Bur-Reed (Sparganium spp.) — Encyclopedic Reference
1. Identity, Botanical Classification, and Natural Source
Bur-reed is the common name for Sparganium, a genus of flowering plants described by Linnaeus in 1753. It encompasses a genus of aquatic plants of shallow marshes, ponds, and streams. The plants are perennial marsh herbs that can grow to 3.5 m, depending on species, and bear epicene (bisexual) flowers. Taxonomically, Sparganium is placed within the family Typhaceae (APG III, 2009) and has been determined by phylogenetic analysis to be the closest living relative of the genus Typha (cattail).
There is one genus with about 15 species occurring in temperate and cool regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Australia, and New Zealand. There are 9 species found in the United States and Canada alone. The stem, which may be floating or emergent, emerges from a buried rhizome, which, like many wetland plants, is dependent upon aerenchyma to transport oxygen to the rooting zone.
In the context of dietary supplements and traditional medicine, the species of primary pharmacological importance is Sparganium stoloniferum Buch.-Ham. (also written Sparganium stoloniferum (Buch.-Ham. ex Graebn.) Buch.-Ham. ex Juz.). Sparganii Rhizoma (SR), widely used as a gynecological drug in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is the dried tuberous rhizome of Sparganium stoloniferum Buch.-Ham. (Family: Sparganiaceae). S. stoloniferum is a perennial aquatic or marsh herb distributed in the wet valley areas of East Asia (China, Japan, and Korea), Europe, and Africa.
1.1 Synonyms and Alternate Names
Common names and synonyms include: Sparganium Rhizome, Rhizoma Sparganii Stoloniferi, Bur Reed Rhizome, and Scirpus. The botanical name is Sparganium stoloniferum; Rhizoma. The Chinese/Pin Yin name is San Leng. Additional Chinese alternate names include: 红蒲根 (hóng pú gēn), 光三棱 (guāng sān léng), 京三棱 (jīng sān léng), 山棱 (shān léng), 三棱 (sān léng), and 黑三棱 (hēi sān léng). In Korean traditional medicine, the herb is called "samreung." Sparganii Rhizoma is the dried tuberous rhizome of Sparganium stoloniferum Buchanan-Hamilton and is called "samreung" in Korea.
1.2 Botanical Identity Confusion and Adulterants
San Leng was first recorded as a medicinal herb in the Ben Cao Shi Yi (Supplement to the Materia Medica) by Chen Cangqi during the Tang Dynasty (739 CE). Its name "San Leng" (三棱, "Three Edges") refers to the sharply three-angled stem of the original plant source, the sedge Scirpus yagara. Over time, there has been considerable botanical confusion: the Ben Cao Tu Jing (Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica) described three forms based on tuber shape (flat like a crucian carp, round like a dark plum, or hooked like a chicken's claw), noting that "all three are one substance, differing only in the strength of their action." The Chinese Pharmacopoeia now designates the Sparganiaceae species Sparganium stoloniferum (known as "Hei San Leng" botanically) as the official source, while the sedge family species (Scirpus yagara, confusingly called "Jing San Leng" in commerce) is a commonly encountered substitute.
Authentic San Leng (Sparganium stoloniferum) has a yellowish-white surface when peeled, is very heavy and extremely hard to break, and produces a tingling sensation when chewed. The sedge substitute has a dark brown-black surface, is much lighter in weight (almost cork-like), floats in water, lacks the numbing tongue sensation, and does not contain starch granules on microscopy, unlike authentic San Leng. Other less common adulterants include Bian Gan Biao Cao (Scirpus planiculmis) from Henan and Jiangsu, and water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis), which historical sources warn was sometimes fraudulently passed off as San Leng.
The People's Republic of China (PRC) Pharmacopoeia recognizes Sparganium stoloniferum Buch.-Ham. as the official source, while unofficial sources also record Sparganium simplex Huds. and Sparganium stenophyllum Maxim. as related species used similarly.
1.3 Common Forms and Preparations
The tubers of Sparganium stoloniferum are collected in the winter months, after the aerial parts have finished their growth cycle and withered. They are cleaned, peeled, dried, and then sliced for use as medicine. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia describes the processed rhizome as conical and slightly flat, 2–4 cm in diameter, with a yellowish-white or pale yellow surface.
The herb is available in the following common forms:
- Raw (crude) dried rhizome: sliced for decoction.
- Vinegar-processed (Zhi San Leng): Vinegar processing is the traditional method for Sparganii Rhizoma; total saponins (which exhibit effects such as reducing platelet aggregation and delaying thrombosis) increase in content after vinegar processing, thereby enhancing medicinal efficacy. Two kinds of processed products of SR are included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which have better pharmacological effects than the crude herb.
