Long Dan Xie Gan Tang was first recorded in the Analytic Collection of Medical Formulas (yi fang ji jie) by Wang Ang, 1682. It has a broad range of applications that include many different types of infectious and inflammatory disorders, affecting various bodily systems, including the nervous, digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, ear, nose and throat, urogenital and the skin.
The following herbs have significant antibacterial actions: Gentiana root (long dan cao), Gardenia fruit (shan zhi zi), Clematis stem (mu tong), Angelica root (dang gui), Glycyrrhiza root (gan cao), Bupleurum root (chai hu) and Scutellaria root (huang qin). The latter two are also antiviral.
In addition, Gentiana root (long dan cao) has anti-inflammatory, diuretic and hepatoprotective actions; Scutellaria root (huang qin) has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and diuretic actions; Gardenia fruit (shan zhi zi) has hypotensive, hemostatic, hepatoprotective, cholagogue, antipyretic, mild sedative and mild laxative actions; Bupleurum root (chai hu) has sedative, analgesic, immune stimulant, anticholesterolemic and antilipemic actions.
- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to expel damp-heat from the gallbladder
- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to disperse fire in Liver-gallbladder excess Heat pattern
- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to expel damp-heat from the liver
- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to relieve inflammation of Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder pattern
- Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to relieve inflammation of Liver Fire pattern
