Hong Teng
StarSargentodoxa cuneata (Oliv.) Rehder & E.H.Wilson
Traditionally used for
- Digestion
- Menstrual & women's health
- Pain & joints
- Skin
Cautions & contraindications
- Pregnancy
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat, resolves toxicity, reduces abscesses and stops pain; Invigorates the Blood and disperses Stasis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Hong Teng (Caulis Sargentodoxae), also called Da Xue Teng, is the woody stem of the vine Sargentodoxa cuneata. Bitter and neutral to slightly cold, entering the Large Intestine, Liver and Stomach channels, it clears Heat, resolves toxicity, reduces abscesses and stops pain. It is the principal herb for internal (intestinal) abscess, corresponding to acute appendicitis and other suppurative abdominal conditions, typically combined with Bai Jiang Cao, Yi Yi Ren and Da Huang.
Because it also invigorates the Blood and disperses Stasis, Hong Teng treats Blood-stasis abdominal masses, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea, as well as rheumatic joint pain, traumatic injury with bruising and swelling, and various toxic sores and boils. Its dual action of clearing toxin while moving Blood makes it useful wherever Heat, toxicity and stasis coincide. It is generally decocted; used cautiously in pregnancy given its Blood-moving nature.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
Full-screen graph →Click a node for details · double-click to expand it · Ctrl/⌘ + scroll or two fingers to zoom and pan.
Botanical Description
Sargentodoxa cuneata (Oliv.) Rehder & E.H.Wilson (Lardizabalaceae), the monotypic Sargent's gloryvine, is a large deciduous woody liana native to central and southern China and northern Vietnam, climbing 5-12 m through forest canopies on hill slopes between 200 and 1500 m elevation. The stem when cut reveals a striking radial pattern of red-brown wedge-shaped rays alternating with paler areas, the basis of the common name "red vine." Leaves are alternate and trifoliate, with a long-petioled ovate central leaflet up to 12 cm long and asymmetric lateral leaflets. The dioecious flowers are pendulous in axillary racemes 7-12 cm long, greenish-yellow with six tepals, blooming in spring. Fruit consists of numerous fleshy blue-black to purple berries borne on a thickened receptacle. In TCM, the stem (Caulis Sargentodoxae) clears heat, resolves toxins, dispels blood stasis, alleviates pain, and expels parasites; it is a principal herb for intestinal abscess and appendicitis.
Active Constituents
Chlorogenic acid
Caffeoylquinic acid (hydroxycinnamic acid ester)Concentration: One of the four marker compounds routinely assayed in the stem alongside salidroside, liriodendrin and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol glycoside; published stem contents vary widely with provenance
The principal caffeoylquinic acid of the Sargentodoxa stem and, with the tyrosol glycosides, one of the two phenolic categories that chemically distinguish genuine Da Xue Teng from its market adulterants. It carries much of the antioxidant capacity of the crude drug and contributes to the anti-inflammatory activity reported for total phenolic acid fractions.
Salidroside
Phenylethanoid (tyrosol) glycosideConcentration: Assayed as one of four routine markers of the stem by HPLC with evaporative light scattering detection
A tyrosol glucoside regarded as one of the main active ingredients of the stem. Tyrosols are one of the two phenolic classes found to be unique to Sargentodoxa cuneata when it was compared side by side with six species sold as Da Xue Teng, so salidroside doubles as an authentication marker.
3,4-Dihydroxyphenylethyl alcohol glycoside
Phenylethanoid glycosideConcentration: Quantified as one of four marker constituents of the stem
A catechol-bearing phenylethanoid glycoside closely related to salidroside. It is one of the four compounds used together for quality control of the crude stem drug.
Liriodendrin
Lignan diglucoside (syringaresinol 4,4'-di-O-beta-D-glucoside)Concentration: Present in the stem in quantities sufficient for preparative isolation by macroporous resin
The best characterised lignan of the stem and a common target for preparative purification. In rodent work it reduced inflammatory and apoptotic signalling in radiation-injured intestine, which fits the traditional use of the stem for intestinal abscess, although that experiment used the isolated compound rather than the decoction.
