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Forsythia Suspensa Herb
Forsythia suspensa
heat and toxin clearing in TCM paired with honeysuckle
PubMed · Forsythia suspensa polyphenols regulate macrophage M1 polarization to alleviate intestinal inflammation in mice. (2024)
PubMed · The integration of metabolites from <i>Forsythia suspensa</i> and gut microbiota ameliorates drug-induced liver injury: network pharmacology and molecular docking studies. (2025)
Reviewed by: HerbAlly Editorial Team, Medical herbalists and healthcare professionals
Forsythia suspensa exerts its antiviral effects primarily through active compounds like forsythoside A and phillyrin. Research suggests these constituents inhibit viral replication and reduce inflammatory cytokine production (Evidence Level C). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this mechanism is described as 'clearing heat and resolving toxicity,' which effectively addresses the underlying inflammatory response associated with febrile conditions and infections.
Does Forsythia interact with prescription medications?
While specific clinical drug interaction data is limited, Forsythia suspensa should be used cautiously with immunosuppressants due to its immune-modulating properties. Theoretically, its antimicrobial action could alter gut flora, potentially affecting the absorption of oral medications. Patients taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs should also exercise caution, as the herb may affect platelet aggregation, though evidence remains preliminary (Evidence Level C).
What is the standard dosage for Forsythia suspensa?
The standard adult dosage for Forsythia suspensa (Lian Qiao) is 6 to 15 grams of the dried fruit daily, typically prepared as a decoction. For concentrated extracts, a common dosage is 500 mg taken three times daily. Dosage often depends on the severity of the condition and whether it is combined with synergistic herbs like Honeysuckle. It is best used for short-term support during acute infections.
Is Forsythia safe to take during pregnancy?
Forsythia suspensa is considered unsafe during pregnancy and is contraindicated for use. As a 'cold' and draining herb in TCM, it can promote purging and may stimulate the uterus, posing a potential risk to the pregnancy (Evidence Level C). High doses are particularly discouraged. Women who are breastfeeding should also avoid this herb unless specifically directed by a qualified healthcare provider.
What is Forsythia suspensa used for in TCM?
Forsythia suspensa is primarily used to clear heat and toxins from the body, making it a staple for treating upper respiratory infections, sore throats, and fevers. It is frequently paired with Honeysuckle to enhance antiviral and antibacterial effects (Evidence Level C). This combination is the basis for the famous Yin Qiao San formula, widely used for the early stages of colds and flu.
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 30 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Forsythia suspensa is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb known for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties [PMID:35342364, PMID:35958429].
Background
Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, also known as weeping forsythia, is a deciduous shrub in the Oleaceae family [PMID:37836156, PMID:39247880]. Its dried fruit, known as Forsythiae Fructus or Lianqiao, is widely used in traditional medicine across China, Japan, and Korea [PMID:28887216, PMID:31683033].
Traditional uses
It is traditionally used to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling, disperse knots/masses, and evacuate wind and heat [PMID:28887216, PMID:31683033, PMID:40461220]. It has been used to treat pyrexia, inflammation, gonorrhea, carbuncle, and erysipelas [PMID:28887216].
Active compounds
Key bioactive compounds include phenylethanoid glycosides (Forsythiasides A-K, including Forsythoside A and B), lignans (Phillyrin, Phillygenin), and forsythin [PMID:35958429, PMID:35744798, PMID:37797873, PMID:37836156]. Other constituents include phenolic acids, flavonoids, lipids, coumarins, and quinoid glycosides [PMID:35763534, PMID:24833035].
Mechanism of action
The herb and its compounds act through multiple pathways: inhibiting ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 axis [PMID:35342364, PMID:41036508], regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce inflammation [PMID:39647467, PMID:31683033, PMID:35958429], and modulating mitophagy via PINK1/Parkin [PMID:38241916] or USP11/SIRT3 [PMID:41338315]. Phillyrin also acts as a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor [PMID:33921630].
Clinical evidence
Evidence DAlzheimer's-like Pathology
Forsythoside A ameliorated memory and cognitive impairments and suppressed Aβ deposition and p-tau levels in APP/PS1 mice [PMID:35342364]
Evidence DDiabetic Nephropathy
Phillygenin inhibited inflammatory responses and alleviated apoptosis by reducing IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in mouse models [PMID:39647467]
Evidence DUlcerative Colitis
Forsythiaside A improved body weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and colon shortening in DSS-induced mice [PMID:40099671]
Evidence DMyocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Phillygenin improved cardiac function and reduced myocardial infarct size in mouse models [PMID:40523538]
Evidence DPulmonary Fibrosis
Forsythoside A demonstrated lung-protective effects and inhibited endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in mice [PMID:38788399]
Evidence DColorectal Cancer
Phillyrin suppressed proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis by targeting CD147 [PMID:40210179]
Safety & adverse effects
Phillyrin has been shown to have low toxicity in pharmacokinetic experiments [PMID:35744798].
