Honeysuckle

What Is Honeysuckle?

Honeysuckle is a fragrant climbing vine whose unopened flower bud, jin yin hua, is one of the most widely used cooling herbs in Chinese medicine. The name means “gold and silver flower”, because the blossoms open white and turn yellow. The stem is a separate medicine, ren dong teng ^{9Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →}.

Lonicera japonica is native to China, Korea and Japan, where it grows in scrub, open forest and on rocky slopes and roadsides ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}. In Chinese medicine the bud is given for the early, feverish stage of colds and flu, for sore throats and for hot skin sores, most famously alongside forsythia in the formula Yin Qiao San ^{11,12Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →Reference 12Shang et al. · 2011ReviewLonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — reviewView study →}. It is also drunk as an everyday cooling tea across China ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}.

The bud is rich in chlorogenic acid and related caffeoylquinic acids, with the flavone glycoside luteoloside as its official quality marker ^{9,23Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →Reference 23Chaowuttikul et al. · 2017In vitroPharmacognostic specification, chlorogenic acid content, and in vitro antioxidant activities of Lonicera japonica flowering bud — in vitro studyView study →}. Research has focused on anti-inflammatory, liver-protective and antiviral activity, almost all of it in animals and cell cultures ^{11,12Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →Reference 12Shang et al. · 2011ReviewLonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — reviewView study →}.

Several cheaper Lonicera species, sold as shan yin hua, look and taste much like jin yin hua and are often substituted for it ^{11,31Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →Reference 31Zhang et al. · 2025Rapid identification of Lonicera japonica via Proofman-LMTIA technology — ITS2 SNP authenticationView study →}.

How Is Honeysuckle Used?

• Flower bud (jin yin hua) — decocted, usually as part of a formula, or brewed as a light cooling tea. It is also an ingredient in commercial herbal drinks in China ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}.
• Stem (ren dong teng) — listed as a separate medicine in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, with a different chemical profile from the bud ^{9Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →}.
• Formulas — the bud is paired with forsythia fruit in Yin Qiao San, a classical formula for headache, fever and cough at the start of a feverish illness ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}.

Traditional Uses

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The medicine is the unopened flower bud of Lonicera japonica, not the open flower, the leaf or the whole plant. It is classed as sweet and cold, and its action is to clear heat and resolve toxicity.

It is given at the wind-heat stage, the early and feverish phase of a cold or influenza-like illness, and for epidemic febrile disease ^{12Reference 12Shang et al. · 2011ReviewLonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — reviewView study →}. It is also used for sore throat, for hot skin sores, carbuncles and abscesses, and for heat-type dysentery.

It is decocted, most often in combination. Its classic partner is forsythia in Yin Qiao San, recorded in the Wenbing Tiaobian ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}.

Among the heat-clearing herbs it is one of the mildest, gentle enough to be drunk daily. Across China it is taken as an ordinary summer tea, and it is an ingredient in the herbal tea drink Wanglaoji ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}.

Indications

• Early stage of colds and flu with fever [flower bud; TCM]
• Sore throat [flower bud; TCM]
• Chronic sore throat [flower bud, in a multi-herb lozenge]
• Hot skin sores, boils and abscesses [flower bud; TCM]
• Heat-type dysentery [flower bud; TCM]
• Influenza [flower bud decoction] ⚠Caution: The antiviral work on the microRNA MIR2911 comes from cell and mouse studies by one research group. Studies of other dietary plant microRNAs found they are not absorbed in meaningful amounts ^1,3.
• COVID-19 [flower bud decoction] ⚠Caution: The only human data is a non-randomised comparison in which six patients drank the decoction, from the same research group that proposed the MIR2911 mechanism ^2,29.
• Fatty liver and liver injury [flower bud extract]

Botany

Honeysuckle is a semi-evergreen woody vine that climbs by twining. Its branches become hollow with age and are covered in dense, stiff yellow-brown hairs mixed with glandular hairs ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

The leaves grow in opposite pairs. They are oval to lance-shaped, 3–8 cm long, and hairy, with a fringe of hairs along the edge ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

The flowers are fragrant and grow in pairs where the leaves meet the stem, toward the tips of the branches. Each is two-lipped and 3–5 cm long, and opens white before turning yellow ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}. It flowers from April to June ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

The fruits are glossy black berries 6–7 mm across, ripening from October to November ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

A variety with flowers purple on the outside and white inside, var. chinensis, also occurs in China ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

Distribution

Honeysuckle grows across much of China, in Taiwan, Korea and Japan, and is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}. In China it grows in scrub, open forest, on mountain slopes, stony places and roadsides, at elevations up to about 1,500 m ^{38Reference 38Yang et al. · 2011Lonicera japonica Thunberg — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →}.

