Indukantham Ghritam
Indukantham Ghritam is a classical Ayurvedic ghrita, a medicated ghee. Listed in Sahasrayogam (traditional Kerala compendium of formulations); available from GMP-certified Ayurvedic manufacturers; referenced in Ayurvedic Formulary of India. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 6:5) lists 21 ingredients, beginning with Putika, Daru, Bilva and Agnimantha.
| Also known as | Indukantham Ghritam, IndukanthamGhritam |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Sahasrayogam (traditional Kerala compendium of formulations); available from GMP-certified Ayurvedic manufacturers; referenced in Ayurvedic Formulary of India |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:5 (INDUKANTA GHRTA), which cites Sahasrayoga, Ghrtaprakarana; 5.. 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 | Putika (cirabilva) | stem bark | 256 g |
| 2 | Daru (devadaru) | Hd. Wd. | 256 g |
| 3 | Bilva | root or stem bark | 25.6 g. |
| 4 | Agnimantha | root or stem bark | 25.6 |
| 5 | Syonaka | root or stem bark | 25.6 |
| 6 | Gambhari | root or stem bark | 25.6 |
| 7 | Patala | root or stem bark | 25.6 |
| 8 | Salaparni * | whole plant | 25.6 |
| 9 | Prsniparni * | whole plant | 25.6 |
| 10 | Brhati * | whole plant | 25.6 |
| 11 | Kantakari * | whole plant | 25.6 |
| 12 | Goksura * | whole plant | 25.6 g |
| 13 | Water for decoction | 12.288 l. reduced to 3,072 l (printed; the decimal point is OCR-rendered as a comma, i.e. 3.072 l, one quarter of 12.288 l) | |
| 14 | Ksira (godugdha) | 768 ml. | |
| 15 | Ghrta (go ghrta) | 768 g. | |
| 16 | Pippali | fruit | 48 g |
| 17 | Pippali mula (pippali) * | root | 48 g. |
| 18 | Cavya | stem | 48 g. |
| 19 | Citraka | root | 48 g |
| 20 | Sunthi | rhizome | 48 g. |
| 21 | Yava ksara (yava) * | whole plant | 48 g. |
* 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
1paper on this site for this drug, every one with a DOI.
- 1Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Indukantham Ghritam |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Sahasrayogam (traditional Kerala compendium of formulations); mentioned in traditional Malayalam Ayurvedic compendiums
How does it work?
- Dashamula provides anti-inflammatory and analgesic action
- Trikatu stimulates Agni (digestive fire) through piperine-mediated enhancement of digestive enzyme secretion
- Chitraka (plumbagin) acts as a potent appetizer and digestive stimulant
- Yavakshara provides antacid and diuretic properties
- Immunomodulatory action of combined herbs supports immune function - demonstrated as adjuvant to chemotherapy
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Gulma and Udara Roga (abdominal tumors/diseases): traditionally used for these conditions. Studies of individual ingredients have reported gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity.
- Agnimandya (digestive weakness): traditionally used for this condition. Studies of the Trikatu and Panchakola ingredients have reported increased digestive enzyme activity.
- Immunomodulation: published research has reported immune stimulation when used alongside cancer chemotherapy.
- Amlapitta (acid peptic disorders): traditionally used for this condition. Screening studies of individual ingredients have reported antacid and mucosal protective activity.
What do recent studies show?
- George SK, Rajesh R, Kumar S S and others 2008. A polyherbal ayurvedic drug—Indukantha Ghritha as an adjuvant to cancer chemotherapy via immunomodulation. Immunobiology. PMID 18765169 · doi:10.1016/j.imbio.2008.02.004
Indukantha Ghritha demonstrated potential as an adjuvant to cancer chemotherapy through immunomodulatory action, supporting immune function during cytotoxic treatment
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
- Considerably safe for most individuals in recommended dosage under professional supervision
- Safety for pregnant women and breastfeeding women has not been specifically studied - effects are unknown; use only under practitioner guidance
- May cause mild digestive discomfort in high doses; avoid in individuals with severe gastric ulceration without supervision
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: Ghrita (medicated ghee), Soft gelatin capsules (modern)
Standard Dosage: 6-12 g twice daily on empty stomach. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India attributes this formula to Sahasrayoga, Ghrtaprakarana; 5.
Optimal Timing: On empty stomach, morning and evening, for Gulma (abdominal tumors/masses), Udara roga, and Vata disorders
Storage: Store in airtight glass or tin containers in a cool, dry place. Temperature not exceeding 25°C. Protect from light.
Marker Compounds: Lupeol, Marmelosin, Ephedrine (from Bala), 6-Gingerol, Beta-sitosterol, Cedrene (from Devadaru)
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water or warm milk
Synergistic Combinations
- Indukantham Kashayam
- Dhanwantaram Thailam
- Balarishta
- Dashamularishta
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 4 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 | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without 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.
Laboratory and animal studies1
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
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.