Cyanotis arachnoides

Other Names

Commelina arachnoidea (C.B.Clarke) C.B.ClarkeCyanotis arachnoideaCyanotis arachnoidea C.B.ClarkeCyanotis arachnoidea var. obtusa TrimenCyanotis arachnoides C.B.ClarkeCyanotis bodinieri H.Lév. & VaniotCyanotis labordei H.Lév. & VaniotCyanotis lanata var. lanuginosa K.Schum.Cyanotis nilagirica Hassk.Cyanotis obtusa (Trimen) TrimenCyanotis pilosa Wightdew grassdew plantgrass of the dewhairy wandering JewlodhLushuicaospiderwortTonningia arachnodea (C.B.Clarke) KuntzeTradescantia incana B.HeyneTradescantia incana B.Heyne ex C.B.ClarkeTradescantia lanata B.HeyneTradescantia lanata B.Heyne ex C.B.Clarkeuškovec pavučinatýwhite grass of the dewฝอยหินアラゲツユクサ珍珠露水草蛛丝毛蓝耳草蛛絲毛藍耳草露水草

Synopsis

Cyanotis arachnoidea: A Comprehensive Reference Article

1. Identity, Nomenclature, and Botanical Description

1.1 Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke was formally described in 1881, placed within the family Commelinaceae, subfamily Commelinoideae, tribe Tradescantieae, and subtribe Cyanotinae. The species epithet is often misspelled in commerce and the literature as arachnoidea or arachnoides; both forms appear, but the formally accepted name is Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke.

Recognized synonyms include Commelina arachnoidea (C.B. Clarke) C.B. Clarke and Cyanotis cristata Rosendahl. Additional synonyms recorded in botanical literature include Tonningia arachnodea (C.B.Clarke) Kuntze (1891). Further historical synonyms encompass Cyanotis pilosa Wight and Cyanotis nilagirica Hassk.

Taxonomically, C. arachnoidea belongs to the kingdom Plantae, division Magnoliophyta, phylum Tracheophyta, and class Liliopsida (monocotyledons).

1.2 Morphology and Distribution

The plant is a perennial herb with fibrous roots; its main stem is undeveloped and short, while fertile stems arise from beneath a leaf rosette and are diffuse and creeping, reaching 20–80 cm. Leaves occur in a basal rosette and on stems; rosulate leaf blades are linear, 8–35 × 0.5–1.5 cm, while cauline leaf blades on fertile stems are much shorter, to 7 cm, and are rather densely arachnoid (cobweb-like hairy) on the lower surface. It is this characteristic cottony indumentum that gives rise to the common epithet "spider" or "cobweb" spiderwort.

C. arachnoidea is a perennial herb native to regions of Asia, particularly India and China; it is described more specifically as native to southwest China.

1.3 Common Names and Preparation Forms

The plant is sometimes referred to by the common name "spiderwort," though this designation is shared with other members of the Commelinaceae. In the commercial supplement industry it is routinely listed under the names Cyanotis arachnoidea root extract, beta-ecdysone extract, or ecdysterone from Cyanotis.

Commercial preparations are typically standardized root extracts, available as a light yellow crystalline powder or white fine powder with purity specifications of 20-β-Hydroxyecdysterone at 90% or 95% (measured by HPLC). Applications include food supplements, nutritional supplements, functional foods, and pharmaceuticals. Ecdysteroid-containing extracts prepared from the roots of Cyanotis arachnoidea are available for online purchase up to a scale of several metric tons per month at highly competitive prices; depending on purity, some companies offer extracts at 1 USD/kg.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

2.1 Use in Minority Ethnic Communities of China

Cyanotis arachnoidea is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with limited clinical use in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in minority areas of Guizhou Province, China. Ancient Chinese medicine texts report that it has been used to treat nephritic edema, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases. These references are attributed to regional ethnopharmacological compendia and provincial TCM formularies from the 20th century.

It is essential to note a significant caveat regarding the broader claim of traditional use: C. arachnoidea is neither a foodstuff nor a valued medicinal plant in mainstream Chinese medicine, and no Cyanotis species are recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which lists ecdysteroid-containing plants such as Cyathula officinalis (Chuan Niuxi) and Achyranthes bidentata (Huai Niuxi). Similarly, C. arachnoidea and its preparations have not been used in traditional herbal medicines or foodstuffs in Europe, and it is unclear whether they can be legally marketed for human consumption in that region.

