IngredientsVladimiria souliei (Franch.) Y.Ling is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae (Compositae). It belongs to the kingdom Plantae, phylum Tracheophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Asterales, family Asteraceae, and is placed within the genus Dolomiaea in several contemporary taxonomic treatments, where it appears as Dolomiaea souliei (Franch.) C.Shih. The species had been reassigned to the genus Vladimiria based on updated molecular phylogenetic evidence, and is now formally recognized as Vladimiria souliei in recent literature. This ongoing nomenclatural ambiguity means the plant appears under both names in the scientific literature. The original basionym is Jurinea souliei Franch., and a gray-leaved variety is recognized as Vladimiria souliei (Franch.) Y.Ling var. cinerea Ling.
The genus Vladimiria, belonging to the family Asteraceae, comprises approximately 12 species that are mainly distributed in Sichuan Province, China. Dolomiaea souliei (common vladimiria) is a perennial herbaceous wildflower found in alpine thickets and grasslands during the late summer.
The dried root of the plant is the pharmacopoeial material. It is officially designated Vladimiriae Radix (VR) in Chinese pharmaceutical nomenclature. In Health Canada's Traditional Chinese Medicine Ingredients reference, the plant is listed under the Latin name Dolomiaea souliei, with the Chinese common name Chuan mu xiang and the official drug name Radix Vladimiriae.
The common name "Mu xiang" can refer to the roots of multiple species, including Aristolochia debilis, Aucklandii lappa, Saussurea lappa, Inula helenium, I. racemosa, and Vladimiria souliei. More specifically, "Chuan mu xiang" is the name that refers to the root of V. souliei.
Vladimiriae Radix is an authentic medicinal material from Sichuan, China, and its powder and extractions have been used for nearly 10 centuries in the treatment of gastrointestinal spasm, abdominal pain, gastritis, and gastric ulcer. The plant of Vladimiria souliei, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for relieving pain and stomach diseases since ancient times.
Vladimiriae Radix, as a commonly used traditional Chinese herbal medicine, was widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The two herbal medicines (Vladimiriae Radix and Aucklandiae Radix) were described as warm, pungent, and bitter in their energetic qualities. They were said to enter the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and gallbladder meridians, and had the effect of promoting qi circulation to relieve pain. They were usually used for chest and hypochondrium pain, abdominal fullness and pain, tenesmus, indigestion, and for warming the middle to harmonize the stomach clinically.
Its roots have been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine to alleviate pain in abdominal distension, in the liver and gallbladder, and to treat vomiting, dysentery, tenesmus, and stomach diseases since ancient times.
In TCM practice, Chuan mu xiang served as a regional substitute for the more famous Aucklandiae Radix (derived from Aucklandia lappa / Saussurea costus). Costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, as common active components, provided a certain basis for the local medicinal practice of substituting Vladimiriae Radix for Aucklandiae Radix in Sichuan province of China.
Raw Vladimiriae Radix (rVR) and processed Vladimiriae Radix (pVR) are the two most common traditional forms, and have been used for hundreds of years to treat gastritis, gastric ulcer, and gastrointestinal pain, though their protective effects on gastric mucosa have long been considered to differ.
The characteristic components of Vladimiria species are sesquiterpenes, triterpenes, lignans, and steroids. Sesquiterpenes as major constituents isolated from Vladimiria species exhibit various structural types, including guaianolides, eudesmane, and germacrane sesquiterpenes. Additionally, the roots are found to contain sesquiterpenes, steroids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, and triterpenes.
Vladimiriae Radix is the dry root of Vladimiria souliei (Franch.) Ling or Vladimiria souliei (Franch.) Ling var. cinerea Ling. Costunolide (CO) and dehydrocostus lactone (DE) are the two most effective active ingredients of VR.
A study of the chemical constituents of Dolomiaea souliei identified seventeen compounds: dehydrocostus lactone, costunolide, mokko lactone, santamarine, reynosin, 4α-hydroxy-4β-methyldihydrocostol, sulfocostunolide A, β-costic acid, β-cyclocostunolide, vladinol A, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, betulin, dibutyl terephthalate, dibutyl phthalate, uridine, and emodin.