- Liquid/dry rhizome extract: Commercial names and forms include: burr reed dried rhizome liquid extract, burr reed rhizome extract (dry), rhizoma sparganii stoloniferi, san leng rhizome extract (dry), and sparganium stoloniferum extract.
- Pills and powders: Oral forms include decoctions (4.4–9 g), as well as pills and powders.
2. Traditional and Historical Use
2.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Sparganii Rhizoma was first recorded as a medical herb in the classic TCM book Ben Cao Shi Yi (Tang Dynasty, A.D. 739), and it has been used to treat dysmenorrhea, mass in the abdomen, amenorrhea due to blood stasis, and abdominal distension in TCM for hundreds of years.
It has been used for eliminating blood stasis, promoting the flow of Qi, removing the retention of undigested food, and relieving pain in China for hundreds of years. In TCM, the rhizomes — referred to as "San Leng" — have been valued for their purported abilities to promote blood circulation and alleviate menstrual disorders. San Leng is a gynecological drug which is often used to treat dysmenorrhea, mass in the abdomen, amenorrhea due to blood stasis, and abdominal distension in TCM.
According to TCM classification, San Leng is described as bitter and acrid, balanced, and nontoxic. It enters the liver and spleen channels (meridians). Its primary TCM actions are described as:
- Breaking blood and dispelling stasis: indicated for blood stasis amenorrhea with abdominal pain, postpartum blood stasis abdominal pain, and concretions and accumulations.
- Moving Qi and relieving pain: used for food accumulation with distension and pain in the stomach duct and abdomen.
- Regulating menstruation and relieving pain, removing food stagnation, and promoting lactation.
SR is often used together with Curcumae Rhizoma (CR) to achieve a better therapeutic effect, a pairing first recorded in the Jing Yan Liang Fang (Qing Dynasty, A.D. 1842). Although the medicinal plant sources of Ezhu (Curcumae Rhizoma) and Sanleng are different, they have very similar pharmacological properties, and compatibility use has a synergistic effect, which is why these two drugs are often utilized clinically as a drug pair.
2.2 Traditional Korean Medicine
SR has been used as a traditional Korean medicine to treat patients with gynecological diseases such as uterine fibroids, blood stasis, and dysmenorrhea.
2.3 Native North American Uses
The stem base and tubers of Sparganium eurycarpum (great bur-reed) were eaten by the Klamath people, and the Okanagan-Colville used the plant as hay for cattle. Bur-reeds represent an important group of emergent plants that frequently form dense stands along the edges of shallow lakes and ponds; the seeds are eaten by waterfowl and marsh birds, and muskrats feed on the entire plant. These North American uses were primarily nutritional or ecological rather than medicinal.
3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds
The chemical constituents of Sparganii Rhizoma are abundant and diverse. The known chemical constituents mainly include phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, organic acids, and volatile oils. In addition, there are small amounts of anthraquinones, steroids, and other chemical constituents. Approximately 180 compounds have been identified from SR, including phenylpropanoids and flavonoids.
3.1 Phenylpropanoids
Phenylpropanoids are the most extensively characterized class of compounds in SR. Identified phenylpropanoid and related phenolic compounds from the rhizome include: 24-methylenecycloartanol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, hydroxytyrosol acetate, hydroxytyrosol, and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside. The chemical components of SR include phenylpropanoids such as ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid.
Three phenylpropanoid glycosides, along with three known phenylpropanoid glycerides, have been isolated and structurally characterized from SR. Four new ferulic acid sucrose esters have been isolated from the rhizome of Sparganium stoloniferum, along with four known phenylpropanoids. Compounds from this group exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on ADP-induced platelet aggregation.
3.2 Flavonoids
Flavonoids identified from SR include kaempferol, rutin, and formononetin. Flavonoid compounds showed significant anti-platelet aggregation activities; the material basis of ACE inhibitory activity for the active part was the phenolic constituents, while the flavonoid compounds were responsible for anti-platelet aggregation. The total flavonoids of SR (SRF) were active ingredients that exhibited anti-cancer and analgesic activities.
3.3 Alkaloids
An aluminum complex alkaloid-glycoside (grailsine-Al-glycoside) was isolated from SR, and the aluminum element was considered an active component of SR in stomach disease treatment.
3.4 Sterols and Fatty Acids
Three compounds obtained from the rhizome of Sparganium stoloniferum were identified as beta-sitosterol, succinic acid, and daucosterol. Twenty-one fatty acids were also separated and identified by GC-MS. Naturally occurring volatile components include benzeneethanol, 1,4-benzenediol, hexadecanoic acid, dehydrocostuslactone, β-elemene, and azelaic acid.
