Punarnavasava
Punarnavasava is a classical Ayurvedic fermented arishta or asava. Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Charaka Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali (circa 400-200 BCE origin). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 1:23) lists 25 ingredients, beginning with Sunthi, Marica, Pippali and Haritaki.
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Referenced in Charaka Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali. Punarnava monograph included in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. PCIM&H recognized. |
|---|
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:23 (PUNARNAVASAVA), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Sotharogadhikara; 197-200.. 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 | Sunthi * | rhizome | 48 g. |
| 2 | Marica | fruit | 48 g. |
| 3 | Pippali * | fruit | 48 g. |
| 4 | Haritaki | Fr.P. | 48 g. |
| 5 | Bibhitaka | Fr.P. | 48 g. |
| 6 | Amalaki | Fr.P. | 48 g. |
| 7 | Darvi (daru haridra) | stem | 48 g. |
| 8 | Svadamstra (goksura) | fruit | illegible |
| 9 | Brhati | root | illegible |
| 10 | Kantakari * | whole plant | illegible |
| 11 | Vasa mula (vasa) * | root | illegible |
| 12 | Eranda mula (eranda) * | root | illegible |
| 13 | Katuki | Rt./Rz. | illegible |
| 14 | Gajapippali | fruit | illegible |
| 15 | Sothaghni (punarnava) * | root | illegible |
| 16 | Picumarda (nimba) | stem bark | illegible |
| 17 | Gudici * | stem | illegible |
| 18 | Suska milaka (milaka) * | root | illegible |
| 19 | Duralabha | root | illegible |
| 20 | Patola * | illegible | |
| 21 | Dhataki | flower | illegible |
| 22 | Draksa | dry fruit | illegible |
| 23 | Sita | illegible | |
| 24 | Maksika (madhu) | illegible | |
| 25 | Water | illegible |
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
1paper on this site for this drug, 0 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 | Punarnavasava |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Charaka Samhita and Bhaishajya Ratnavali (circa 400-200 BCE origin).
How does it work?
- Diuretic action of Punarnava and Gokshura is traditionally described for edema and ascites
- Hepatoprotective activity through boeravinones (from Punarnava) and chebulinic acid; studies with boeravinones have reported hepatocyte regeneration
- Nephroprotective action supports kidney function
- Anti-inflammatory synergy from Musta, Amalaki, and Vidanga provides hepatoprotective and immune support
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Edema and dropsy (Shotha): traditionally used for these conditions. A randomized controlled trial in CKD patients reported a reduction in ankle circumference.
- Kidney support: traditionally used to support the kidneys. Studies have reported diuretic and nephroprotective activity.
- Liver disorders and hepatomegaly: traditionally used for these conditions. Studies with boeravinones have reported hepatocyte regeneration.
- Anemia and spleen disorders: traditionally used for these conditions.
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 self-generated alcohol. Generally safe at standard dosage. May cause excessive urination at higher doses; maintain adequate hydration.
- Patients on diuretic or antihypertensive medications should use with medical supervision due to additive diuretic effects. Not recommended in severe hepatic or renal failure without physician guidance.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Arishta/Asava (fermented liquid), Syrup (modern adaptation)
Standard Dosage: 15-30ml with equal water
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily
Storage: Room temperature, tightly sealed, away from direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate.
Marker Compounds: Punarnavine, Boeravinone B
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 7 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 |
| 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 studies1
- 2000. Antianaemic properties of ayurvedic drugs, raktavardhak, punarnavasav and navayas louh in albino rats during phenylhydrazine induced haemolytic anaemiaIndian journal of experimental biology. PMID 10927868
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.