Pippalyasava
Pippalyasava is a classical Ayurvedic fermented arishta or asava. Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Classical Ayurvedic texts under Sandhana Kalpana (fermented preparations). Referenced in Sharangadhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali for digestive and respiratory disorders. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 1:22) lists 27 ingredients, beginning with Pippali, Marica, Cavya and Haridra.
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Referenced in Sharangadhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali. Pippali monograph included in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. |
|---|
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:22 (PIPPALYADYASAVA), which cites Sarngadharasamhita, Madhyamakhanda, Adhyaya 10 ; 28-32. 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 | Pippali | fruit | 24 g. |
| 2 | Marica | fruit | 24 g. |
| 3 | Cavya | stem | 24 g. |
| 4 | Haridra | rhizome | 24 g. |
| 5 | Citraka | root | 24 g. |
| 6 | Ghana (musta) | rhizome | 24 g. |
| 7 | Vidanga | fruit | 24 g. |
| 8 | Kramuka (piiga) * | seed | 24 g. |
| 9 | Lodhra | stem bark | 24 g. |
| 10 | Patha * | Rt./Pl. | 24 g. |
| 11 | Dhatri (amalaki) | pericarp | 24 g. |
| 12 | Elavaluka | stem bark | 24 g. |
| 13 | Usira | root | 24 g. |
| 14 | Candana (Sveta candana) | stem bark | 24 g. |
| 15 | Kustha | root | 24 g. |
| 16 | Lavanga | flower bud | 24 g. |
| 17 | Tagara | rhizome | 24 g. |
| 18 | Mamsi (jatamamsi) | rhizome | 24 g. |
| 19 | Tvak | stem bark | 24 g. |
| 20 | Ela (stksmaila) * | seed | 24 g. |
| 21 | Patra (tejapatra) | leaf | 24 g. |
| 22 | Priyangu * | illegible | 24 g. |
| 23 | Nagakesara | stamens | 24 g. |
| 24 | Water * | 24.576 l. | |
| 25 | Guda | 14.400 kg. | |
| 26 | Dhataki | flower | 480 g. |
| 27 | Draksa * | dry fruit | 2.880 kg. |
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 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.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Pippalyasava |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Classical Ayurvedic texts under Sandhana Kalpana (fermented preparations). Referenced in Sharangadhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali for digestive and respiratory disorders.
How does it work?
- Bioavailability enhancement by piperine increases absorption of co-administered therapeutics by 30-200%
- Agni (digestive fire) stimulation through Trikatu and Chitraka improves digestive and absorptive capacity
- Pippali, to which expectorant action is attributed, is traditionally used for respiratory conditions including cough and asthma
- Sharangadhara Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali describe the formulation for digestive and respiratory disorders
What is it traditionally used for?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Indigestion and poor appetite (Agnimandya): traditionally used for indigestion and poor appetite.
- Cough and asthma (Kasa, Shwasa): traditionally used for cough and asthma.
- Anemia: traditionally used for anemia.
- Gastric disorders and malabsorption: traditionally used for gastric disorders and malabsorption. Clinical observations have reported improved Dhatwagni.
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
- Contains 5-10% self-generated alcohol. Pungent herbs may aggravate hyperacidity and peptic ulcer in Pitta-predominant individuals.
- May potentiate effects of co-administered drugs due to piperine’s bioavailability-enhancing properties. Not recommended during pregnancy or in active gastric bleeding.
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: Arishta/Asava (fermented liquid), Syrup (modern adaptation)
Standard Dosage: 12 to 24 ml with equal water, as given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:22. The formulary attributes this formula to Sarngadharasamhita, Madhyamakhanda, Adhyaya 10; 28-32.
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily
Storage: Room temperature, tightly sealed, away from direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate.
Marker Compounds: Piperine, Piperlongumine
Vehicle (Anupana): Equal quantity of water after meals
Synergistic Combinations
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 5 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 | 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.
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.