Che Qian Zi
StarPlantago asiatica L.
Synonyms: Plantago major var. asiatica (L.) Decne., Plantago asiatica L.
Also known as: Shazenshi車前子 シャゼンシ · Kampo; Chajeonja車前子 차전자 · Korean; Ch'ê Ch'ien Tzŭ · Wade–Giles
Not the same drug: Vietnamese Xa tiền tử names a different drug from this herb — source species Plantago major; ChP 车前子 is P. asiatica / P. depressa.
Safety at a glance
- Caution · 6 recorded drug interactions, 1 major or contraindicated
- Note · Contraindications or side effects are listed
No rule in our tables for this herb: pregnancy, breastfeeding, incompatible pairs (十八反 / 十九畏), herb–drug, dose ceiling. This is not a safety clearance.
Not graded — No toxicity grade is recorded. Most herbs in the catalogue carry none.
Traditionally used for
- Eye health
- Cough & breathing
- Bowel health
- Urinary & fluids
Cautions & contraindications
- Kidney conditions
☯ TCM Properties
Damp
Traditional Chinese Uses
Che Qian Zi (plantain seed) is a cold-natured, sweet herb known for its diuretic, vision-supporting, and phlegm-clearing properties. It clears damp heat from the Bladder to relieve difficult, painful, or burning urination; settles Liver Yang rising to benefit sore, red, or light-sensitive eyes; and descends Lung Qi while transforming phlegm to ease cough with copious sputum. Its capacity to separate the clear from the turbid also makes it useful for watery diarrhea. Botanical name: Plantago asiatica.
Western Herbalism Properties
Pharmacological Effects
- Expectorant and antitussive: Stated without experimental detail.
- Articular: Repeated small intra-articular injections of seed decoction in rabbit knees caused connective tissue hyperplasia and tighter joint capsule.
- Antiviral: Aucubin suppressed hepatitis B virus DNA replication in vitro only after preincubation with β-glucosidase.
Source: Zhu YP. Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Applications. Harwood Academic, 1998, p. 322.
Used In Formulas (36)
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Botanical Description
Plantago asiatica is a perennial herb in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) with a short, thick rootstock bearing numerous fibrous roots. The leaves form a basal rosette; each blade is broadly oval, 4–12 cm long, with an obtuse apex and 5 (occasionally 7) prominent arcuate veins running from the base. From the rosette rise several erect, leafless scapes 20–45 cm tall bearing slender spikes of many small, whitish, wind-pollinated flowers. The fruit is an ovoid capsule (pyxidium) that splits around its middle to release about four small dark seeds. These seeds are the source of Che Qian Zi, and the whole plant of Che Qian Cao.
Roadsides, field margins, grassy slopes, and disturbed ground throughout East Asia, from lowlands to mid mountain elevations.
Plantago major is extremely common and widespread worldwide. It is considered an invasive weed in many regions outside its native Eurasia. No conservation concerns.
Active Constituents
Geniposidic acid
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: 0.84 to 1.00% of Plantaginis semen in two batches by quantitative 1H-NMR; about three times higher in Plantago asiatica seed than in Plantago depressa seed
One of the two compounds by which Plantaginis semen is assayed and one of the main markers separating the two official source species. It is a principal contributor to the drug's metabolic and diuretic profile in animal work rather than a directly demonstrated therapeutic principle in humans.
Acteoside (verbascoside)
Phenylethanoid glycosideConcentration: 0.80 to 0.93% of Plantaginis semen in two batches by quantitative 1H-NMR; about three times higher in Plantago asiatica seed than in Plantago depressa seed
The second assay marker for the drug and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in vitro. Along with plantamajoside and isoacteoside it is the fraction credited with the blood-pressure-lowering effect seen when the seed extract is given to spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Plantamajoside
Phenylethanoid glycosideConcentration: a major phenylethanoid of the seed and whole plant; not covered by the pharmacopoeial assay
Inhibits angiotensin-converting enzyme in vitro and is one of the constituents held responsible for the antihypertensive action of the seed extract. It is absorbed after oral dosing of both the pure compound and the whole extract in rats.
Isoacteoside
Phenylethanoid glycosideConcentration: a minor phenylethanoid accompanying acteoside in the seed
One of the three phenylethanoid glycosides shown to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in vitro in the study of the seed extract in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Plantago-mucilage A
Acidic polysaccharide (arabinogalactan-containing seed-coat mucilage)Concentration: the bulk polysaccharide of the seed coat
The mucilage that swells on contact with water and gives the seed its bulking, stool-softening and urinary-soothing character. Structurally characterised from Plantago asiatica seed and shown to activate complement, with the activating potency tracking specific structural features. It is also the reason the drug can delay the absorption of anything taken with it.
Water-soluble seed polysaccharide fraction
PolysaccharideConcentration: a substantial fraction of the seed by weight
Fermented by colonic bacteria to short-chain fatty acids, with yield and antioxidant capacity both increased by high-pressure homogenisation. This fermentable-fibre behaviour, rather than any stimulant action, is the modern reading of the seed's effect on the bowel.
