Sha Shen
StarAdenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. / Adenophora stricta Miq. / Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schmidt ex Miq.
☯ TCM Properties
Nourishes Lung Yin and clears Lung Heat; Nourishes Stomach Yin and g enerates fluids; Tonifies Liver and Kidney Yin; Actions; Nourishes Yin, moistens the Lungs, dispels Phlegm and stops coughing; Nourishes the Stomach, generates fluids and clears Heat
Traditional Chinese Uses
Sha Shen, the root of Adenophora tetraphylla or A. stricta (Nan Sha Shen) and of Glehnia littoralis (Bei Sha Shen), is a sweet, slightly bitter, cold Yin tonic entering the Lung and Stomach. It nourishes Lung Yin and clears Lung Heat, moistens the Lungs to stop dry cough and resolve Phlegm, and nourishes Stomach Yin to generate fluids.
It treats dry, unproductive or blood-streaked cough and hoarseness from Lung-Yin deficiency or dryness lingering after febrile disease, and Stomach-Yin depletion with dry mouth and throat, thirst and a red, peeled tongue — as in Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang with Mai Dong. Bei Sha Shen is favoured for moistening the Lungs; Nan Sha Shen also lightly clears Phlegm and supports Qi. It is classically incompatible with Li Lu (Veratrum).
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Sha Shen (沙參) is, in modern Chinese Pharmacopoeia usage without a Bei or Nan prefix, most commonly the dried root of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. or Adenophora stricta Miq. (Campanulaceae), known specifically as Nan Sha Shen, perennial herbs of grassy slopes and forest margins across much of central and northern China. Plants grow 40–120 cm tall with whorled or alternate lanceolate to ovate serrate leaves and pendulous bell-shaped pale blue to violet flowers in summer racemes. The thick, conical, white to yellowish-white taproots are harvested in autumn, peeled, and sundried. In TCM, Sha Shen is classified as sweet and slightly cool, entering the Lung and Stomach channels, and is used to nourish yin, moisten the Lung, transform phlegm-heat, and generate fluids for dry cough, post-febrile dryness, and yin-deficiency thirst. Northern Sha Shen (Bei Sha Shen) refers instead to Glehnia littoralis (Apiaceae).
Active Constituents
Furanocoumarins (psoralen, imperatorin, bergapten, xanthotoxin)
Coumarin (furanocoumarin)Concentration: Characteristic bioactive coumarins of Bei Sha Shen (Glehnia littoralis) root
Contribute anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity; as furanocoumarins they are photosensitising and can inhibit CYP3A4.
Polysaccharides (Glehnia / Adenophora polysaccharides)
Carbohydrate (heteropolysaccharide)Concentration: More than 70% of Glehnia littoralis root composition
Immunomodulatory and antioxidant; a major fraction underlying the Yin-nourishing, moistening reputation of the herb.
Polyacetylenes (falcarindiol, falcarinol)
Polyacetylene / polyyneConcentration: Bioactive lipophilic constituents of the root
Antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial; among the most important bioactive compounds of Glehnia.
Triterpenoid saponins
Triterpenoid saponinConcentration: Characteristic of Nan Sha Shen (Adenophora spp.) root
Contribute expectorant, antitussive and immunomodulatory effects associated with Adenophora-sourced Sha Shen.
Lignans
LignanConcentration: Minor phenolic constituents of Glehnia root
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory contributors to the pharmacological profile.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid) and volatile oil
Phenolic acid / essential oilConcentration: Minor constituents
Provide antioxidant activity and the aromatic character of the root.
⚠ Drug Interactions
CYP3A4-metabolised drugs (e.g. calcium-channel blockers, statins, ciclosporin)
Bei Sha Shen (Glehnia) root contains furanocoumarins such as imperatorin and bergapten which, like grapefruit furanocoumarins, can inhibit intestinal CYP3A4 and theoretically raise plasma levels of sensitive substrates.
Clinical note: Interaction is theoretical from constituent content; clinically significant effects are unlikely at customary decoction doses but warrant caution with narrow-therapeutic-index CYP3A4 substrates.
Veratrum species (Li Lu) - traditional incompatibility
Under the classical 'eighteen incompatibilities' (十八反), Sha Shen is traditionally not combined with Li Lu (Veratrum). This is a traditional prescribing rule rather than a documented pharmacological interaction.
Clinical note: Avoid combining with Li Lu (Veratrum) in traditional formulas per the eighteen-incompatibilities rule.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-30g | Daily | — | — | — |
Preparation Methods
Decoction (internal)
Parts: root
Typically 9-15 g of dried root (larger in some sources) simmered in water to nourish Lung and Stomach Yin, moisten dryness and relieve dry cough and thirst.
Honey-processed / combined tonic
Parts: root
Often combined with other Yin-nourishing herbs (e.g. Mai Men Dong, Yu Zhu) in moistening formulas; the root may be used in tonic soups for chronic dry cough and convalescence.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica)
Han dynasty (c. 1st-2nd century CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica), Zhao Xuemin
Qing dynasty (1765)References
- Yang M, Wu L, Cao H, et al.. Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of the Genus Glehnia: A Systematic Review . Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2019) [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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