Name: Platycodon
Latin Name: Platycodon Grandiflorum
Pin Yin: Jie Geng
Location: China, eastern Siberia and Japan

Overview: Platycodon has single group of several active constituents, called platycodin (the individual components are labeled platycodin A, B, C, etc., to distinguish slight variations). Platycodin yields pharmacological activities in laboratory experiments that parallel many of the clinical functions of the whole herb. There are a number of other important Chinese herbs—including ginseng and bupleurum—that have active constituents very similar to those of platycodon. These constituents are classified as triterpene glycosides, a type of saponin. The platycodon root contains many saponins, which is believed can lower blood sugar level. The broad spectrum of valuable actions makes them worthy of further study.

Platycodon is an essential herb of the Chinese tradition. It is used in a very large number of Chinese prescriptions, illustrated by the fact that it is found in 6% of the formulas in the book Thousand Formulas and Thousand Herbs of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Platycodon has several indications that make it a favored ingredient, including treatment of abscesses, respiratory disorders, intestinal disorders, diabetes and injuries.

History: Platycodon root has been used frequently in the practice of Chinese medicine ever since this early description and was included in the early formula guides, mainly for treatment of abscesses. Later in Chinese medical history, platycodon became better known for its application to lung disorders and inflammatory conditions of the head and neck. In fact, platycodon might now be described as the principal herb in Chinese medicine for diseases of the lungs and throat, and an herb commonly used for diseases of the eyes, ears, and sinuses. In the modern Chinese Materia Medica guides, platycodon is always listed with the “phlegm-resolving” herbs. Traditional prescriptions for respiratory tract disorders usually include a combination of platycodon with two or more other herbs from this phlegm-resolving section of the Materia Medica.

Primary Uses:

• Circulates Lung Qi and expels Phlegm
• Used for both Wind Cold and Wind Heat when combined with other herbs
• Promotes draining of pus, especially from lungs or throat
• Relieves irritation of throat and loss of voice due to Yin Deficiency or Hot Phlegm
• Guides other herbs in a formula to the upper body

Parts Used: Root

Safety:

• Contraindicated in coughing up of blood, as in tuberculosis
• Contraindicated in case of peptic ulcers

Supporting Research:

• Platycodon grandiflorum, a traditional oriental herbal medicine, is known to have immunostimulatory and antitumor effects. PG, a polysaccharide isolated from P. grandiflorum, has been reported to activate macrophages and B cells.¹
• The effect of dietary Platycodon grandiflorum on the improvement of insulin resistance and lipid profile was investigated in lean (Fa/-) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, a model for noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Dietary Platycodon grandiflorum feeding for 4 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration of plasma triglyceride in both lean and obese Zucker rats. Furthermore, dietary Platycodon grandiflorum markedly decreased both plasma cholesterol and fasting plasma insulin levels, and significantly decreased the postprandial glucose level at 30 min during oral glucose tolerance test in obese Zucker rats. Although there was no statistical significance, the crude glucose transporter 4 protein level of obese rats fed Platycodon grandiflorum tended to increase when compared with that of obese control rats. Therefore, the present results suggested that dietary Platycodon grandiflorum may be useful in prevention and improvement of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperinsulinemia states such as noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus, syndrome X, and coronary artery disease.²
• Our results demonstrate that PG is a specific activator of B cells and macrophages but not of T cells, and suggest that PG is quite distinct from other well-known immunostimulants, such as lentinan and schizophyllan, which mainly act upon macrophages and T cells.³

¹Yoon YD, Han SB, Kang JS, Lee CW, Park SK, Lee HS, Kang JS, Kim HM., College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, 220 Gung-dong, Yusong-gu, Taejon 305-764, South Korea., [Toll-like receptor 4-dependent activation of macrophages by polysaccharide isolated from the radix of Platycodon grandiflorum.], Int Immunopharmacol. 2003 Dec;3(13-14):1873-82.

²Kim K, Seo E, Lee Y, Lee T, Cho Y, Ezaki O, Kim C., Division of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Dong-A University, Pusan, South Korea, [Effect of dietary Platycodon grandiflorum on the improvement of insulin resistance in obese Zucker rats.], 0955-2863. 2000 Sep 1;11(9):420-424.

³Han SB, Park SH, Lee KH, Lee CW, Lee SH, Kim HC, Kim YS, Lee HS, Kim HM., Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yusong, Taejon, South Korea., [Polysaccharide isolated from the radix of Platycodon grandiflorum selectively activates B cells and macrophages but not T cells.], Int Immunopharmacol. 2001 Oct;1(11):1969-78.