Sargentodosides A-E
Phenolic glycosidesConcentration: Minor constituents isolated from the water-soluble fraction of the stem
A series of phenolic glycosides named for the genus and so far reported only from it. They are part of the group of more than 110 constituents catalogued from the stem, and are of chemotaxonomic rather than established therapeutic interest.
Proanthocyanidins and flavan-3-ols
Condensed tannins (flavanol oligomers)Concentration: Several flavanols and their oligomers detected by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS in the stem
A tannin fraction that contributes to the astringency and to the free radical scavenging measured for the stem in DPPH, ABTS and ORAC assays.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Tacrolimus, ciclosporin and other CYP3A4 substrates (via Schisandra sphenanthera sold as Da Xue Teng)
Schisandra sphenanthera is one of six species documented as being sold in Chinese herbal markets under the name Daxueteng alongside genuine Sargentodoxa cuneata. Sargentodoxa itself has no established CYP3A4 activity, but the Schisandra lignans are well known clinical CYP3A4 inhibitors. A batch adulterated with, or wholly substituted by, Schisandra therefore introduces a pharmacokinetic interaction that the practitioner has not prescribed and cannot predict from the label.
Clinical note: Buy Da Xue Teng only from suppliers who authenticate the stem, and be alert to the characteristic red-brown radial rays and the red sap. Do not use unauthenticated market Da Xue Teng in transplant recipients or anyone on a narrow-therapeutic-index CYP3A4 substrate.
Rubia cordifolia (madder root) as an adulterant of Da Xue Teng
Rubia cordifolia was one of the six species collected from Chinese herbal markets under the Daxueteng name in a 2019 authentication study. Rubia roots carry anthraquinones of the lucidin type, over which madder root has been restricted as a food colourant in several jurisdictions on genotoxicity grounds. Genuine Sargentodoxa stem has no comparable anthraquinone chemistry, so the risk arrives entirely with the substitution.
Clinical note: Reject material that is orange-red and root-like rather than a woody vine stem. Avoid unauthenticated Da Xue Teng in pregnancy and in long courses.
Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang) as an adulterant of Da Xue Teng
Polygonum cuspidatum was the most chemically similar of the six market adulterants of Sargentodoxa cuneata, matching it on total phenol content and antioxidant activity, which is precisely what makes the substitution hard to detect by simple assay. Polygonum carries emodin and other anthraquinones plus stilbenes such as resveratrol and polydatin, none of which belong to the Sargentodoxa profile; emodin anthraquinones are cathartic and have been associated with hepatic injury signals in herbal products.
Clinical note: Unexpected purging on a Da Xue Teng-containing formula should prompt a check of the raw material rather than a dose reduction of the other herbs.
Warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs
Antithrombotic and microcirculation-improving activity has been reported for Sargentodoxa cuneata extracts and its total phenolic acid fraction in animal models, and the herb is classically used to invigorate Blood and disperse Stasis. There are no human pharmacokinetic or coagulation studies, and no case reports of bleeding, so this is an extrapolation rather than an observed interaction.
Clinical note: No dose change is warranted on present evidence, but monitor INR when the herb is added to or withdrawn from a warfarin patient's formula, and stop before elective surgery as for other Blood-invigorating herbs.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9–15 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】9～15g。 【性味与归经】苦,平。归大肠、肝经 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Together they clear heat toxin, invigorate blood and disperse stagnation, strengthening the treatment of intestinal abscess.
Classic indication: intestinal abscess with abdominal pain.