3.5 Volatile Oils
Volatile oils identified from SR include β-pinene, eucalyptol, and myrtenol.
3.6 Coumarins: Sparstolonin B (SsnB)
Sparstolonin B (SsnB) is the most pharmacologically investigated isolated compound from SR. SsnB is a novel bioactive compound isolated from Sparganium stoloniferum, an herb historically used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-tumor agent. Its structure was determined by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. SsnB selectively blocks TLR2- and TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling. Sparstolonin B, a coumarin from SR, showed anti-inflammatory activity through inhibiting toll-like receptor TLR2/TLR4-related signal transduction.
Interestingly, the phenols in S. stoloniferum that have medicinal properties are also plant-defensive compounds. Studies integrating transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome analyses have highlighted the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways; during the growth process, S. stoloniferum rhizoma accumulates lignin, forming a physical defense, while phenylpropanoids and flavonoids derived during lignin biosynthesis provide chemical defense.
4. Pharmacology and Mechanisms of Action
4.1 Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Activity
SsnB is an isocumarin compound extracted from medicinal plants such as Sparganium stoloniferum and Scirpus yagara with well-documented anti-inflammatory activity; researchers have examined whether it also possesses antithrombotic activity. Treatment with SsnB prolonged the clotting time of human platelet-poor serum at concentrations comparable to the clinical anticoagulant rivaroxaban (used as a positive control) and inhibited human platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or the thromboxane A2 analog U46619.
SsnB prolonged clotting time at concentrations comparable to rivaroxaban and inhibited ADP-induced and U46619-induced platelet aggregation; it also inhibited phosphorylation of PLCgamma2/PKC pathways and intracellular calcium mobilization in platelets, demonstrating clear anticoagulant and antiplatelet mechanisms.
Total flavonoids of Sparganium stoloniferum (RS-F) have anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic actions in SD rats. The pharmacological effects of Sanleng (Sparganii Rhizoma) include improvement of blood rheology, antiplatelet aggregation, and antithrombotic effects.
4.2 Anti-Inflammatory Activity via Toll-Like Receptor Antagonism
SsnB selectively blocks TLR2- and TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling. SsnB effectively inhibited inflammatory cytokine expression in mouse macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a TLR4 ligand), Pam3CSK4 (a TLR1/TLR2 ligand), and Fsl-1 (a TLR2/TLR6 ligand), but not that induced by poly(I:C) (a TLR3 ligand) or ODN1668 (a TLR9 ligand). It suppressed LPS-induced cytokine secretion from macrophages and diminished phosphorylation of Erk1/2, p38a, IκBα, and JNK in these cells.
SsnB effectively suppresses the expressions of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in response to LPS stimulation. SsnB inhibited the expression of various inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and chemokine CCL-2 in LPS- or Pam3CSK4-stimulated macrophages.
A 2024 literature-mining and network analysis study including 27 experimental reports found, via frequency analysis, 13 different diseases studied (with cardio-cerebrovascular system diseases accounting for 23.53%), 12 pharmacological effects (with anti-inflammatory effect accounting for 53.85%), and 67 therapeutic targets.
4.3 Anti-Tumor and Anti-Angiogenic Activity
SR has been demonstrated by modern pharmacological research to have significant bioactivities, especially anti-tumor, antithrombotic, and estrogen antagonistic activities.
The anticancer activities of Sparganium stoloniferum (SS) extracts on MCF-7 (breast cancer) cells were studied; the effect on MCF-7 cell proliferation, protein expression, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were examined. Results showed that the SS extract inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the activation of caspase-3 was also increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
SsnB, isolated from the tubers of Sparganium stoloniferum, was studied in neuroblastoma cells. The crude extract from this herb has anti-spasmodic and anti-tumor properties. SsnB at 10 µM and above significantly inhibited the growth and viability of human neuroblastoma cells of different genetic backgrounds.
SsnB was found to inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer cells and induce apoptosis by activating G2/M phase arrest in vitro; in vivo, SsnB inhibited tumor growth in nude mouse xenograft models.
Angiogenesis is dysregulated in many pathological disorders including tumor growth; in functional assays, SsnB inhibited endothelial cell tube formation (Matrigel method) and cell migration (Transwell method) in a dose-dependent manner. Microarray experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) demonstrated differential expression of several hundred genes in response to SsnB exposure, including genes associated with cell proliferation and cell cycle.
