Huo Xiang
StarPogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.
Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Digestion
- Bowel health
- Mood & calm
Cautions & contraindications
- Bleeding disorders
☯ TCM Properties
Aromatically Transforms Dampness; Harmonizes the Stomach and Stops Vomiting; Releases the Exterior and Resolves Summerheat; Dispels Turbidity and Filth
Traditional Chinese Uses
Huo Xiang (patchouli herb, agastache herb) is a warm, aromatic herb used in Chinese medicine to transform Dampness in the middle burner, harmonize the Stomach, relieve Summerheat with Dampness, and release mild exterior conditions. It is a primary herb for the Summerheat-Damp pattern presenting with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and feeling heavy and lethargic in hot, humid weather. It also harmonizes a Stomach disrupted by irregular eating, stress, or phlegm. Its pleasant fragrance makes it one of the more palatable warming-aromatic herbs.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Digestive: The aromatic oil stimulates gastric juice secretion and aids digestion.
- Antimicrobial: Aqueous decoction inhibited leptospira at 15 mg/ml and killed it at 31 mg/ml; ether, ethanol or aqueous extracts inhibited Achorion schoenleini and 14 other fungi in vitro; pogostone inhibited S. aureus, Streptococcus hemolyticus, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans in vitro.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 307.
Used In Formulas (3)
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Pogostemon cablin, patchouli or Huo Xiang, is a bushy, perennial aromatic herb or subshrub in the Lamiaceae, growing 0.6 to 1 meter tall from a stout, often woody base. The stems are erect, square in cross-section, much branched and softly hairy. The opposite leaves are broadly ovate to elliptic, 4 to 10 cm long, with a coarsely crenate-serrate margin, a rounded to subcordate base and an acuminate tip; both surfaces are softly velvety-pubescent and dotted with sessile glands that release the characteristic earthy, musky-sweet aroma when bruised. The inflorescence is a dense, terminal or axillary spike-like raceme bearing whorls of small, two-lipped, pinkish-white to pale violet flowers with four protruding stamens; in cultivated plants flowering is sparse and often absent. Native to tropical Asia and now cultivated in India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines for its essential oil, the dried leafy shoots harvested before flowering are the medicinal Huo Xiang, used in Chinese medicine to dispel summer dampness and harmonize the Middle Burner.
Active Constituents
Patchouli alcohol (patchoulol)
Tricyclic sesquiterpene alcoholConcentration: The dominant sesquiterpene of the aerial parts and of patchouli oil, and the assay marker for the drug; it defines the patchoulol-type chemotype
The compound carrying most of this herb's demonstrated pharmacology and the one with the greatest interaction significance. It is an agonist at the human pregnane X receptor and induces CYP3A4 expression and activity through a PXR-dependent mechanism, which is also how it suppresses NF-kB-driven intestinal inflammation. In rats it shows dose-proportional pharmacokinetics with a Tmax around 30 min, marked sex differences in exposure, and around 30 metabolites formed by dehydrogenation, sulfation and glucuronidation.
Pogostone
4-Hydroxy-2-pyrone derivativeConcentration: Highly variable between samples; it defines the pogostone-type chemotype and is used as a marker to distinguish this species from Agastache rugosa
The second marker constituent, and one of the two compounds that separate genuine Pogostemon cablin from its usual substitute on chromatography. Reported activities are antifungal, including disruption of Candida albicans hyphal formation and biofilm, and modulation of microglial NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Because pogostone content varies so widely between samples, two authentic batches of this drug can differ substantially in composition.
alpha-Guaiene
Guaiane-type sesquiterpene hydrocarbon (essential oil)Concentration: One of the major sesquiterpene hydrocarbons of patchouli oil
A principal volatile of patchouli oil, isolated and shown to have antifungal activity against four pathogenic fungi. It contributes to the characteristic odour and to the antimicrobial properties of the oil.
Patchoulene epoxide
Sesquiterpenoid epoxideConcentration: Minor oxidised sesquiterpenoid of the aerial parts
An oxidised patchoulene derivative reported to mitigate dextran sulfate sodium colitis and associated hepatic damage in mice through changes in the colonic microbiota. Animal data only.
Diosmetin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside
Flavone glycosideConcentration: Minor flavonoid of the aerial parts (Pogostemonis Herba)
The most potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 compound identified from this drug: at 0.625-2.5 µM it reduced viral replication, apoptosis and IL-6 and TNF-alpha production in infected macrophages and shifted polarisation from M1 to M2, and at 25-100 mg/kg it reduced lung injury in infected mice. Preclinical only, and no basis for treating COVID-19 with the herb.
