Glossy Privet

The evergreen shrub glossy privet, regarded as an environmental weed and invasive species in Australia, is a member of the olive family and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for more than 1000 years. The Latin lucidum means bright or shiny and refers to glossy privet’s eponymous leaves however it is the fruit that is used in herbal medicine. In TCM it is a commonly prescribed herbal material in a number of formulae used to tonify the kidneys and strengthen bone. Therefore, it has long been used for the treatment of osteoporosis in China and is a component of many herbal formulae for this condition. It has also been used for the treatment of eye and skin disorders such as tinnitus and blurred vision. It is also used for the prevention of grey hair.

Glossy privet is one of the most frequently used liver/kidney Yin tonifying TCM herbs for the treatment of liver cancer. As a tonic herb it is effective in improving chemotherapy induced bone marrow suppression, hair loss and immunosuppression. It has also been used to enhance the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy in TCM clinical practice. 

Glossy privet is commonly used in TCM herbal formulations for its positive impact on the immune system and to assist in fighting infections. In vitro studies have shown that it has these properties, but it has not yet been studied in humans showing a clinical benefit.

References

Yeon SW, Choi SR, Liu Q, Jo YH, Choi DH, Kim MR, Ryu SH, Lee S, Hwang BY, Hwang HS, Lee MK. Therapeutic Potentials of Secoiridoids from the Fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Aiton against Inflammation-Related Skin Diseases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Jul 27;15(8):932. doi: 10.3390/ph15080932. PMID: 36015080; PMCID: PMC9415915.

Feng X, Lyu Y, Wu Z, Fang Y, Xu H, Zhao P, et al. Fructus ligustri lucidi ethanol extract improves bone mineral density and properties through modulating calcium absorption-related gene expression in kidney and duodenum of growing rats. Calcif Tissue Int. 2014 Apr;94(4):433-41. doi: 10.1007/s00223-013-9825-4. Epub 2013 Dec 17.

Pang Z, Zhi-yan Z, Wang W, Ma Y, Feng-ju N, Zhang X, Han C. The advances in research on the pharmacological effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:281873. doi: 10.1155/2015/281873. Epub 2015 Mar 22. PMID: 25874204; PMCID: PMC4385624.

Hu B, Du Q, Deng S, An HM, Pan CF, Shen KP, Xu L, Wei MM, Wang SS. Ligustrum lucidum Ait. fruit extract induces apoptosis and cell senescence in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through upregulation of p21. Oncol Rep. 2014 Sep;32(3):1037-42. doi: 10.3892/or.2014.3312. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 25017491.

Sun RN, Zhang YN, Wang J, Liu HJ, Kong LB. [Active components of Ligustrum lucidum inhibiting hepatitis C virus replicase activity]. [Article in Chinese] Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2013 Sep;48(9):1390-6.