Basic Introduction to Jiyuan Wintergreen

Jiyuan Wintergreen is a specialty of Jiyuan City, which belongs to Henan Province.

Jiyuan Wintergreen, also known as Jiyuan Icegreen, contains elements A, B, C, and D of icegreen, as well as volatile oils, alkaloids, bitter components, lactones, and flavonoids, among other substances. Elements A and B of icegreen are effective anti-tumor components with a certain therapeutic effect on various types of cancer, earning it the reputation of “Kingwu Immortal Grass.”

Wintergreen is an uncommon Traditional Chinese medicine that has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and relieving pain. It is mainly distributed in the southern Taihang Mountain area and Wangwu Mountain regions of Linzhou and Jiyuan, with limited distribution in Guizhou, Shaanxi, and elsewhere.

Modern medical research has confirmed that wintergreen has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and fighting tumors, and is widely recognized as the king of Chinese herbal antibiotics. Academician Sun Handong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and domestic expert on wintergreen used modern methods to quantitatively analyze the quality of “Jiyuan Wintergreen,” determining the precise content of elements A and B of icegreen, providing reliable evidence for the superior quality of Jiyuan Wintergreen.

Nutritional Value

Medicinal Value

The main constituents of Jiyuan Icegreen include elements A, B, C, and D of icegreen, as well as volatile oils, alkaloids, bitter components, lactones, and flavonoids. Elements A and B of icegreen are its effective anti-tumor components, with noticeable bactericidal effects and a certain therapeutic effect on various cancers, particularly early-stage esophageal cancer. Additionally, it has strong bactericidal effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus alpha, and other upper respiratory tract pathogens, and is now widely used in the clinical treatment of pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and stomatitis, earning it the title of “penicillin of Chinese Herbs.”

Product Characteristics

1. Sensory Characteristics: The leaf edges are serrated, the leaves are ovate, the underside of the leaves is covered with white downy hairs, and the veins are fine. The stem base is nearly cylindrical, 30cm to 70cm long, hard and brittle, with a yellowish-white cross-section.

2. Physicochemical Indicators: Content of Wintergreen element A ≥ 0.5%, Rosmarinic acid ≥ 0.8%, water-soluble extractives ≥ 30.0%.

Historical Folklore

In the Tang Dynasty, Medicine Master Sun Simiao was the first to discover the medicinal efficacy of wintergreen and its suitability for use in medicine.

In 1977, Jiyuan Wintergreen was included in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China.

In 2004, “Organic Cultivation Standardization and Processing Technology Research of Wintergreen” in Jiyuan City was listed as a major science and technology project in Henan Province.

Awards and Honors for Jiyuan Wintergreen

On April 16, 2006, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Jiyuan Wintergreen.”

On September 19, 2011, the 2,000 mu (approx. 133 hectares) Jiyuan Wintergreen planting base passed the on-site inspection for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) certification by the State Food and Drug Administration. This was the first Wintergreen base in China to pass GAP certification.

On November 15, 2025, Jiyuan Wintergreen was included in the Catalogue of Chinese Agricultural Brands.