Inula japonica
StarInula japonica
Synonyms: Inula britannica var. japonica, Inula britannica subsp. japonica, Limbarda japonica
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Inula japonica is a perennial herb of the family Asteraceae, widespread across temperate East Asia including China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East, where it grows in damp meadows, field margins, stream banks and roadsides. From a creeping rhizome it produces erect, usually unbranched stems 30 to 70 centimetres tall, clothed in soft hairs. The alternate leaves are lanceolate to oblong, sessile and somewhat clasping above, with entire or finely toothed margins and a sparsely hairy surface. In late summer and autumn the stems bear several radiate flower heads 2.5 to 4 centimetres across, each with numerous narrow golden-yellow ray florets surrounding a central disc of tubular yellow florets, subtended by overlapping linear involucral bracts. The fruit is a small ribbed achene topped by a pappus of fine white bristles. The dried flower heads, harvested as they open, are the part used and are densely covered with fine irritant hairs.
Active Constituents
Britanin (britannilactone-type sesquiterpene lactone)
Sesquiterpene lactoneConcentration: Flowers (Flos Inulae)
A characteristic pseudoguaianolide-type sesquiterpene lactone reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activity, including experimental benefit in models of allergic asthma.
1beta-Hydroxyalantolactone
Sesquiterpene lactone (eudesmanolide)Concentration: Main characteristic lactone of Flos Inulae
A marker sesquiterpene lactone shown in animal studies to reduce inflammation and to attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via inhibition of the JNK/FOXO1/NF-kB pathway.
Japonicones (e.g., japonicone A)
Dimeric sesquiterpene lactoneConcentration: Aerial parts / flowers
Unusual dimeric sesquiterpene lactones unique to Inula japonica, investigated for anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activity in preclinical models.
Flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, spinacetin, taxifolin, kaempferol)
Flavonoid / flavonol glycosideConcentration: Flowers and leaves
Antioxidant flavonols and their glycosides that contribute to the anti-inflammatory and free-radical-scavenging activity of the flower extract.
Volatile (essential) oil
Terpenoid volatile oilConcentration: Flowers
A complex terpene-rich volatile fraction underlying the traditional use of the flowers to relieve cough, phlegm and nausea.
Eudesmane and germacrane sesquiterpenoids
SesquiterpenoidConcentration: Multiple skeletons throughout the plant
A broad group of sesquiterpenoids (eudesmane, germacrane, eremophilane and secoeudesmane types) that give the genus its diverse anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and hepatoprotective activities in laboratory studies.
Preparation Methods
Decoction of the flower heads (Xuan Fu Hua / Flos Inulae)
Parts: flower heads
In traditional East Asian practice the dried flower heads are simmered in water, typically wrapped in a cloth bag because the fine hairs of the flower can irritate the throat. Used to direct qi downward for cough with copious phlegm, belching and nausea. The related fresh plant sap/hairs and sesquiterpene lactones can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people, as with other Asteraceae.
Historical Texts
Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
c. 200 CE (Han dynasty compilation)Mingyi Bielu (Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians)
c. 500 CEPharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China
20th-21st centuryReferences
- Yang L, Wang X, Hou A, Zhang J, Wang S, Man W, Yu H, Zheng S, Wang Q, Jiang H, Kuang H. A review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the Flos Inulae . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (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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