Eleutherococcus is a genus of 38 species[1] of thorny shrubs and trees in the family Araliaceae. They are native to eastern Asia, from southeast Siberia and Japan to the Philippines and Vietnam.[1] 18 species come from China, from central to western parts.[2]
Perhaps the best known in the West is the species E. senticosus used as herbal medicine,[3] and commonly known by such English names as Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng.[3] In Traditional Chinese medicine, this is administered to increase energy, thus traditionally recognized to have attributes akin to true ginseng (Panax).[citation needed] This is also reflected in its formerly used genus name Acanthopanax[4] meaning “thorny ginseng”. The word “Eleutherococcus,” from Greek, means “free-berried.”
The European Medicines Agency has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of Eleutherococcus for any clinical condition.[5]
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