Loading
New to this? Read about Four Natures & Five Flavors and Channel Tropism
The dried root of Platycodon grandiflorus (Campanulaceae). Enters the Lung channel. Bitter, pungent, and neutral, it is described as the 'boat for all medicinals' (zhu yao zhi zhou ji) because it carries other herbs upward to the Lung. It excels at diffusing Lung qi, expelling phlegm, benefiting the throat, and expelling pus. Paired with gan cao in Jie Geng Tang as the foundational formula for sore throat.
宣肺祛痰、利咽排脓，为临床常用品
缓和其宣散之性，用于咽喉不利兼有气滞者
煎服常用3–10g。为诸药之舟楫，能载药上行，用量不宜过大以免引起恶心呕吐。
Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.
Protective guidance only — when to avoid or use with caution. This block deliberately omits pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric dosing: any such use must be managed by a qualified TCM practitioner or appropriate specialist.
阴虚久咳及咯血者不宜用。胃溃疡者慎用。气机上逆、呕吐、眩晕、阴虚火旺者忌用。
含桔梗皂苷，大剂量可刺激胃黏膜引起恶心呕吐，故用量不宜过大。胃溃疡、咯血者慎用或忌用。素有「舟楫之剂」之称，在方中多作引经药，载诸药上行于肺。
少阴病二三日，咽痛者，可与甘草汤；不差者，与桔梗汤。桔梗汤方：桔梗一两，甘草二两。
正文
@misc{bencaodian-jie-geng,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Jié Gěng 桔梗 (Balloon Flower Root) — Platycodonis Radix},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/jie-geng},
urldate = {2026-04-17},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}© Bencaodian Editorial · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
桔梗含三萜皂苷（桔梗皂苷 D 等），刺激呼吸道黏膜反射性促进排痰，并具抗炎、降脂及免疫调节作用。
Platycodon contains triterpenoid saponins (notably platycodin D) that reflexively stimulate bronchial mucous secretion with expectorant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects.
皂苷刺激胃黏膜反射性增加支气管分泌，达到祛痰效果。
Saponins irritate the gastric mucosa and reflexively increase bronchial secretion, producing expectoration.
桔梗开宣肺气、载药上行，为上焦引经要药。
Opens and disseminates lung qi and guides other herbs upward — a principal upper-burner channel-leading herb.
《中国药典》以桔梗皂苷 D 含量（不少于 0.10%）为质量指标。
Chinese Pharmacopoeia specifies platycodin D (≥0.10%) as the quality marker.
This section is provided for academic reference only and does not constitute medical advice.