Tai Zi Shen
StarPseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax ex Pax et Hoffm.
Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Digestion
- Energy & fatigue
☯ TCM Properties
Tonifies Qi and Strengthens the Spleen; Generates Fluids; Moistens the Lungs; Benefits the Stomach and Generates Fluids; Benefits Qi and Nourishes Yin
Traditional Chinese Uses
Tai Zi Shen (pseudostellaria root, prince ginseng) is a cool, mild Qi and Yin tonic that supplements both Spleen Qi and Lung Yin without the warming intensity of larger ginsengs. It is used for fatigue, poor appetite, and digestive weakness from Spleen Qi deficiency, as well as for dry cough and thirst from Lung Yin deficiency. Its gentle cooling-tonic nature makes it particularly suitable for children, the elderly, those with heat-sensitive constitutions, and anyone recovering from illness who needs mild Qi and Yin support.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Caryophyllaceae), known as Tai Zi Shen or prince's ginseng, is a small perennial herb 15-20 cm tall arising from a slender, fleshy, spindle-shaped tuberous root 2-7 cm long. The slender stems bear opposite, sessile, lanceolate to elliptic leaves; uppermost stem leaves are typically larger and crowded into a pseudo-whorl of four. White, five-petaled chasmogamous flowers appear in spring on long pedicels from upper leaf axils, while cleistogamous flowers form near the base for self-pollination. Native to cool, shaded mountain woodlands of eastern China, Korea, and Japan. The tuberous roots are dug in summer when foliage withers, briefly scalded, and sun-dried into pale yellowish-white, slightly translucent rods. (Sources: POWO; Wikipedia; Bensky)
Active Constituents
Heterophyllin B
Caryophyllaceae-type cyclic octapeptideConcentration: roughly 0.011-0.036% of the dried tuberous root, varying by production area (lowest in Guizhou material, highest in Anhui and Jiangsu material)
The best-studied marker compound of the drug and the compound most often used to grade it. It is brain-permeable in mice and has been shown to reduce IL-6, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha release, to reverse amyloid-beta-induced axonal atrophy in cultured cortical neurons, and to improve memory retrieval in intracerebroventricular amyloid-beta mouse models. It is poorly water-soluble, has low oral bioavailability and is subject to P-glycoprotein efflux, so systemic exposure from a decoction is likely to be modest.
Heterophyllin A
Caryophyllaceae-type cyclic peptideA companion cyclopeptide to heterophyllin B, co-accumulating with it in the tuberous root and used alongside it and pseudostellarin G in quality grading of the drug. Its own pharmacology is much less characterised than that of heterophyllin B.
Pseudostellarins A-H, K and L
Cyclic peptides (penta- to decapeptides)A second family of cyclopeptides from the tuberous root, ranging from pentapeptides to decapeptides. Reported activities include tyrosinase inhibition and suppression of melanin synthesis. Several pseudostellarins are among the metabolites that distinguish material from different Chinese provinces.
Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharides (including the branched alpha-glucan PF30-3)
PolysaccharideConcentration: total polysaccharides roughly 10.1-25.1% of the dried root depending on production area, with some selected cultivars assayed considerably higher
Quantitatively the largest bioactive fraction. PF30-3 is a homogeneous branched alpha-D-glucan of about 69.9 kDa with a (1 to 4)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl backbone and (1 to 4,6) branch points; a separate preparation of about 8.8 kDa was composed mainly of glucose and galactose. These fractions are immunomodulatory in macrophage and animal models, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, and act partly through the gut microbiota rather than by direct systemic absorption.
Triterpenoid saponins (total saponins)
Triterpenoid saponinConcentration: reported up to roughly 2.8% of the dried root in the highest-scoring cultivars in varietal screening trials
Assayed as one of the routine quality indicators for the drug alongside polysaccharides and heterophyllin B. Individual saponins are poorly characterised and most reported pharmacology for this herb belongs to the cyclopeptide and polysaccharide fractions rather than to the saponins.
⚠ Drug Interactions
P-glycoprotein substrates and P-glycoprotein inhibitors (e.g. verapamil, ciclosporin, digoxin)
Heterophyllin B was shown to be susceptible to P-glycoprotein efflux, which is one reason its oral bioavailability is low enough that a targeted delivery system was developed for it. That establishes the herb's marker compound as a P-gp substrate but says nothing about whether the herb inhibits or induces the transporter, and no P-gp interaction study on the whole drug has been published.
Clinical note: No action needed on this basis alone. Flagged only so that unexpectedly strong or weak effects in a patient on a P-gp-modulating drug are not mistaken for something else.
Oral hypoglycaemic agents and insulin
Both the polysaccharide fraction and heterophyllin B have hypoglycaemic and insulin-sensitising activity in rodent models, with heterophyllin B acting on hepatic IRS2/PI3K-Akt/FoxO1 signalling in a type 2 diabetes model. No human pharmacodynamic or interaction data exist, and effect sizes at decoction doses are unknown.
Clinical note: Tai Zi Shen is a mild tonic and this is a low-concern interaction, but a diabetic patient starting a long course containing it can reasonably be asked to keep monitoring glucose as usual.
Immunosuppressants (e.g. ciclosporin, tacrolimus, azathioprine)
The polysaccharide fraction is immunostimulatory in vitro and in vivo: dietary supplementation raised specific antibody titres, immune organ indices and serum IgG, IL-4, IL-6 and IFN-gamma in vaccinated chicks, and macrophage assays show cytokine modulation. Whether this translates to any measurable interference with therapeutic immunosuppression in humans is entirely untested.
