Kudzu Root

Kudzu root (Pueraria lobata) is a food and medicine widely used in East Asia especially China (Zeng et al., 2019).

An interesting compound is isolated from the plant called puerarin. It has been used as a botanical based treatment for liver fibrosis.

References

Xu, L. Y., Zheng, N., He, Q. L., Li, R., Zhang, K. F., & Liang, T. (2013).  Puerarin, isolated from Pueraria lobata (Willd.), protects against hepatotoxicity via specific inhibition of the TGF-beta 1/Smad signaling pathway, thereby leading to anti-fibrotic effect.  Phytomedicine,  20(13), pp. 1172– 1179 (Article).

Zeng, F., Li, T., Zhao, H., Chen, H., Yu, X., & Liu, B. (2019). Effect of debranching and temperature-cycled crystallization on the physicochemical properties of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) resistant starch. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 129, pp. 1148– 1154 (Article).

Zhang, P. J., Zhang, F. X., & Yang, X. S. (2019). Determination and optimization of extraction process of total flavonoids from Pueraria lobata. Pharmacy, S. O. J. J. O. H. U. O. S., & Technology, 2019.

Zhao, Y., Zhu, X., & Fang, Y. (2021). Structure, properties and applications of kudzu starch. Food Hydrocolloids, 119, 106817 (Article).