Jie Geng: Clearing Phlegm and Soothing the Throat in Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Health Lab
- Jun 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 14
Jie Geng, also known as Balloon Flower or Platycodon Root, is the dried root of the Platycodon grandiflorus plant from the Campanulaceae family. Valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its ability to clear lung phlegm, soothe the throat, and guide other herbs to the upper body, Jie Geng is a unique and versatile herb.
Its use was first recorded in the Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica) as a middle-grade herb, noted for treating “chest and rib pain like a stabbing knife, abdominal bloating, intestinal gurgling, and fear-induced dizziness.”
Over time, TCM scholars like Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty’s Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) provided detailed descriptions of Jie Geng’s properties, emphasizing its ability to “lift chest and lung qi and clear throat obstructions.” Later texts, such as Bencao Beiyao and Bencao Zhengyi, further refined its applications, expanding its clinical use.
Properties of Jie Geng
Nature and Meridian Affinity
Taste: Bitter, pungent
Nature: Neutral
Meridian: Lung
Key Components
Jie Geng contains platycodin (saponins) and other bioactive compounds, contributing to its pharmacological effects.
Main Functions
Clears lung phlegm.
Soothes the throat and restores voice.
Guides herbs to the upper body (acts as a carrier herb).
Offers cough suppression, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects.
Clinical Applications
Jie Geng is widely used in TCM for:
Clearing Lung Phlegm: Promotes lung qi and clears phlegm, treating cough with thick, sticky phlegm that’s hard to expectorate.
Soothing the Throat and Restoring Voice: Relieves sore throat and hoarseness caused by heat or inflammation.
Guiding Herbs Upward: Directs other herbs to the upper body, enhancing their effectiveness for chest and throat conditions.
Relieving Chest Tightness: Opens lung qi to ease chest discomfort and promote smooth breathing.
Improving Hoarseness: Effectively treats throat swelling and voice loss, commonly used for throat-related disorders.
Jie Geng in Classic TCM Formulas
Jie Geng is often combined with other herbs in TCM formulas to enhance its effects:
Zhi Sou San (Stop Cough Powder): Contains Jie Geng, Schizonepeta (Jing Jie), Aster (Zi Wan), Stemona (Bai Bu), Cynanchum (Bai Qian), Licorice (Gan Cao), and Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi). It clears lung phlegm and stops cough, treating cough with abundant phlegm from external pathogens.
Jie Geng Tang (Platycodon Decoction): Combines Jie Geng and Licorice to clear heat and soothe throat swelling, used for sore throat.
Pai Nong San (Discharge Pus Powder): Includes Jie Geng, White Peony (Bai Shao), and Bitter Orange (Zhi Qiao) to promote pus discharge and relieve pain, treating lung or intestinal abscesses.
Comparison with Similar Herbs
Jie Geng shares functions with other TCM herbs but has distinct traits:
Licorice (Gan Cao): Clears heat and moistens the lung but excels at harmonizing formulas, unlike Jie Geng’s focus on lung qi and throat relief.
Qian Hu (Peucedanum Root): Stronger at descending qi and clearing phlegm, suited for phlegm with qi rebellion, differing from Jie Geng’s lung-opening action.
Bitter Apricot Seed (Ku Xing Ren): Focuses on descending qi and relieving cough but also lubricates the intestines, unlike Jie Geng’s throat-soothing emphasis.
Modern Applications and Research
Modern studies validate Jie Geng’s traditional uses:
Cough Suppression: Platycodin stimulates throat mucus secretion, thinning phlegm for easier expectoration.
Expectorant: Enhances respiratory cilia movement, aiding phlegm clearance.
Anti-inflammatory: Reduces inflammation by suppressing mediators.
Anti-allergic: Mitigates allergic reactions, relieving related symptoms.
Clinically, Jie Geng is used for chronic bronchitis, asthma, and thyroid disorders, with potential benefits in immune and endocrine conditions.
Precautions for Use
Dosage: Typically 3–9 grams, adjusted based on condition and practitioner guidance.
Contraindications: Use cautiously in chronic cough from yin deficiency.
Incompatibilities: Avoid combining with Aconite (Wu Tou).
Administration: Can be decocted for oral use or ground for external application.
Preparation: Raw Jie Geng is stronger for lung-clearing and throat-soothing; honey-fried Jie Geng enhances lung-moistening and cough relief.
Conclusion
Jie Geng is a vital TCM herb, prized for clearing phlegm, soothing the throat, and guiding herbs to the upper body. Its long history, from Shennong Bencao Jing to modern applications, underscores its versatility in treating respiratory and throat conditions. Proper use under professional guidance ensures safety and efficacy, with ongoing research highlighting its potential in modern medicine.
Chinese Name | 桔梗 |
Chinese Pinyin | Jiegeng |
English Name | Balloonflower Root |
Latin Pharmaceutical Name | Platycodonis Radix |
Category | Roots and rhizomes |
Origin | The dried root of Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.(Campanulaceae) |
Production Regions | Primarily produced in northern and northeastern China. |
Macroscopic Features | Long round or long fusiform, slightly twisted, lower portion occasionally has branches, 6~20cm long, 1~2cm diameter. Externally pale yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown (without peeling off cortex), wrinkled, with twisted longitudinal grooves and horizontal lenticel-like spotted scars, upper portion has horizontal wrinkles; apex has “neck”(rhizome), 0.5~4cm long, with indented half-moon stem scars shaped like nodes. Firm texture, horizontally cut surface is pale yellow, horn-like, brown cambium, cortex has few radial cracks, xylem is relatively tight. faint odor, tastes slightly sweet then bitter. Pieces: irregular round thick pieces, externally white or pale yellowish-white, with one pale brown ring, surrounding is pale yellowish-white, with wrinkles. faint odor, tastes slightly sweet then bitter. Honey-processed jie geng: shaped like unprocessed jie geng; externally pale yellow to pale brownish-yellow, moist and slightly smells of honey; taste is sweet then bitter. |
Quality Requirements | Superior medicinal material has fat and large strips, firm body, white external color. |
Properties | Bitter, acrid; neutral |
Functions | Diffuses the lung, eliminates phlegm, promotes throat, expels pus, promotes five internal organs, supplements five qi, supplements five taxations, nourishes qi. Apply to cough excessive phlegm, swelling pharyngalgia, pulmonary abscess and pyemesis, chest fullness and hypochondrium pain, diarrhea with pain, mouth and tongue sore, red eye and swelling pain, retention of urine. |
Technical Terms | 'Golden well with jade fence (jin jing yu lan)’: This refers to the pattern seen on the cut surface of the root and rhizome. The xylum is pale-yellow (‘golden well’) while the outer layer (‘phleom’) is yellowish-white (‘jade fence’), combined and called golden well with jade fence. ‘Neck (lu tou)’: this refers to a node-shaped short rhizome present at the apex of some root medicinal. ‘Stem scars (lu wan)’: this refers to the numerous circular or semi-circular concave scars of withered stems that can be seen on the ‘neck’; they are shaped like small bowls. |
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