Aucubin
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: characteristic of the genus and abundant in the aerial parts (Che Qian Cao); present at much lower levels in the seed drug and not part of its pharmacopoeial assay
The best-known iridoid of Plantago and the compound most often cited in support of the plant's anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective claims. Almost all of that work is on the leaf or whole herb, so it should not be carried over uncritically to Che Qian Zi, which is the seed.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Digoxin and other cardiac glycosides, via Digitalis lanata contamination of Plantago raw material
This is a documented adulteration hazard, not a pharmacological property of the plant. A young woman developed complete heart block after taking a dietary supplement containing plantain (Plantago); the FDA investigation traced the raw material to a bulk lot of Plantago contaminated with Digitalis lanata, and identified further contaminated lots that had been distributed to many manufacturers. The contamination arose upstream at the collection and wholesaling stage, so any Plantago-labelled material of uncertain provenance is potentially affected. The incident involved plantain leaf material rather than Plantago asiatica seed specifically, but it is the same genus, the same supply chain problem and the same failure of botanical authentication.
Clinical note: Buy Che Qian Zi from suppliers who authenticate botanically, ideally by DNA or chromatographic identity rather than by visual inspection of a seed. If a patient on a Plantago-containing product presents with nausea, visual disturbance, bradycardia or new arrhythmia, measure a serum digoxin level even though they are not prescribed digoxin, because digoxin immunoassays cross-react with Digitalis lanata glycosides.
Concomitant oral medication (mucilaginous bulk effect)
The seed coat is largely mucilage that hydrates into a viscous gel. Viscous soluble fibre slows gastric emptying and impedes diffusion of dissolved drug to the mucosal surface, which is a well-established class effect of mucilaginous seeds. Direct pharmacokinetic studies on Plantago asiatica seed with specific drugs have not been done, so the grading rests on the class rather than on this species.
Clinical note: Take other oral medicines at least one hour before or two hours after the herb. Give the herb with adequate fluid.
Lithium carbonate and carbamazepine
Reduced serum concentrations have been reported when these narrow-therapeutic-index drugs are taken with psyllium, the mucilaginous seed of Plantago ovata, through the same viscous-fibre absorption mechanism. Plantago asiatica seed has a comparable mucilage but has not itself been studied with either drug, so this is extrapolation across species within the genus and is graded accordingly.
Clinical note: Separate the doses and, for lithium, check a level a week or two after starting or stopping the herb rather than assuming stability.
ACE inhibitors and other antihypertensives
Seed extract lowered systolic, diastolic and mean pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats after both single and 12-week dosing, reduced angiotensin II and aldosterone and the angiotensin II to angiotensin I ratio, and the extract and its phenylethanoid glycosides acteoside, isoacteoside and plantamajoside inhibited angiotensin-converting enzyme in vitro. The mechanism is therefore the same target that ACE inhibitors act on. Rat data only; no human trial of the seed for hypertension exists.
Clinical note: In a patient on an ACE inhibitor or ARB, monitor blood pressure when starting a course, particularly if the herb is prescribed for oedema at the same time. Note that the same study found serum potassium rose on the extract, which is worth remembering alongside an ACE inhibitor.
Loop and thiazide diuretics
Both crude and salt-processed Plantaginis semen increased urine volume and urinary electrolyte excretion in saline-loaded rats, with the salt-processed drug the more active, while lowering aldosterone and aquaporin 2. Layering this on a pharmaceutical diuretic is additive by design, since the herb is prescribed precisely to promote urination.
Clinical note: In elderly or frail patients on a diuretic, add the herb cautiously and watch for dizziness, postural symptoms and rising urea and creatinine. Note that salt-processed Che Qian Zi is the stronger diuretic of the two pharmacopoeial preparations, so the two are not interchangeable at the same dose.
Plantago depressa Willd. seed supplied as Che Qian Zi
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia accepts the seed of either Plantago asiatica L. or Plantago depressa Willd. as Plantaginis semen, and the trade does not usually distinguish them. Chemically they are not equivalent: geniposidic acid and acteoside, the two assay markers, are about three times more concentrated in Plantago asiatica seed, and pentahydroxy flavanone is present only in Plantago depressa. In high-fat-diet mice the Plantago asiatica extract improved fasting glucose, glucose tolerance, serum and hepatic triglyceride and faecal sterol excretion more than the Plantago depressa extract did.
Clinical note: Where a prescription is written for Plantago asiatica specifically, ask the supplier which species the batch is, since both will be labelled Che Qian Zi. Expect a weaker effect if Plantago depressa is supplied.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9–15 g | daily | — | adult | 中国药典 2020年版 一部 【车前子】【用法与用量】9～15g，包煎。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, Vol. I. Wrap-cook in cloth (bao jian) as the seeds are mucilaginous. |
Dosage Calculator
⚖ Dosage Calculator
A weight-based mathematical estimate for Che Qian Zi. Not a prescription.