Clinical note: Mention it to transplant and autoimmune patients as an unquantified theoretical concern rather than a reason to withhold the herb; there are no case reports of graft dysfunction attributed to this drug.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9–30 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】9～30g。 【性味与归经】甘、微苦，平。归脾、肺经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
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
4 verified · 2 unverified
Show 6 studies
- Heterophyllin B, a cyclopeptide from Pseudostellaria heterophylla, improves memory via immunomodulation and neurite regeneration in i.c.v.Aβ-induced mice
- Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide mitigates Alzheimer's-like pathology via regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis in 5 × FAD mice
- Structural characterization of a branched α-glucan from Pseudostellaria heterophylla and its neuroprotective effect against Alzheimer's disease via regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis
- The effects of pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide on humoral immunity and gene expression of splenic lymphocytes in chicks
- Heterophyllin B ameliorates diabetic lower limb ischemia by inhibiting SMOX to activate the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway
- Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharides attenuate diabetic lower limb ischemia via CYP2E1-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis and PANoptosis regulation
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
Heterophyllin B, a cyclopeptide from Pseudostellaria heterophylla, improves memory via immunomodulation and neurite regeneration in i.c.v.Aβ-induced mice
Heterophyllin B was shown to cross into the brain, and both the whole Pseudostellaria heterophylla extract and the isolated cyclopeptide reversed amyloid-beta-25-35-induced axonal atrophy and neuronal apoptosis in cultured mouse cortical neurons. In mice given intracerebroventricular amyloid-beta-1-42, heterophyllin B improved memory retrieval, modulated splenic T helper cell populations and reduced neuroinflammation. Network pharmacology identified five candidate targets linked to axonal regeneration.
Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide mitigates Alzheimer's-like pathology via regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis in 5 × FAD mice
A characterised polysaccharide fraction of about 8.8 kDa, composed of glucose (about 58%), galactose (about 42%) and a trace of arabinose, improved learning and spatial memory, reduced amyloid-beta accumulation and suppressed reactive glia and astrocytes in 5xFAD transgenic mice. 16S rRNA sequencing showed the polysaccharide remodelled the gut flora, promoting Lactobacillus, Muribaculum and related taxa, which the authors argue is the route of the central effect since a polysaccharide of this size is not appreciably absorbed.
Structural characterization of a branched α-glucan from Pseudostellaria heterophylla and its neuroprotective effect against Alzheimer's disease via regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis
PF30-3, a homogeneous branched alpha-D-glucan of 69.91 kDa, inhibited nitric oxide release and rebalanced inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages at 200 micrograms/mL. It rescued spatial memory in an amyloid-beta-1-42 zebrafish model at 20 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg orally for 24 days improved recognition and spatial memory in 5xFAD mice with reduced cerebral amyloid-beta deposition and no observable acute toxicity.
The effects of pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide on humoral immunity and gene expression of splenic lymphocytes in chicks
270 chicks were assigned to unvaccinated control, vaccinated control, or vaccinated plus 200 mg/kg dietary polysaccharide. The polysaccharide group had higher specific antibody titres after the first immunisation, higher spleen and bursa indices at day 35, and higher serum IgG, C3, IL-4, IL-6 and IFN-gamma than vaccinated controls, with upregulation of immune-related genes in splenic lymphocytes. This is the clearest in vivo evidence that the polysaccharide fraction is an immune adjuvant rather than merely immunomodulatory in vitro.
Heterophyllin B ameliorates diabetic lower limb ischemia by inhibiting SMOX to activate the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway
In streptozotocin-diabetic mice given femoral artery ligation, heterophyllin B improved limb perfusion and endothelial function; in high-glucose-exposed human umbilical vein endothelial cells it restored tube formation, migration and wound healing. The effect was traced to inhibition of spermine oxidase with consequent Nrf2 antioxidant pathway activation, confirmed by SMOX silencing and spermine challenge.
Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharides attenuate diabetic lower limb ischemia via CYP2E1-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis and PANoptosis regulation
The polysaccharide fraction improved blood perfusion and microvessel density in a murine diabetic lower limb ischaemia model and restored migration, proliferation and tube formation in high-glucose-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells, acting through CYP2E1-linked mitochondrial homeostasis and suppression of PANoptosome assembly.
Historical Texts
Zhong Yao Zhi (Chinese Materia Medica compendium)
Modern China, entry added 1959References
- Yang Y, Wen L, Jiang ZZ, Chan BCL, Leung PC, Wong CK. Chemical Properties, Preparation, and Pharmaceutical Effects of Cyclic Peptides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla . Molecules (2025) [DOI]
- Sha M, Li X, Liu Y, Tian H, Liang X, Li X, Gao W. Comparative chemical characters of Pseudostellaria heterophylla from geographical origins of China . Chinese Herbal Medicines (2023) [DOI]
- Gao S, Ye K, Zhang Z, Wang W, Li J, Xu T, Tan H. Polysaccharides of Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax ex Pax et Hoffm: Extraction, purification, structural characteristics, pharmacological activities, and structure–activity relationships: A review . International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2025) [DOI]
- Li H, Wang S, Yang Z, Ma P. Advances in Pseudostellaria heterophylla Research: Current Status and Future Directions . Molecules (2025) [DOI]
- Zhang W, Xu X, Chen J, Zhao Y, Liu B, Huang Y. Differences in Chemical Components and Antioxidant Ability Analysis of Pseudostellaria heterophylla from Multiple Origins . International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2026) [DOI]
- Chen Y, Huang Y, Huang C, Zhang S, Fan M, Yuan X, Huang C, Zhang M, Peng J, Sun R, Zhang S, Chen W, Gong Z. An engineered micropatch for oral delivery of heterophyllin B in type 2 diabetes treatment . Journal of Controlled Release (2026) [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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