This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
Snow Lotus (Saussurea costus) contains active compounds such as costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone. These sesquiterpene lactones are believed to provide anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits by inhibiting the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. In Traditional Tibetan Medicine, it is considered a warming tonic that clears lung heat and supports digestion. While these mechanisms are plausible, clinical evidence remains limited (Evidence level: C).
Does Snow Lotus interact with any medications?
Specific drug interaction studies are lacking, but caution is advised. Because Snow Lotus carries a risk of liver stress at high doses, it should not be combined with hepatotoxic drugs like acetaminophen or statins. Due to its potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions, patients taking immunosuppressants or NSAIDs should consult a healthcare provider before use (Evidence level: C).
What is the recommended dosage for Saussurea costus?
For adults, the typical dosage of Snow Lotus root powder is 1-3 grams daily. Standardized extracts are generally taken at 300-500 mg per day. It is traditionally prepared as a decoction or taken in capsule form. Users should avoid exceeding these amounts due to potential hepatotoxicity and should follow the guidance of a qualified medical herbalist (Evidence level: Traditional/C).
Is Snow Lotus safe to take during pregnancy?
No, Snow Lotus is contraindicated during pregnancy. Traditional usage and safety data classify it as unsafe for pregnant women. The herb contains potent compounds that may stimulate uterine contractions or cause fetal harm. Breastfeeding women should also avoid this herb. It is vital to consult a healthcare professional before considering this herb if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant (Evidence level: C/D).
What are the side effects of taking Snow Lotus?
Potential side effects include gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, and stomach upset. More serious concerns involve liver stress and hepatotoxicity, particularly when taken at high doses or for prolonged periods. Users should strictly adhere to recommended dosages to minimize risks. If symptoms of liver distress, such as jaundice or abdominal pain, appear, discontinue use immediately and seek medical attention (Evidence level: C).
What is Snow Lotus used for in Tibetan medicine?
In Sowa Rigpa, Snow Lotus is a sacred herb used primarily for respiratory issues like bronchitis and asthma, acting as an expectorant. It is also utilized for digestive complaints and as a general tonic to alleviate pain and fever. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it a staple for treating various inflammatory conditions, though clinical evidence supports these uses only at a preliminary level (Evidence level: C).
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
Saussurea costus (and the related S. involucrata) are medicinal herbs used in traditional Asian and Middle Eastern medicine for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and metabolic disorders [PMID: 32730877, 32009958, 39323795].
Background
Saussurea costus (also known as Aucklandia costus or costus) is a perennial herb native to the Himalayan region and widely used in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Traditional Chinese Medicine [PMID: 32730877, 37755516]. Saussurea involucrata, also called snow lotus, is a rare medicinal plant found at high elevations in the Tianshan Mountains of China [PMID: 32009958, 41351364].
Traditional uses
S. costus is traditionally used for leukoderma, liver and kidney disorders, blood disorders, gastric problems, boils, blisters, leprosy, asthma, and inflammation [PMID: 32730877, 17306480]. S. involucrata is used in Uyghur and Chinese medicine to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, accelerate blood circulation, and treat 'cold' syndromes [PMID: 32009958].
Active compounds
S. costus contains sesquiterpene lactones (including costunolide, dehydrocostus lactone, and cynaropicrin), flavonoids, and essential oils [PMID: 31402701, 36733833, 17306480, 42055098]. S. involucrata contains acacetin, hispidulin, and apigenin [PMID: 32009958, 41323822, 35280514].
Mechanism of action
S. costus may exert effects via the downregulation of IKBKB and associated inflammatory genes (IKBKG, NfkB1, IL-17A, IL-6, IL-17F, IL-1β, TNF-α, TRAF6, and MAPK) [PMID: 37367922]. S. involucrata-derived polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is associated with collagen synthesis and reduced reactive oxygen species [PMID: 41351364].
Clinical evidence
Evidence DHypothyroidism
S. costus root extract showed potential in restoring metabolic homeostasis in PTU-induced hypothyroid rat models [PMID: 38253277, 40833088].
Evidence DDiabetes
S. costus demonstrated therapeutic activity and modulation of carbohydrate metabolism in alloxan- and STZ-induced diabetic rat models [PMID: 37367922, 38355028].
Evidence DAtopic Dermatitis
Topical application of S. costus root extract combined with Thuja orientalis L. alleviated skin lesions by inhibiting protease-activated receptor-2 and NF-κB signaling in mice [PMID: 28159725].
Evidence DMammary Tumors
Ethanol root extract of S. costus showed anti-neoplastic activity in a rat mammary tumor model [PMID: 37858751].
Evidence DBenign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
S. costus administration in testosterone-induced BPH rats affected biological mechanisms leading to progression [PMID: 34171398].
Evidence DSodium Nitrite Toxicity
Safety & adverse effects
Costus root oil has been identified as a cause of contact allergy, with positive patch test reactions in over 2% of tested patients [PMID: 27427818]. It also demonstrated moderate UVA-induced photohaemolysis in vitro [PMID: 17598033].
Evidence summary
The majority of evidence is based on in vitro studies, animal models (rats/mice), and literature reviews. There is a lack of high-level clinical trial data (RCTs) in humans.
PubMed sources
1.PMID: 32730877 (2020) — Aucklandia costus (Syn. Saussurea costus): Ethnopharmacology of an endangered medicinal plant of the himalayan region. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
2.PMID: 33026044 (2020) — Clinical significance of Saussurea Costus in thyroid treatment. · Saudi medical journal
3.PMID: 41351364 (2025) — Skin regenerative potential of polydeoxyribonucleotide isolated from Saussurea involucrata. · Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)
4.PMID: 27427818 (2016) — Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. · Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug
5.PMID: 31402701 (2021) — Sesquiterpenoids from Saussurea costus. · Natural product research
Government sources
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.
S. costus ethanol extract reduced harmful effects of sodium nitrite on liver and kidney function biomarkers in rats [PMID: 35691462].
6.
PMID: 37755516 (2024) — Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.: a comprehensive review of its pharmacology, phytochemicals, ethnobotanical uses, and therapeutic potential. · Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
7.PMID: 39323795 (2024) — Current and potential future biological uses of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch: A comprehensive review. · Heliyon
8.PMID: 32009958 (2019) — Saussureae Involucratae Herba (Snow Lotus): Review of Chemical Compositions and Pharmacological Properties. · Frontiers in pharmacology
9.PMID: 35691462 (2022) — Root extracts of Saussurea costus as prospective detoxifying food additive against sodium nitrite toxicity in male rats. · Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
10.PMID: 37493699 (2023) — Investigation of antibacterial and antifungal activity of Saussurea costus root extracts. · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias
11.PMID: 37858751 (2024) — Modulation of mammary tumour progression using murine model by ethanol root extract of Saussurea costus (falc.) lipsch. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
12.PMID: 36733833 (2023) — Chemical characterization and the intrusion through elicitation and Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root transformation in Saussurea costus C.B. Clarke. · Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology
13.PMID: 41323822 (2025) — Overcoming the Low Bioavailability of Apigenin: The Therapeutic Efficacy for Androgenetic Alopecia Through Topical Administration. · Food science & nutrition
14.PMID: 37367922 (2023) — Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saussurea costus as Therapeutic Agents against a Diabetic Rat Model-Approaches to Investigate Pharmacophore Modeling of Human IkB Kinase and Molecular Interaction with Dehydrocostus Lactone of Saussurea costus. · Metabolites
15.PMID: 35280514 (2022) — Acacetin as a Potential Protective Compound against Cardiovascular Diseases. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
16.PMID: 17306480 (2007) — Saussurea costus: botanical, chemical and pharmacological review of an ayurvedic medicinal plant. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
17.PMID: 35431327 (2022) — Exploring the inhibitory potential of Saussurea costus and Saussurea involucrata phytoconstituents against the Spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant and the main protease (Mpro) as therapeutic candidates, using Molecular docking, DFT, and ADME/Tox studies. · Journal of molecular structure
18.PMID: 34171398 (2021) — Effects of Saussurea costus on apoptosis imbalance and inflammation in benign prostatic hyperplasia. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
19.PMID: 38355028 (2024) — Unveiling the chemical profiling and remarkable modulation of carbohydrate metabolism by costus root, Dolomiaea costus (Falc.) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
20.PMID: 38396290 (2024) — Comparative plastome analysis and taxonomic classification of snow lotus species (Saussurea, Asteraceae) in Central Asia and Southern Siberia. · Functional & integrative genomics
21.PMID: 38253277 (2024) — Metabolomic insights into the therapeutic mechanisms of costus (Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.) root extract in propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism rat model. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
22.PMID: 32797097 (2020) — RETRACTED: Biogenic green synthesis of MgO nanoparticles using Saussurea costus biomasses for a comprehensive detection of their antimicrobial, cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and photocatalysis potentials. · PloS one
23.PMID: 42055098 (2026) — Traditional uses, Phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, Pharmacology, and practical applications of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch: A review. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
24.PMID: 38605153 (2024) — Anthelmintic Activity of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. Against Ascaridia galli, a Pathogenic Nematode in Poultry: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies. · Acta parasitologica
25.PMID: 36257276 (2022) — Computational approach investigation bioactive molecules from Saussurea Costus plant as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors using reverse docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and pharmacokinetic ADMET parameters. · Computers in biology and medicine
26.PMID: 40833088 (2025) — Unlocking molecular mechanisms of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. root extract against experimentally induced hypothyroidism through integrated ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based serum metabolomics and network pharmacology approaches. · The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
27.PMID: 28159725 (2017) — Topical treatments of Saussurea costus root and Thuja orientalis L. synergistically alleviate atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions by inhibiting protease-activated receptor-2 and NF-κB signaling in HaCaT cells and Nc/Nga mice. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
28.PMID: 17598033 (2007) — Evaluation of phototoxic properties of fragrances. · Acta dermato-venereologica
29.PMID: 34070487 (2021) — Back to the Roots-An Overview of the Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Selected Root-Essential Oils. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
30.PMID: 36771546 (2023) — Inhibitory Activity of Saussurea costus Extract against Bacteria, Candida, Herpes, and SARS-CoV-2. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)