A series of structurally rare sesquiterpene lactone dimers (SLDs) unique to V. souliei have been isolated. Vlasouliolides A–D, four rare sesquiterpene lactone dimers, were isolated from Vladimiria souliei. The common structural characteristic of vlasouliolides 1–4 is the C32 skeleton comprising two sesquiterpene lactone units linked by a C11–C13′ single bond, with one acetyl group connected to the C-13 position of one of the two sesquiterpene lactone units. Further phytochemical studies extended this series: two rare C32 sesquiterpene lactone dimers, vlasouliolides J–K, together with three C30 sesquiterpene dimers, vlasoulioliones A–C, were isolated from Vladimiria souliei.
Bioactivity-guided isolation from the methanol extract of V. souliei roots yielded two bioactive sesquiterpenes: a novel compound named souliene A and alismol. The polar fractions of V. souliei have also yielded several lignans, including six new ones named vladinol A–F.
The vlasouliolides A–D strongly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Furthermore, vlasouliolides A and B inhibited the activation of NF-κB in LPS-induced 293T cells.
Alismol, a sesquiterpenoid isolated from the roots of V. souliei, reduced NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels, and suppressed the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia. Alismol also inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Further mechanistic studies revealed that alismol inhibited LPS-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, but not the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway.
Vlasouliolides E–I exhibited significant inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC50 values of 1.88 ± 0.15, 4.89 ± 0.80, 7.24 ± 1.21, and 2.46 ± 0.64 μM for compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5, respectively.
Animal model studies indicated that both raw and processed forms of Vladimiriae Radix could relieve acute gastric mucosal injury (AGMI); processed VR (pVR) more effectively reduced the content of ethanol in blood and lowered levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, NO, iNOS, and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD). Western blot results confirmed that pVR inhibited the expression of NF-κB p65 and IκBα, and upregulated the expression of HO-1 and NRF2, protecting gastric mucosa through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant stress mechanisms.
Costunolide was demonstrated to induce cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in HepG2 hepatoblastoma cells in vitro, thereby affecting cell proliferation. It also induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells by upregulating the protein expression levels of Bax and caspases-3, -8, and -9, and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2 protein.
A specific vlasouliolide compound (compound 1 from the vlasouliolides J–K series) showed prominent neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells, with an EC50 value of 2.11 ± 0.35 μM. The leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from glutamate-induced PC-12 cells was significantly reduced by this compound at a concentration of 10 μM.
Costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, two main subjects of modern pharmacological research, show multiple pharmacological activities. They can inhibit the activity of certain cancer cells (such as breast cancer and leukemia cells), regulate levels of various inflammatory factors (including TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6), and repress the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms including Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus.
Ethnopharmacological and Preclinical Summary: The most extensively studied area of Vladimiriae Radix research is its activity on the gastrointestinal system. Vladimiriae Radix exhibits pharmacological properties particularly in gastrointestinal regulation, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, though each Muxiang species shows distinct therapeutic emphases.
Animal / In Vivo Study (Acute Gastritis): Raw and processed Vladimiriae Radix have been used for hundreds of years to treat gastritis, gastric ulcer, and gastrointestinal pain, but their protective effects on gastric mucosa have been widely considered to differ; a comparative study was carried out to explore treatment mechanism and to provide reference for the rationality of clinical usage. Processing procedure can change the pharmacokinetic process of the main active components costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone of Vladimiriae Radix, accelerating absorption and prolonging action time.
Animal / In Vivo Study (Ulcerative Colitis): Intestinal flora imbalance and metabolic disorders are closely related to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). As a commonly used herb for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, Vladimiriae Radix has been used for hundreds of years, and its main active ingredients are costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone. Clinical usage habits and previous studies have shown that processed Vladimiriae Radix (pVR) seems to be more suitable for treating bowel disease than raw Vladimiriae Radix (rVR).
Evidence Strength: Gastrointestinal evidence for V. souliei specifically is currently preclinical only — based on animal models (rodent gastritis and UC models) and historical TCM use. No published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in human subjects for Vladimiriae Radix alone were identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Most mechanistic data come from in vitro cell assays and rodent studies.
In Vitro Studies: Multiple peer-reviewed studies have examined anti-inflammatory activity in cell-based assays. The methanol extract of the roots of Vladimiria souliei was found to show significant inhibitory effects on IFN-γ-induced nitric oxide production in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells; bioactivity-guided isolation yielded two most active sesquiterpenes, including a new compound named souliene A and alismol. Both isolates showed promising inhibitory effects on IFN-γ-induced nitric oxide production in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells.
Vlasouliolides A–D strongly inhibited the production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, and vlasouliolides A and B inhibited the activation of NF-κB in LPS-induced 293T cells.
