Xu Duan
StarDipsacus asperoides C. Y. Cheng et T. M. Ai
Traditionally used for
- Menstrual & women's health
- Energy & fatigue
Cautions & contraindications
- Pregnancy
- Toxic — professional use only
☯ TCM Properties
Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin; Strengthens the Sinews and Bones; Stops uterine bleeding and calms the fetus; Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Xu Duan (teasel root, dipsacus root) is a warm, bitter-pungent herb used in Chinese medicine to tonify the Liver and Kidney, strengthen the bones and sinew, and promote the healing of fractures and traumatic injuries. Its Chinese name, meaning "reconnect the broken," reflects its historical reputation as the primary herb for fractures, torn ligaments, and musculoskeletal trauma. It also calms the fetus for threatened miscarriage and stops uterine bleeding — roles that reflect its Liver-Kidney tonifying and Blood-consolidating properties.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Dipsacus asperoides, Chinese teasel or Xu Duan, is a robust perennial herb in the Caprifoliaceae (formerly Dipsacaceae) family, native to central and southwestern China where it grows on grassy slopes and forest margins between 800-3000 m elevation. The plant reaches 1-2 m in height with sparsely prickly, ridged stems. Basal leaves are large and pinnately lobed; stem leaves are opposite, lanceolate to oblong, with toothed margins and prickly midribs. Dense globose flower heads 2-3 cm across, ringed with stiff involucral bracts, bear small white to pale purple tubular florets. The thick, fleshy taproots are harvested in autumn.
Active Constituents
Asperosaponin VI (akebia saponin D)
Triterpenoid saponin (hederagenin glycoside)The main active marker of the root and the compound its bone-protective reputation rests on. It promotes bone formation, is neuroprotective and cardioprotective in rodent models, suppresses chondrocyte ferroptosis in osteoarthritis models, and reduces embryo resorption in a bromocriptine-induced spontaneous abortion model. Reported effects of processing on its content conflict: one review concludes that diaphoretic 'sweating' processing lowers the content and is therefore an unsuitable method for this drug, while a later review reports that wine-frying, salt-frying and sweating all raise its content and dissolution rate. Both cannot be right, and a practitioner should not assume that a processed batch is richer in it.
Loganin
Iridoid glycosideOne of the two principal iridoids of the root and part of the class that, with the triterpenoids, makes up the bulk of the more than one hundred compounds reported from this species. Loganin is a common quality-control co-marker for the drug.
Sweroside
Secoiridoid glycosideA secoiridoid of the root, used with loganin and asperosaponin VI in multi-component assays of Dipsaci Radix. Its individual pharmacology in this drug is thinly documented.
Dipsacus triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins beyond asperosaponin VI
Triterpenoid and triterpenoid saponinA substantial group of additional triterpenoids and saponins has been isolated from this species, several with cytotoxic and antibacterial activity in vitro. They are not covered by the single-marker assay of the drug, so an assay-compliant batch is not necessarily chemically equivalent to the material used in a given study.
Phenolic acids and alkaloids
Phenolic acid; alkaloidBoth classes are reported among the more than one hundred metabolites characterised from this root, alongside the dominant triterpenoid saponins and iridoids. Neither class is well individually characterised in this species and neither is used for quality control.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Phlomoides umbrosa (Phlomidis Radix), sold as or mixed into Radix Dipsaci
Dipsaci Radix and Phlomidis Radix share the common name Sok-Dan in Korea and have similar dried-root appearance, and the dried root of Phlomoides umbrosa is a documented economically motivated adulterant of the more expensive authentic drug, used for the same clinical purpose. The plants are not related: Phlomoides is Lamiaceae and is distinguished in flower by verticillaster inflorescences and two-lipped corollas, while Dipsacus has globose heads. ITS2 and matK barcoding separates them cleanly and SCAR markers have been developed for the purpose. In a comparative assay both extracts inhibited osteoclast formation dose-dependently and neither was cytotoxic, so the substitution is not necessarily acutely harmful, but it is not the drug that was prescribed and its saponin marker is absent.
Clinical note: Source Radix Dipsaci from suppliers who can name the binomial and, ideally, provide an asperosaponin VI assay. Whole-root material with two-lipped-flowered plant parts or an absent saponin assay should be rejected.