Pachypodol
Methylated flavonol (quercetin trimethyl ether)Concentration: Minor flavonoid constituent of the aerial parts
A methylated flavonol from this species that has been formulated into inhaled lipid nanomedicine for acute lung injury on the strength of its anti-inflammatory activity. Its poor aqueous solubility, which is what made the nanoformulation necessary, limits what can be inferred about it from a decoction.
7,3',4'-Tri-O-methyleriodictyol
Methylated flavanoneConcentration: Variable; used as a quantitative marker distinguishing chemotypes within Pogostemon cablin
Of quality-control rather than therapeutic interest: together with pogostone it separates the pogostone-type from the patchoulol-type chemotype of this species on HPLC with diode-array detection.
Patchouli essential oil
Sesquiterpene-rich volatile oilConcentration: The volatile fraction of the leaves, dominated by patchouli alcohol with guaiane- and patchoulene-type sesquiterpenes
The whole oil accounts for most reported antimicrobial, insect-repellent and anti-inflammatory activity of the drug. On external exposure it is an irritant to skin and eyes and a respiratory sensitiser, a hazard classification made explicitly in a regulatory safety opinion on the oil.
⚠ Drug Interactions
CYP3A4 substrates (for example ciclosporin, tacrolimus, midazolam, statins, direct oral anticoagulants, hormonal contraceptives)
Patchouli alcohol, the principal constituent of this drug, was identified as a human PXR agonist in hPXR transactivation assays and induced both CYP3A4 expression and CYP3A4 catalytic activity through a PXR-dependent mechanism; knocking down PXR abolished its anti-inflammatory effect, confirming the receptor is genuinely engaged. Independent work found the same PXR activation in the context of osteoclastogenesis, and a further study reported PXR activation in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric cancer models. PXR activation is the canonical route to CYP3A4 induction, which is the mechanism behind clinically serious herb-drug interactions with other inducers. What has not been done is any human pharmacokinetic study, so the size of the effect at realistic oral doses is unknown.
Clinical note: Treat sustained use of concentrated patchouli preparations as a possible enzyme inducer rather than as inert. In transplant patients on ciclosporin or tacrolimus, and in patients on direct oral anticoagulants or hormonal contraception, either avoid it or monitor drug levels and clinical effect when it is started and stopped.
Agastache rugosa (Tu Huo Xiang, kwakhyang) sold or dispensed as Huo Xiang
This is the clearest pinyin-versus-binomial problem in the aromatic damp-transforming group. Agastache rugosa and Pogostemon cablin are both sold as the medicinal substance Huo Xiang (kwakhyang) in several Asian countries despite differing in composition and physicochemical properties, and the confusion is well enough documented that both chromatographic and DNA-based methods have been built specifically to tell them apart. Untargeted metabolomics separated the two on 222 distinctive features, with pogostone and tilianin as the discriminating markers; a real-time PCR assay using nuclear ITS and the chloroplast matK, rbcL and rpoB genes was validated against 14 off-target species and blind-tested on 14 commercial products. Essentially all of the pharmacology in this record, including the CYP3A4 induction signal, belongs to Pogostemon cablin. Agastache rugosa contains tilianin and its own constituent profile, and none of this evidence transfers to it.
Clinical note: Specify Guang Huo Xiang / Pogostemonis Herba by binomial when ordering, and prefer suppliers who authenticate by HPLC or DNA rather than by name. If a prescription simply says Huo Xiang, establish which drug is intended before dispensing.
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (artesunate and related artemisinins)
Patchouli alcohol has been studied specifically as an adjuvant to artemisinin-based combination therapy. In combination with sodium artesunate it showed synergistic antimalarial effect, with dose-proportional Cmax and AUC, a consistent Tmax of 30 min, significant sex-related differences in exposure, and 30 identified metabolites arising mainly from dehydrogenation, sulfation and glucuronidation. Set against this, patchouli alcohol induces CYP3A4 through PXR, and artemisinins are CYP-metabolised, so an unfavourable pharmacokinetic effect on the antimalarial cannot be excluded. The work is preclinical.
Clinical note: Do not add this herb to antimalarial treatment on the basis of the adjuvant literature. Where a patient is already using it, treat antimalarial exposure as potentially altered and follow parasitological response rather than assuming standard efficacy.
