Yogaraja Guggulu
Yogaraja 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 clinical practice guidelines for Sandhivata (osteoarthritis). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 5:7) lists 29 ingredients, beginning with Citraka, Pippalimula, Yamani and karavi.
| Also known as | Yogaraja Guggulu, YogarajaGuggulu |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I; monographed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); included in CCRAS clinical practice guidelines for Sandhivata (osteoarthritis) |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:7 (YOGARAJA GUGGULU), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Amavatadhikara; 90-93.. 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 | Citraka | root | 1 part |
| 2 | Pippalimula * | root | 1 part |
| 3 | Yamani (yavani) | seed | 1 part |
| 4 | karavi (krsna jiraka) | fruit | 1 part |
| 5 | Vidanga | fruit | 1 part |
| 6 | Ajamoda | fruit | 1 part |
| 7 | Jiraka (Sveta jiraka) * | fruit | 1 part |
| 8 | Suradaru (devadaru) * | heart wood | 1 part |
| 9 | Cavya | stem | 1 part |
| 10 | Ela (suksmaila) * | seed | 1 part |
| 11 | Saindhava lavana * | 1 part | |
| 12 | Kustha * | illegible | |
| 13 | Rasna * | illegible | |
| 14 | Goksura | fruit | 1 part |
| 15 | Dhanyaka | fruit | 1 part |
| 16 | Haritaki * | pericarp | 1 part |
| 17 | Bibhitaka * | 1 part | |
| 18 | Amalaki * | pericarp | 1 part |
| 19 | Mustaka (musta) | rhizome | 1 part |
| 20 | Sunthi * | rhizome | 1 part |
| 21 | Marica | fruit | 1 part |
| 22 | Pippali * | fruit | 1 part |
| 23 | Tvak | stem bark | 1 part |
| 24 | Usira * | root | 1 part |
| 25 | Yavagraja (yava ksara) * | 1 part | |
| 26 | Talisa patra | leaf | 1 part |
| 27 | Patra (tejapatra) * | 1 part | |
| 28 | Guggulu-sodhita | exudate | 1 part |
| 29 | Sarpi (goghrta) * | 1 part |
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
2papers on this site for this drug, published 2025 to 2025, every one with a DOI.
- 2Laboratory 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 | Yogaraja Guggulu |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Ashtanga Hridayam (Chikitsa Sthana); also described in Bhaishajya Ratnavali
How does it work?
- Anti-inflammatory action: Guggulsterones (E and Z) from Guggulu have been reported in laboratory studies to inhibit the NF-kB pathway and suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1beta)
- Muscle tissue stimulation: Plumbagin, an alkaloid present in Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), is a known stimulant of muscle tissue that enhances musculoskeletal strength
- Joint mobility enhancement: Guggulu’s oleo-gum resin showed anti-arthritic activity in animal models of carrageenan-induced paw edema and adjuvant arthritis
- Vata pacification: The warm potency (Ushna Virya) and pungent taste (Katu Rasa) of multiple ingredients collectively pacify Vata dosha, the primary driver of musculoskeletal disorders in Ayurveda
- Digestive fire enhancement: In Ayurvedic doctrine, Chitraka and Trikatu are held to kindle Agni and limit Ama formation, which is held to contribute to joint inflammation
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Sandhivata (osteoarthritis): traditionally used for this condition. Clinical studies have reported reduced pain and improved joint function.
- Traditionally used for musculoskeletal and nervous system disorders, including joint pains, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Traditionally used for lumbar and cervical spondylosis.
- Traditionally used for ankylosing spondylitis. Pharmacological studies have reported anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity.
What do recent studies show?
- Kachare K, Makhija D, Sharma A and others 2025. Evaluation of Yograj Guggulu, Ashwagandha Churna and Narayana Taila in management of Osteoarthritis Knee: A study in tribal dominant community. Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 40215578 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101077
Among 201 patients completing 8-week study, statistically significant improvement in pain and functional scores (p < 0.05) with significant reduction in NSAID rescue medicine intake and associated side effects.
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
- Generally well tolerated; mild GI discomfort reported in some patients; guggulu may interact with anticoagulant and thyroid medications; avoid in known allergy to any ingredient
- Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation; not recommended during acute diarrhea or GI bleeding; long-term use (>6 months) requires periodic liver and kidney function monitoring
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Vati (pill/tablet), Capsule
Standard Dosage: 2 tablets twice daily for Vata/musculoskeletal
Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily
Storage: Airtight container, cool dry place; guggulu preparations are hygroscopic
Marker Compounds: Guggulsterone Z, Guggulsterone E, Piperine, Embelin
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water
Synergistic Combinations
- Key herbs: Guggulu, Chitraka, Pippali, Vidanga, Trikatu + 25 herbs; guggulu potentiates anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic actions
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 |
|---|---|
| Baidyanath | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Kerala Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Patanjali Ayurved | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Shree Dhootapapeshwar | 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 studies2
- 2025. Evaluation of Yograj Guggulu, Ashwagandha Churna and Narayana Taila in management of Osteoarthritis Knee: A study in tribal dominant communityJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 40215578 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101077
- 2025. Molecular docking analysis of inhibitory effect of phytochemicals present in Yogaraja Guggulu on inflammation - implication in adjunctive management of radiation mucositis of oral cavity: An experimental studyMedicine. PMID 40696577 · doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000043449
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.