It was brought to North America as an ornamental in the early 1800s. It has since spread from southern New England and the Ohio Valley south to the Gulf coast and west to Missouri and Arkansas ^{37Reference 37Munger · 2002Lonicera japonica, Japanese honeysuckle — introduction to North America, invasive range, growth habit and control — species databaseView study →}. There it is an invasive weed that smothers and pulls down young trees and can form dense mats on the ground ^{37Reference 37Munger · 2002Lonicera japonica, Japanese honeysuckle — introduction to North America, invasive range, growth habit and control — species databaseView study →}.

Where it has become invasive, pulling it out helps native plants. Seedlings can be pulled by hand, although mature plants have extensive roots ^{37Reference 37Munger · 2002Lonicera japonica, Japanese honeysuckle — introduction to North America, invasive range, growth habit and control — species databaseView study →}.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Honeysuckle

Lifeperennial (semi-evergreen woody vine)ZoneUSDA 4–9

• Full sun to part shade on almost any soil, with strong support — it is vigorous, twining and quick to cover.
• Cultivated for medicine in China, where the crop is the unopened flower bud, so harvest timing is tight and picking is done by hand before the buds open.
• Plant it with care outside East Asia. It has naturalised aggressively in the south-eastern United States and other temperate regions, where it is treated as an invasive weed.

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Pharmacology & Research

Most of the research on honeysuckle flower bud is preclinical: dozens of cell, network-pharmacology and rodent studies, gathered in two systematic reviews ^{11,12Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →Reference 12Shang et al. · 2011ReviewLonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — reviewView study →}. No randomised trial has tested the single herb for any condition.

The most consistent findings are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, linked to its phenolic acids and flavones, and liver protection in rodent models of fatty liver and fibrosis ^{13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21Reference 13Kim et al. · 2014AnimalHS-23, a Lonicera japonica extract, attenuates septic injury by suppressing toll-like receptor 4 — mouse in vivo studyView study →Reference 14Lv et al. · 2021AnimalLonicerin targets EZH2 to alleviate ulcerative colitis by autophagy-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inactivation — mouse in vivo studyView study →Reference 15Ge et al. · 2023In vitroCaffeoylquinic acids from Lonicera japonica as TAK1 inhibitors protect against LPS + IFN-γ inflammation via KEAP1/NRF2 — in vitro studyView study →Reference 16Bang et al. · 2019AnimalBST-104, a water extract of Lonicera japonica, has a gastroprotective effect via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities — rat in vivo studyView study →Reference 17Yoo et al. · 2008AnimalAnti-angiogenic, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicera japonica extract — animal modelView study →Reference 18Ma et al. · 2025AnimalThe hepatoprotective effect of Lonicera japonica Flos on rats with high-fat-diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — rat in vivo studyView study →Reference 19Sun et al. · 2022In vitroInvestigation of Lonicera japonica Flos against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using network integration and experimental validation — in vitro studyView study →Reference 20Lin et al. · 2024In vitroAn alleviative effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos water extract against liver fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo — rat in vivo and in vitro studyView study →Reference 21Ji et al. · 2025AnimalTargeting JAK2/STAT3-dependent macrophage polarization by chlorogenic acid attenuates hepatic inflammation in chronic stress — rat in vivo studyView study →}.

The best-known modern finding concerns MIR2911, a microRNA encoded by the plant that survives in the decoction. In cells and mice it binds the genes of influenza viruses and blocks their replication ^{1Reference 1Zhou et al. · 2015Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A virusesView study →}. The same group reported activity against SARS-CoV-2 ^{2Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →}.

