Anu Taila
Anu Taila is a classical Ayurvedic taila, a medicated oil. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Ashtanga Hridayam (Sutrasthana Chapter 20 - Nasya Vidhi) by Vagbhata. Described as the foremost Nasya oil for Dinacharya (daily regimen). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 8:1) lists 30 ingredients, beginning with Jivanti, Jala, Devadaru and Jalada.
| Also known as | Anu Taila, AnuTaila |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Referenced in Ashtanga Hridayam and Charaka Samhita. Included in AYUSH protocol for preventive healthcare. Manufactured by major licensed pharmacies under GMP standards. Recommended in AYUSH COVID-19 advisory for daily nasal oil application. |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 8:1 (ANU TAILA), which cites Astangahrdaya, Sutrasthana, Adhyaya 20; 37-38.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.
| # | Ingredient | Part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jivanti * | root | 28 g. |
| 2 | Jala (hrivera) * | root | 28 g. |
| 3 | Devadaru * | heart wood | 28 g. |
| 4 | Jalada (musta) | rhizome | 28 g. |
| 5 | Tvak | stem bark | 28 g. |
| 6 | Sevya * | root | 28 g. |
| 7 | Gopi (sariva) | root | 28 g. |
| 8 | Hima (Sveta candana) | heart wood | 28 g. |
| 9 | Darvi (daru haridra) * | 28 g. | |
| 10 | Madhuka (yasti) * | root | 28 g. |
| 11 | Plava (kaivarta musta) | rhizome | 28 g. |
| 12 | Agaru * | heart wood | illegible |
| 13 | Vari (Satavari) | root tuber | 28 g |
| 14 | Pundrahva (prapaundarika) * | 28 g | |
| 15 | Bilva * | root or stem bark | 28 g |
| 16 | Utpala | flower | 28 g |
| 17 | Brhati * | 28 g. | |
| 18 | Kantakari * | 28 g. | |
| 19 | Surabhi (rasna) | Rt./Lf. | 28 g |
| 20 | Salaparni * | 28 g | |
| 21 | Prsniparni * | 28 g | |
| 22 | Krmihara (vidanga) | fruit | 28 g. |
| 23 | Patra (teja patra) | leaf | 28 g. |
| 24 | Truti (suksmaila) * | seed | 28 g. |
| 25 | Renuka * | seed | 28 g. |
| 26 | Kamala kinjalka (kamala) * | Adr. | 28 g. |
| 27 | Water for decoction * | 76.800 l. reduced to 7.680 l. | |
| 28 | Drugs 1 to 26 for kalka * | 128 g. | |
| 29 | Taila (tila) * | oil | 768 g. |
| 30 | Ajadugdha (ajaksira) * | 768 ml. |
Cells marked illegible are damaged in the source scan. The ingredient name is shown where it was readable, and nothing is inferred to fill a gap.
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
The evidence at a glance
4papers on this site for this drug, published 2016 to 2023, every one with a DOI.
- 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 3Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Anu Taila |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Ashtanga Hridayam (Sutrasthana Chapter 20 - Nasya Vidhi) by Vagbhata. Described as the foremost Nasya oil for Dinacharya (daily regimen). Contains 25+ herbs infused in sesame oil. Also referenced in Charaka Samhita.
How does it work?
- Transnasal delivery through the olfactory neuroepithelium is proposed as a nose-to-brain route that may bypass the blood-brain barrier; this is not established for this formulation
- Sesame oil base (Murchana-processed) increases saponification and refractive index while decreasing free fatty acids and peroxide levels
- Sandalwood’s santalol and Jatamansi’s nardostachin provide anti-inflammatory and calming effects on nasal mucosa
- Glycyrrhizin from Licorice is proposed to provide mucosal protective effects; a hamster study described the oil as a ‘biological mask’ for the nasal epithelium, and human evidence is not established
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Sinusitis and allergic rhinitis: traditionally used for these nasal conditions. A pilot study reported lower nasal congestion scores.
- Facial paralysis (Ardita): used in classical practice for this condition. A systematic review reported improvement in facial pain, speech disorder, and earache.