Named pairing — Zhong Yao Xue, national textbook (pei wu section for Da Xue Teng)
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 6 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
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
6
1 verified · 5 unverified
Show 6 studies
- The traditional herb Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates DSS-induced colitis by attenuating epithelial barrier damage via blocking necroptotic signaling
- Aqueous extract of Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates ulcerative colitis and its associated liver injuries in mice through the modulation of intestinal flora and related metabolites
- Sargentodoxa cuneata and Patrinia villosa extract inhibits LPS-induced inflammation by shifting macrophages polarization through FAK/PI3K/Akt pathway regulation and glucose metabolism reprogramming
- Screen for Potential Candidate Alternatives of Sargentodoxa cuneata from Its Six Adulterants Based on Their Phenolic Compositions and Antioxidant Activities
- Effect of Sargentodoxa cuneata total phenolic acids on focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rats model
- Preparative Purification of Liriodendrin from Sargentodoxa cuneata by Macroporous Resin
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
The traditional herb Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates DSS-induced colitis by attenuating epithelial barrier damage via blocking necroptotic signaling
In mice with dextran sulfate sodium colitis, Sargentodoxa cuneata extract reduced colonic epithelial barrier damage and suppressed necroptotic signalling. The work is mechanistic and in rodents only, but it is one of the few studies that tests the whole herb rather than an isolated marker compound.
Aqueous extract of Sargentodoxa cuneata alleviates ulcerative colitis and its associated liver injuries in mice through the modulation of intestinal flora and related metabolites
A water extract, which is the preparation closest to a clinical decoction, reduced colitis severity and the accompanying liver injury in mice, with changes in gut flora composition and microbial metabolites. Supports the classical use for intestinal abscess and Damp-Heat in the bowel, at animal-model level of evidence only.
Sargentodoxa cuneata and Patrinia villosa extract inhibits LPS-induced inflammation by shifting macrophages polarization through FAK/PI3K/Akt pathway regulation and glucose metabolism reprogramming
Tested the classical Hong Teng plus Bai Jiang Cao pair rather than Sargentodoxa alone. The combined extract shifted macrophage polarisation away from the inflammatory phenotype in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells, acting through FAK/PI3K/Akt signalling and a shift in glucose metabolism. Because two herbs were given together, the effect cannot be attributed to Sargentodoxa on its own.
Screen for Potential Candidate Alternatives of Sargentodoxa cuneata from Its Six Adulterants Based on Their Phenolic Compositions and Antioxidant Activities
Seven different herbs sold in Chinese markets as Daxueteng were collected and compared. The six adulterants of Sargentodoxa cuneata were Polygonum cuspidatum, Bauhinia championii, Schisandra sphenanthera, Schisandra grandiflora, Millettia dielsiana and Rubia cordifolia. Polygonum cuspidatum and Bauhinia championii matched genuine Sargentodoxa most closely on phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Tyrosols and caffeoylquinic acids were unique to Sargentodoxa and are proposed as authentication biomarkers. This is the key reference for the substitution hazard attached to this drug.
Effect of Sargentodoxa cuneata total phenolic acids on focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rats model
A total phenolic acid fraction of the stem reduced injury markers in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion model. Relevant to the Blood-invigorating indication rather than to the intestinal abscess indication, and confined to rodents.
Preparative Purification of Liriodendrin from Sargentodoxa cuneata by Macroporous Resin
Describes a macroporous resin process for isolating liriodendrin from the stem, confirming that the lignan is present at preparative-scale quantities in the crude drug.
Historical Texts
Ben Cao Tu Jing
Northern Song dynasty (1061 CE)Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Yaodian (Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China)
Modern, 2020 editionReferences
- Wen Zhang, Chengpeng Sun, Shuang Zhou, Wenyu Zhao, Lin Wang, Lingli Sheng, Jing Yi, Tiantian Liu, Juanjuan Yan, Xiaochi Ma, Bangjiang Fang. Recent advances in chemistry and bioactivity of Sargentodoxa cuneata . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2021) [DOI]
- Jun Chang, Ryan Case. Phenolic glycosides and ionone glycoside from the stem of Sargentodoxa cuneata . Phytochemistry (2005) [DOI]
- Jiajun Li, Xin Zheng, Xiong Li, Jing Yang, Wei Liu, Lei Yang, Bin Liu. Study on the protective effect and mechanism of Liriodendrin on radiation enteritis in mice . Journal of Radiation Research (2022) [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.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Hong Teng.
No notes yet.