Bergenin

Chinese
岩白菜素
Pinyin
Yan Bai Cai Su
Latin
Bergeninum
Scientific specimen plate of Bergenin, Bergeninum, showing crystal mass, powder, tablet form, Bergenia source leaf and rhizome context, and diagnostic material details.
Botanical plate by Kodi . View print →

Known in TCM as Yan Bai Cai Su (岩白菜素), this bitter and sweet, cool herb enters the Lung, Liver, and Spleen. Traditionally, it relieves cough and facilitates phlegm resolution - modern Chinese use centers on chronic bronchitis, persistent cough, and phlegm-laden respiratory irritation, especially in tablet form, most often applied for bronchitis, productive cough, and gastric ulcer. Modern research has identified Bergenin among its active constituents.

Also Known As

Bergeninum

Latin: Bergeninum | Pinyin: Yan Bai Cai Su | Chinese: 岩白菜素

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter, sweet
Temperature
cool
Channels
Lung, Liver, Spleen

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Relieves cough and facilitates phlegm resolution - modern Chinese use centers on chronic bronchitis, persistent cough, and phlegm-laden respiratory irritation, especially in tablet form.
  • Moderates inflammatory irritation in the Lung - the compound-level record reflects the long use of bergenin-containing source herbs for chronic inflamed airway states rather than acute exterior pathogens.
  • Bridges source-herb tradition and standardized manufacture - Yan Bai Cai Su is valued because it converts the cough-relieving activity of the Yan Bai Cai lineage into a measured single-ingredient or compound pharmaceutical.
  • Has broader anti-inflammatory extension beyond the Lung - modern work has expanded interest into intestinal, hepatic, and airway inflammatory models, although these are not classical stand-alone indications for the isolated compound.

Secondary Actions

  • This record represents an isolated constituent rather than a classical raw herb; its TCM profile is therefore inferred transparently from the Yan Bai Cai and Bergenia-derived medicinal lineage instead of being treated as an ancient independent materia medica entry.
  • In modern practice, bergenin is far more likely to appear in tablets and standardized respiratory products than in traditional decoction prescriptions.

Classic Formulas

  • Yan Bai Cai Su Pian (岩白菜素片) - standardized bergenin tablet used in modern Chinese respiratory practice for cough and chronic bronchitic irritation.
  • Fu Fang Yan Bai Cai Su Pian (复方岩白菜素片) - compound bergenin tablet widely used for chronic bronchitis, reflecting the modern pharmaceutical rather than ancient decoction use of this record.

Classical References

  • IMPORT NOTE: The source spreadsheet imported the isolated compound Yan Bai Cai Su rather than the parent herb Yan Bai Cai. This file is therefore handled like a modern compound-level respiratory record, not a classical single-herb entry.
  • Chinese herb sources for Yan Bai Cai describe the parent medicinal as sweet and astringent, cool, and entering the Liver, Lung, and Spleen, with cough-relieving and hemostatic actions; bergenin is one of its major active constituents.
  • Modern Chinese product literature treats bergenin as a principal active ingredient in antitussive and chronic-bronchitis preparations, which explains why this import record appears as a stand-alone substance.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Bergenin (C-glycoside of 4-O-methyl gallic acid) - the principal bioactive compound represented by this record and a key standardized antitussive ingredient in China
  • Norbergenin (bergenin analogue) - a demethylated related phenolic reported alongside bergenin in source-plant chemistry work
  • Galloylated bergenin derivatives (phenolic derivatives) - related analogues used to map structure-activity relationships around the bergenin scaffold
  • Arbutin (co-occurring glycoside in source herbs) - part of the broader chemical background of Bergenia-derived medicinal materials
  • Catechin and gallic acid (co-occurring phenolics) - supporting compounds commonly discussed in source-herb chemistry alongside bergenin

Studied Effects

  • Respiratory inflammation control - bergenin reduced pulmonary edema, inflammatory-cell infiltration, cytokine release, and NF-kappaB pathway signaling in an acute lung injury model, supporting its respiratory-medicine reputation (PMID 28192201)
  • Asthma-related airway remodeling benefit - bergenin improved airway inflammation and remodeling by activating SIRT1 in macrophages and limiting NF-kappaB-driven cytokine production (PMID 36313381)
  • Systemic anti-inflammatory effect - bergenin ameliorated experimental colitis through PPARgamma and SIRT1-linked suppression of NF-kappaB-mediated macrophage activation (PMID 29375382)
  • Interaction-relevant pharmacology - in vitro work showed inhibition of CYP3A4, CYP2E1, and CYP2C9, suggesting that even a seemingly simple isolated compound may carry meaningful co-medication considerations (PMID 31070542)

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Patternless long-term self-treatment of chronic cough without clinical evaluation
  • Use in patients taking narrow-therapeutic-index drugs without medication review

Cautions

  • Because this is an isolated compound record rather than a food-grade crude herb, dose form and product standardization matter substantially
  • In vitro data suggest bergenin can inhibit CYP3A4, CYP2E1, and CYP2C9, so coadministration with heavily metabolized medications warrants caution even though no MSK monograph was found
  • MSK page not found - drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bergenin used for?

Bergenin is traditionally used to Relieves cough and facilitates phlegm resolution - modern Chinese use centers on chronic bronchitis, persistent cough, and phlegm-laden respiratory irritation, especially in tablet form., Moderates inflammatory irritation in the Lung - the compound-level record reflects the long use of bergenin-containing source herbs for chronic inflamed airway states rather than acute exterior pathogens., Bridges source-herb tradition and standardized manufacture - Yan Bai Cai Su is valued because it converts the cough-relieving activity of the Yan Bai Cai lineage into a measured single-ingredient or compound pharmaceutical., Has broader anti-inflammatory extension beyond the Lung - modern work has expanded interest into intestinal, hepatic, and airway inflammatory models, although these are not classical stand-alone indications for the isolated compound.. Research has investigated its effects on: Respiratory inflammation control - bergenin reduced pulmonary edema, inflammatory-cell infiltration, cytokine release, and NF-kappaB pathway signaling in an acute lung injury model, supporting its respiratory-medicine reputation (PMID 28192201); Asthma-related airway remodeling benefit - bergenin improved airway inflammation and remodeling by activating SIRT1 in macrophages and limiting NF-kappaB-driven cytokine production (PMID 36313381).

What are other names for Bergenin?

Bergenin is also known as Bergeninum. In TCM: 岩白菜素 (Yan Bai Cai Su); Bergeninum.

Is Bergenin safe during pregnancy?

The safety of Bergenin during pregnancy has not been established. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before use.

What are the contraindications for Bergenin?

Bergenin should not be used in: Patternless long-term self-treatment of chronic cough without clinical evaluation; Use in patients taking narrow-therapeutic-index drugs without medication review. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.