- Respiratory and immune support: traditionally used for respiratory health. An animal study in a hamster model of COVID-19 reported reduced viral load and lung pathology with prophylactic nasal application.
What do recent studies show?
- Vijay B, Diwan B, Devkumar P and others 2023. Nasal application of sesame oil-based Anu taila as ‘biological mask’ for respiratory health during COVID-19. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 37660545 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100773
Published in PMC/ScienceDirect, prophylactic nasal instillation of Anu oil in a hamster SARS-CoV2 challenge model exhibited reduced viral load in lungs, reduced body weight loss, and reduced pneumonitis with histopathological analysis revealing reduced lung pathology. - Vivera MJ, Gomersall JS 2016. The effectiveness of ayurvedic oil-based nasal instillation (Nasya) medicines in the treatment of facial paralysis (Ardita): a systematic review. JBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports. PMID 27532316 · doi:10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-2402
Systematic review found that participants receiving Nasya intervention with Anu Taila had 78.2% to 90.9% relief from symptoms of facial pain, speech disorder, and earache, graded as marked improvement.
Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.
Recent safety updates
- Well tolerated with no serious adverse reactions reported. Slight burning sensation, temporary congestion, and throat irritation may occur during initial use - these are transient and tolerable. Not recommended during acute fever, nasal bleeding, or immediately after meals.
- People with allergy history should use with caution and may experience allergic reactions. Contraindicated immediately after Shodhana (purification) procedures, in children under 7, and in severe nasal obstruction. Best administered lukewarm under practitioner guidance.
What is it made of?
The Ayurvedic Formulary of India recipe, every ingredient with its part and quantity, is in the composition table near the top of this page.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Taila (medicated oil for nasal administration/Nasya), Nasal drops (modern)
Standard Dosage: 2-6 drops in each nostril (Pratimarsha Nasya) or 6-8 drops (Marsha Nasya). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India attributes this formula to Astangahrdaya, Sutrasthana, Adhyaya 20; 37-38.
Optimal Timing: Morning on empty stomach after Abhyanga (oil massage) and Swedana (fomentation) of face. Avoid in rainy/cloudy weather per classical guidelines.
Storage: Store in amber glass bottles with dropper caps in a cool, dry place. Protect from light. Temperature not exceeding 25°C. Nasal preparations require enhanced microbial controls.
Marker Compounds: Sesamin, Sesamolin, Jivantine, Cinnamaldehyde (from Tvak), Alpha-vetivone (from Usheera)
Vehicle (Anupana): Not applicable, administered nasally. Warm oil (slightly above body temperature) preferred for Nasya.
Synergistic Combinations
- Shadbindu Taila
- Vacha Churna
- Brahmi Ghrita
- Nasya Karma procedures
What manufacturers publish about this preparation
Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.
The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 8 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.
| Company | What its product page publishes |
|---|---|
| AVN Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Kerala Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Oushadhi | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Patanjali Ayurved | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Shree Dhootapapeshwar | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.
Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1
- 2016. The effectiveness of ayurvedic oil-based nasal instillation (Nasya) medicines in the treatment of facial paralysis (Ardita): a systematic reviewJBI database of systematic reviews and implementation reports. PMID 27532316 · doi:10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-2402
Laboratory and animal studies3
- 2023. Nasal application of sesame oil-based Anu taila as 'biological mask' for respiratory health during COVID-19Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 37660545 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100773
- 2022. Anu taila, an herbal nasal drop, suppresses mucormycosis by regulating host TNF-α response and fungal ergosterol biosynthesisJournal of applied microbiology. PMID 35025137 · doi:10.1111/jam.15451
- 2023. Anu Taila, an herbal nasal-drop, delays spore germination in Cunninghamella bertholletiae by reducing cAMP-PKA dependent ROS in mucorale pathogen and extrinsic ROS in human host cellsLetters in applied microbiology. PMID 36708174 · doi:10.1093/lambio/ovad014
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Available from Age Ayurveda
This encyclopedia is published by Age Ayurveda. The products below are ours, and are listed here because they contain or use what this page describes.
Nasja OilA nasya taila for daily nasal application, traditionally used to support clear nasal passages.Ask about this on WhatsApp
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.