Chrysanthemum Flower

Chinese
菊花
Pinyin
Ju Hua
Latin
Flos Chrysanthemi Morifolii

TCM Properties

Taste
sweet, bitter
Temperature
cool
Channels
Liver, Lung

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Disperses wind-heat; relieves exterior patterns with fever, headache, and sore throat
  • Clears Liver heat and brightens the eyes; treats redness, pain, dryness, and blurred vision
  • Calms Liver Yang rising; treats headache and dizziness from Liver Yang excess

Secondary Actions

  • Clears heat and resolves toxicity for sores and carbuncles
  • Extinguishes Liver Wind when combined with other wind-calming herbs

Classic Formulas

  • Sang Ju Yin (桑菊饮) — Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Decoction; for early-stage wind-heat with cough
  • Ling Jiao Gou Teng Tang (羚角钩藤汤) — Antelope Horn and Uncaria Decoction; for Liver Wind and high fever
  • Qi Ju Di Huang Wan (杞菊地黄丸) — Lycium, Chrysanthemum and Rehmannia Pill; for Liver and Kidney yin deficiency with visual disturbance

Classical References

  • Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica) — earliest recorded use; classified as superior grade
  • Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica, Li Shizhen, 1578) — detailed actions for eye conditions and wind patterns
  • Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases, Wu Jutong, 1798) — foundational reference for Sang Ju Yin formula

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Luteolin
  • Luteolin-7-O-glucoside (luteoloside)
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • Isochlorogenic acid A and C
  • Apigenin-7-O-glucoside
  • Acacetin
  • Quercetin

Studied Effects

  • Hypolipidemic — reduces total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C; increases HDL-C (PMID 34439559)
  • Antioxidant — significant free-radical scavenging activity via flavonoid and phenolic acid content
  • Anti-inflammatory — luteolin inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines
  • Hepatoprotective — improves liver enzyme markers (AST, ALT, ALP) in hyperlipidemia models
  • Antibacterial — polyphenols exhibit activity against common pathogens (PMID 33746281)
  • Antihypertensive — vasodilatory effects observed in preclinical models

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Ragweed or Asteraceae family allergy — cross-reactivity risk
  • Patients on immunosuppressive drugs — documented case of toxic drug levels in kidney transplant recipient consuming chrysanthemum tea (MSK)

Cautions

  • Use with caution in qi deficiency, chronic diarrhea, or poor appetite — cool nature may aggravate cold patterns
  • May cause contact dermatitis or photosensitivity with topical or prolonged exposure
  • Large doses may cause dizziness in sensitive individuals

Drug Interactions

  • CYP3A4 substrates (immunosuppressants, certain statins, calcium channel blockers) — Chrysanthemum extracts can both induce and inhibit CYP3A4 activity, potentially altering drug blood levels (Moderate) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Integrative Medicine — Chrysanthemum
  • P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrates — Chrysanthemum inhibits P-gp efflux transporter, increasing intracellular concentrations of substrate drugs (Moderate) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering Integrative Medicine — Chrysanthemum

Conditions