Yin Chen Hao (Artemisia scoparia)

Yin Chen Hao (Artemisia scoparia) is a medicinal herb rather than a conventional food ingredient, so its nutritional profile is characterized primarily by bioactive compounds rather than macronutrients. Macronutrients are negligible in typical medicinal doses. Key bioactive compounds include: Scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin) at approximately 0.1–0.5% dry weight, a principal active constituent responsible for choleretic and hepatoprotective effects; Capillarisin (a chromone flavonoid) at approximately 0.05–0.3% dry weight, contributing to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity; Chlorogenic acid at approximately 0.2–1.0% dry weight, a polyphenol with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties; Caffeic acid derivatives including artepillin, present in small but pharmacologically relevant concentrations; Essential oils including α-pinene, β-pinene, and camphor at approximately 0.2–0.8% total volatile content; Flavonoids including quercetin, isorhamnetin, and luteolin in trace to low concentrations (0.01–0.1%); Coumarins including esculetin and umbelliferone at trace levels. Micronutrients include modest amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Bioavailability notes: Scoparone and capillarisin have relatively good oral bioavailability when consumed as decoctions; water-soluble polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid are well-absorbed in the small intestine; lipophilic coumarins may have enhanced absorption when taken with small amounts of dietary fat; traditional decoction preparation optimizes extraction of water-soluble bioactives but may reduce volatile essential oil content.