2.2 Alleged Ayurvedic and Broader Asian Traditional Use

Some secondary sources claim C. arachnoidea has historical use within Ayurvedic medicine. However, these claims are not substantiated by primary ethnopharmacological data or pharmacopoeial records, and should be treated with caution. The peer-reviewed scientific literature on the plant focuses predominantly on its phytochemistry and pre-clinical pharmacology, with formal documentation of Ayurvedic use absent from authoritative sources reviewed here.

3. Phytochemistry: Key Constituents and Active Compounds

3.1 Ecdysteroids

The principal constituents of the whole plant are ecdysteroids (5β-cholest-6-on-7-ene derivatives) and flavonoids. The roots of C. arachnoidea are very rich in ecdysteroids, containing as much as 2–3% of these compounds.

Of the isolated compounds, only 20-β-Hydroxyecdysterone is currently considered to play an important role in the action of this plant, and all leaf and root samples contained 20-hydroxyecdysone as the main ecdysteroid compound of C. arachnoidea. The 20-β-Hydroxyecdysterone content of the roots ranged from 0.12 to 0.20%, being higher than that of the leaves.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) fingerprinting has identified four key quality markers in C. arachnoidea: 20-hydroxyecdysone, 3-O-acetyl-20-hydroxyecdysone, Ajugasterone C, and 2-O-acetyl-20-hydroxyecdysone. Large-scale chromatographic isolation from commercial root extracts has yielded ten ecdysteroids, including eight new compounds, with highly unusual structures identified, including compounds bearing an H-14β moiety. In receptor-binding assays, six compounds were identified as ecdysone receptor (EcR) agonists and two as antagonists, demonstrating that commercial C. arachnoidea extracts are rich in novel, bioactive ecdysteroids — although, because of the lack of authentic plant material in these commercial extracts, the truly biosynthetic or artifactual nature of some of these compounds cannot be confirmed.

3.2 Flavonoids and Other Secondary Metabolites

The main flavonoids identified in C. arachnoidea are 6-methoxy-kaempferol, patuletin, isorhamnetin-glycoside, and quercetin-5-glycoside. Polyacetylenes and triterpenes have also been isolated from different parts of the plant.

3.3 Process-Related Artifacts and Autoxidation Products

A significant analytical issue specific to commercial C. arachnoidea extracts has been identified. LC-MS/MS fingerprinting of both native and industrially processed Cyanotis arachnoidea extracts, together with analysis of an autoxidized product mixture of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), revealed that the autoxidation of 20-hydroxyecdysone leads to the formation of various unknown or uncharacterized ecdysteroid compounds; a total of 146 ecdysteroids were detected across these samples. The autoxidative origin of many process-related artifacts was confirmed in commercial ecdysteroid extracts; considering the pharmacological versatility of ecdysteroids and the major pharmacological differences between these compounds and their autoxidized derivatives, these results are of importance regarding the efficacy and safety of commercially available ecdysteroid-containing food supplements.

4. Mechanisms of Action

4.1 Role in Insects vs. Mammals

Ecdysteroids act as molting hormones in insects and as non-hormonal anabolic agents and adaptogens in mammals. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (ecdysterone or 20E) is a naturally occurring ecdysteroid hormone that controls ecdysis (molting) and metamorphosis of arthropods and is therefore one of the most common molting hormones in insects, crabs, and related organisms. Although mammals, including humans, lack the ecdysone receptor, 20-hydroxyecdysone nonetheless affects mammalian biological systems.

4.2 Proposed Mammalian Receptors and Signaling Pathways

The precise molecular target through which 20E acts in mammals remains under active investigation and is the subject of debate. In spite of more than 40 years of research, the mechanism of action of these molecules in mammals and humans has not been fully elucidated; several data favor an action on membranes through a GPCR receptor, whereas other data suggest involvement of a nuclear receptor, specifically estrogen receptor ERβ.

The proposed mechanism for the muscle-building effect involves activating estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) in skeletal muscle cells, with this interaction believed to stimulate cellular pathways including the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade, leading to increased protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy. It has been proposed that ERβ activation mediates ecdysterone's anabolic activity; antiestrogen, but not antiandrogen, could counteract ecdysterone's hypertrophic effect.

An additional, independently proposed mechanism involves the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Using a mouse myoblast cell line (C2C12) and the gene expression of myostatin as a reporter system of anabolic activity, experiments using protein-bound 20E established the involvement of a membrane receptor; 20E-like effects were also observed with angiotensin(1-7), the endogenous ligand of MAS, and the effect on myostatin gene expression was abolished by Mas receptor knock-down using siRNA or pharmacological inhibitors. In mammals, 20E stimulates protein synthesis especially in muscles and accelerates myocyte differentiation; BIO101 (a pharmaceutical-grade form of 20E) activates the MAS receptor, part of the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system.

