁹. It is taken mostly within multi-herb formulas for depressive symptoms and chronic liver disease, and traditionally for colds and fever, which lack human data⁸.

The evidence rests on formulas, not the single herb.¹ A meta-analysis found Bupleurum chinense formulas, alone or added to antidepressants, reduced depression severity more than antidepressants alone, though quality was low¹. A Cochrane review found the effect of Xiao Chai Hu Tang in chronic hepatitis B unclear, with very low-certainty evidence¹⁰. In colon cancer cell lines, a 2022 laboratory study found total Bupleurum saponin extract induced apoptosis; no human trial has tested it¹¹. Products listing Bupleurum number 363, mostly liquid extracts with fewer tablets and capsules; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is hepatic: excess doses are linked to liver injury, with saikosaponins implicated¹². Health Canada labels state not to use the product in pregnancy or breastfeeding⁶, and patients taking cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 substrate medications are asked to check with their treating physician⁸.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

42 sources, 35 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources