← The ApothecaryMelanthiaceaerhizomeFact-checked 24 October 2026

Significant riskA toxic herb whose liver toxicity is dose-dependent: liver damage appears when saponin doses exceed 4–5 times the recommended amount, and rats given saponins long term developed liver damage even at lower doses. Excessive intake has caused arrhythmias and muffled heart sounds; the saponins also break down red blood cells above about 0.01 g/L in the test tube. The oral LD50 of the total saponins in mice was about 2.2 g/kg.In an emergency, call your local emergency number or poison centre.

EvidenceTraditional use

SafetySignificant risk

PregnancyAvoid

Actions

styptic · anti-inflammatory · analgesic · vulnerary

What the regulators say

Pharmacopoeias: Chinese Pharmacopoeia

The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020) admits the dried rhizome of var. yunnanensis and var. chinensis. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable, because of over-harvesting, habitat loss and illegal collection. Not listed in CITES (Species+ search, October 2026), though a 2018 trade review argued it meets the criteria for Appendix II. Market prices in China rose about 400-fold from the 1980s to 2017, and roughly 800–1,050 tonnes of rhizome are traded a year, including exports from Nepal (and possibly Bhutan) to China and India; China is the only country cultivating it on a large scale. The review recommends cultivation outside high-conservation habitats with traceable supply chains separating cultivated from wild stock.

Chong lou

Paris polyphylla

Also calledRhizoma Paridis (pharmacy name) · Dian Paris (var. yunnanensis) · Seven-leaved Paris (var. chinensis)

In older monographsParis polyphylla var. yunnanensis, Paris polyphylla var. chinensis

A Himalayan and Chinese woodland herb whose rhizome is a staple of Chinese wound and bleeding medicines, including Yunnan Baiyao. Its steroidal saponins are toxic to the liver, heart, gut and red blood cells at high doses, and wild harvesting for a booming trade has made it Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

What it is used for

Cancer: drugs and supportive care
Limited
Yunnan folk doctors use it and its formulas mainly for cancer, and saponins such as polyphyllin D kill tumour cells in the laboratory, but no clinical trials establish benefit; the same saponins are the toxic ones.^2,3,1
Bleeding
Traditional
Chinese medicine credits Rhizoma Paridis with stopping bleeding, and it is a main raw material of Yunnan Baiyao, used to stop bleeding and help small open wounds heal. Clinical evidence for the rhizome alone was not found.^1,2
Heavy periods
Traditional
Gong Xue Ning capsules, made in China from the saponin extract of var. yunnanensis, are used for abnormal uterine bleeding; we did not find controlled trials.²
Insect bites and stings
Traditional
Listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia for venomous snake bites and used in Nepal as an antidote to poisonous insects and snakes; untested clinically.^2,1
Bacterial infections
Traditional
Used in Chinese medicine and by Yunnan folk doctors for boils, carbuncles, abscesses and mumps ('clearing heat and detoxifying').^1,3
Sore throat
Traditional
Sore throat is among the Chinese Pharmacopoeia indications.²
Wounds and cuts
Traditional
In Nepal and the Himalaya, rhizome pastes, juices and powders are applied to cuts, wounds, blisters, burns and sprains.²

How it is prepared

powder

Dried rhizome powder as part of manufactured Chinese medicines such as Yunnan Baiyao; not prepared at home because of its toxicity.

Bleeding · Wounds and cuts

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy: Avoid
Breastfeeding: Avoid
Children: Not for home use.

Interactions with medicines

sedativesMinorParis saponins prolonged barbiturate-induced sleep in mice.

Interaction checker →

Do not use if

Liver or heart disease
Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no reproductive toxicity studies)
Use above recommended doses or for long periods

Side effects

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea with excess intake
Arrhythmias reported with excessive intake
Liver injury at high doses

In the healing traditions

Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chong lou (Rhizoma Paridis)
Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces swelling and pain, cools the blood, stops bleeding, and cools the liver to calm convulsions; for mumps, bleeding, snake bites, fractures and abscesses. The rhizome is the raw material of about 90 proprietary Chinese medicines.
Shennong Bencao Jing; Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020)
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Paris (Yunnan folk doctors)
Folk doctors of northwest Yunnan, home to Bai, Naxi, Yi, Tibetan and other peoples, use var. yunnanensis fresh or dry, or processed in wine or honey, steamed or boiled in foil packets, chiefly for cancer, inflammation, abscesses and mumps.
Himalayan folk medicine (Nepal, India)
Paris polyphylla (Nepal)
Rhizome infusions, juices, powders and pastes for cuts, wounds, blisters, burns, sprains, headache, fever, worms, gastritis, diarrhoea and dysentery, period pain and jaundice, as an expectorant and tonic, and as an antidote to aconite poisoning and to snake or insect bites.

Active compounds

Paris saponins I, II, VI and VII (polyphyllins): steroidal saponins, over 80% of the compounds; the Chinese Pharmacopoeia quality markers (at least 0.6% for I, II and VII); cytotoxic to tumour cells, haemolytic, and toxic to the heart in zebrafish and mice (polyphyllin I)
polyphyllin D: steroidal saponin with strong anticancer activity in cells, but strongly haemolytic
dioscin and diosgenin: spirostanol saponin and its aglycone; dioscin killed mouse sperm in vitro

History

Chong lou appears in the Shennong Bencao Jing and has been used for centuries for bleeding, snake bite, fractures and abscesses. It is a main ingredient of Yunnan Baiyao, the famous Chinese first-aid medicine for bleeding, and rising demand (prices up about 400-fold since the 1980s) has driven wild harvest in China, Nepal and India.

Sources

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.