Apocynum Venetum (Luo Bu Ma)

Also called luo bu ma, luobuma, Venetron, Apocynum venetum leaf extract, AVLE, dogbane leaf.

Best grade D across 2 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 5 sources

Apocynum venetum (luo bu ma) leaf is a traditional Chinese tea herb. In a small supplier-run study, 50 mg of extract before bed for one week added 7.6% non-REM sleep versus placebo, mostly light sleep. A larger open 2023 trial saw sleep improve on the extract, but placebo improved too. The plant contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside.

Every graded outcome on this page

2 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade DSelf-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire)Sleepn 106
  2. Grade DNon-REM sleep time and self-rated sleep qualitySleepn 15

Key facts

Sleep
50 mg of leaf extract 30 minutes before bed for 1 week increased non-REM sleep time by 7.6% vs placebo on home EEG, but the added sleep was mostly light non-REM sleep and deep-sleep (delta) power did not change1
Study size
16 adults with poor sleep were split into 4 matched groups of 4, not randomized; 15 contributed data, with 8 assessments on the extract alone1
Larger 2023 trial
In an open crossover trial (106 workers with poor sleep analysed), sleep-questionnaire scores improved during a week of 50 mg/day extract, but they also improved during the placebo week, and the extract was not tested directly against placebo5
Industry ties
The authors worked for Pharma Foods International and Tokiwa Phytochemical, the companies supplying the GABA and the Venetron extract1
Active compounds
The extract was standardized to at least 4% hyperoside and isoquercitrin, two quercetin glycosides1
Adulteration
A related species, Apocynum pictum, is often sold in its place, which may affect safety and effect2
Cardiac glycoside
The plant contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside; in one lab analysis the leaf held far less than the stems, and the Venetron extract the least4

What it is

Apocynum venetum, or luo bu ma, is a Chinese herb whose leaves are brewed as tea and sold as a standardized extract (Venetron) for sleep.

How it works

Proposed

The leaves are rich in flavonoids, mainly hyperoside and isoquercitrin. The sleep study's authors suggest these quercetin glycosides may act on the brain, and reviews describe anxiolytic, antidepressant-like and blood-pressure-lowering effects, mostly from animal studies. None of this is established in people. The plant also contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, and extracts had a weak heart-stimulating effect on isolated guinea-pig heart tissue.1234

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Apocynum Venetum (Luo Bu Ma) forms compared

2 forms
Apocynum Venetum (Luo Bu Ma) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 formsStandardized leaf extract (Venetron)Luobuma leaf tea
Absorption in peopleNot measured in humans.1No human data in our sources.2
GI toleranceNo worsening on sleep questionnaires; adverse events were not reported in detail.1No controlled human safety data in our sources.23
Studied forSleepTraditional use only
  1. Standardized leaf extract (Venetron)
    Absorption in people
    Not measured in humans.1
    GI tolerance
    No worsening on sleep questionnaires; adverse events were not reported in detail.1
    Studied for
    Sleep
  2. Luobuma leaf tea
    Absorption in people
    No human data in our sources.2
    GI tolerance
    No controlled human safety data in our sources.23
    Studied for
    Traditional use only
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

2 graded outcomes, largest study first

2 graded outcomes: 1 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2023 crossover trial of 106 people on Self-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire), found mixed results.

2. Non-REM sleep time and self-rated sleep quality: improved, 15 people2
1. Self-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire): mixed, 106 people1

1Self-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire)

Mixed · Grade D · Crossover RCT, 106 people, 2023

Healthy, non-depressed full-time workers with poor sleep (PSQI above 5), Japan; 160 enrolled, 106 analysed

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Self-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire)Mixed106Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2023Healthy, non-depressed full-time workers with poor sleep (PSQI above 5), Japan; 160 enrolled, 106 analysed
Non-REM sleep time and self-rated sleep qualityImproved15Grade D · Open-label trial, 2015Adults with poor sleep (PSQI 6 or higher), mean age about 37 (Japan)
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

2 rows
Grade DSelf-rated sleep problems (OSA sleep questionnaire)SleepBetter than baseline; placebo also improvedCrossover RCT
n 106 · 2023

Mixed Sleep-questionnaire scores improved from baseline during the extract week, but they also improved during the placebo and mindfulness weeks. Each period was compared with baseline only; the extract was not tested directly against placebo.

Design
Crossover RCT, n = 106, 2023
Population
Healthy, non-depressed full-time workers with poor sleep (PSQI above 5), Japan; 160 enrolled, 106 analysed
Form
Apocynum venetum leaf extract (AVLE); L-theanine, GABA, L-serine, placebo and mindfulness periods also tested
Dose
50 mg/day
Duration
7 days per period, washouts of at least 7 days
Source
Reference 5 · PubMed 37242260 (opens PubMed)
Grade DNon-REM sleep time and self-rated sleep qualitySleep+7.6% non-REM sleep timeOpen-label trial
n 15 · 2015

Improved Non-REM sleep time rose 7.6% vs placebo (p < 0.01) on single-channel home EEG, but most of the added non-REM sleep was light sleep and delta-wave power, a marker of deep sleep, did not differ from placebo. The PSQI improvement with the extract was only a non-significant trend (p = 0.10).

Design
Open-label trial, n = 15, 2015
Population
Adults with poor sleep (PSQI 6 or higher), mean age about 37 (Japan)
Form
Apocynum venetum leaf extract (Venetron, ≥4% hyperoside and isoquercitrin) vs dextrin placebo; GABA and combination arms also tested
Dose
50 mg 30 minutes before bed
Duration
1 week per period, 1-week washout
Source
Reference 1 · PubMed 26052150 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

No head-to-head win over placebo yet

The 2015 study compared the extract with placebo in only 8 assessments over one week, and the larger 2023 trial compared each week only with baseline, during which placebo also improved sleep. Both were run by company researchers: the extract's suppliers in 2015 and food maker Ezaki Glico in 2023.15

How we got this: Group sizes and analyses reported in the 2015 and 2023 studies

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from a single dose level of 50 mg of standardized leaf extract a day, given before bed for 1 week in a small sleep study and for 7-day periods in a larger open crossover trial. These are research doses, not recommendations.15

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Apocynum Venetum meets

2 cited rows 1 tested together

Medicines 2

Apocynum Venetum2 medicines · 1 supplement

Supplements and foods 1

  • Reference summary
  • Tested together in a graded trial
Also cited: 1 tested together

  1. Blood-pressure medicines and diuretics

    • ReviewReference summary

      Blood-pressure medicines and diuretics, for example ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, water pills: Reviews describe blood-pressure-lowering effects in animal studies, so taking it with these medicines could lower blood pressure further. Not studied in people.

      Source 3, J Ethnopharmacol (2012); Source 2, PeerJ (2023)

  2. Digoxin and other heart-glycoside medicines

    • ReviewReference summary

      Digoxin and other heart-glycoside medicines, for example Digoxin (Lanoxin): Apocynum venetum contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside from the same drug class as digoxin, and its extracts stimulated isolated heart tissue in a lab study. Effects could add up; no human interaction studies exist.

      Source 4, J Nat Med (2009); Source 3, J Ethnopharmacol (2012)

  3. GABAGABA page

Rows as our evidence profiles cite them; links stay on this site. Line weight shows what backs a row, not how serious an interaction is. No line means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe. Not medical advice: ask your pharmacist.

Interactions

2 agents
Published interactions, grouped by kind
AgentWhat the source saysEvidence
Medicines2
Digoxin and other heart-glycoside medicinese.g. Digoxin (Lanoxin)Apocynum venetum contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside from the same drug class as digoxin, and its extracts stimulated isolated heart tissue in a lab study. Effects could add up; no human interaction studies exist.43Review
Blood-pressure medicines and diureticse.g. ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, water pillsReviews describe blood-pressure-lowering effects in animal studies, so taking it with these medicines could lower blood pressure further. Not studied in people.32Review

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Apocynum Venetum and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Apocynum Venetum.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

5 groups
People on blood-pressure or heart medicines
The plant contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, and reviews describe blood-pressure-lowering and cardiotonic effects in animal studies. No human interaction studies exist, so effects alongside digoxin, blood-pressure medicines or diuretics are unknown.423
People with low blood pressure
Animal studies describe blood-pressure-lowering effects, so people with low blood pressure, or who feel faint on standing, may be more affected. This has not been studied in people.32
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No study included pregnant or breastfeeding women, and LactMed (the NIH breastfeeding database) has no entry for this herb, so there are no safety data for them. The plant contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside.154
Long-term use
Controlled human data that we could check cover 1-week periods (16 adults in 2015, 106 workers in 2023). A 2012 review reports no severe side effects in animal studies and clinical trials, including 50 mg a day for over three years, but those long-term data were not available to verify. LiverTox has no entry for the herb.153
Product identity
Apocynum pictum is often substituted for Apocynum venetum, so what is in a product may differ from what was studied.2
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks
Look for the standardized extract

