Astragalus
Astragalus mongholicus BungeFabaceae // root
Overview
Plant parts
root
Known constituents
astragalosides, polysaccharides, flavonoids
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include astragalosides; polysaccharides; flavonoids; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Astragalus has been used for fatigue; immune support; adjunctive chronic illness care; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (fatigue; immune support; adjunctive chronic illness care), the evidence assessment is insufficient: Insufficient Western clinical evidence; some meta-analyses of adjunctive Chinese trials have high risk of bias.
LOW · systematic review/meta-analysis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is root; traditional and modern forms include decoction, tincture, powder/capsule, standardized extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Generally mild GI/allergic effects; quality/substitution concerns. Contraindications/cautions include Autoimmune disease and transplant settings require caution.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include May antagonize immunosuppressants and add to BP/glucose-lowering drugs.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Insufficient pregnancy/lactation evidence.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
Botanical synonym
Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, Astragalus propinquus
Taxonomic identity note
- Astragalus is treated here as Astragalus mongholicus Bunge in the family Fabaceae; recorded older names include Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus; Astragalus propinquus.
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
- NCCIH Herbs at a Glance3 claims
NCCIH fact sheet
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
EMA monograph
WHO monograph