Shakuyaku-kanzo-to

Shakuyaku-kanzo-to (Japanese: 芍薬甘草湯, Hepburn: Shakuyaku-kanzō-tō) or shao-yao-gan-cao-tang (Chinese: 芍药甘草丸; pinyin: sháo yào gān cǎo wán) is a traditional herbal medicine used in both Kampo (Japanese) and Chinese medicine. It consists of an equal combination of the roots of Chinese peony root (Radix Paeoniae, shakuyaku) and licorice root (Radix Glycyrrhizae, kanzō), primarily used for its antispasmodic properties in the treatment of muscle cramps and various other conditions involving smooth and skeletal muscle spasms.

The formula was first described in the Shanghan Lun, a classical Chinese medical textbook during the Eastern Han dynasty, and has been standardized in modern Japan for both traditional and clinical use. Its main active compounds, paeoniflorin and glycyrrhizin, are believed to act synergistically at neuromuscular junctions and on prostaglandin synthesis. While generally safe in short-term use, long-term or high-dose intake can cause side effects such as pseudohyperaldosteronism, a hormone-related disorder, due to the effects of glycyrrhizin.

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