Introduction

Fructus Gardenia, the dried ripe fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (Rubiaceae), is widely used in traditional medicine for its cholagogue, sedative, diuretic, antiphlogistic, and antipyretic effects. Additionally, it is an externally used drug with a long heritage and tradition in the treatment of sprain. Many iridoid glycosides were isolated from Gardeniae Fructus in previous investigations. Some of them, for example, Geniposide.
Geniposide has a significant role in promoting bile secretion, and can reduce blood bilirubin, as well as promote rapid excretion of bilirubin in the blood. It has an inhibitory effect on Streptococcus hemolyticus and skin fungi. It also has antipyretic, analgesic, sedative, antihypertensive and hemostatic effects. Geniposide has the function of purging pathogenic fire and eliminating restlessness, clearing heat and eliminating damp, decreasing swellinging to relieving pain. The Indications of Geniposide are heat disease, dysphoria, coma delirium, jaundice, heat stranguria, heat in blood, swelling and pain of eye, pathopyretic ulcer, and sprain.