Liu, Ya, Zhang, Hai-Gang, Li, Xiao-Hui · Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2011 · DOI
Researchers tested a traditional Chinese herbal mixture called Danggui Buxue Tang on rats engineered to have chronic fatigue-like symptoms. Rats treated with the herb showed improvements in body weight, physical endurance, and markers of immune function, suggesting the herbal mixture might help reduce fatigue by calming overactive immune responses.
Understanding immunological mechanisms in CFS is critical for identifying therapeutic targets. This study provides mechanistic data suggesting that immune dysregulation and inflammatory signaling pathways may be modifiable through herbal intervention, offering a rationale for further preclinical and clinical investigation into traditional compounds for CFS.
This animal model study does not prove that DBT is effective in humans with ME/CFS, nor does it establish that the rat CFS model accurately replicates human disease pathophysiology. The findings suggest correlation between immune normalization and fatigue reduction, but do not definitively establish causation or identify the active compound(s) responsible.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Liu, Ya, Zhang, Hai-Gang, & Li, Xiao-Hui (2011). A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food restriction and forced swimming in rats.. Phytotherapy research : PTR. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3499
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-liu-2011-chinese-herbal,
author = {Liu, Ya and Zhang, Hai-Gang and Li, Xiao-Hui},
title = {A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food restriction and forced swimming in rats.},
journal = {Phytotherapy research : PTR},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1002/ptr.3499},
note = {PubMed: 21495102},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/liu-2011-chinese-herbal},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/liu-2011-chinese-herbal
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