Chemotype variation within authentic Pogostemon cablin
Chromatographic profiling of market samples found notable differences in profile and in pogostone level between authentic Pogostemon cablin samples, consistent with distinct pogostone-type and patchoulol-type chemotypes, discriminated quantitatively by pogostone and 7,3',4'-tri-O-methyleriodictyol. Correct botanical identity therefore does not guarantee comparable pharmacological content, and dose-response inferences drawn from one study's material may not hold for another batch.
Clinical note: Where response to this herb is inconsistent between batches, consider chemotype rather than assuming non-compliance or misidentification. Prefer material with a stated marker-compound assay.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 3–10 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 monograph 【广藿香】【用法与用量】3～10g。 【性味与归经】辛，微温。归脾、胃、肺经。 — Matched by hand: Record species is Pogostemon cablin — that IS ChP 广藿香. (NB: the plain name 藿香 usually denotes Agastache rugosa, a different plant; the species field settles it.) Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim. |
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Two aromatic herbs that together more strongly transform turbid dampness, awaken the spleen and release summerheat-dampness.
Summerheat-dampness, sweet or sticky taste in the mouth, nausea, greasy coating.
Named pairing — Lü Jingshan, Shi Jinmo Dui Yao
Release the exterior and transform dampness while harmonizing the middle, treating externally contracted wind-cold with internal dampness.
Chills and fever with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal fullness.
Core pair of a classical formula — Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang
Evidence Tier
Strong evidence · 9 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
1
0 verified · 1 unverified
Randomized controlled trial
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
8
1 verified · 7 unverified
Show 8 studies
- Patchouli alcohol activates PXR and suppresses the NF-κB-mediated intestinal inflammatory
- Discovery and determination of misuse and chemotypes of Pogostemon cablin by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with diode-array detector
- Establishing DNA markers to differentiate Agastache rugosa and Pogostemon cablin, which are confusedly used as medicinal herbs, using real-time PCR
- Patchouli alcohol as an effective adjuvant for artemisinin-based combination therapies: Metabolic profiling, pharmacokinetics and mechanistic validation
- Diosmetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside from Pogostemonis Herba alleviated SARS-CoV-2-induced pneumonia by reshaping macrophage polarization and limiting viral replication
- Glycyrrhizic acid and patchouli alcohol in Huoxiang Zhengqi attenuate intestinal inflammation and barrier injury via regulating endogenous corticosterone metabolism mediated by 11β-HSD1
- Four new sesquiterpenoids from the aerial parts of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco.) Benth. and their hypoglycemic activity
- Alpha-guaiene isolated from patchouli oil exhibits antifungal activity against four pathogenic fungi
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
Patchouli alcohol activates PXR and suppresses the NF-κB-mediated intestinal inflammatory
Patchouli alcohol was identified as a human PXR agonist in transactivation assays and was shown to induce CYP3A4 expression and activity through an hPXR-dependent mechanism. PXR activation in turn inhibited NF-kB transcriptional activity and nuclear translocation, and the anti-inflammatory effect disappeared when PXR was knocked down. In mice the compound protected against DSS-induced colitis via the same PXR/NF-kB axis. This is the single most interaction-relevant paper on the herb: it establishes CYP3A4 induction as a genuine property of its main constituent.
Discovery and determination of misuse and chemotypes of Pogostemon cablin by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with diode-array detector
Untargeted metabolomics found 222 features separating Pogostemon cablin from Agastache rugosa, with pogostone and tilianin as candidate markers, and an HPLC with diode-array detection method was developed to discriminate the two in practice and applied to samples from local traditional medicine shops. The same platform separated pogostone-type from patchoulol-type chemotypes within authentic Pogostemon cablin using pogostone and 7,3',4'-tri-O-methyleriodictyol. Directly documents both the substitution problem and the intraspecific variability.
Establishing DNA markers to differentiate Agastache rugosa and Pogostemon cablin, which are confusedly used as medicinal herbs, using real-time PCR
Species-specific real-time PCR primers were designed in the nuclear ITS region and the chloroplast matK, rbcL and rpoB genes to separate Agastache rugosa from Pogostemon cablin, which the authors note are frequently sold interchangeably as the medicinal substance kwakhyang (Huo Xiang) in some Asian countries despite differing composition. Six primer sets gave correlation coefficients above 0.99 and efficiencies of 90.13-98.52%, were validated against 14 off-target species, and were blind-tested on 14 commercial products.
