Jiaogulan -- The Everything Herb
03/24/2026
Jiaogulan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum) is a vine in the cucumber family, native to southern China. It is nicknamed the “immortality herb” because people who regularly consume it as tea or as a vegetable are known for their longevity. It has wide-reaching effects that trace back to its ability to modulate what is perhaps the most important messenger molecule in the body – nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide, NO, is a simple gas, one nitrogen and one oxygen atom. In the horse’s body, it is produced from the amino acid arginine by three nitric oxide synthase enzymes:
- eNOS: endogenous NOS, located in the lining of blood vessels (the endothelium)
- nNOS: neuronal NOS, in the nervous system
- iNOS: inducible NOS, activated by injury, infection or disease
The eNOS and nNOS are always active and produce low levels of NO. The iNOS is normally turned off unless a trigger is present. Once activated, iNOS produces very high levels of NO.
The active components of Jiaogulan, the gypenosides, have been shown to directly cause the release of nitric oxide from the lining of blood vessels. Nitric oxide released from the endothelium of blood vessels is a potent vasodilator, diffusing easily out of the vessel lumen, which results in relaxation of the smooth muscle. It also activates tissue growth factors in the area.
Nitric oxide is the natural antagonist to endothelin-1, the horse’s body’s most potent constrictor of blood vessels. Endothelin-1 is elevated in endocrine-related laminitis, which makes Jiaogulan a potent weapon against pasture laminitis, fall seasonal rise laminitis and winter laminitis in metabolic horses.
Nitric oxide is also involved in healing processes of tendons/ligamentsand also bone. This makes Jiaogulan a valuable support for things like tendon or ligament injuries, DSLD and suspensory problems originating below the hock which are common in dressage and western performance horses.
Research now also points to a potential role for Jiaogulan in horses with osteoarthritis. It offers dual lines of support by helping maintain the positive effects of low level nitric oxide while opposing the harmful effects of activating of the inducible nitric oxide system at the same time. Activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase enzyme is involved in the degenerative pathophysiology of osteoarthritis.
Benefits of Jiaogulan have been found in virtually every body system where it has been examined and this likely explains the general invigorating effect this herb can have. I vividly remember the owner of one aged Spanish stallion telling me excitedly, “He’s gaiting for the first time in years!”
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About ECIR Group Inc. Started in 1999, the ECIR Group is the largest field-trial database for PPID and IR in the world and provides the latest research, diagnosis, and treatment information, in addition to dietary recommendations, for horses with these conditions. Even universities do not and cannot compile and follow long term as many in-depth case histories of PPID/IR horses as the ECIR Group.
In 2013 the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, was approved as a 501(c)3 public charity. Tax deductible contributions and grants support ongoing research, education, and awareness of Equine Cushing's Disease/PPID and Insulin Resistance.
THE MISSION of the ECIR Group Inc. is to improve the welfare of equines with metabolic disorders via a unique interface between basic research and real-life clinical experience. Prevention of laminitis is the ultimate goal. The ECIR Group serves the scientific community, practicing clinicians, and owners by focusing on investigations most likely to quickly, immediately, and significantly benefit the welfare of the horse.
Tanner MA, Bu X, Steimle JA, Myers PR The Direct Release of Nitric Oxide by Gypenosides Derived from the Herb Gynostemma pentaphyllum Elsevier, Vol 3, Iss 5, October 1999 https://doi.org/10.1006/niox.1999.0245
Gauff F, Patan-Zugaj B, Licka TF Hyperinsulinaemia increases vascular resistance and endothelin-1 expression in the equine digit Equine Vet J 2013 Sep;45(5):613-8. doi: 10.1111/evj.12040. Epub 2013 Mar 12.
Bokhari AR, Murrell GAC, The role of nitric oxide in tendon healing. J Shoulder and Elbow Surg Volume 21, Issue 2 p238-244 February 2012
Wimalawansa, SJ Nitric oxide and bone 2010, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1749-6632.2009.05230.X
Hee-Geun Jo, Chae Yun Baek, Yeseul Hwang, Eunhye Baek, Chanyoon Park, Ho Sueb Song, Donghun Lee, Investigating the Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, and Chondroprotective Effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino in Osteoarthritis: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study Int J Mol Sci 2024 Sep 4;25(17):9594. doi: 10.3390/ijms25179594
Chun-Yan Shen , Jian-Guo Jiang , Man-Man Shi , Hui-Ling Yang, Hong Wei , Wei Zhu, Comparison of the Effects and Inhibitory Pathways of the Constituents from Gynostemma pentaphyllum against LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response J Agric Food Chem 2018 Oct 31;66(43):11337-11346. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b03903. Epub 2018 Oct 18.
