Astragalus mongholicus
Astragalus mongholicus, commonly known as Mongolian milkvetch in English; 'Хунчир' in Mongolian; huángqí, běiqí or huánghuā huángqí, in Mongolia, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Mongolian medicine. It is a perennial plant and it is not listed as being threatened.
Distribution
A. mongholicus is widespread in temperate Asia, being found in Kazakhstan, from Siberia to the Russian Far East, in Mongolia, and in west and north China.
Herbalism
A. mongholicus is used in traditional Chinese medicine. A. mongholicus is a component in Lectranal, a food supplement used in treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis, though there is limited evidence of its effectiveness.
Chemistry
Chemical constituents of the roots include polysaccharides and triterpenoids, as well as isoflavones and their glycosides and malonates. It contains the saponin cycloastragenol.
Toxicology
While several other species of Astragalus are known to cause severe poisonings in livestock due to indolizine alkaloids, aliphatic nitro compounds, and accumulated selenium, none of these constituents have been detected in Astragalus mongholicus used in dietary supplements and TCM preparations.
Compendial status
A. mongholicus is listed in the following official pharmacopoeia: