Da Xue Teng
StarSargentodoxa cuneata (Oliv.) Rehd. et Wils.
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and Resolves Toxicity; Invigorates Blood and Alleviates Pain; Dispels Wind and Stops Pain; Disperses Swelling and Dissipates Abscesses; Expels Parasites
Traditional Chinese Uses
Da Xue Teng (sargentodoxa stem, red-veined vine) is a warm herb used in Chinese medicine to clear Heat toxin, invigorate Blood, and relieve pain. It is most closely associated with the treatment of intestinal abscesses, appendicitis-type conditions, and inflammatory pelvic conditions. Its Blood-activating properties also make it relevant for dysmenorrhea from Blood stasis and traumatic injury pain. As a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory, it is used for both infectious and stasis-related abdominal conditions.
Botanical Description
Sargentodoxa cuneata is a large woody deciduous climbing vine in the monotypic family Sargentodoxaceae (sometimes placed in Lardizabalaceae), native to broadleaf forests of central and southern China and northern Indochina. The twining stems can reach 10 metres or more in length and exude a reddish sap when cut, with a distinctive radial pattern of conspicuous medullary rays visible in cross-section. Leaves are alternate, long-petiolate, trifoliolate, with a larger ovate terminal leaflet and two oblique lateral leaflets. The plant is dioecious; small yellow-green unisexual flowers hang in pendulous racemes, followed by clusters of fleshy blue-black berries on a thickened receptacle. The dried sectioned stems harvested in autumn constitute the medicinal Da Xue Teng.
Active Constituents
Chlorogenic acid
Phenolic acid (caffeoylquinic acid)Concentration: Major marker compound of the stem
Principal quantitative marker; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Shown to improve intestinal microcirculation and reduce tissue adhesion in experimental models, aligning with the herb's blood-invigorating, toxin-resolving use.
Salidroside
Phenylethanoid glycosideConcentration: One of the main active glycosides
Antioxidant and cytoprotective phenylethanoid; considered a key active constituent contributing to anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective activity.
Liriodendrin
Lignan glycoside (bis-epoxylignan diglucoside)Concentration: Characteristic lignan of the stem
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic lignan glycoside used as a quality marker; part of the herb's pain-relieving and anti-abscess actions.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenethyl alcohol glucoside
Phenolic glycosideConcentration: Water-soluble marker, co-quantified with salidroside
Antioxidant phenolic glycoside routinely measured alongside salidroside and chlorogenic acid in quality-control assays.
Proanthocyanidins / catechins
Condensed tannins (flavan-3-ols)Concentration: Abundant polyphenol fraction
(+)-Catechin, epicatechin and their oligomers provide strong antioxidant and antibacterial activity and much of the astringent, heat-clearing character.
Phenolic acids (caffeic, protocatechuic acid)
Simple phenolic acidsConcentration: Minor phenolic fraction
Contribute to the broad antibacterial spectrum documented for S. cuneata against Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and other pathogens.
Triterpenoids and phenolic glycosides (sargentodoxosides / cuneatasides)
Triterpenoids / phenolic glycosidesConcentration: Numerous minor characteristic constituents (>110 compounds reported overall)
Species-characteristic glycosides and triterpenes reported in the stem with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in screening studies.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
As a blood-invigorating (huo xue) herb that improves microcirculation and blood perfusion, S. cuneata could theoretically add to the effect of anticoagulants/antiplatelets and increase bleeding risk.
Clinical note: Use cautiously with anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy and around surgery; monitor for bruising or bleeding.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Water decoction
Parts: Stem (vine)
Typically 9-15 g (up to 30 g) of sliced dried stem decocted in water, used to clear heat, resolve toxicity and invigorate blood for intestinal abscess/appendicitis, rheumatic joint pain and amenorrhea. Often combined with other heat-clearing, blood-moving herbs.
Medicinal wine / external wash
Parts: Stem (vine)
The stem is steeped in wine or decocted for external washing to disperse swelling and relieve wind-damp pain and traumatic injury. Used cautiously in pregnancy because of its blood-invigorating action.
Clinical Studies
The traditional herb Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates DSS-induced colitis by attenuating epithelial barrier damage via blocking necroptotic signaling
In DSS-induced colitis, S. cuneata improved disease activity, body weight, colon length and barrier permeability by inhibiting necroptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (reduced phospho-RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL), supporting its heat-clearing, toxin-resolving use for intestinal inflammation.
Anti-Ulcerative Colitis Effects and Active Ingredients in Ethyl Acetate Extract from Decoction of Sargentodoxa cuneata
The ethyl acetate fraction of a S. cuneata decoction ameliorated ulcerative colitis in mice and its active phenolic/flavonoid constituents were characterized, reinforcing the anti-inflammatory basis of its traditional use in intestinal abscess and appendicitis.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica), Zhao Xuemin
Qing dynasty, 1765Sichuan Zhong Yao Zhi and modern regional materia medica
20th centuryReferences
- Zhang W, Sun C, Zhou S, et al.. Recent advances in chemistry and bioactivity of Sargentodoxa cuneata . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2021) [DOI]
- Wang Y, Zhang B, Liu S, Xu E, Wang Z. The traditional herb Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates DSS-induced colitis by attenuating epithelial barrier damage via blocking necroptotic signaling . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2024) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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