These compounds are chemically similar to human steroid hormones but do not bind to the androgen receptor, which causes the harmful side effects associated with synthetic anabolic steroids. There is in fact no direct evidence for the binding of 20E to nuclear estrogen or androgen receptors.

4.3 Antidiabetic Mechanisms

A pre-clinical study specifically investigating β-ecdysterone (β-EC) derived from Cyanotis arachnoidea found that in vitro, β-EC exhibited a promising effect on increasing GLUT4 translocation by 1.6-fold and glucose uptake by 1.75-fold in L6 cells; in vivo, treatment of KK-Ay mice with β-EC significantly reduced body weight, blood glucose levels, and related blood-lipid indices. Network pharmacology analysis identified 107 therapeutic target genes of Cyanotis arachnoidea in diabetes mellitus treatment, with key targets including Akt1, TNF, IL-6, MAPK3, and JUN. The hypoglycemic mode of action may be mediated by TNF signaling, cancer pathway overlap, insulin resistance pathways, and JAK-STAT signaling.

4.4 Additional Pharmacological Properties of 20-Hydroxyecdysone

In humans, 20E has no classical hormonal activity but possesses a number of pharmacological properties including anabolic, adaptogenic, hypoglycemic, and antioxidant properties, as well as cardio-, hepato-, and neuroprotective features. 20E has also been reported to increase myonuclear number in normal and regenerating muscles and to augment muscle regeneration, suggesting that it also stimulates satellite cell (muscle stem cell) activity. It has been shown in endothelial cell culture (HUVEC) that 20E exerts effects through SIRT6-mediated deacetylation of NF-κB p65 to inhibit CD40 expression, and the authors proposed that 20E may have therapeutic potential for cardiovascular diseases.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Skeletal Muscle Anabolism and Physical Performance

5.1.1 Clinical Human Studies

A key study from the German Sport University Cologne noted that recent data suggest the anabolic effect of ecdysterone is mediated by estrogen receptor (ER) binding, and that in comparison with prohibited anabolic agents, ecdysterone was revealed to be even more effective in a rat study; however, scientific studies in humans were, at the time, very rarely accessible.

The landmark human study by Isenmann et al. (2019), published in Archives of Toxicology and partly funded by the World Anti-Doping Agency, remains the most-cited clinical trial of ecdysterone. Isenmann et al. conducted a 10-week randomized controlled trial involving strength training in young men (n=46), with various doses of ecdysterone-containing supplements administered; participants supplemented with the high dose (48 mg of ecdysterone per day) showed a significant increase in muscle mass of approximately 2.0 kg. The study found significantly higher increases in muscle mass and one-repetition maximum bench press performance in participants dosed with ecdysterone, and demonstrated a significant dose-responsive anabolic effect.

A subsequent study yielded contrasting results. A different study comparing muscle mass development after a resistance training period found no significant differences between the placebo and 20E groups. This contrasts with the Isenmann finding of differences at high doses (48 mg/day); the contrasting observations may be attributed to the varying concentrations of ecdysterone and leucine used across formulations. It must be noted that the Isenmann et al. 2019 study used a spinach extract as the ecdysterone source, not a Cyanotis arachnoidea extract; however, 20-hydroxyecdysone is the principal bioactive constituent common to both sources.

A 2006 study (Wilborn et al.) concluded that oral administration of 30 mg per day of 20-hydroxyecdysone did not significantly affect anabolic or catabolic responses to resistance training, body composition, or training adaptations.

Evidence strength assessment: The available human RCT evidence for ecdysterone (the primary bioactive from C. arachnoidea) on muscle anabolism is preliminary and mixed. Only a small number of RCTs have been completed, they are of short duration (up to 12 weeks), involve modest sample sizes, and study designs differ in dose, formulation, and co-ingredients such as leucine. Results are inconsistent. The 2019 WADA-funded study is the most frequently cited positive finding.

5.2 Sarcopenia and Muscle Wasting in Older Adults

A pharmaceutical-grade preparation of 20-hydroxyecdysone designated BIO101 has been advanced into formal clinical development for sarcopenia. The Phase 2b trial SARA-INT investigated whether BIO101 (20-hydroxyecdysone) is safe and improves muscle function and physical performance in community-dwelling older sarcopenic patients; it was a randomized three-arm interventional study (BIO101 175 mg twice daily / 350 mg twice daily / placebo) with a planned 6-month treatment period (up to 9 months in 50 subjects), with eligibility criteria requiring that subjects met FNIH sarcopenia criteria and had a Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤ 8/12, in men and women aged ≥ 65 years.

