What is Polygala used for?
The dried root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. Polygala Radix, belonging to the family Polygalaceae, has long been used as a medication to cure a variety of illnesses, including sleeplessness, forgetfulness, sadness, cough, and palpitations. In China, Polygalae Radix has been widely used in the treatment of insomnia, forgetfulness, depression, cough, palpitation, and other diseases. More than 140 compounds have been isolated from Polygalae Radix, including saponins, xanthones, oligosaccharide esters, and so on.Since more than 2000 years ago, Polygala tenuifolia Willd’s roots—also known as Polygala Radix or Yuan-Zhi in Chinese—have been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine to enhance memory and cognitive function [7,8].Polygala sibirica (Siberian milkwort) is used interchangeably in TCM with Polygala tenuifolia as a sedative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. In vitro, P. NMDA-induced neurotoxicity.