Traditional Indications

Chrysanthemum is antiphlogistic, aperient, bitter, blood tonic, depurative, febrifuge, ophthalmic, stomachic, VD and vulnerary. The whole plant is antiphlogistic (alleviation of inflammation), blood tonic, depurative, febrifuge and vulnerary. The plant is used in China to treat eye ailments. In conjunction with black pepper it is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea. The leaves are depurative. They are used in China in the treatment of migraine. The flowers are aperient, bitter, hypotensive, stomachic and vasodilator. They contain the glycoside chrysanthemin that yields glucose and cyanidin on hydrolysis, together with stachydrine and an essential oil. They have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus, E. coli, streptococcus, C. diphtheriae, Bacillus dysenteriae. The flowers are used in the treatment of furuncle, scrofula, deep-rooted boils, inflammation of the throat, eyes and cervix, eczema, itchiness of the skin and hypertension. They have a rejuvenating effect when used over a long period of time. (1)

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chrysanthemum is known as Jú Huā 菊花. Jú Huā is said to be sweet, bitter and cool and to enter the Liver and Lungs channels. Jú Huā disperses Wind, clears Heat and is indicated for headache and fever, clears Liver Heat and is indicated for red-painful-dry eyes, excessive tearing and floaters, calms Liver Yang and is indicated for dizziness, headache, deafness and blurred vision. (2)

Pharmacognosy

A study investigating the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress activities, and differential regulation of Nrf2-mediated genes by tea Chrysanthemum sinensis extract showed that Chrysanthemum sinensis extract possess strong inhibitory effects against NF-κB-mediated inflammatory as well as strong activation of the Nrf2-ARE-anti-oxidative stress signaling pathways, which would contribute to their overall health promoting pharmacological effects against diseases including cancer. (3)

Chrysanthemi could be potent phytochemical agents to reduce LDL oxidation and prevent the progression of atherosclerosis. (4)

1. PFAF. Chrysanthemum. 2019.
2. lotus S. Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum Flower). 2019.
3. Wu T-Y, Khor TO, Saw CLL, Loh SC, Chen AI, Lim SS, et al. Anti-inflammatory/Anti-oxidative stress activities and differential regulation of Nrf2-mediated genes by non-polar fractions of tea Chrysanthemum zawadskii and licorice Glycyrrhiza uralensis. The AAPS journal. 2010;13(1):1-13.
4. Lin H-H, Charles AL, Hsieh C-W, Lee Y-C, Ciou J-Y. Antioxidant effects of 14 Chinese traditional medicinal herbs against human low-density lipoprotein oxidation. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine. 2014;5(1):51-5.