Chai Hu Shu Gan San

Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More

Common Names

  • Chai Hu Shu Gan Tang
  • Chai Hu Shu Gan Pian
  • Bupleurum Powder to Spread the Liver
  • Bupleurum Soothe the Liver formula

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For Patients & Caregivers

Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.

Chai Hu Shu Gan San (CHSGS) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula. It’s made up of seven herbs. 

Chai Hu Shu Gan San is used to treat:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression

Talk with your healthcare providers before taking herbal formulas. They can interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.

Side effects of CHSGS may include:

  • Drowsiness
  • Dry mouth

For Healthcare Professionals

Chai Hu Shu Gan San (CHSGS) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula with a history of use as a treatment for anxiety and depression. Documented in the 16th century classic text Jing Yue Quan Shu, this formula consists of seven herbs: Bupleurum chinense DC (Chai Hu), Rhizoma cyperi (Xiang Fu), Pericarpium citri reticulatae (Chen Pi), Fructus aurantii (Zhi Ke), Radix paeoniae alba (Bai Shao), Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (Chuan Xiong), and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (Gan Cao).

Limited data show that CHSGS helps alleviate depression in patients with a variety of diseases including cancer (1) (2) (3). It may also benefit those with functional dyspepsia  (4) and chronic gastritis  (5).

Larger studies with methodological rigor are needed to further evaluate the therapeutic benefits of CHSGS.

  • Anxiety
  • Depression

CHSGS reduced breast cancer-associated depression in a murine model by suppressing the IL-17/ NF-κB pathway and modulating microglial polarization  (6).  It was also shown to restrict tumor growth and alleviate depression-like behaviors by reprogramming lipid metabolism in mice with stress-accelerated prostate cancer  (7).

In another study, administration of CHSGS to mice with chronic mild stress led to a significant increase in the ratio of hippocampal ERα and ERβ mRNA, which was associated with changes in mood  (8).

Drowsiness and dry mouth have been reported (9).

None known.

  1. Sun Y, Xu X, Zhang J, Chen Y. Treatment of depression with Chai Hu Shu Gan San: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 randomized controlled trials. BMC Complement Altern Med. Feb 17 2018;18(1):66. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2130-z
  2. Wang Y, Fan R, Huang X. Meta-analysis of the clinical effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine formula Chaihu-Shugan-San in depression. J Ethnopharmacol. Jun 1 2012;141(2):571-7. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.08.079
  3. Zhang X, Zhao Q, Wang Y, Mao Y, Sun Y, Bian X. Effectiveness and safety of Chaihu-Shugan-San for treating depression based on clinical cases: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). Jun 28 2024;103(26):e38668. doi:10.1097/md.0000000000038668
  4. Wang Y, Jia Y, Liu X, et al. Effect of Chaihu-Shugan-San on functional dyspepsia and gut microbiota: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. Mar 25 2024;322:117659. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117659
  5. Qin F, Liu JY, Yuan JH. Chaihu-Shugan-San, an oriental herbal preparation, for the treatment of chronic gastritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Ethnopharmacol. Mar 27 2013;146(2):433-9. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.01.029
  6. Qu Z, Li H, Qiang F, et al. Regulation of inflammation by Chaihu-Shugan-San: Targeting the IL-17/ NF-κB pathway to combat breast cancer-related depression. Phytomedicine. Jul 25 2025;143:156836. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2025.156836
  7. Li W, Zhou R, Zheng J, et al. Chaihu-Shugan-San ameliorates tumor growth in prostate cancer promoted by depression via modulating sphingolipid and glycerinphospholipid metabolism. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1011450. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.1011450
  8. Chen S, Asakawa T, Ding S, et al. Chaihu-Shugan-San administration ameliorates perimenopausal anxiety and depression in rats. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e72428. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072428
  9. Cheng SY, Li L, Li JM. Clinical observation of depression treated with Chinese combined with Western medicine. Liaoning Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2007;34:957-958.
  10. Fang X, Wu Q, Han X, Ren X, Bai X, Zhu B. A clinical study of chaihu shugan powder in the treatment of malignant tumor patients with depression. J Chin Oncologia 2013;19:726-729.
Email your questions and comments to aboutherbs@mskcc.org.

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