Ophiopogon (Mondo Grass Root)
Also called Ophiopogon japonicus, Ophiopogon, mondo grass, Ophiopogonis Radix, liriopogon.
Best grade C across 4 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked
The short answer
From 8 sourcesOphiopogon japonicus, or mondo grass root, is a traditional Chinese medicine herb used almost only in multi-herb formulas. Trials of those formulas, including an intravenous ginseng combination for heart failure and an eight-herb paste for sarcopenia, cannot isolate its effect, and its one single-ingredient trial tested a skin product. No agency has reviewed its safety.
Every graded outcome on this page
4 rows · line = participants- CGrade CAtopic dermatitis severity and flare-ups (topical use)Eczeman 234
- DGrade DHeart damage markers during anthracycline chemotherapyHeart (hospital injection)n 2,140
- DGrade DHeart failure functional class and walking distanceHeart failuren 240
- DGrade DMuscle mass, strength and function in diabetic sarcopeniaMusclen 90
Key facts
- What it is
- Ophiopogon japonicus, whose root is used in traditional Chinese medicine; with the related Liriope it is used for cough, rheumatoid arthritis and 'clearing heat'13
- How it is used
- Mostly in formulas: Shenmai injection pairs it with Panax ginseng, and Shenqi paste combines it with seven other medicine-food herbs23
- Heart failure
- In 240 patients with chronic heart failure, 1 week of intravenous Shenmai injection added to standard care improved NYHA class more than placebo3
- Skin
- A topical product with Ophiopogon oligofructans lowered eczema (SCORAD) scores and relapses vs placebo in 90 children and 144 adults over 60 days4
- Funding
- The eczema trial's listed affiliation is the company SILAB; the formula trials state no funding in their abstracts4
- Agency safety reviews
- No ODS, NCCIH, LactMed, LiverTox, Health Canada or EMA source covers Ophiopogon5
What it is
Ophiopogon japonicus (mondo grass) is a plant whose root is used in traditional Chinese medicine, mostly within multi-herb formulas.
How it works
ProposedOphiopogon contains steroidal saponins, flavonoids and polysaccharides, which show cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in laboratory research. A critical review notes excessive doses and design problems in much of that research.1
Forms, side by side
3 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.
Ophiopogon (Mondo Grass Root) forms compared
3 forms| 3 forms | Oral multi-herb formulas (pastes, decoctions) | Shenmai injection (with ginseng, intravenous) | Topical oligofructan active |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | No human absorption data in our sources.2 | Given intravenously in hospital; not a supplement form.3 | Applied to skin; not swallowed.4 |
| GI tolerance | No serious adverse events over 12 weeks with an eight-herb paste.2 | Well tolerated over 1 week at 100 mL/day with no apparent safety concerns.3 | The abstract does not report adverse events.4 |
| Studied for | Muscle mass and strength in older adults with diabetic sarcopenia | Chronic heart failure with coronary artery disease | Mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis |
- Oral multi-herb formulas (pastes, decoctions)
- Shenmai injection (with ginseng, intravenous)
- Topical oligofructan active
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
4 graded outcomes, largest study firstAll 4 graded outcomes found an improvement. The largest, a 2024 meta-analysis of 2,140 people on heart damage markers during anthracycline chemotherapy, found an improvement.
1Heart damage markers during anthracycline chemotherapy
Improved · Grade D · Meta-analysis, 2,140 people, 2024
Patients with anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in 16 randomized trials
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart damage markers during anthracycline chemotherapy | Improved | 2,140 | Grade D · Meta-analysis, 2024 | Patients with anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in 16 randomized trials |
| Heart failure functional class and walking distance | Improved | 240 | Grade D · RCT, 2016 | Patients with chronic heart failure and coronary artery disease on standard medicines |
| Atopic dermatitis severity and flare-ups (topical use) | Improved | 234 | Grade C · RCT, 2019 | Caucasian children (90) and adults (144) with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis |
| Muscle mass, strength and function in diabetic sarcopenia | Improved | 90 | Grade D · RCT, 2026 | Community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older with diabetic sarcopenia (90 randomized) |
Every graded row
4 rowsShowing 4 of 4 outcomes. Human trials only.
