TCM Properties
- Taste
- acrid, bitter
- Temperature
- neutral
- Channels
- Liver, Kidney, Spleen
Traditional Use
Primary Actions
- Dispels wind-dampness and relieves bi-pain — used for rheumatic joint pain, swelling, contracture, and Wind-Damp Bi-syndrome in muscles and joints
- Invigorates blood circulation and removes stasis — used for traumatic injury, pain, spasm, and stiffness from blood stasis obstructing collaterals
Secondary Actions
- Clears heat and resolves dampness — used for enteritis, bacillary dysentery, and diarrhea from damp-heat in the Lower Jiao
- Stops bleeding — used for hemorrhage from traumatic injury
Modern Research
Active Compounds
- Geraniin — primary ellagitannin; broad pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory (TNF-α inhibition), antiviral, antitumor, antioxidant, and organ-protective
- Ellagic acid — phenolic acid metabolite of geraniin hydrolysis; antitumor and antioxidant
- Corilagin — ellagitannin with anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity
- Catechin — flavan-3-ol; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
- Gallic acid and methyl gallate — simple phenolics with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties
- Chebulinic acid and chebulagic acid — gallotannins with antimicrobial activity
Studied Effects
- Anti-rheumatoid activity — Geranium wilfordii extract significantly inhibits carrageenan-induced paw edema (73–85% inhibition) and xylene-induced ear edema (33.3% reduction); TNF-α binding and inhibition validated by Herbochip screening, with in vitro inhibition of 8.75–93.32% and negligible cytotoxicity (PMID 25963543)
PubMed References
Safety & Interactions
Contraindications
- Spleen-Stomach deficiency-cold without wind-damp — acrid-bitter neutral herb; avoid in constitutional cold patterns without exterior wind-damp pathogen
Cautions
- MSK page not found — drug interaction data not available from Memorial Sloan Kettering integrative medicine database