The human evidence is one randomised trial of a multi-herb lozenge that includes honeysuckle ^{32Reference 32Wu et al. · 2024RCTEfficacy of botanical lozenges (multi-herb, honeysuckle-containing) in the treatment of chronic pharyngitis — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}, and a non-randomised comparison of six COVID-19 patients who drank the decoction ^{2Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →}.

1. Anti-Inflammatory

The dominant constituents, chlorogenic acid and the flavone luteolin, suppress NF-κB-driven cytokine production.

HS-23, an ethanol extract of the flower buds given intravenously, improved survival in septic mice by suppressing TLR4 signalling ^{13Reference 13Kim et al. · 2014AnimalHS-23, a Lonicera japonica extract, attenuates septic injury by suppressing toll-like receptor 4 — mouse in vivo studyView study →}. The flavonoid lonicerin eased experimental colitis by targeting EZH2 and inactivating the NLRP3 inflammasome ^{14Reference 14Lv et al. · 2021AnimalLonicerin targets EZH2 to alleviate ulcerative colitis by autophagy-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inactivation — mouse in vivo studyView study →}. Caffeoylquinic acids isolated from the buds inhibited LPS- and IFN-γ-driven inflammation in vitro through TAK1 inhibition and KEAP1/NRF2 activation ^{15Reference 15Ge et al. · 2023In vitroCaffeoylquinic acids from Lonicera japonica as TAK1 inhibitors protect against LPS + IFN-γ inflammation via KEAP1/NRF2 — in vitro studyView study →}.

An oral water extract reduced PAR-2-mediated paw oedema in mice ^{36Reference 36Tae et al. · 2003AnimalAnti-inflammatory effect of Lonicera japonica in proteinase-activated receptor 2-mediated paw oedema — animal modelView study →}. An ethanol extract showed anti-angiogenic activity in chick embryo membrane and antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity in mice ^{17Reference 17Yoo et al. · 2008AnimalAnti-angiogenic, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicera japonica extract — animal modelView study →}.

A water extract, BST-104, reduced gastric lesions in rat models of gastritis and ulcer through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects ^{16Reference 16Bang et al. · 2019AnimalBST-104, a water extract of Lonicera japonica, has a gastroprotective effect via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities — rat in vivo studyView study →}. The water extract is the preparation closest to the decoction. Reviews cover the wider picture, including acute lung injury ^{33Reference 33Cao et al. · 2025Systematic reviewLonicera japonica Thunb. in acute lung injury: bioactive components and multi-target mechanisms — systematic reviewView study →} and COVID-19 ^{34Reference 34Zhao et al. · 2021ReviewUpdated pharmacological effects of Lonicerae japonicae flos, with a focus on COVID-19 — reviewView study →}.

This is constituent-level and animal-model support. There is no whole-herb human trial, and most of the mechanistic work uses isolated compounds or extracts other than the decoction.

2. Hepatoprotective

A consistent rodent and cell literature has built up around liver protection. A flower-bud extract improved steatosis, serum liver enzymes, liver lipid content and oxidative-stress markers in rats with high-fat-diet fatty liver disease ^{18Reference 18Ma et al. · 2025AnimalThe hepatoprotective effect of Lonicera japonica Flos on rats with high-fat-diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — rat in vivo studyView study →}. A network-pharmacology and cell-model study pointed to lower TNF-α and CASP3 expression ^{19Reference 19Sun et al. · 2022In vitroInvestigation of Lonicera japonica Flos against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease using network integration and experimental validation — in vitro studyView study →}.

A water extract reduced thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in rats and protected cultured liver cells by lowering inflammation and apoptosis ^{20Reference 20Lin et al. · 2024In vitroAn alleviative effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos water extract against liver fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo — rat in vivo and in vitro studyView study →}. Isolated chlorogenic acid reduced liver injury from chronic stress in rats by shifting macrophage polarisation through JAK2/STAT3 ^{21Reference 21Ji et al. · 2025AnimalTargeting JAK2/STAT3-dependent macrophage polarization by chlorogenic acid attenuates hepatic inflammation in chronic stress — rat in vivo studyView study →}.

Terpenoids and other compounds from the flower bud showed activity against liver-cancer cells and hepatitis B virus in cell lines ^{22Reference 22Ge et al. · 2019In vitroChemical constituents from Lonicera japonica flower buds and their anti-hepatoma and anti-HBV activities — in vitro studyView study →}.