CGrade CAtopic dermatitis severity and flare-ups (topical use)EczemaImprovedRCT
n 234 · 2019
Improved SCORAD, including erythema, pruritus and affected body area, fell more than with placebo in both children and adults; quality of life improved and fewer patients relapsed.
- Design
- RCT, n = 234, 2019
- Population
- Caucasian children (90) and adults (144) with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis
- Form
- Topical product with oligofructans from Ophiopogon japonicus
- Dose
- Applied twice daily
- Duration
- 60 days
- Source
- Reference 4 · PubMed 31120541 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DHeart damage markers during anthracycline chemotherapyHeart (hospital injection)ImprovedMeta-analysis · 16 studies
n 2,140 · 2024
Improved Fewer ST-T changes (RR 0.28), prolonged QT intervals, low QRS voltage, sinus tachycardia and premature beats, and lower creatine kinase than control; no significant effect on left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.10) or atrioventricular block. The included trials reported no safety data.
- Design
- Meta-analysis, 16 studies, n = 2,140, 2024
- Population
- Patients with anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in 16 randomized trials
- Form
- Shenmai injection (Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus root), intravenous
- Dose
- Varied across trials
- Duration
- Not stated in the abstract
- Source
- Reference 6 · PubMed 38801910 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DHeart failure functional class and walking distanceHeart failureImprovedRCT
n 240 · 2016
Improved NYHA functional class improved more than with placebo (p = 0.001), as did 6-minute walking distance, SF-36 and TCM syndrome scores; no apparent safety concerns over 1 week.
- Design
- RCT, n = 240, 2016
- Population
- Patients with chronic heart failure and coronary artery disease on standard medicines
- Form
- Shenmai injection (Panax ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus root), intravenous
- Dose
- 100 mL/day
- Duration
- 1 week
- Source
- Reference 3 · PubMed 27045864 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DMuscle mass, strength and function in diabetic sarcopeniaMuscleImprovedRCT
n 90 · 2026
Improved Handgrip strength, skeletal muscle mass index and five-time chair-stand time improved more than with placebo paste (p < 0.001); fasting glucose and CRP fell more, while fasting insulin, HbA1c and insulin resistance did not differ. No serious adverse events.
- Design
- RCT, n = 90, 2026
- Population
- Community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older with diabetic sarcopenia (90 randomized)
- Form
- Shenqi paste: eight medicine-food herbs including Ophiopogon japonicus, Astragalus and Codonopsis
- Dose
- Not stated in the abstract
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 2 · PubMed 41763617 (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.
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
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 Ophiopogon meets
1 cited row 2 tested togetherMedicines 1
Supplements and foods 2
- Case reports
- Tested together in a graded trial
Choose a medicine or supplement above to read its cited rows here.
Also cited: 2 tested together
Warfarin
Case reportCase reports
Warfarin, for example warfarin: A 71-year-old man stable on warfarin had an INR of 5.08 and a brain bleed after 7 days of Shengmai-yin (10 mL a day), a formula of red ginseng, schisandra and maidong (translated as liriope in the report); the authors rated the interaction highly probable. Ophiopogon's own role cannot be separated.
Source 7, Yonsei Med J (2010); Source 1, Front Pharmacol (2021)
AstragalusAstragalus page
Tested together
Muscle mass, strength and function in diabetic sarcopenia. Graded on the Ophiopogon page; tested together is not a claim that they work better together.
Panax GinsengPanax Ginseng page
Tested together
Heart failure functional class and walking distance. Graded on the Ophiopogon page; tested together is not a claim that they work better together.
Interactions
1 agent| Agent | What the source says | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Medicines1 | ||
| Warfarine.g. warfarin | A 71-year-old man stable on warfarin had an INR of 5.08 and a brain bleed after 7 days of Shengmai-yin (10 mL a day), a formula of red ginseng, schisandra and maidong (translated as liriope in the report); the authors rated the interaction highly probable. Ophiopogon's own role cannot be separated.71 | Case report |
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Ophiopogon and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Ophiopogon.