Evidence Tier
1 RCT · 4 studies on recordRecorded 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
1
1 verified · 0 unverified
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
3
1 verified · 2 unverified
Show 3 studies
- Extract of Plantago asiatica L. Seeds Ameliorates Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Inhibition of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme
- Diuretic Effect and Metabolomics Analysis of Crude and Salt-Processed Plantaginis Semen
- Comparison of main chemical composition of Plantago asiatica L. and P. depressa Willd. seed extracts and their anti-obesity effects in high-fat diet-induced obese mice
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
Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine Plantain and Senna Granule in treatment of functional constipation: a randomized, controlled trial
390 patients with functional constipation at one Chinese hospital were randomised to acupuncture, to Plantain and Senna Granule 5 g daily, or to both, for four weeks. All three groups improved on defecation cycle, stool form, constipation and accompanying symptom scores and on gastrointestinal transit times, and the combination group did better than either alone. At 64-week follow-up the acupuncture and combination groups had held their gains while the granule group had relapsed significantly. No serious adverse reactions. Two important limits for this record: the granule pairs Plantaginis semen with senna, an anthranoid stimulant laxative that plausibly accounts for most of the acute effect, and the trial does not identify which of the two official Plantago species the granule used.
Extract of Plantago asiatica L. Seeds Ameliorates Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Inhibition of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme
Spontaneously hypertensive rats received seed extract at 400 mg/kg or fosinopril at 2.5 mg/kg orally, once or daily for 12 weeks. Systolic, diastolic and mean pressures fell after both single and long-term dosing; cardiac and aortic indices and collagen accumulation improved; urine total protein and the urea-to-creatinine ratio fell and serum potassium rose. Angiotensin I, angiotensin II, the angiotensin II to angiotensin I ratio and aldosterone all fell, and the extract with its phenylethanoid glycosides isoacteoside, plantamajoside and acteoside inhibited ACE in vitro. Explicitly identifies the species as Plantago asiatica L.
Diuretic Effect and Metabolomics Analysis of Crude and Salt-Processed Plantaginis Semen
Directly compares the two pharmacopoeial preparations of the drug. Ethanol extracts of crude and salt-processed Plantaginis semen were given to saline-loaded rats. Both increased urine volume and urinary electrolyte excretion while lowering aldosterone and aquaporin 2, and the salt-processed preparation was the more diuretic of the two. Serum metabolomics identified 30 differential metabolites, including linoleic acid, lysoPC(O-18:0), sphingosine-1-phosphate and lysoPC(18:0), across three metabolic pathways. Useful evidence that salt processing is not cosmetic and that the two decoction pieces should not be treated as interchangeable.
Comparison of main chemical composition of Plantago asiatica L. and P. depressa Willd. seed extracts and their anti-obesity effects in high-fat diet-induced obese mice
UPLC-MS fingerprinting of the two species accepted as Plantaginis semen identified 15 main components across iridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, guanidines and fatty acids. Geniposidic acid and acteoside were about three times more concentrated in Plantago asiatica seed; pentahydroxy flavanone occurred only in Plantago depressa. In high-fat-diet mice neither extract changed food intake or body weight, but both reduced adipocyte size and serum and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol, with Plantago asiatica outperforming Plantago depressa on serum and liver triglyceride, faecal cholesterol and triglyceride, fasting glucose and glucose tolerance. Direct evidence that the two official species are not equivalent drugs.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
- Kidney conditions
Contraindications
Its use is cautious in patients with spontaneous seminal emission due to kidney deficiency.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 146–150.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Han dynastyBen Cao Gang Mu
Ming dynastyReferences
- Tanaka R, Inagaki R, Sugimoto N, Akiyama H, Nagatsu A. Application of a quantitative 1H-NMR (1H-qNMR) method for the determination of geniposidic acid and acteoside in Plantaginis semen . Journal of Natural Medicines (2016) [DOI]
- Yamada H, Nagai T, Cyong J, Otsuka Y, Tomoda M, Shimizu N, Gonda R. Relationship between chemical structure and activating potencies of complement by an acidic polysaccharide, plantago-mucilage A, from the seed of Plantago asiatica . Carbohydrate Research (1986) [DOI]
- Slifman NR, Obermeyer WR, Aloi BK, Musser SM, Correll WA, Cichowicz SM, Betz JM, Love LA. Contamination of Botanical Dietary Supplements byDigitalis lanata . New England Journal of Medicine (1998) [DOI]
- Miyase T, Ishino M, Akahori C, Ueno A, Ohkawa Y, Tanizawa H. Phenylethanoid glycosides from Plantago asiatica . Phytochemistry (1991) [DOI]
- Ravn H, Nishibe S, Sasahara M, Xuebo L. Phenolic compounds from Plantago asiatica . Phytochemistry (1990) [DOI]
- Hu J, Nie S, Xie M. High pressure homogenization increases antioxidant capacity and short-chain fatty acid yield of polysaccharide from seeds of Plantago asiatica L. . Food Chemistry (2013) [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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