Patchouli alcohol as an effective adjuvant for artemisinin-based combination therapies: Metabolic profiling, pharmacokinetics and mechanistic validation
Patchouli alcohol combined with sodium artesunate was assessed for synergistic antimalarial effect, with pharmacokinetics by GC-MS/MS and metabolite identification by GC-MS and Orbitrap MS. The compound showed dose-proportional Cmax and AUC, a consistent Tmax of 30 min and significant sex-related differences in exposure; 30 metabolites were identified across plasma, urine and faeces, phase I reactions predominating in plasma and phase II in urine and faeces. Provides the best available disposition data for the herb's main constituent.
Diosmetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside from Pogostemonis Herba alleviated SARS-CoV-2-induced pneumonia by reshaping macrophage polarization and limiting viral replication
Screening of Pogostemonis Herba constituents in SARS-CoV-2-infected hACE2-overexpressing macrophages and hACE2 transgenic mice identified diosmetin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside as the most active. At 0.625-2.5 µM it reduced viral load, apoptosis, IL-6 and TNF-alpha and shifted macrophages from M1 to M2; at 25-100 mg/kg it reduced acute lung injury and macrophage infiltration in infected mice, acting through YTHDF1, HK3 and glycolysis-mediated NF-kB signalling. Preclinical; the herb itself has not been trialled for COVID-19.
Glycyrrhizic acid and patchouli alcohol in Huoxiang Zhengqi attenuate intestinal inflammation and barrier injury via regulating endogenous corticosterone metabolism mediated by 11β-HSD1
A clinical-equivalent dose of the classical Huoxiang Zhengqi formula treated DSS colitis in mice; 113 compounds were characterised in the formula and 35 detected in the animals, and glycyrrhizic acid and patchouli alcohol were identified as the key contributors, acting on endogenous corticosterone metabolism through 11-beta-HSD1 and on NF-kB signalling. Note the attribution: the glycyrrhizic acid comes from the licorice in the formula, not from this herb, and only the patchouli alcohol arm is evidence about Huo Xiang.
Four new sesquiterpenoids from the aerial parts of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco.) Benth. and their hypoglycemic activity
Four previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids, two guaiane-type, one rearranged guaiane and one norsesquiterpenoid, were isolated from an ethanol extract of the aerial parts. One increased glucose uptake in myotubes to 124.3% and 131.2% at 20 and 40 µM without cytotoxicity. Isolated-compound in vitro data from the correct plant part.
Alpha-guaiene isolated from patchouli oil exhibits antifungal activity against four pathogenic fungi
Alpha-guaiene isolated from patchouli oil was tested against four pathogenic fungi and showed antifungal activity, supporting the antimicrobial reputation of the volatile fraction. In vitro only, and on an isolated constituent of the oil rather than on the crude drug.
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from the leaves of Pogostemon cablin Benth. (patchouli oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)
Regulatory safety assessment of patchouli leaf essential oil as a feed additive. The panel set species-specific safe maximum levels in complete feed, ranging from 7.5 mg/kg for most species up to 60 mg/kg for veal calves, found no consumer concern at the highest proposed use level, and identified no environmental risk. Importantly for handling: it classified the essential oil as an irritant to skin and eyes and a respiratory sensitiser. Note this is an animal-feed assessment, not a human therapeutic evaluation.
Historical Texts
Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang (Formulary of the Pharmacy Service for Benefiting the People of the Taiping Era), source of Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
Northern Song, imperial formulary compiled from 1078 onwardsFlora de Filipinas (Manuel Blanco), as Mentha cablin Blanco, p. 473
1837Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, monograph on Pogostemonis Herba (Guang Huo Xiang)
Modern standard, current editionReferences
- Mrisho II; Musazade E; Chen H; Zhao H; Xing J; Li X; Han J; Cai E. Unlocking the Therapeutic Potential of Patchouli Leaves: A Comprehensive Review of Phytochemical and Pharmacological Insights . Plants (2025) [DOI]
- Wu YJ; Li SM; Chen CL; Chen ZR; Chen JJ. Anti-inflammatory activity of Pogostemon cablin: Bioactive components and their modulation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway . Bioorganic Chemistry (2025) [DOI]
- Lu Q; Jiang C; Hou J; Qian H; Chu F; Zhang W; Ye M; Chen Z; Liu J; Yao H; Zhang J; Xu J; Wang T; Fan S; Wang Q. Patchouli Alcohol Modulates the Pregnancy X Receptor/Toll-like Receptor 4/Nuclear Factor Kappa B Axis to Suppress Osteoclastogenesis . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021) [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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