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.
Who should be careful
5 groups- Agency coverage
- No ODS, NCCIH, LactMed, LiverTox, Health Canada or EMA source covers Ophiopogon. Formulas that contain it, such as Shenmai with ginseng, include other herbs with their own pages.53
- People on medicines
- A single case report links a ginseng, schisandra and maidong formula (Shengmai-yin) to a dangerously high INR and brain bleed in a man taking warfarin. Beyond that, interaction data are limited; NCCIH notes that dietary supplements may interact with medications and advises telling your health care providers about any supplement you use.75
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
- No trial in our sources studied these groups, and NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.5
- Before surgery
- NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about all supplements well before an operation.5
- Injected Shenmai products
- A systematic review of Shenmai injection collected 822 reported adverse reactions; 38 of the 246 cases in spontaneous reports were anaphylactic shock, and most reactions came with the first dose, mainly within 30 minutes. This applies to the hospital injection, not oral use.8
How to read the label
What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.
How to read the label
2 checksFrequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
6 answersDoes Ophiopogon help the heart?
Only as part of Shenmai, an intravenous hospital product with ginseng, which improved heart-failure class over 1 week in 240 patients. No trial tested oral Ophiopogon alone.3
Does Ophiopogon help eczema?
A topical product with Ophiopogon oligofructans lowered eczema scores and relapses in 234 children and adults over 60 days, in a trial whose listed affiliation is a company (SILAB). This was a skin product, not a supplement.4
Is Ophiopogon safe?
Does Ophiopogon interact with medicines?
Is Ophiopogon safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
There are no data. No trial in our sources studied pregnant or breastfeeding women, no agency safety review covers Ophiopogon, and NCCIH notes many supplements have not been tested in these groups.5
Sources
8 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
8 sources- 1Liriopogons (Genera Ophiopogon and Liriope, Asparagaceae): A Critical Review of the Phytochemical and Pharmacological Research.Review Front Pharmacol, 2021 · PMID 34925027
- 2Efficacy and safety of medicine-food homology Shenqi paste in older adults with diabetic sarcopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.RCT J Ethnopharmacol, 2026 · PMID 41763617
- 3A randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical study on the efficacy and safety of Shenmai injection in patients with chronic heart failure.RCT J Ethnopharmacol, 2016 · PMID 27045864
- 4Clinical Efficacy of Oligofructans from Ophiopogon japonicus in Reducing Atopic Dermatitis Flare-ups in Caucasian Patients.RCT Acta Derm Venereol, 2019 · PMID 31120541
- 5Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
- 6Effect of shenmai injection on anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis Complement Ther Med, 2024 · PMID 38801910
- 7Interaction between warfarin and the herbal product Shengmai-yin: a case report of intracerebral hematoma.Observational Yonsei Med J, 2010 · PMID 20635460
- 8Adverse drug reactions of Shenmai injection: a systematic review.Systematic review J Evid Based Med, 2010 · PMID 21349063
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
2 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| evidence, interactions, who should avoid, FAQ, sources | Added the 2024 Shenmai injection meta-analysis on anthracycline heart damage (PMID 38801910; 16 RCTs, 2,140 patients; marked clinical use, grade D for this page), a warfarin interaction from a Shengmai-yin case report (PMID 20635460), Shenmai injection adverse-reaction data (PMID 21349063), and 2 FAQs (interactions; pregnancy and breastfeeding). Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: warfarin case wording now says maidong was translated as liriope in the report. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit |
| all | Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (and, where noted, the full text for funding, product and participant details). Industry ties disclosed: the topical eczema trial's listed author affiliation is the company SILAB; the formula trials state no funding in their abstracts. Blend and injection trials graded D for this page because Ophiopogon's own oral effect cannot be separated. No agency source covers Ophiopogon, so safety text cites NCCIH's Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Where to buy: we didn’t list a product; none of the stores we checked had a suitable one. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page |
Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.