Gap: no human liver-endpoint study; effective doses in rats are high and use concentrated extracts, not the traditional tea.

3. Antioxidant

The flower bud carries a high phenolic-acid load. Buds bought from Thai herbal drugstores contained about 2.2 g of chlorogenic acid per 100 g, and an extract showed DPPH and nitric-oxide scavenging and reducing power in vitro ^{23Reference 23Chaowuttikul et al. · 2017In vitroPharmacognostic specification, chlorogenic acid content, and in vitro antioxidant activities of Lonicera japonica flowering bud — in vitro studyView study →}.

The same radical-scavenging activity appears in several of the anti-inflammatory and liver findings, as NRF2/HO-1 induction and lower malondialdehyde ^{15,18Reference 15Ge et al. · 2023In vitroCaffeoylquinic acids from Lonicera japonica as TAK1 inhibitors protect against LPS + IFN-γ inflammation via KEAP1/NRF2 — in vitro studyView study →Reference 18Ma et al. · 2025AnimalThe hepatoprotective effect of Lonicera japonica Flos on rats with high-fat-diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — rat in vivo studyView study →}.

No human biomarker study has been done, such as plasma antioxidant status after drinking the decoction.

4. Antibacterial

Screening of leaf extracts traced the activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli mainly to the dicaffeoylquinic acids and luteoloside ^{24Reference 24Xiong et al. · 2013In vitroScreening and identification of the antibacterial bioactive compounds from Lonicera japonica Thunb. leaves — in vitro studyView study →}.

An ethyl acetate fraction of honeysuckle acted synergistically with one from Magnolia obovata against S. aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans; caffeic acid and luteolin accounted for honeysuckle’s share of the activity ^{25Reference 25Lee et al. · 2018In vitroSynergistic antimicrobial effect of Lonicera japonica and Magnolia obovata extracts — in vitro studyView study →}.

Water and ethanol extracts inhibited Bacillus cereus. Quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin disrupted its cell wall and membrane, while chlorogenic acid had no effect ^{26Reference 26Xu et al. · 2023In vitroLonicera japonica Thunb. as a promising antibacterial agent for Bacillus cereus — network pharmacology, metabolomics and in vitro studyView study →}.

Species-specific potency data for the medicinal bud are limited, much of the work uses leaf or whole-plant material, and none of it is clinical.

5. Antiviral — Influenza (MIR2911)

MIR2911 is an unusual microRNA encoded by honeysuckle and stable in the water decoction. In cell and reporter assays it bound the PB2 and NS1 genes of influenza A viruses and suppressed their protein expression. A mutant virus with altered binding sites was not affected ^{1Reference 1Zhou et al. · 2015Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A virusesView study →}.

In mice, drinking or tube-feeding the decoction raised MIR2911 levels in blood and lung. Synthetic MIR2911, RNA extracted from the decoction and the decoction itself all inhibited H1N1 replication, and blocking MIR2911 abolished the decoction’s effect. MIR2911 or the decoction also reduced deaths from H5N1 infection in mice ^{1Reference 1Zhou et al. · 2015Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A virusesView study →}.

⚠ The mechanism depends on a plant microRNA being absorbed from food into the blood. A feeding study of other plant microRNAs, in athletes eating fruit and in mice, found no meaningful levels in the blood ^{3Reference 3Snow et al. · 2013AnimalIneffective delivery of diet-derived microRNAs to recipient animal organisms — animal modelView study →}. The work showing uptake of MIR2911 comes almost entirely from one research group ^{1,2,29Reference 1Zhou et al. · 2015Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A virusesView study →Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →Reference 29Zhou et al. · 2020Clinical trialDecreased HD-MIR2911 absorption in human subjects with the SIDT1 polymorphism fails to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication — human observational studyView study →}.

Gap: independent replication of dietary uptake and whole-decoction human efficacy.

6. Antidiabetic

In rats with high-fat-diet and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes, oral L. japonica at 100 mg/kg for four weeks lowered blood glucose and insulin resistance. It restored body weight and food intake, protected pancreatic islets, and raised PPAR-γ and insulin-receptor-substrate-1 expression ^{27Reference 27Han et al. · 2015AnimalEffects of Lonicera japonica Thunb. on type 2 diabetes via PPAR-γ activation — rat in vivo studyView study →}.

