| Gynostemma pentaphyllum | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Genus: | Gynostemma |
| Species: | G. pentaphyllum |
| Binomial name | |
| Gynostemma pentaphyllum | |
Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also calledjiaogulan (Chinese:绞股蓝;pinyin:jiǎogǔlán;lit. 'twisting blue plant'), is adioecious,herbaceous climbingvine of the familyCucurbitaceae (cucumber orgourd family) widely distributed in South and East Asia as well as New Guinea.
Jiaogulan is used to make a sweet tea and is applied inChinese traditional medicine.[1]
Among many common names are five-leaf ginseng, poor man's ginseng, miracle grass, fairy herb, sweet tea vine, gospel herb, and southern ginseng.[1]
Gynostemma pentaphyllum is known asjiaogulan (Chinese:绞股蓝) in China.[1]
Jiaogulan belongs to the genusGynostemma, in the familyCucurbitaceae, which includescucumbers,gourds, andmelons.[2][3] Its fruit is a small purple inedible gourd. It is a climbing vine, attaching itself to supports usingtendrils. The serrated leaflets commonly grow in groups of five (as inG. pentaphyllum) although some species can have groups of three or seven leaflets. The plant isdioecious, meaning each plant exists either as male or female. Therefore, if seeds are desired, both a male and female plant must be grown.
Jiaogulan grows avidly in the wild, is cultivated, and occurs naturalized in dry regions of the United States.[1]
The plant was first described in 1406 CE by Zhu Xiao, who presented a description and sketch in the bookMateria Medica for Famine as asurvival food rather than a herb.[4] The earliest record of jiaogulan's use comes from herbalistLi Shizhen's bookCompendium of Materia Medica published in 1578, identifying jiaogulan supposedly for treating various ailments. While Li Shizhen had confused jiaogulan with an analogous herb, wulianmei, in 1848 Wu Qi-Jun rectified this confusion inTextual Investigation of Herbal Plants.[citation needed]
Modern recognition of the plant outside of China originated from research insugar substitutes.[1] Continued research has described several saponins (gypenosides) comparable or identical to those found in ginseng.[1]Panax ginseng containsginsenosides, whilegypenoside saponins have been found in jiaogulan.[1]
Other constituents includesterols and triterpenols.[1]Gypenosides have beenextracted from its leaves.[1]
While there have beenin vitro studies on toxicity, there have been noclinical trials providinghigh-quality clinical evidence about its efficacy and safety; no information exists about humantoxicity.[1]
G. pentaphyllum is one of about 17 species in the genusGynostemma, including nine speciesendemic to China.[2] However,G. pentaphyllum has a wide distribution outside of China, ranging from India and Bangladesh to Southeast Asia to Japan and Korea as well as to New Guinea.[3] In China, it grows in forests, thickets, and roadsides on mountain slopes at elevations of 300–3,200 m (980–10,500 ft)above sea level.[3]
Jiaogulan is a vine hardy toUSDA zone 8 in which it may grow as a short livedperennial plant.[1] It can be grown as an annual in most temperate climates, in well-drained soil with full sun. It does not grow well in cold climates with temperatures below freezing.[1]
The plant is used in folk medicine, typically as aherbal tea, but may be used as analcohol extract or indietary supplements.[1] It has not seen widespread use in traditional Chinese medicine, being adopted only in the past 20 years,[1] and grows mainly inGuizhou province.[1]
In theEuropean Union, jiaogulan is considered anovel food following a 2012 court ruling that prohibited its sale as food.[5]
Some limited research has assessed the potential for jiaogulan to affect such disorders ascardiovascular diseases,hyperlipidemia, ortype 2 diabetes,[6] but these studies were too preliminary to allow any conclusion that it was beneficial.[1]
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