The sleep study used an extract with at least 4% hyperoside and isoquercitrin at 50 mg. Loose tea or unstandardized powders are not the same.1

Check the species

The label should name Apocynum venetum; Apocynum pictum is a common substitute.2

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, apocynum venetum (luo bu ma) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers
Does Apocynum venetum help sleep?

Not clearly. In a small supplier-run study, 50 mg of leaf extract before bed added 7.6% non-REM sleep vs placebo over a week, mostly light sleep. In a 2023 open trial of 106 workers, sleep scores improved on the extract but also on placebo, and the two were not compared directly.15

Does luo bu ma lower blood pressure?

Reviews describe blood-pressure-lowering effects mainly in animal studies; we found no modern controlled human trial of blood pressure. Because of that possible effect and its cymarin content, people on blood-pressure or heart medicines should talk with their clinician first.324

Is Apocynum venetum safe?

Checkable controlled human data cover one week. A 2012 review reports no severe side effects in older trials, but the plant contains cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, animal studies show effects on blood pressure and the heart, and substitution with a related species is common.1342

Is luobuma tea the same as the Venetron extract?

No. The 2015 sleep study used a 50 mg extract standardized to at least 4% hyperoside and isoquercitrin. Loose luobuma tea is not standardized, has no human sleep data in our sources, and may contain the substitute species Apocynum pictum.12

What is luo bu ma?

The Chinese name for Apocynum venetum, a herb whose leaves are drunk as tea in China and sold as a standardized extract.32

What is Venetron?

A branded Apocynum venetum leaf extract from Tokiwa Phytochemical, standardized to hyperoside and isoquercitrin; it is the extract used in the sleep study.1

Sources

5 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

5 sources
  1. 1The Improvement of Sleep by Oral Intake of GABA and Apocynum venetum Leaf Extract.Open-label trial J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2015 · PMID 26052150
  2. 2Apocynum venetum, a medicinal, economical and ecological plant: a review update.Review PeerJ, 2023 · PMID 36908824
  3. 3Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Apocynum venetum L. (Luobuma): A review.Review J Ethnopharmacol, 2012 · PMID 22421379
  4. 4Cardiotonic effect of Apocynum venetum L. extracts on isolated guinea pig atrium.Animal study J Nat Med, 2009 · PMID 19002560
  5. 5Analysis of the Effects of Known Sleep-Support Supplements in Relation to Life Habits, Sleep Conditions, and Sleep Problems.Crossover RCT Nutrients, 2023 · PMID 37242260

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
summary, key facts, evidence, studied doses, who should avoid, FAQ, questions, relatedRe-searched PubMed for human Apocynum venetum studies: added the 2023 open randomized crossover trial (PMID 37242260; 106 workers analysed, 50 mg/day for 7-day periods; period length, placebo arm and analysed number read in PMC10220724). It compared each period with baseline only and placebo also improved, so it is graded D with a mixed result. Rewrote the summary and insight to match. No LactMed or LiverTox entry exists for the herb (checked), so the pregnancy and long-term notes say so; no NCCIH or MedlinePlus page either, so interactions are unchanged (cymarin/digoxin and blood-pressure rows stand). Added FAQ on tea versus extract and on blood pressure, questions this page answers, and the sleep goal-hub link.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
allInitial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
evidence, key facts, interactions, who should avoidReview fixes: 2015 sleep study relabelled open-label (16 people in 4 matched groups, not randomized; n = 15 after one illness dropout), result narrowed to light non-REM sleep with no delta-power change and a non-significant PSQI trend; 'Funding' renamed 'Industry ties'; cymarin (Irie 2009, PMID 19002560) added with digoxin and blood-pressure/diuretic interactions and a low-blood-pressure caution. Checked against the full text of PMID 26052150 and the abstract of PMID 19002560.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: adversarial review

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