Active constituents
Bupleurum contains constituents known as saikosaponins that appear to account for much of
the medicinal activity of the plant. Test tube studies have shown that the sho-saiko-to
combination can increase production of various chemicals (known as cytokines) that immune
cells use to signal one another.3 Test tube studies have also found that
saikosaponins can inhibit growth of liver cancer cells,4 and are
anti-inflammatory.5 6
Human trials, only one double-blind, have shown that the bupleurum-containing formula
sho-saiko-to may help reduce symptoms and blood liver enzyme levels in children and adults
with chronic active viral
hepatitis.7 8 9 10 Most of these studies were
in people with hepatitis B infection, though one preliminary human trial has also shown a
benefit in people with hepatitis C.11 Sho-saiko-to was also found, in a large,
preliminary (but not double-blind), study to decrease the risk of people with chronic viral
hepatitis developing liver cancer.12
Sho-saiko-to has also been used to reduce symptoms of and possibly decrease the severity of
liver cirrhosis, though clinical studies on
this condition are generally lacking. One randomized trial (it was unclear if this trial was
double-blind) found that sho-saiko-to could reduce the rate of liver cancer in people with
liver cirrhosis.13
Several uncontrolled trials in Japan have shown that sho-saiko-to or very similar
traditional Japanese and Chinese herbal formulas (all containing bupleurum) can reduce seizure
frequency and/or severity in people with
epilepsy that does not respond to anti-seizure medications.14 15
16 17 However, double-blind trials are still needed to determine the
importance of these findings.
Sho-saiko-to has been found to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the test tube.18 Yet, it is unclear
to what degree bupleurum or saikosaponins contributed to this effect. Sho-saiko-to also
increased the efficacy of the standard anti-HIV drug lamivudine in the test tube.19 Human data
are lacking on the benefit of sho-saiko-to or bupleurum in people with HIV infection or
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
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Med 1988;54:405–8.
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baicalein on human hepatoma cell lines. Cancer Lett 1994;86:91–5.
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saikosaponins isolated from Bupleurum falcatum L. I. Anti-inflammatory action of
saikosaponins. Arzneim Forsch 1975;25:1021–3.
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141–6.
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chemoprevention of hepatocellular carcinoma with sho-saiko-to (TJ-9). Cancer
1995;76:743–9.
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evaluate Shosaiko-to in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis of the
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free radicals in seizure mechanism. Jpn J Psych 1986;40:349–52.
18. Buimovici-Klein E, Mohan V, Lange M, et al. Inhibition of HIV
replication in lymphocyte cultures of virus-positive subjects in the presence of sho-saiko-to,
an oriental plant extract. Antiviral Res 1990;14:279–86.
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medicine, enhances the anti-HIV-1 activity of lamivudine (3TC) in vitro. Microbiol
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