Herb Profile

Chuanxiong

Ligusticum chuanxiong

Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong) carries a Grade C rating — limited evidence.

Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·C Limited

Use extra caution — Potential bleeding and blood pressure effects. Details

Evidence
Limited Evidence
Typical onset
Varies by prep
Safety rating
Moderate caution
Best for
Anti Inflammatory, Stress resilience, Inflammatory signaling
Avoid / review if
Pregnancy, Bleeding Disorders, Planned Surgery
Chuanxiong monograph visual
Generated profile category visual

At a glance

From this profile's structured data
Evidence
Grade C
Safety
Potential bleeding and blood-pressure effects.
Profile context
anti-inflammatory
Next steps

Continue reading

Safety

Safety & Cautions

Potential bleeding and blood pressure effects. Use caution with cardiovascular disease or anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy.

Elevated caution

Caution level: Elevated. One caution category applies — read it before use.

  • Anticoagulant CautionBleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Bleeding Disorders
  • Planned Surgery
  • And Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Use Unless Supervised.
  • Potential Additive Effects With Anticoagulants
  • Antiplatelets
  • Antihypertensives
  • Nitrates
  • And Migraine/Circulation Formulas.

Safety classifications

  • Anticoagulant Caution: Bleeding or anticoagulant-adjacent caution language is present.

Full safety note

  • Potential bleeding and blood pressure effects. Use caution with cardiovascular disease or anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy.

Safety labels

  • Anticoagulant Caution

Evidence-based safety

Caution when combined

Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.

High-Priority Caution

147 flagged pairings

Bleeding / anticoagulant risk

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.

+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Moderate Caution

81 flagged pairings

Blood-pressure effects

Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.

Blood-pressure effectsCertainty: Theoretical

Data provenance recorded for 81 of 81 pairings in this mechanism group.

+69 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.

Evidence

Evidence Summary

Evidence lens

Read as directional context, not settled clinical proof.

LimitedLimited Evidence

Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal

Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Inflammatory Signaling Modulation · Vascular Function Support · Stress Response Modulation

Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic research — Mechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.

Safety boundary: Safety note available — Potential bleeding and blood pressure effects.

This profile cites 3 human studies.

Study design details
Evidence Grade

Grade C: Limited Evidence

Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.

Design Match
Narrative review
Risk of Bias
High
Consistency
Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 3 recorded studies, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work

Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.

Strong
Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
Moderate
Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
Preliminary / Mixed
Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
Traditional / Theoretical
Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable

What the evidence actually shows

This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.

StudyDesignNDoseDurationPopulationOutcomeResult & magnitudeSource

Ligusticum chuanxiong: a chemical, pharmacological and clinical review

Wang Y et al. · Front Pharmacol · 2025

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

——————PubMed →

Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology

Kong Q et al. · J Pharm Pharmacol · 2024

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

——————PubMed →

Tetramethylpyrazine: A review on its mechanisms and functions

Lin J et al. · Biomed Pharmacother · 2022

Background
Narrative review

Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review.

——————PubMed →

Dosing & Timing

No standardized dose
Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Most clinical evidence is formula based and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Chuanxiong works

Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.

Mechanism Pathway — How Chuanxiong Works

How Chuanxiong WorksChuanxiong acts on biological target pathways via anti inflammatory, leading to anti inflammatory.ChuanxiongBiological TargetBiological pathwayAnti InflammatoryAnti InflammatoryObservable outcomeVascular FunctionSupport
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
  • Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
  • Vascular Function Support
  • Stress Response Modulation

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Safety first · Harm reduction

This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.

Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.

Editorial Review

Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.

Editorial Standards →

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