4.4 Estrogen Antagonism and Anti-Angiogenesis in Reproductive Tissues
An aqueous extract of RS is widely used in the treatment of blood stasis, amenorrhea, functional dyspepsia, and early stages of tumors, especially hysteromyoma in China; the pharmacological mechanism of this extract could be related to anti-angiogenesis and anti-estrogen effects. Research results implicate an FGF signaling abnormality in vivo and indicate that RS has anti-angiogenesis and anti-estrogen toxicity effects in pregnant rodents.
4.5 Additional Pharmacological Activities
Additional documented pharmacological effects of Sparganii Rhizoma include protection of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular vessels, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, anti-fibrosis, and inhibition of ovarian cysts.
5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
5.1 Gynecological Conditions (Dysmenorrhea, Amenorrhea, Uterine Fibroids, Endometriosis)
The herb is predominantly used in gynaecological conditions such as uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and dysmenorrhoea. S. stoloniferum is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and has been reported to exhibit therapeutic effects on thrombus, solid tumor, and endometriosis; it is usually used to treat endometriosis and chronic atrophic gastritis, while its underlying mechanisms remain poorly delineated.
Evidence strength: The existing evidence for these gynecological indications is primarily preclinical (animal models and in vitro cell studies). Research using medicated serum of San Leng-containing preparations showed an ability to inhibit the secretion of estradiol in eutopic endometrial cells of endometriosis, with the mechanism potentially associated with inhibiting the expression of SF-1 and 17-beta-HSD1 while up-regulating expression of COUP-TF. No large, well-controlled randomized human clinical trials specific to SR alone (as distinct from multi-herb formulas) for these conditions were identified in the current search. The herb is typically studied as part of multi-ingredient TCM formulas, making attribution of efficacy to SR alone methodologically difficult.
5.2 Anti-Tumor Applications
According to TCM, the herbal couple Sparganii Rhizoma–Curcumae Rhizoma (HCSC) activates blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis. It has been clinically used for patients with lung cancer. HCSC has been clinically proven to relieve the symptoms of patients with tumors, especially gynecological ones, and modern pharmacology has proven that nonvolatile fractions of HCSC possess extensive anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antithrombotic activities.
Evidence strength: Anti-tumor evidence for SR is largely preclinical — confined to cell lines (breast cancer MCF-7, cervical HeLa, neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, colorectal HCT-116) and rodent xenograft models. These activities provide prospects for the development of new drugs and therapeutics for future applications; nevertheless, quality control and evaluation, in-depth pharmacological mechanism, and toxicological effect of SR require further detailed research. No Phase II or III human clinical trials have been published establishing SR extract as an efficacious anti-cancer monotherapy.
5.3 Anti-Inflammatory Applications
Sparstolonin B, isolated from this Chinese herb and which suppresses Toll-like receptors selectively, has been studied in various inflammatory models. Review literature summarizes the current evidence regarding the use of SsnB in various in vitro and in vivo studies, providing an overview regarding the potential use of this agent in different inflammatory diseases.
SsnB, a natural compound with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties, was investigated for its effects on cell viability, apoptosis, and inflammatory pathways in human colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116) and healthy human fibroblasts (BJ). Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a tumor promoter and inflammatory activator, was used to stimulate proliferation and inflammatory pathways, with cells treated with SsnB at concentrations of 3.125–50 µM for 12–18 hours.
Evidence strength: Anti-inflammatory evidence for SsnB is currently limited to in vitro cell-based experiments and animal models. No human clinical trials evaluating SsnB as a therapeutic agent for inflammatory conditions have been published. Based on available review data, SsnB could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of TLR-mediated inflammatory diseases, but this remains an unvalidated hypothesis in humans.
5.4 Cardiovascular and Antithrombotic Applications
Research has investigated Sparstolonin B (SsnB) for antithrombotic activity: SsnB prolonged clotting time at concentrations comparable to the anticoagulant rivaroxaban and inhibited ADP-induced and U46619-induced platelet aggregation; it also inhibited phosphorylation of PLCgamma2/PKC pathways and intracellular calcium mobilization in platelets, demonstrating clear anticoagulant and antiplatelet mechanisms.
Evidence strength: Antithrombotic evidence remains at the in vitro and animal-model level. Established clinical data evaluating SR or SsnB as a human antithrombotic intervention is absent from the published literature.
5.5 Gastric and Digestive Applications
S. stoloniferum is reported to exhibit therapeutic effects on endometriosis and is also used to treat chronic atrophic gastritis, though its underlying mechanisms are poorly delineated. A 2021 PMC study applied HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and network pharmacology analysis to investigate the active ingredients and mechanisms of Sparganii Rhizoma in gastric cancer; this was a laboratory-based network pharmacology study rather than a clinical trial, and as such its findings are exploratory.
6. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Bur-Reed
- Female reproductive system: dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, endometriosis, uterine fibroids (leiomyoma), ovarian cysts.
- Cardiovascular/hematological system: blood stasis, platelet aggregation, thrombus formation.
- Gastrointestinal system: food stagnation, abdominal distension, chronic atrophic gastritis.
- Oncology (experimental): anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic research, primarily in gastric, breast, cervical, neuroblastoma, prostate, and colorectal cancer cell models.
- Immune/inflammatory system: TLR2/TLR4 inflammatory signaling (via SsnB), sepsis models.
The documented pharmacological spectrum includes improvement of blood rheology, antiplatelet aggregation and antithrombotic effects, protection of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular vessels, anti-inflammatory analgesic effect, anti-tumour effect, inhibition of ovarian cysts, and anti-fibrosis.
7. Dosage Forms and Dosages Reported in Sources
In traditional oral use, the standard decoction dose is 4.4–9 g; the herb can also be taken in pills and powders. Traditional preparation involves collecting the tuber or rhizome, cleaning, removing the skin, and drying; the standard dosage range cited in TCM reference databases is 3–10 g.
In pharmacological research, dosages vary considerably by preparation type, extraction method, and experimental model:
- SsnB at 10 µM and above significantly inhibited the growth and viability of human neuroblastoma cells in in vitro studies.
- In colorectal cancer cell studies, HCT-116 and BJ cells were treated with SsnB at 3.125–50 µM concentrations for 12–18 hours.
- In THP-1 cell experiments, cells were treated with 0, 10, or 100 µM SsnB for 6 hours.
No standardized human clinical dosing protocols for SR extracts or SsnB have been established in the published Western clinical trial literature. TCM practitioners typically prescribe SR as part of multi-herb decoctions within the range noted above.
8. Safety Considerations and Drug Interactions
8.1 Pregnancy and Lactation
Because of its strong blood-moving action, San Leng is usually combined with supporting herbs and is not suitable during pregnancy. This prohibition is supported by animal research: results implicate FGF signaling abnormality in vivo and indicate that RS has anti-angiogenesis and anti-estrogen toxicity effects in pregnant rodents. The clinical title of this published study is explicitly "Reproductive toxicity of Rhizoma Sparganii in mice," published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2011).
8.2 Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Drug Interactions
Active components of Sparganium stoloniferum Buch.-Ham. have significant anticoagulant activity. San Leng should be used with caution in persons taking anticoagulant medications such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and enoxaparin (Lovenox), or antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin. Concurrent use with blood thinners can enhance anticoagulant effects, increasing bleeding risk; it may also worsen symptoms in individuals with excessive bleeding disorders.
8.3 Contraindication in Hemorrhagic States
SR should not be used in cases of excessive bleeding. Traditional Chinese pharmacology classifies San Leng as a potent blood-moving herb; its very mechanism of action — antiplatelet aggregation and antithrombotic effects — is the pharmacological basis for this caution in hemorrhagic conditions.
8.4 Estrogen-Related Caution
SR has been demonstrated by modern pharmacological research to have significant bioactivities, especially estrogen antagonistic activities; these provide prospects for new drug development, but quality control and evaluation, in-depth pharmacological mechanism, and toxicological effects of SR require further detailed research. The estrogen-antagonizing properties identified in preclinical models raise theoretical considerations for use in estrogen-sensitive conditions, though clinical data are insufficient to define specific contraindications beyond those established in traditional practice.
8.5 Identity and Adulteration Risks
The most common substitute and source of confusion is Jing San Leng (荆三棱), the tuber of the sedge Scirpus yagara (Cyperaceae family). Confusingly, the botanical name "Hei San Leng" (Black San Leng) refers to the official Sparganium species, while the commercial product called "Hei San Leng" is actually the sedge species. This marketplace confusion between authentic Sparganium stoloniferum and its sedge adulterants carries quality-control implications, as the two plant sources may have differing chemical profiles and biological activities.
8.6 Requirement for Further Toxicological Research
Quality control and evaluation, in-depth pharmacological mechanism, and toxicological effects of SR require further detailed research. Research on individual TCM herbs is growing but still limited by Western clinical trial standards. The bulk of safety characterization to date derives from traditional practice, preclinical animal studies, and limited clinical observation rather than from rigorous Phase I toxicology studies conducted under contemporary regulatory frameworks.
References
- Wikipedia — Sparganium
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- Sparstolonin B inhibits pro-angiogenic functions and blocks cell cycle progression in endothelial cells — PLOS One (PubMed, 2013)
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