Dipsacus japonicus Miq. root, as a contaminant of Radix Dipsaci
Dipsacus japonicus root frequently contaminates Dipsaci Radix in herbal markets because the dried roots are hard to tell apart; the living plants can be separated by flower colour and leaf lobation, and ITS2 and matK sequences distinguish all three species with 77 and 102 parsimony-informative sites respectively. In the same osteoclastogenesis experiment that found Dipsacus asper and Phlomoides umbrosa extracts non-toxic at the tested concentrations, only the Dipsacus japonicus extract showed toxicity. This is a case where the adulterant, not the drug, carries the hazard.
Clinical note: This is the adulterant to worry about. Treat unexplained toxicity in a patient on Xu Duan as a possible identity problem in the batch, and prefer DNA-authenticated or assay-documented material for prolonged courses.
Aflatoxin B1, aflatoxins G1 and G2, ochratoxin A, zearalenone and T-2 toxin as batch contaminants
Radix Dipsaci is markedly prone to mycotoxin contamination. In a survey of 63 sample batches, 28 (44.4%) contained mycotoxins, with aflatoxin B1 from 0.52 to 32.13 micrograms/kg, aflatoxin G1 from 5.14 to 20.05 micrograms/kg, aflatoxin G2 from 1.52 to 2.33 micrograms/kg and ochratoxin A from 1.81 to 19.43 micrograms/kg. The problem is created by the traditional processing: the 'sweating' step requires high temperature and humidity, and detection of mycotoxins in swept material was 36%, a 2.25-fold increase over unswept material, with T-2 toxin appearing only in the swept material. This is an interaction in the practical sense that it adds hepatic and renal insult on top of any hepatotoxic or nephrotoxic prescription drug the patient is on.
Clinical note: Buy Radix Dipsaci with mycotoxin testing, prefer non-sweated material where a supplier offers the choice, reject visibly mouldy or musty batches, and think twice about long courses in patients with existing liver or kidney impairment or on hepatotoxic drugs.
Progestogens and other drugs used to support a threatened pregnancy (e.g. dydrogesterone)
The two lines of evidence point in opposite directions and both matter for a drug traditionally used to calm the fetus. Asperosaponin VI reduced embryo resorption and placental injury in a bromocriptine-induced spontaneous abortion model, acting through the KEAP1/NRF2/GPX4 axis to inhibit trophoblast ferroptosis. Against that, a systematic review of this species warns that high-dose Dipsacus asper administration may adversely affect maternal health and embryo-fetal development. There is no human data on either side, and no study of the herb given with a progestogen.
Clinical note: Keep Xu Duan at conventional decoction doses in pregnancy and do not escalate it, and do not treat the isolated-saponin animal work as a licence to use concentrated extracts. Where a patient is already on progestogen support, the herb should be an adjunct at standard dose, documented in the record.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9–15 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】9～15g。 【性味与归经】苦、辛，微温。归肝、肾经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Dui Yao — Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations this herb appears in, each with an action neither herb has alone.
Liver and kidney are tonified and sinews and bones strengthened while the blood vessels are unblocked, securing the Chong and Ren.
Low back pain from kidney deficiency, uterine bleeding and threatened miscarriage.
Named pairing — Lü Jingshan, Shi Jinmo Dui Yao
Together they tonify the liver and kidneys, strengthen the lower back and calm the fetus.
Threatened miscarriage from kidney deficiency; Tu Si Zi is chief in the formula with these two as deputies.
Core pair of a classical formula — Shou Tai Wan, Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu (Zhang Xichun)
Kidney is tonified and the Chong and Ren secured, preventing miscarriage.
Core pair of a classical formula — Shou Tai Wan, Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu (Zhang Xichun)
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 5 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
5
1 verified · 4 unverified
Show 5 studies
- Integrative Study of Dipsaci Radix and Phlomidis Radix: Nomenclature, Morphology, DNA-Based Authentication, and Comparative Effects on Osteoclastogenesis
- Protective roles of Asperosaponin VI, a triterpene saponin isolated from Dipsacus asper Wall on acute myocardial infarction in rats
- Asperosaponin VI suppresses ferroptosis in chondrocytes and ameliorates osteoarthritis by modulating the Nrf2/GPX4/HO-1 signaling pathway
- Asperosaponin VI Ameliorates Spontaneous Abortion by Inhibiting Trophoblast Ferroptosis via the KEAP1/NRF2/GPX4 Axis
- Triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins from Dipsacus asper and their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities
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
Integrative Study of Dipsaci Radix and Phlomidis Radix: Nomenclature, Morphology, DNA-Based Authentication, and Comparative Effects on Osteoclastogenesis
Morphology, ITS2 and matK barcoding and mouse bone-marrow-derived macrophage assays were combined to separate Dipsacus asper, Dipsacus japonicus and Phlomoides umbrosa, three roots that are traded interchangeably. All three extracts inhibited TRAP-positive osteoclast formation dose-dependently, but only the Dipsacus japonicus extract was cytotoxic. The authors call adulteration a persistent problem in market Dipsaci Radix and propose correcting the scientific names used in the Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia.