Evidence Strength: Anti-inflammatory evidence is preliminary and preclinical. All studies to date are in vitro, using isolated macrophage cell lines (RAW264.7) or cell-reporter assays. No human clinical data exist for the anti-inflammatory applications of V. souliei extracts or isolated compounds.
In Vitro Study (Liver Cancer Cells): Costunolide is one of the major sesquiterpenes isolated from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the roots of Vladimiria souliei. To explore its effects and molecular mechanism, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of costunolide against the human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line were examined in vitro. The study demonstrated that costunolide, a natural sesquiterpene lactone isolated from V. souliei, markedly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro; the survival rate of tumor cells was gradually decreased as the concentration of costunolide was increased; and the apoptosis rates of HepG2 cells increased with increasing concentration in the range of 2.5–40 µmol/L.
The chemical constituents from the roots of V. souliei have exhibited significant antimicrobial, antitumor, and inhibitory effects on NO production activities.
Evidence Strength: Anticancer evidence is very preliminary — restricted entirely to in vitro cancer cell-line studies. No animal tumor models or human clinical oncology studies on V. souliei-derived material have been identified. Findings with isolated costunolide cannot be extrapolated to the whole herb or standard supplemental preparations.
In Vitro Studies: Two rare C32 sesquiterpene lactone dimers (vlasouliolides J–K) and three C30 sesquiterpene dimers (vlasoulioliones A–C) were isolated from Vladimiria souliei. Compound 1 (vlasouliolide J) showed prominent neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells, with an EC50 value of 2.11 ± 0.35 μM, and the leakage of LDH from glutamate-induced PC-12 cells was significantly reduced by compound 1 at a concentration of 10 μM.
Biological studies showed that one of the vlasoulides (vlasoulide A) demonstrated neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells, with an EC50 value of 13.54 ± 0.33 μM.
Evidence Strength: Neuroprotective evidence is entirely preliminary and in vitro. Data come from a single PC-12 cell model of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. No in vivo animal studies or clinical trials have been conducted for this indication.
Certain vlasouliolide compounds (specifically compounds 2 and 4 from the vlasouliolides E–I series) exhibited modest antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus species. Costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone have also been reported to repress the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms, including Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus.
Evidence Strength: Antimicrobial data are in vitro only. Minimum inhibitory concentration studies have been conducted for isolated compounds, but no clinical or even animal infection model data specific to V. souliei preparations have been identified.
In vivo pharmacological evaluation in rats showed that Vladimiriae Radix extract (VRE) had a significant therapeutic effect on cholestatic liver injury (CLI). Spectrum-effect correlation analysis showed that costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone were the quality markers (Q-markers) of VRE's anti-CLI activity. Pharmacokinetic results showed that AUC(0-t), Cmax, CLZ/F, and VZ/F of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in CLI rats had significant differences (P < 0.01), and they were effectively absorbed into the blood plasma of CLI rats, ensuring ideal bioavailability.
Evidence Strength: Evidence for liver/biliary application is preclinical, based on rat models only. No human data available.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Chuan mu xiang root is prepared as:
A stability study of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone from Vladimiriae Radix before and after roasting in artificial gastric juice, artificial intestinal juice, and isolated rat gastric, intestinal, or colonic incubation juice showed that both compounds exhibited high adsorption, uptake, or degradation within 2 hours, with significant differences between gastrointestinal compartments. Costunolide was found to be unstable in artificial gastric juice, with unprocessed Vladimiriae Radix showing a higher degradation rate.
No human pharmacokinetic studies specific to Vladimiriae Radix preparations were identified. In rat-based research: following intravenous administration, the maximum plasma concentrations of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone were observed to be 12.29 ± 1.47 and 5.79 ± 0.13 µg/mL, respectively. In most conditions, VR was used as a substitute for Aucklandiae Radix, attributed to sharing the same main active ingredients costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, which presented many similar pharmacological activities.
The plant is listed as an ingredient in TCM multi-herb formulas. The 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China lists Dolomiaea souliei (Chuan mu xiang) with its pharmacopoeial drug name as Radix Vladimiriae. No specific individual dosage (in grams per day) for Vladimiriae Radix alone was identified in the peer-reviewed sources retrieved; the plant is predominantly used as a component in multi-herb decoctions or proprietary formulas in TCM clinical practice, consistent with the broader tradition of Muxiang species.
