Kutajarishta
Kutajarishta is a classical Ayurvedic fermented arishta or asava. Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I. Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana) - Kutaja referenced for Pravahika (dysentery with mucus) and Atisara (diarrhea). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 1:11) lists 7 ingredients: Kutajamula 4.800 kg, Mrdvika 2.400 kg, Madhuka - puspa 480 g, Kasmari 480 g, Water for decoction 49.152 l. reduced to 12.288 l, Guda 4.800 kg and Dhataki 960 g.
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I. Referenced in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API). Kutaja bark monograph available in API Part I. One of the most established anti-diarrheal formulations in classical Ayurveda with widespread clinical use. |
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Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:11 (KUTAJARISTA), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Atisaradhikara; 97-98½. 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 | Kutajamula (kutaja) | stem bark | 4.800 kg. |
| 2 | Mrdvika (draksa) | dry fruit | 2.400 kg. |
| 3 | Madhuka - puspa * | flower | 480 g. |
| 4 | Kasmari (gambhari) | stem bark | 480 g. |
| 5 | Water for decoction | 49.152 l. reduced to 12.288 l. | |
| 6 | Guda | 4.800 kg. | |
| 7 | Dhataki * | flower | 960 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 12 to 24 ml. 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
6papers on this site for this drug, published 1988 to 2013, 3 with a DOI.
- 6Laboratory 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 | Kutajarishta |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana) - Kutaja referenced for Pravahika (dysentery with mucus) and Atisara (diarrhea). Sushruta Samhita describes Tikta-kashaya rasa and Sheeta virya properties. Arishta preparation detailed in Sharangdhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Atisara Rogadhikara).
How does it work?
- Calcium channel blockade: Kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica) extract blocks calcium channels in intestinal smooth muscle, reducing cramping and motility.
- Potassium channel and nitric oxide pathway modulation: Antidiarrheal effect mediated through potassium channels and NO pathway (not alpha-2 adrenergic receptors).
- Bacterial adenylate cyclase inhibition: Conessine (major steroidal alkaloid) has been reported to inhibit bacterial adenylate cyclase, which may reduce toxin-mediated secretion.
- Antisecretory action: Reduces excessive intestinal fluid secretion by modulating electrolyte transport across intestinal epithelium.
- Antimicrobial activity: Alkaloids (conessine, kurchine) have been reported to show activity against enteric pathogens including E. histolytica, Shigella, and E. coli.
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Amoebic dysentery: traditionally used for this condition. A clinical study reported reduced stool frequency in E. histolytica infection.
- Non-infectious diarrhea: traditionally used for this condition. A randomized clinical study reported reduced stool frequency, with a greater reduction than loperamide.
- Secretory diarrhea: traditionally used for this condition. Conessine has been reported to inhibit bacterial adenylate cyclase.
- IBS with diarrhea: traditionally used for this condition. Mechanism studies have reported antimotility and antisecretory activity.
What do recent studies show?
No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. 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
- Generally well-tolerated at recommended doses (15-30 mL twice daily after meals). Contains self-generated alcohol from fermentation; caution advised for those with liver conditions or alcohol sensitivity.
- Long-term clinical trials in humans remain limited; most evidence comes from acute diarrhea contexts. Avoid in patients with constipation or intestinal obstruction.
- Not recommended during pregnancy without medical supervision. Holarrhena antidysenterica alkaloids may interact with cardiac medications; consult physician if on concurrent drug therapy.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Arishta/Asava (fermented liquid), Syrup (modern adaptation)
Standard Dosage: 12 to 24 ml with equal water after meals, as given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:11. The formulary attributes this formula to Bhaisajyaratnavali, Atisaradhikara; 97-98½.
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily
Storage: Room temperature, tightly sealed, away from direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate.
Marker Compounds: Conessine, Kurchine
Vehicle (Anupana): Equal quantity of water after meals
Synergistic Combinations
- Key herbs: Kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica), Dhataki
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 10 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 |
| Baidyanath | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Kerala Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Patanjali Ayurved | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Sandu Pharmaceuticals | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Shree Dhootapapeshwar | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| SNA Oushadhasala | 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.
Laboratory and animal studies6
- 1993. Tlc as a tool for standardisation of ayurvedic formulations with special reference to kutajarishtaAncient science of life. PMID 22556614
- 1988. An experimental study of kutajarishta with special reference to amoebiasisAncient science of life. PMID 22557637
- 2008. Chromatographic analysis of Kutajarista--an ayurvedic polyherbal formulationPhytochemical analysis : PCA. PMID 18197597 · doi:10.1002/pca.1052
- 2011. Lactobacillus plantarum (VR1) isolated from an ayurvedic medicine (Kutajarista) ameliorates in vitro cellular damage caused by Aeromonas veroniiBMC microbiology. PMID 21707995 · doi:10.1186/1471-2180-11-152
- 2013. Microbial community structure at different fermentation stages of kutajarista, a herbal formulationIndian journal of microbiology. PMID 24426073 · doi:10.1007/s12088-012-0325-4
- 1991. Role of different containers and methods on alcoholic preparations with reference to kutajaristaAncient science of life. PMID 22556544
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.