Gan Song (Xiang)
StarNardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC.
Traditionally used for
- Digestion
- Sleep
- Mood & calm
☯ TCM Properties
Awakens the Spleen, promotes the movement of Qi, unblocks Stagnation, disperses Cold and alleviates pain
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gan Song is the dried root and rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi, classified among the Qi-regulating herbs. Sweet and pungent with a warm, aromatic nature, it enters the Spleen, Stomach and Heart channels. It awakens the Spleen and promotes the movement of Qi, unblocks Stagnation, disperses Cold and alleviates pain, making it useful for distension and pain of the chest and abdomen, poor appetite and cold-type stomachache from Qi stagnation. It is classically paired with Mu Xiang (Aucklandia) and Xiang Yuan (Citron), and is also applied externally as a wash or paste for tinea and swollen feet. A usual dose is 3–6 g.
Because it also settles the spirit, it has been used for restlessness and low mood. Nardostachys is a threatened Himalayan species listed on CITES Appendix II, so sustainably sourced material is preferred.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Gan Song (Xiang) is the dried rhizome and root of Nardostachys jatamansi (Caprifoliaceae; formerly Valerianaceae), a perennial herb of high-elevation Himalayan and southwestern Chinese meadows from 3000 to 5000 m. The plant forms a stout, woody rhizome densely clothed in persistent fibrous remains of old leaf bases, from which arise rosettes of oblanceolate to spathulate radical leaves 10–25 cm long, sparsely pubescent and entire. The flowering stem rises 10–40 cm and bears terminal dense capitate cymes of small pinkish to pale purple, tubular, five-lobed flowers about 6–8 mm long. The whole rhizome system has a powerful, sweet, musky-aromatic odour due to sesquiterpenoid valerenones and jatamansone.
Active Constituents
Nardosinone
Nardosinane-type sesquiterpene peroxideConcentration: the Chinese Pharmacopoeia marker compound; not less than 0.10% of the dried root and rhizome
Nardosinone is the compound the Chinese Pharmacopoeia uses to assay Gan Song, and nardosinone-type sesquiterpenoids are regarded as the principal active class of the drug. It enhances neurite outgrowth in cultured neurons and has anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity in cell and rodent models; there is no human pharmacokinetic or efficacy data for the isolated compound.
Jatamansone (valeranone)
Sesquiterpene ketoneConcentration: reported as the principal sesquiterpene of the rhizome; no consistent quantitative figure across sources
Jatamansone, also called valeranone, is the sesquiterpene most often named as the characteristic constituent of the rhizome. Review literature attributes sedative, antihypertensive, antiarrhythmic and antispasmodic activity to it, all from animal and in vitro work rather than controlled human study.
Jatamansin
DihydropyranocoumarinOne of the coumarin-class constituents of the rhizome, reported alongside jatamansinol, jatamansinone, oroselol and seselin. Its pharmacology is poorly characterised and no quantitative content standard exists for it.
Actinidine
Monoterpene pyridine alkaloidA volatile pyridine alkaloid of the rhizome, shared with Valeriana species and part of the reason Nardostachys and Valeriana material are confused in trade. It contributes to the drug's characteristic odour rather than to a documented therapeutic action.
Patchouli alcohol (patchoulol)
Sesquiterpene alcoholA component of the rhizome essential oil, which is also responsible for much of the drug's aromatic, qi-moving character in traditional use. It is not specific to this species and is a poor identity marker.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Antihypertensive drugs (ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, diuretics)
In a single-blind placebo-controlled trial of 40 stage 1 hypertensive patients, 3 g/day of N. jatamansi for four weeks was added on top of existing therapy (patients on up to two antihypertensive drugs were eligible). Mean systolic pressure fell from 144.2 to 134.3 mmHg and diastolic from 94.9 to 83.1 mmHg, with no significant change on placebo. The effect is therefore additive to conventional therapy rather than merely a standalone action, and review literature attributes antihypertensive activity to jatamansone.
Clinical note: Check blood pressure before starting and at intervals during the first month of combined use, especially in elderly patients or anyone on two or more antihypertensives. Warn about postural dizziness.
Phenytoin and other narrow-therapeutic-index anticonvulsants
An ethanol root extract of N. jatamansi raised the seizure threshold in the maximal electroshock model in rats (it was inactive against pentylenetetrazole seizures). Adding 50 mg/kg of the extract to phenytoin at 12.5 to 75 mg/kg raised phenytoin's protective index from 3.63 to 13.18, and the authors' dose-response work on serum phenytoin levels indicated a pharmacokinetic component to the synergy, not just a pharmacodynamic one. This is rat data and the direction and magnitude in humans are unknown.
Clinical note: Do not add Gan Song to a stable phenytoin regimen without monitoring drug levels. Treat any change in seizure frequency or in signs of phenytoin toxicity (nystagmus, ataxia, gum hyperplasia) as potentially herb-related.
Benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, barbiturates, sedating antihistamines and alcohol
In a controlled animal study, N. jatamansi rhizome powder significantly reduced horizontal locomotor activity in the open field and shortened the latency of onset of pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice, with diazepam as the standard comparator. It did not impair rota-rod performance at those doses. The drug is used for insomnia and anxiety across Ayurvedic and Unani practice, so concurrent hypnotic prescribing is a realistic scenario.
Clinical note: Ask what the patient is already taking for sleep or anxiety. If Gan Song is added to a hypnotic, advise against driving until the combined effect is known and consider reducing the hypnotic dose in consultation with the prescriber.
Selinum vaginatum (Bhutkeshi) and Valeriana jatamansi (Tagar), sold as Jatamansi
Nardostachys jatamansi is CITES Appendix II listed (listed as Nardostachys grandiflora, a synonym; proposed by India, adopted at CoP10 in Harare and effective 18 September 1997) and is assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. It is still overwhelmingly wild-collected in the Himalaya, chiefly in Nepal. The resulting scarcity and price drive systematic substitution: Selinum vaginatum roots, sold as Bhutkeshi, closely resemble Jatamansi in morphology and odour, and Valeriana jatamansi shares the vernacular names jatamansi and mansi outright. Inula racemosa and Valeriana wallichii are also reported in the same trade channel. DNA barcoding with ITS2 has had to be developed specifically to separate N. jatamansi from S. vaginatum, which tells you how routine the confusion is.
Clinical note: Buy only from suppliers who can document species identity and CITES compliance. The current annotation for the listing is #2, covering all parts and derivatives except seeds, pollen, and finished products packaged and ready for retail trade, so whole and cut root crossing a border requires a CITES permit while a finished retail product does not. If a Valeriana species is what actually arrived, the sedative and hepatic profile differs from Nardostachys and the prescription should be reconsidered rather than dispensed.
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 5 studiesRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
2
1 verified · 1 unverified
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
3
1 verified · 2 unverified
Show 3 studies
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC in essential hypertension: A randomized controlled study
Single-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 40 patients aged 35 to 70 with stage 1 hypertension at the National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore. Participants received 3 g/day of N. jatamansi in divided doses or placebo for four weeks; patients already on up to two antihypertensive drugs were eligible. Systolic pressure fell from 144.20 to 134.30 mmHg and diastolic from 94.90 to 83.10 mmHg in the herb arm (both p < 0.001), with no significant change on placebo, and the MINICHAL quality-of-life score improved from 10.85 to 6.20. The trial is small and single-blind, and the authors call for dose-ranging work.
Efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC in post stroke depression: A randomized, double blind, controlled trial
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at the National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru between March 2021 and February 2022 in patients with depression following stroke. The authors report N. jatamansi to be effective in the management of post-stroke depression with no adverse effects recorded. The published record carries two subsequent errata, and the trial comes from the same single centre and research group as the hypertension study above, so it is not independent replication.
Central nervous system depressant activity of Jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi DC.) rhizome
Rhizome powder was tested against water control and diazepam standard in Charles Foster albino rats (gross behaviour, open field) and Swiss albino mice (rota-rod, pentobarbital-induced sleep). It did not significantly change gross behaviour and did not shorten rota-rod fall-off latency, but it significantly reduced horizontal locomotor activity (p < 0.001) and significantly reduced the latency of onset of pentobarbital sleep. This is the direct experimental basis for expecting additive sedation with hypnotics.
Anticonvulsant and neurotoxicity profile of Nardostachys jatamansi in rats
An ethanol root extract raised the seizure threshold in the maximal electroshock model (reduced extension/flexion ratio) but was ineffective against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, and showed minimal rota-rod neurotoxicity at effective doses. Combining 50 mg/kg extract with phenytoin at 12.5 to 75 mg/kg raised phenytoin's protective index from 3.63 to 13.18, and serum phenytoin dose-response data indicated genuine synergy between the two.
Nardostachys jatamansi extract prevents chronic restraint stress-induced learning and memory deficits in a radial arm maze task
Rats underwent 21 days of chronic restraint stress while receiving 100 or 200 mg/kg of N. jatamansi extract. At 200 mg/kg the learning curves matched unstressed controls, with 38% more correct choices (p < 0.001) and 53% fewer reference memory errors (p < 0.01) by day eight of training, and 31% more correct choices in a retention test ten days later. The 100 mg/kg dose was not effective, so the effect is dose-dependent.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Shi Yi
Tang dynastyRi Hua Zi Ben Cao
Five Dynasties to early SongKai Bao Ben Cao
Northern Song dynastyReferences
- Pathak S, Godela R. Nardostachys jatamansi: Phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal uses, and pharmacological activities: A comprehensive review . Fitoterapia (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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