Jiaogulan / Gynostemma pentaphyllum / 绞股蓝

[Ufostrahlen]

An interesting plant with lots of researched healing properties. Its saponins are identical to those in Ginseng, but without waiting 4 years for your Ginseng roots to mature:

In traditional Chinese medicine, Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino is a herbal drug of extreme versatility and has been extensively researched in China. The dammarane saponins isolated from Gynostemma pentaphyllum, namely gypenosides or gynosaponins, are believed to be the active components responsible for its various biological activities and reported clinical effects.

This review attempts to encompass the available literature on Gynostemma pentaphyllum, from its cultivation to the isolation of its chemical entities and a summary of its diverse pharmacological properties attributed to its gypenoside content. Other aspects such as toxicology and pharmacokinetics are also discussed. In vitro and in vivo evidence suggests that Gynostemma pentaphyllum may complement the popular herbal medicine, Panax ginseng, as it also contains a high ginsenoside content and exhibits similar biological activities.

[..]

Therefore, G. pentaphyllum has since been included in the most recent dictionary of Chinese Materia Medica, where the plant is prescribed in TCM for heat clearing, detoxification, antitussive, heart palpitation, fatigue syndrome, chronic bronchitis and expectorant for relieving cough (Wu, 1998; Blumert and Liu, 1999). In Japan, it is indicated as a diuretic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and tonic (Lin et al., 1993; Chen et al., 1996; Tanner et al., 1999).

Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski, Tom Hsun-Wei Huang, Van Hoan Tran, George Qian Li, Colin C. Duke, Basil D. Roufogalis: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Gynostemma pentaphyllum. In: Phytochemistry Reviews. 4, No. 2-3, July 2005, p. 197–219, doi:10.1007/s11101-005-3754-4.

It has no side-effects and isn't toxic.

Natthakarn Chiranthanut, Supanimit Teekachunhatean, Ampai Panthong, Parirat Khonsung, Duangta Kanjanapothi, Nirush Lertprasertsuk: Toxicity evaluation of standardized extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino. In: Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 149, 2013, p. 228–234, doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.027.

How to grow the plant according to Razmovski-Naumovski et. al.:

The methods and optimal conditions for growing G. pentaphyllum are outlined in China Pharmaceutical University (1996), Wang et al. (1996) and Guo and Wang (1993). A soil (pH in the range 5.5–8.0, with an optimal pH of 6.5–7.0) more than 30 cm deep, rich in humus, nitrogen, phosphorus and moisture, is ideal for growing G. pentaphyllum. The optimal soil is well aerated and retains water, such as a fertile sandy loam.

G. pentaphyllum prefers to grow in a warm and humid environment. The viable air temperature is -15–41.5 C. The optimal air temperature is 15–30 C. The light factor is important for growing G. pentaphyllum (Huang et al., 2004). The plant prefers shady areas, with a viable relative illumination of 40–80% and optimal relative illumination of 65–75%. Under these conditions, the output is the highest, the blossoming and bearing of fruit is increased and the total saponin content is the highest (Guo and Wang, 1993; Wang et al., 1996).

Wind damage is common for this vine plant and can be reduced by introducing wooden sticks so that the plant can intertwine itself. An ideal chemical fertiliser is a nitrogen–phosphate–potassium compound (2–3 times) during the active growth period. Pests such as ants and snails can be controlled by various commercially available products. G. pentaphyllum may be collected when the vine reaches 2–3 m in length.

If you want to buy some cuttings, I recommend searching eBay for the seller "plantservice". Prices are fair, the plant quality is good and according to his ratings, he sold plants to the UK, France and Italy with success. So I guess that every country within the neighborhood of Germany can be served.

Weirdly, I haven't found a good supplier on eBay for the US - maybe your business opportunity to sell Jiaogulan cuttings for the US market? Not everybody wants to rely on dubious tea producers, that's why I want to grow the plant myself.

Btw growing from seeds is discouraged, as plants from seeds allegedly possess weaker healing properties. Not sure if this is true, this definitely needs an investigation.

Find a picture of one of my baby plants attached and have a happy growing season!

 

[Ufostrahlen]

This plant really loves temperatures over +20°C.

 

[Auxin]

Good to hear they like warm weather. What about cold? I've read its only hardy to USDA zone 8?
That and the ambiguity of the varieties being sold is all thats stopped me from growing it, I like the 'sweet' kind with curry or chili.