The most significant documented safety concern for Vladimiriae Radix is the risk of adulteration with botanically unrelated but superficially similar material from Aristolochia species, which contain nephrotoxic and carcinogenic aristolochic acids.
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) recommends in its Known Adulterants list that appropriate steps be taken to assure that Vladimiria souliei root raw material is free of noted adulterants. The reported adulterant is Aristolochia debilis root (qing mu xiang).
The AHPA adulterants table explicitly lists "Vladimiria souliei root" as a botanical for which the adulterant of concern is "Aristolochia debilis root (qing mu xiang)."
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also noted this risk in regulatory documents. EMA documentation lists Vladimiria souliei and Vladimiria souliei var. cinerea root under the Japanese common name "Sen-Mokkou" and the Chinese name "Chuan mu xiang," within a table of plant-derived materials that share common names with Aristolochia species and that are therefore at risk of adulteration. The toxic components of Aristolochia species are known as aristolochic acids — a series of substituted nitrophenanthrene carboxylic acids, the main constituents being aristolochic acid I and its demethoxylated derivative, aristolochic acid II.
No aristolochic acids (AAs) were detected in four related Mu Xiang samples tested in a Dutch market enforcement study. The common name "Mu Xiang" can refer to the roots of several species including Vladimiria souliei. Although samples of "Mu Xiang" and "Vladimiria" (Chuan Mu Xiang, the root of V. souliei) could potentially be substituted by A. debilis, no aristolochic acids were detected in those samples tested. More research was called for to evaluate the likelihood of this particular substitution. These findings indicate that authenticated V. souliei root does not itself contain aristolochic acids, but market substitution or adulteration presents a documented and serious risk.
Multiple pharmacological activities of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone — including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, and gastric mucosal protective effects — have been widely reported in the scientific literature. The reactive α-methylene-γ-lactone motif common to costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone is known from the broader sesquiterpene lactone literature to be potentially sensitizing (contact allergen) in some individuals, though no clinical allergenicity data specific to Vladimiriae Radix preparations were identified in the sources retrieved.
ITS2 DNA barcoding has been used to clearly identify V. souliei (Dolomiaea souliei) and V. souliei var. cinerea as belonging to Vladimiriae Radix; ITS2 barcode can be used to identify Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix, and Kadsurae Radix, providing a scientific foundation for the clinically safe use of these traditional Chinese medicines.
Processed Vladimiriae Radix (pVR) has accelerated absorption in vivo and prolonged effect time compared to raw VR, and the observed improvement of its anti-acute gastric mucosal injury effect is achieved through anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation regulation. The documented instability of costunolide in unprocessed form under acidic (gastric) conditions suggests that traditional roasting processing was empirically developed to improve the bioavailability of key active constituents.
While Aucklandiae Radix (from Aucklandia lappa), Vladimiriae Radix, and Inulae Radix exhibit similar pharmacological properties, particularly in gastrointestinal regulation, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, each species shows distinct therapeutic emphases. All three Muxiang varieties are rich in sesquiterpene lactones. Notably, both Aucklandiae Radix and Vladimiriae Radix contain substantial amounts of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, which supports the historical practice of substituting VR for AR in certain clinical applications.
Both herbal medicines (Aucklandiae Radix and Vladimiriae Radix) were characterized as warm, pungent, and bitter, entered the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and gallbladder meridians, and had the effect of promoting qi circulation to relieve pain; they were usually used for chest and hypochondriac pain, abdominal fullness, tenesmus, and indigestion. Despite their similarities, other different lactone compounds in AR and VR also play a role in disease treatment, so the difference in therapeutic effects of AR and VR in related diseases requires further study.
The scientific literature on Vladimiria souliei is expanding but remains predominantly phytochemical and preclinical. The plant has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for relieving pain and stomach diseases since ancient times, and chemical constituents from the roots of V. souliei have exhibited significant antimicrobial, antitumor, and inhibitory effects on NO production activities in preclinical studies. However, no human clinical trials specific to Vladimiriae Radix as a single intervention have been identified in the peer-reviewed database searches conducted here. The systematic review literature treats VR primarily in comparative analysis with Aucklandiae Radix. Further systematic studies focusing on pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and quality control are needed to ensure the effective and safe application. The taxonomy of the genus also remains in active revision, with this reclassification having significant implications for the standardization of raw materials used in herbal medicine manufacturing.
Health conditions that Vladimiria souliei may help support.
Body systems that Vladimiria souliei may help support.
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