Gap: no replication and no human glycaemic data; effect is single-study, animal-only.

7. Antipyretic

Fever-clearing is central to honeysuckle’s traditional use ^{23Reference 23Chaowuttikul et al. · 2017In vitroPharmacognostic specification, chlorogenic acid content, and in vitro antioxidant activities of Lonicera japonica flowering bud — in vitro studyView study →}, and fits its anti-inflammatory chemistry. Dedicated fever testing of the single herb is scarce, and most fever data belong to the multi-herb formulas it sits in.

8. Antiviral — SARS-CoV-2 (MIR2911)

The same research group reported that MIR2911 binds sites across the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Exosomes carrying MIR2911, from cultured cells and from the serum of volunteers who had drunk the decoction, inhibited the virus in Vero E6 cells ^{2Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →}.

In a non-randomised clinical comparison, 6 patients with moderate COVID-19 drank a decoction of 30 g of dried honeysuckle a day alongside routine treatment. Five of the six (83.3%) tested negative by day 7, against 26.1% of 69 patients on other traditional Chinese medicines ^{2Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →}.

A follow-up from another group found activity against the Delta variant in cells, using an engineered virus-like particle to deliver MIR2911 ^{28Reference 28Shen et al. · 2025In vitroPlant MIR2911 in honeysuckle is effective against a SARS-CoV-2 variant — in vitro studyView study →}.

In a further study from the original group, volunteers carrying a variant of the SIDT1 gene absorbed less MIR2911 from the decoction, and their serum did not inhibit the virus ^{29Reference 29Zhou et al. · 2020Clinical trialDecreased HD-MIR2911 absorption in human subjects with the SIDT1 polymorphism fails to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication — human observational studyView study →}.

Gap: independent replication; adequately powered, randomised human data.

Mechanisms

Chlorogenic acid, the bud’s dominant constituent, has been studied for suppression of NF-κB and TLR4 signalling, activation of NRF2/HO-1, and a shift in macrophages from the inflammatory M1 to the M2 type. Luteolin and lonicerin act on some of the same pathways.

MIR2911 is a plant microRNA rather than a small molecule. It has been studied for binding directly to viral genes.

Clinical Trials

No efficacy trial of honeysuckle on its own has been published. The human evidence is a randomised placebo-controlled trial of a botanical lozenge containing honeysuckle with monk fruit, balloon flower, licorice and other plant extracts, in 103 people with chronic pharyngitis over 15 days ^{32Reference 32Wu et al. · 2024RCTEfficacy of botanical lozenges (multi-herb, honeysuckle-containing) in the treatment of chronic pharyngitis — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}, and the six-patient COVID-19 comparison ^{2Reference 2Zhou et al. · 2020Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patientsView study →}.

Last checked: August 2026.

Phytochemistry

The flower bud is dominated by phenolic acids. The main one is chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid), measured at about 2.2 g per 100 g of dried bud ^{23Reference 23Chaowuttikul et al. · 2017In vitroPharmacognostic specification, chlorogenic acid content, and in vitro antioxidant activities of Lonicera japonica flowering bud — in vitro studyView study →}. It occurs with its isomers neochlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid, and with the dicaffeoylquinic acids 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (isochlorogenic acid A) and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (isochlorogenic acid C) ^{9Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →}.

The flavones include luteolin, its 7-O-glucoside luteoloside, and lonicerin ^{9,14Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →Reference 14Lv et al. · 2021AnimalLonicerin targets EZH2 to alleviate ulcerative colitis by autophagy-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inactivation — mouse in vivo studyView study →}. Luteoloside is the official quality marker for the bud ^{9Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →}.

The shan yin hua species substituted for the bud contain more chlorogenic acid but much less luteoloside, along with oleanolic acid saponins ^{31Reference 31Zhang et al. · 2025Rapid identification of Lonicera japonica via Proofman-LMTIA technology — ITS2 SNP authenticationView study →}.