Pregnancy & lactation
In teratogenicity tests, pregnant rats exhibited no signs of toxicity or abnormal changes following phillyrin administration [PMID:39197594].
Evidence summary
The current evidence is primarily based on in vitro cell assays and in vivo animal models (Level D), demonstrating significant potential for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and organ-protective effects, though human clinical trials are not detailed in the provided abstracts.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 35342364 (2022) — Forsythoside A Mitigates Alzheimer's-like Pathology by Inhibiting Ferroptosis-mediated Neuroinflammation via Nrf2/GPX4 Axis Activation. · International journal of biological sciences
2.PMID: 38241916 (2024) — Forsythiaside A attenuates mastitis via PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3.PMID: 40499219 (2025) — Lian Qiao Wen Dan Decoction attenuates gastric carcinogenesis by alleviating oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4.PMID: 40349961 (2026) — Hyperoside modulates bile acid and fatty acid metabolism, presenting a potentially promising treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. · Journal of advanced research
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
Forsythoside B suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in GBM cells by upregulating PTPRN [PMID:40383262]
Evidence DNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Hyperoside (found in F. suspensa) effectively mitigated NAFLD in rats [PMID:40349961]
— Phillygenin improves diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis via regulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathways.
· Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
6.PMID: 31683033 (2020) — Phillygenin inhibits LPS-induced activation and inflammation of LX2 cells by TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
7.PMID: 40055878 (2025) — The integration of metabolites from Forsythia suspensa and gut microbiota ameliorates drug-induced liver injury: network pharmacology and molecular docking studies. · Artificial cells, nanomedicine, and biotechnology
8.PMID: 38788399 (2024) — Forsythoside A regulates pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and lung fibroblast proliferation via the PTPRB signaling. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
9.PMID: 38295660 (2024) — Forsythia suspensa polyphenols regulate macrophage M1 polarization to alleviate intestinal inflammation in mice. · Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
10.PMID: 40523538 (2025) — Phillygenin ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting cuproptosis via the autophagy-lysosome degradation of CTR1. · Free radical biology & medicine
11.PMID: 35153732 (2021) — UPLC/Q-TOF MS Screening and Identification of Antibacterial Compounds in Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl Leaves. · Frontiers in pharmacology
13.PMID: 35958429 (2022) — Forsythiasides: A review of the pharmacological effects. · Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine
14.PMID: 35744798 (2022) — Review on the Pharmacological Properties of Phillyrin. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
15.PMID: 28887216 (2018) — Phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and future research of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl: A review. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
16.PMID: 40210179 (2025) — Phillyrin from Forsythia suspensa suppresses the proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of colorectal cancer via targeting CD147. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
17.PMID: 39197594 (2024) — Evaluation of genotoxicity and teratogenicity of phillyrin. · Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
18.PMID: 41338315 (2026) — Forsythiaside A ameliorates acetaminophen-induced liver injury by suppressing ferroptosis through activating USP11/SIRT3-mediated mitophagy. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
19.PMID: 40383262 (2025) — Forsythoside B suppresses glioblastoma by upregulating the expression of PTPRN. · Neuropharmacology
20.PMID: 35763534 (2022) — Metabolome analysis of genus Forsythia related constituents in Forsythia suspensa leaves and fruits using UPLC-ESI-QQQ-MS/MS technique. · PloS one
21.PMID: 37797873 (2024) — Review of the therapeutic potential of Forsythiae Fructus on the central nervous system: Active ingredients and mechanisms of action. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
22.PMID: 40099671 (2025) — Forsythiaside A Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis and Inhibits Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Formation in the Mice. · Phytotherapy research : PTR
23.PMID: 40461220 (2025) — [Intraspecific variation of Forsythia suspensa chloroplast genome]. · Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
24.PMID: 34764985 (2021) — Transcriptomic and Lipidomic Analysis of Lipids in Forsythia suspensa. · Frontiers in genetics
25.PMID: 39247880 (2024) — The gap-free genome of Forsythia suspensa illuminates the intricate landscape of centromeres. · Horticulture research
26.PMID: 37836156 (2023) — Gene Expression and Interaction Analysis of FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3 in Forsythia suspensa. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
27.PMID: 36200742 (2022) — Phillygenin from Forsythia suspensa leaves exhibits analgesic potential and anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice. · Journal of food biochemistry
28.PMID: 36422283 (2022) — Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of MeJA Responsive Enzymes Involved in Phillyrin Biosynthesis of Forsythia suspensa. · Metabolites
29.PMID: 41036508 (2025) — Forsythiaside A Suppresses Ferroptosis and Mitigates Type 2 Diabetes Osteoporosis Through the NRF2/GPX4 Axis. · Food science & nutrition
30.PMID: 33921630 (2021) — The Biological Effects of Forsythia Leaves Containing the Cyclic AMP Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitor Phillyrin. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)