What Is Houttuynia cordata Extract? Applications, Dosage, Alternatives & Specifications

Houttuynia cordata Extract, also known as Heartleaf Houttuynia Herb Extract, is a natural plant extract processed from the dried aerial parts of Houttuynia cordata Thunb., a plant of the Saururaceae family, through extraction, filtration, concentration, and drying processes. It is a functional ingredient with multiple biological activities. Houttuynia cordata was originally recorded in the Mingyi Bieliu (Records of Famous Physicians) as a lower-grade herb. It is distributed in areas south of the Yangtze River basin, primarily produced in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, and Henan provinces. The medicinal part is the whole plant including roots. It has a pungent taste, slightly cold nature, and enters the lung meridian. It has the functions of clearing heat and removing toxins, dispersing abscesses and expelling pus, and promoting diuresis and relieving stranguria. It is used for lung abscess with pus expectoration, phlegm-heat cough and asthma, dysentery, heat stranguria, and sores and swellings. It is known as “a broad-spectrum antibiotic in traditional Chinese medicine.” The Compendium of Materia Medica records: “Its leaves have a fishy odor, hence the common name fishy-smelling herb.” Houttuynia cordata has a medicinal history of several hundred years in China and is also a medicinal and edible plant, which can be consumed as a vegetable (such as cold salad), possessing both biological activity and edible value. It contains various active components including volatile oils, flavonoids, alkaloids, and polysaccharides, with wide-ranging pharmacological effects including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immune-enhancing activities. Houttuynia cordata extract products are available in various forms, including ratio extracts (4:1, 10:1, 20:1, etc.), volatile oil extracts, polysaccharide extracts, flavonoid extracts, and liquid extracts.

The main active components of Houttuynia cordata extract are shown in the table below: Component Category

Volatile Oils: Volatile oils are important active components of Houttuynia cordata extract, with main components including decanoyl acetaldehyde (houttuynium), methyl nonyl ketone, and lauroyl aldehyde. Decanoyl acetaldehyde is the most important antibacterial active component in the volatile oil of Houttuynia cordata. Studies have shown that inert atmosphere or lower temperatures favor the extraction of decanoyl acetaldehyde. Compared with conventional steam distillation, the content of decanoyl acetaldehyde increased from 0.03% to 0.53% under argon gas protection, and further increased to 3.37% under decompression.