The stem, ren dong teng, contains lower amounts of most of these compounds. The iridoid loganin is its characteristic marker ^{9Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →}. An LC-MS comparison of the bud, stem, leaf and fruit identified 86 compounds: 25 flavonoids, 24 phenolic acids, 24 iridoid glycosides, 9 amino acids and 4 others. Chlorogenic acid, loganin, lonicerin, sweroside and luteolin were among those that differed most between parts ^{10Reference 10Zhang et al. · 2024Comparative study on chemical constituents of different medicinal parts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. — LC-MS profilingView study →}.

More than 140 compounds have been isolated from the plant, including essential oils ^{12Reference 12Shang et al. · 2011ReviewLonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — reviewView study →}. The bud also yields a water-soluble polysaccharide ^{35Reference 35Yang et al. · 2019AnimalAnti-hyperuricemic and anti-gouty arthritis activities of a polysaccharide purified from Lonicera japonica — rat in vivo studyView study →} and the microRNA MIR2911 ^{1Reference 1Zhou et al. · 2015Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A virusesView study →}.

Contents differ between bud, stem, leaf and fruit, so findings for one part should not be applied to another ^{9,10Reference 9Cai et al. · 2019Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical studyView study →Reference 10Zhang et al. · 2024Comparative study on chemical constituents of different medicinal parts of Lonicera japonica Thunb. — LC-MS profilingView study →}.

Constituent Summary

Compared by plant part.

Dosage

• Flower bud decoction — traditionally 6–15 g a day, usually within a formula.
• Tea — drunk as a light cooling tea.

Safety & Pregnancy

Honeysuckle flower bud is one of the gentler heat-clearing herbs, with a long history as both medicine and tea. The main practical issue is substitution with other species.

Full Safety Detail

Tolerance. Honeysuckle flower bud has a long record of use as a cooling tea and functional-food ingredient, and is regarded as gentle at customary amounts.

Substitution. True jin yin hua sells for about 2.5 times the price of the shan yin hua honeysuckles (L. macranthoides, L. hypoglauca, L. confusa and L. fulvotomentosa) ^{31Reference 31Zhang et al. · 2025Rapid identification of Lonicera japonica via Proofman-LMTIA technology — ITS2 SNP authenticationView study →}. These look and taste similar. They were listed as the same herb in earlier editions of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and as separate herbs from 2005 ^{11Reference 11Li et al. · 2020Systematic reviewLonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology — systematic reviewView study →}. DNA-based tests can identify the species in raw material and finished products ^{30,31Reference 30Yuan et al. · 2014Convenient, sensitive and high-throughput method for screening botanic origin — DNA authentication of Lonicera speciesView study →Reference 31Zhang et al. · 2025Rapid identification of Lonicera japonica via Proofman-LMTIA technology — ITS2 SNP authenticationView study →}.

Interactions. No human safety trial or herb–drug interaction study of the single herb has been done.

References

1. Zhou, Z., Li, X., Liu, J., et al. (2015). Honeysuckle-encoded atypical microRNA2911 directly targets influenza A viruses. Cell Research, 25(1), 39–49. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25287280/
2. Zhou, L.-K., et al. (2020). Absorbed plant MIR2911 in honeysuckle decoction inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and accelerates the negative conversion of infected patients. Cell Discovery, 6, 54. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32802404/
3. Snow, J. W., Hale, A. E., Isaacs, S. K., et al. (2013). Ineffective delivery of diet-derived microRNAs to recipient animal organisms — animal model. RNA Biology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23669076/
4. Yuan, Y., Jiang, C., Liu, L., et al. (2014). Convenient, sensitive and high-throughput method for screening botanic origin — analytical (DNA authentication). Scientific Reports, 4, 5395. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066250/
5. Zhang, X., Li, C., Lan, D., Liu, J., & Wang, D. (2025). Rapid identification of Lonicera japonica via Proofman-LMTIA technology — analytical (DNA authentication). Scientific Reports, 15(1), 7913. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-91797-0
6. Cai, Z., Wang, C., Zou, L., et al. (2019). Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica based on UFLC-QTRAP-MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis — analytical. Molecules, 24(10), 1936. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6572465/
7. Cai, Z., Wang, C., Zou, L., et al. (2019). Comparison of multiple bioactive constituents in the flower and the caulis of Lonicera japonica — analytical (same paper as reference 6). Molecules, 24(10), 1936. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6572465/
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