Kanchanara Guggulu
Kanchanara Guggulu is a classical Ayurvedic guggulu, a resin-based preparation. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I; monographed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); included in CCRAS recommended formulations for Galaganda (thyroid disorders). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 5:1) lists 12 ingredients, beginning with Kancanara-tvak, Haritaki, Bibhitaka and Amalaki.
| Also known as | Kanchanara Guggulu, KanchanaraGuggulu |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I; monographed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); included in CCRAS recommended formulations for Galaganda (thyroid disorders) |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:1 (KANCANARA GUGGULU), which cites Sarngadharasamhita, Madhyamakhanda, Adhyaya 7; 95-98.. 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 | Kancanara-tvak | stem bark | 480 g |
| 2 | Haritaki | pericarp | 96 g |
| 3 | Bibhitaka | pericarp | 96 g |
| 4 | Amalaki | 96 g | |
| 5 | Sunthi | rhizome | 48 g |
| 6 | Marica | fruit | 48 g |
| 7 | Pippali * | fruit | 48 g |
| 8 | Varuna * | stem bark | 48 g |
| 9 | Ela (suksmaila) * | seed | 12 g |
| 10 | Tvak | stem bark | 12 g |
| 11 | Patra (tejapatra) | leaf | 12 g |
| 12 | Guggulu-suddha | exudate | 996 g |
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
The Formulary gives the dose as 3 g, with anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, of mundi kvatha, khadira sara kvatha, haritaki. This is what the Formulary records for the classical preparation. It is not a dose for any product, and not advice to take anything.
The evidence at a glance
5papers on this site for this drug, published 2015 to 2026, every one with a DOI.
- 1Other clinical studies and reviews
- 4Laboratory 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. 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 | Kanchanara Guggulu |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Sharangdhara Samhita (Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 7); also described in Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Gandamala/Granthi Chikitsa)
How does it work?
- Thyroid function modulation: Kanchanara bark contains flavonoids that balance Kapha dosha and reduce Meda Dhatu (adipose tissue), classically described as acting through Lekhana (scraping); it is traditionally used in Galaganda (thyroid disorders)
- Anti-tumor and anti-proliferative: Guggulsterones and quercetin derivatives have been reported in metabolomics and molecular docking studies to act on cell proliferation pathways; the formulation is traditionally used for Granthi (benign tumors, cysts, abnormal tissue growths)
- Anti-inflammatory and decongestant: Combined action of Triphala antioxidants and guggulsterone-mediated NF-kB inhibition reduces glandular swelling and lymphatic congestion
- Metabolic correction: Trikatu enhances metabolic fire (Agni), while Kanchanara bark’s Kashaya (astringent) properties reduce pathological tissue accumulation
- Aldose reductase inhibition: Quercetin pentaacetate identified via molecular docking shows strong inhibition of aldose reductase, relevant to metabolic and diabetic complications
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Galaganda (thyroid disorder): traditionally used for galaganda. A clinical study reported improvement in TSH levels and thyroid function in hypothyroid patients.
- Granthi (cysts and tumors): traditionally used for granthi. LC-MS/MS metabolomics and molecular docking studies have reported possible anti-proliferative mechanisms.
- Lymphatic system and PCOS: traditionally used for lymphatic support and PCOS, based on its Lekhana (scraping) and Kapha-reducing actions.
- Lipoma and benign growths: traditionally used for lipoma and other benign growths. Compounds with reported anti-proliferative activity have been identified.
What do recent studies show?
- Kulkarni SP, Parwe S 2024. Evaluation of Comparative Efficacy of Levothyroxine Versus Kshar Basti and Kanchanar Guggul in the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR research protocols. PMID 39255475 · doi:10.2196/57287
RCT protocol registered comparing Kshar Basti and Kanchanar Guggul with levothyroxine for hypothyroidism; enrollment began June 2024 with data analysis expected December 2025 and results by early 2026.
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
- Guggul may slow blood clotting and result in excess bleeding in people with clotting disorders; contraindicated before surgery (discontinue 2 weeks prior); may interact with anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications
- Avoid in pregnancy and lactation; patients on thyroid replacement therapy should use only under physician supervision as the formulation may alter thyroid hormone levels; monitor thyroid function periodically during treatment
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: Guggulu (resinous pill/tablet), Modern compressed tablet, Capsule (modern)
Standard Dosage: 250-500 mg twice or thrice daily with warm water. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:1 states a dose of 3 g; this is much higher than the figure above, and the two sources disagree. The formulary’s anupana: mundi kvatha, khadira sara kvatha, haritaki. The formulary attributes this formula to Sarngadharasamhita, Madhyamakhanda, Adhyaya 7; 95-98.
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice or thrice daily, for Galaganda (goiter/thyroid), Gandamala (lymph nodes), and Granthi (cysts/tumors)
Storage: Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place. Temperature not exceeding 30°C.
Marker Compounds: Z-Guggulsterone, E-Guggulsterone, Lupeol (from Varuna), Gallic acid, Piperine, Kaempferol (from Kanchanara)
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water or Varuna kwath
Synergistic Combinations
- Varunadi Kwath
- Chandraprabha Vati
- Arogyavardhini Vati
- Triphala Guggulu
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 6 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 |
|---|---|
| Baidyanath | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Kerala Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Patanjali Ayurved | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Shree Dhootapapeshwar | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without 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.
Other clinical studies and reviews1
Laboratory and animal studies4
- 2021. From LC-MS/MS metabolomics profiling of Kanchanara Guggulu to molecular docking and dynamics simulation of quercetin pentaacetate with aldose reductaseBioinformation. PMID 35655904 · doi:10.6026/97320630017911
- 2015. Efficacy of Kanchanara Guggulu and Matra Basti of Dhanyaka Gokshura Ghrita in Mootraghata (benign prostatic hyperplasia)Ayu. PMID 27011713 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.175552
- 2018. A clinical evaluation of Kanchanara Guggulu and Bala Taila Matra Basti in the management of Mutraghata with special reference to benign prostatic hyperplasiaAyu. PMID 30783359 · doi:10.4103/ayu.AYU_117_15
- 2026. Untargeted metabolomics and network pharmacology unveil AKT1 inhibition by Kanchanara Guggulu in triple-negative breast cancerScientific reports. PMID 42399366 · doi:10.1038/s41598-026-60293-4
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.