ISO 19047:2025

International
Standard
ISO 19047
First edition
Traditional Chinese Medicine —
2025-10
Polygonum multiflorum root
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Racine de Polygonum
multiflorum
Reference number
© ISO 2025
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 1
5 Quailty and safey requirements and recommendations . 2
5.1 General .2
5.2 Morphological features .2
5.2.1 Appearance .2
5.2.2 Colour .2
5.2.3 Dimensions .2
5.2.4 Texture .3
5.2.5 Fracture .3
5.2.6 Odour .3
5.3 Microscopic identification .3
5.4 Moisture .4
5.5 Total ash .4
5.6 Water-soluble extractives .4
5.7 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification .4
5.8 Marker compound(s) .5
5.9 Heavy metals .5
5.10 Pesticide residues .5
6 Sampling . 5
7 Test method . 5
7.1 Macroscopic identification .5
7.2 Microscopic identification .5
7.3 Determination of moisture content .5
7.4 Determination of total ash content .5
7.5 Water-soluble extractives .5
7.6 Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification .5
7.7 Determination of marker compound(s).5
7.8 Determination of heavy metals contents .5
7.9 Determination of pesticide residues contents.6
8 Test report . 6
9 Packaging, storage and transportation . 6
10 Marking and labelling . 6
Annex A (informative) Thin-layer chromatogram (TLC) identification . 7
Annex B (informative) Determination of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside
content . 9
Annex C (informative) Determination of total anthraquinone glycosides content .11
Annex D (informative) Reference values of Polygonum multiflorum root in different national
and regional standards . 14
Bibliography . 17

iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 249, Traditional medicine, Subcommittee SC 1,
Traditional Chinese medicine.
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iv
Introduction
Polygonum multiflorum root (also called Fallopia multiflora root) is the dried root of Polygonum multiflorum
Thunb. (Fam. Polygonaceae), which is known as Heshouwu (何首乌 in Chinese) in China. It has a long history
of medicinal use in East Asian countries and is traditionally valued and reported for its hair-blacking, liver-
and kidney-tonifying and anti-aging effects as well as its low toxicity.
Although Polygonum multiflorum root and its related prescriptions are limited in the international market
due to concerns over liver injury, there is still a large demand for Polygonum multiflorum root in the Chinese
materia medica market to date; 200 t to 300 t per year of Polygonum multiflorum root are exported to
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hongkong (China), and other countries and regions. In addition, Polygonum
multiflorum root is ranked no. 26 in the priority list of single herbal medicines for developing standards in
ISO/TR 23975:2025.
There is currently no unified International Standard for Polygonum multiflorum root. The regulatory
authorities in many countries have not adequately differentiated the adulterants of Polygonum multiflorum
root. Additionally, the quality of Polygonum multiflorum root provided from different areas varies a lot.
Therefore, an International Standard for Polygonum multiflorum root in terms of quality control of this herb
and its products is required to ensure the safe use of these medicinal materials.
As national implementation can differ, national standards bodies are invited to modify the values given in
5.4 and 5.5 in their national standards. Examples of national and regional values are given in Annex D.

v
International Standard ISO 19047:2025(en)
Traditional Chinese Medicine — Polygonum multiflorum root
1 Scope
This document specifies the quality and safety requirements and test methods of Polygonum multiflorum
root, which is derived from the dried root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Fam. Polygonaceae).
This document is applicable to raw and processed Polygonum multiflorum root that are sold and used as
natural medicines in international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal material) and
decoction pieces derived from this plant.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18664, Traditional Chinese Medicine — Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in
Traditional Chinese Medicine
ISO/TS 21310, Traditional Chinese medicine — Microscopic examination of medicinal herbs
ISO 21371, Traditional Chinese medicine — Labelling requirements of products intended for oral or topical use
ISO 22217, Traditional Chinese medicine —Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces
ISO 22258, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of pesticide residues in natural products by gas
chromatography
ISO 23723:2021, Traditional Chinese medicine — General requirements for herbal raw material and materia medica
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
Polygonum multiflorum root
Fallopia multiflora root
Reynoutria multiflora root
dried root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb [syn. Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke; Fallopia multiflora
(Thunb.) Haraldson] in the family of Polygonaceae
4 Descriptions
In this document, the structure of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Fam. Polygonaceae) and the dried root are
shown in Figure 1.
a) plant of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. b) Polygonum multiflorum root
Key
1 length
2 diameter
Figure 1 — Structure of the plant and root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.
5 Quailty and safey requirements and recommendations
5.1 General
The following requirements shall be met before the sampling (see Clause 6).
a) Polygonum multiflorum root shall be clean and free from leaf, stem and foreign matter.
b) The presence of living insects, mouldy root and external contaiminants which are visible to the naked
eye shall not be permitted.
5.2 Morphological features
5.2.1 Appearance
The root is in the shape of a briquette or an irregular spindle.
5.2.2 Colour
The external surface of the root is reddish-brown with irregular wrinkles, transverse elongated lenticel-like
protrusion, and fine rootlet scars.
5.2.3 Dimensions
The root is 6 cm to 15 cm in length measured from the base to the end of the root, and 4 cm to 12 cm in
diameter measured at the middle of the root.

5.2.4 Texture
The texture is dense, compact and not easily broken.
5.2.5 Fracture
The fracture is pale yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. The drug is powdery when fractured. The phloem
exhibits 4 to 11 subround allotype vascular bundles arranged in a ring, forming brocaded patterns; the
xylem in the central part is larger with an occasionally woody core.
5.2.6 Odour
The odour is slight and characteristic; and the taste is slightly bitter and astringent.
5.3 Microscopic identifica
...