Protective roles of Asperosaponin VI, a triterpene saponin isolated from Dipsacus asper Wall on acute myocardial infarction in rats
Asperosaponin VI isolated from this species was cardioprotective in a rat acute myocardial infarction model. This is one of the earlier reports that established the compound's activity outside bone and is the basis for describing it as cardioprotective rather than only osteogenic.
Asperosaponin VI suppresses ferroptosis in chondrocytes and ameliorates osteoarthritis by modulating the Nrf2/GPX4/HO-1 signaling pathway
In primary chondrocytes and in a modified Hulth rat knee osteoarthritis model assessed at eight weeks by micro-CT and histology, asperosaponin VI reduced chondrocyte apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation, preserved collagen II, lowered MMP13 and reduced serum TNF-alpha, IL-6 and PGE2. The mechanism was attributed to Nrf2/GPX4/HO-1-mediated suppression of ferroptosis. This addresses a gap the earlier literature review had flagged, that the osteoarthritis mechanism of this traditionally osteoarthritis-directed drug was barely studied.
Asperosaponin VI Ameliorates Spontaneous Abortion by Inhibiting Trophoblast Ferroptosis via the KEAP1/NRF2/GPX4 Axis
In a bromocriptine-induced spontaneous abortion model, asperosaponin VI significantly reduced the embryo resorption rate and improved placental injury, lowering malondialdehyde and ferrous iron accumulation, downregulating TFR-1 and ACSL4 and modulating SLC7A11 and the KEAP1/NRF2/GPX4 axis. In vitro it reversed erastin-induced trophoblast dysfunction. This is the strongest mechanistic support so far for the classical use of Xu Duan to calm the fetus, but it is an isolated-compound animal study and does not establish safety of the whole drug in pregnancy at high dose.
Triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins from Dipsacus asper and their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities
Phytochemical study of the root yielding triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins additional to asperosaponin VI, with cytotoxic and antibacterial activity assessed in vitro. It illustrates that the drug's saponin chemistry extends well beyond the single compound used to assay it.
Historical Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing
Han dynastyMing Yi Bie Lu
Southern dynasties, around 500 CEReferences
- Tao Y, Chen L, Yan J. Traditional uses, processing methods, phytochemistry, pharmacology and quality control of Dipsacus asper Wall. ex C.B. Clarke: A review . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2020) [DOI]
- Zou S, Hou Z, He H, Zou L, Lin H, Tang H, Li S, Xu J, Zhang J, Wang H. Research progress on chemical metabolites, processing technologies, and pharmacological activities of asperosaponin VI: a systematic review and critical evaluation . Frontiers in Pharmacology (2026) [DOI]
- Park I, Yang S, Kim WJ, Noh P, Lee HO, Moon BC. Authentication of Herbal Medicines Dipsacus asper and Phlomoides umbrosa Using DNA Barcodes, Chloroplast Genome, and Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) Marker . Molecules (2018) [DOI]
- Hu M, Wang L, Su D, Yuan Q, Xiao C, Guo L, Wang M, Kang C, Zhang J, Zhou T. Evaluation of mycotoxins, mycobiota and toxigenic fungi in the traditional medicine Radix Dipsaci . Frontiers in Microbiology (2024) [DOI]
- Ge Y, Wang L, Su D, Yuan Q, Xiao C, Hu M, Kang C, Guo L, Zhou T, Zhang J. The sweating process promotes toxigenic fungi expansion and increases the risk of combined contamination of mycotoxins in Radix Dipsaci . Frontiers in Microbiology (2024) [DOI]
- Tomita H, Mouri Y. An iridoid glucoside from Dipsacus asperoides . Phytochemistry (1996) [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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