It should be made clear that it does comes in 'sweet' and bitter varieties.
Not only does that greatly effect peoples tendency to routinely drink it, but it likely effects pharmacological effects in as yet unknown ways because the sweet and bitter varieties have different saponin profiles with virtually no overlap in constituent saponins (the sweet type is a newer genetic group and is the one chemically similar to ginseng, the bitter variety is the traditional longevity tea)

A paper was published on the subject of flavor as an indicator of saponin profile:

 

[Ufostrahlen]

Thanks Auxin, interesting paper. I like this statement, as my plants are the sweet type:

A recent report also cited that the total gypenoside content
in sweet Gp was about 34% more than in the bitter one (Zheng,
2004). These results suggest that sweet tasting Gp plants have a
more complex and rich gypenoside profile.

What about cold? I've read its only hardy to USDA zone 8?

Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski et al: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Gynostemma pentaphyllum:

The viable air temperature is -15–41.5°C . The optimal air temperature is 15–30°C .

What I observed in the 4 months that I'm growing this plant, is that temperatures below 15°C weren't very beneficial to the growth. Stupid slugs ate nearly all of the leaves and mostly stems remained. Then I put the pot on the bench and the temperatures went beyond +20°C with night temperature at +10°C and the plant exploded. My zone can be compared to USDA 7, before end of May nothing really happened.

I probably won't leave them outdoors below 0°C temperatures and take them indoors.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Do you recommend brewing a tea from bitter leaves? Although the adaptogenic effects are not toxic, anything related to cucurbitaceae is already toxic in nature.. especially to herbivores. Cucurbitacin compounds are bitter and toxic to mammals. Jiaogulan compounds are not toxic however. These compounds can act as purgatives and contain cytotoxic cancer killing processes.

The toxicity of one cucurbitacin is enhanced by the introduction of a double bond at carbon C23, of an acetyl group at C25, or a double bond at carbons C1-C2.

Interesting papers:

Cucurbitacin B induces DNA damage, G2/M phase arrest, and apoptosis mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in leukemia K562 cells - PubMed

Anticancer and immunoregulatory activity of Gynostemma pentaphyllum polysaccharides in H22 tumor-bearing mice - PubMed

 

[Ufostrahlen]

Do you recommend brewing a tea from bitter leaves?

I think the question goes to Auxin, as I wasn't aware that sweet and bitter types exist until yesterday.

Edit: Wikipedia sez:

The Cucurbitaceae (cucumber) family of plants typically contain Cucurbitacin compounds, which are responsible for the bitter taste in some edible plants of this family but are highly toxic to mammals.[5] Jiaogulan, however, does not show toxicity.[6][7]

Attawish A, Chivapat S, Phadungpat S, Bansiddhi J, Techadamrongsin Y, Mitrijit O, Chaorai B, Chavalittumrong P (September 2004). "Chronic toxicity of Gynostemma pentaphyllum". Fitoterapia 75 (6): 539–51. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2004.04.010.

Choi HS, Park MS, Kim SH, Hwang BY, Lee CK, Lee MK (2010). "Neuroprotective effects of herbal ethanol extracts from Gynostemma pentaphyllum in the 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease" (PDF). Molecules 15 (4): 2814–24. doi:10.3390/molecules15042814.

Natthakarn Chiranthanut, Supanimit Teekachunhatean, Ampai Panthong, Parirat Khonsung, Duangta Kanjanapothi, Nirush Lertprasertsuk: Toxicity evaluation of standardized extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino. In: Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 149, 2013, p. 228–234, doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.027.

 

[Auxin]

Not all of of Cucurbitaceae is toxic. Theres the obvious cucumbers and squashes, but also most summer and winter squash leaves are just fine to eat- I eat lots of them (cook them, unless you like the sensation of french kissing a cat).
And not all bitter Cucurbitaceae are toxic, bitter gourd for instance is a well known medicinal food item.

I'm the opposite of Ufostrahlen, I found the bitter kind first and didnt know about the sweet kind until reading up on it. The bitter type didnt do me (caucasian male) any harm and is widely consumed in china and east asia as food and medicine.
Unless you have an allergic reaction or something it wont kill you.
Some foods are mildly toxic to small subsets of people, like I'm part of the 1% that cant eat chocolate, so if it doesnt agree with you just stop drinking it

Edit to say- at my local asian stores the bitter kind is in an elongated gold and green colored box that says 'Jiaogulan' while the sweet kind is in a normal shaped light green box that says 'Gynostemma pentaphyllum'.