Gastrodia elata is a precious traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the effects of calming wind to relieve convulsion and suppressing liver yang, and it is mainly used for the treatment of diseases of nervous and cardiovascular-cerebrovascular systems. Through retrieval and statistics, 171 TCM prescriptions containing G. elata were identified, involving 392 TCMs. These herbs are mostly warm or cold in nature, predominantly bitter and pungent in flavor, and their meridian tropism is mainly attributed to the liver, spleen and heart meridians. Data analysis identified seven Chinese medicinal combinations and four categories of core drugs. There are ten dosage forms of the preparations, with pills and capsules as the main types. Their core efficacies focus on wind syndrome, blood stasis syndrome and deficiency syndrome, and they are indicated for stroke, rheumatic arthralgia and certain pediatric diseases. Contraindications remain unclear for 52% of TCM prescriptions containing G. elata, and some explicitly state that they are forbidden for pregnant women, children and other populations. By systematically analyzing the marketed medicinal products containing G. elata, this study constructs a complete evidence chain of “chemical components-pharmacological effects-formulation rules-clinical positioning”, which provides a scientific reference for the rational clinical application, in-depth research and development of G. elata, and also offers valuable insights for the modernization of TCM.

Gastrodia elata Bl.  /  marketed drugs  /  compound preparations  /  data mining  /  calms wind and stops spasms  /  suppresses liver yang  /  dispels wind and unblocks meridians