Panax Notoginseng

Panax notoginseng · Sanqi · Tienchi ginseng

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Ischemic stroke recovery¹ Unstable angina (IV injection)² Acute myocardial infarction adjunct³ Platelet inhibition with aspirin^{4, 5}	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁶ Before surgery⁷

Panax notoginseng (sanqi, tienchi ginseng) is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, with saponins as its principal active components⁸. It acts largely through antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and microcirculatory effects⁹. Supplementation follows from that vascular effect: recovery after ischemic stroke, angina, and adjunctive care after myocardial infarction. The typical patient has established ischemic cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease and is already on standard therapy.

In a 2023 randomized trial of a saponin capsule after ischemic stroke, more patients reached functional independence than on placebo. A meta-analysis of randomized trials agreed but rated the certainty of evidence moderate to very low¹⁰. In acute myocardial infarction, a meta-analysis found fewer major adverse cardiac events with the saponin injection added to usual care³. In mouse models of ischemic stroke, a 2026 study of a combined Salvia miltiorrhiza and Panax notoginseng extract reduced infarct volume and sustained collateral perfusion; no human trial has tested it. Many products list notoginseng, mostly capsules and liquids; see Form comparison.

The antiplatelet action is the reason for the most consequential caution: added to aspirin, saponins further inhibited platelet aggregation in a small randomized trial. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with prescription medications⁶. Health Canada also labels against use in pregnancy and breastfeeding⁶.

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

In the full monograph

46 sources, 46 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.
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