Previous studies demonstrated that BIO101 increases protein synthesis through activation of the MAS receptor (involved in the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system), and the Phase 2b study aimed to assess anabolic and pro-differentiating properties in C2C12 muscle cells in vitro, as well as effects in adult and old mouse models in vivo.

Evidence strength assessment: There is Phase 1 and Phase 2b clinical trial data specifically for BIO101 (20E) in sarcopenia. Phase 1 data establish the safety and pharmacokinetic profile. Phase 2b is the most advanced human evidence for 20E from any plant source in a muscle-wasting indication. However, BIO101 is a purified pharmaceutical compound (≥97% 20E), not a whole C. arachnoidea extract, and these findings do not directly validate commercial supplement preparations of the plant.

5.3 Glucose Metabolism and Diabetes

β-ecdysterone (β-EC), as a member of the phytosterol family derived from C. arachnoidea, has a variety of pharmacological properties including anti-feedant, anti-tumor, anti-osteoarthritic, anti-mutagenic, and anti-inflammatory activity; a study specifically investigated the antidiabetic activity and potential mechanism of β-EC derived from Cyanotis arachnoidea. The in vitro and animal data described above (see Section 4.3) represent the primary scientific evidence for this use.

The traditional use of C. arachnoidea in minority areas of Guizhou Province for the treatment of diabetes mellitus provides the ethnopharmacological rationale for this line of research.

Evidence strength assessment: Evidence is limited to pre-clinical (in vitro and animal) studies and network pharmacology modeling. No human clinical trials have been published evaluating C. arachnoidea extracts or 20E specifically for diabetes management in humans. The evidence is preliminary.

5.4 Cardiometabolic Health

Previous studies have demonstrated anabolic and metabolic effects of 20E in mammals; one study investigated the favorable effects and possible underlying mechanisms of 20E in a rat model of cardiometabolic syndrome induced by a high-calorie diet combined with female sex hormone deprivation. A number of studies have revealed potential beneficial health effects of 20E including wound-healing, immunoprotective, and anti-osteoporosis effects.

Evidence strength assessment: Evidence is animal-model-based only. No human clinical trials directly examining cardiometabolic outcomes with C. arachnoidea or 20E in a cardiovascular context have been published.

5.5 Neuroprotection

20-hydroxyecdysone exhibits a broad range of biological properties in various in vitro and in vivo models, including neuroprotective activity. 20-hydroxyecdysone has been reported to promote de novo nucleic acid and protein synthesis, to have pharmacological effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, and to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotectant, and antitumor activity — as evidenced in various referenced pre-clinical studies.

Evidence strength assessment: Neuroprotective evidence is confined to in vitro and animal studies. No human clinical evidence is available specifically for this endpoint in relation to C. arachnoidea.

6. Dosage Forms and Dosages Reported in Studies

The following dosage information is drawn strictly from the published scientific literature cited in this article:

A 2006 study by Wilborn et al. used 30 mg per day of 20-hydroxyecdysone, administered orally, over the course of the study.
Isenmann et al.'s 10-week RCT in 46 young men used varying doses, with the high-dose group receiving 48 mg of ecdysterone per day, which was associated with a significant increase in muscle mass of approximately 2.0 kg.
In the Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study of BIO101, single ascending doses ranged from 100 mg to 1400 mg; mean half-life was short, at 2.4–4.9 hours, and mean renal clearance was comparable across all doses at 4.05–5.05 L/h.
The SARA-INT Phase 2b sarcopenia trial used three arms: BIO101 175 mg twice daily, 350 mg twice daily, and placebo, with a planned 6-month treatment period.
While the dietary intake of ecdysteroids from natural foods seldom exceeds 100 mg per day, supplementation in sports contexts often reaches 100–1000 mg, levels associated in some studies with enhanced strength and muscle mass.
Sportsmen, most typically bodybuilders, are frequently advised in commercial literature to take up to several grams of 20E per day — a dose that has never been seriously studied for long-term safety.

Commercial preparations of C. arachnoidea extracts are typically standardized to 90% or 95% 20-hydroxyecdysone by HPLC, supplied as capsules or loose powders, but specific dose guidance from these products is not validated by clinical evidence as of the sources reviewed here.

7. Body Systems and Health Areas

Based on the available peer-reviewed evidence, C. arachnoidea (and its primary bioactive, 20-hydroxyecdysone) has been studied across the following body systems and health domains:

Musculoskeletal system: Protein synthesis, muscle hypertrophy, anti-sarcopenia, satellite cell activation, and physical performance in resistance training.
Metabolic and endocrine system: Glucose metabolism, GLUT4 translocation, insulin signaling pathways, lipid regulation, and anti-diabetic effects.
Cardiovascular system: Cardioprotective effects in animal models; modulation of the renin-angiotensin system via MAS receptor.
Central nervous system: Neuroprotective effects in preclinical models.
Immune and inflammatory pathways: Anti-inflammatory activity via NF-κB inhibition; antioxidant activity.
Hepatic system: Hepatoprotective properties reported in preclinical models.

Ecdysterone has a fairly similar anabolic influence in vitro across various cell types and in vivo in animal models and clinical trials; this effect conforms with antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-obesity, anti-apoptotic, hepato-, neuro-, immuno-, osteo-, and chondroprotective properties — with the impact generally more apparent in pathological models than in healthy conditions.

8. Safety Considerations

8.1 General Toxicological Profile of 20-Hydroxyecdysone

Phytoecdysteroids have been found to exert mostly beneficial effects on mammals; hardly any detrimental results have been observed after the administration of these compounds, which contrasts with mammalian steroid hormones that typically accompany positive anabolic effects with often dangerous androgenic ones.

The Phase 1 clinical program for BIO101 (pharmaceutical-grade 20E) showed a good safety and pharmacokinetic profile that supported the selection of doses for subsequent Phase 2 and Phase 3 interventional clinical trials. There is a complete absence of reliable scientific data regarding the safety of ecdysteroids for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals.

8.2 Product Quality and Adulteration Risks

A documented regulatory concern is adulteration and mislabeling. Investigation of food supplements produced in Germany and claimed to contain spinach extracts revealed that twelve ecdysteroids were isolated and utilized as marker compounds; comparative analysis of the products with Cyanotis and spinach extracts provided evidence that these products were manufactured from Cyanotis extracts instead of spinach as stated. Based on chromatographic fingerprints, 20-hydroxyecdysone 2- and 3-acetate are suggested as diagnostic markers for related quality control; this case represents an unusual type of dietary supplement counterfeiting, where undeclared extracts from alternative plants would supposedly guarantee product efficacy.

A further quality issue concerns oxidative degradation during processing. The autoxidation of 20-hydroxyecdysone leads to the formation of various unknown or uncharacterized ecdysteroid compounds, which can significantly impact the quality and efficacy of commercial ecdysteroid-containing supplements, potentially affecting their regulatory status and consumer safety.

8.3 WADA Monitoring Status and Regulatory Considerations

In 2020, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added the most abundant ecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysterone; 20E), to its Monitoring Program as an anabolic agent. Ecdysterone is currently listed on the WADA Monitoring Program, indicating that it is being monitored but is not prohibited; this status may change depending on future evaluations. A human study showing ecdysterone increased muscle mass and performance more effectively than placebo led researchers to recommend its inclusion in the prohibited class of "other anabolic agents"; for competitive athletes, this WADA monitoring status represents a significant regulatory consideration, as prohibition could occur at any time.

In Hungary, high-ecdysteroid-containing plants — including a related species, Cyanotis vaga (together with Achyranthes aspera, Cyathula capitata, Pfaffia paniculata, and Polypodium virginianum) — are banned by the National Institute for Food and Nutrition Science (OÉTI) and cannot be marketed as food supplements.

European regulatory analyses have highlighted that Cyanotis arachnoidea lacks a history of food use, raising potential novel-food or supplement-authorization considerations.

8.4 Long-Term Safety at High Doses

Sportsmen, most typically bodybuilders, are often advised to take up to several grams of 20E per day, a dose that has never been seriously studied for long-term safety. The clinical evidence available is primarily from short-duration trials (up to 12 weeks) at comparatively modest doses. While the dietary intake of ecdysteroids from natural foods seldom exceeds 100 mg per day, supplementation often reaches 100–1000 mg — levels at which enhanced strength and muscle mass have been reported in some studies. The safety of doses substantially exceeding those used in clinical trials has not been characterized in humans.

8.5 Drug and Supplement Interactions

No well-characterized drug interactions for C. arachnoidea or 20-hydroxyecdysone in humans have been documented in the peer-reviewed literature reviewed here. The plant's effects on insulin signaling pathways (Akt1, GLUT4) and the renin-angiotensin system (MAS receptor) are mechanistically relevant to potential interactions with antidiabetic medications, antihypertensive agents acting on the RAS, and other anabolic substances, but these interactions have not been studied in clinical trials specific to C. arachnoidea.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Cyanotis arachnoides may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Cyanotis arachnoides may help support.

No body systems available.