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Agastya

Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.

Agastya (Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.) is a plant drug, also called Agasti, from the Fabaceae family. Recognized in regional WHO traditional medicine directories; documented in WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy as a widely used medicinal food plant in Southeast Asian countries.

Key facts
Botanical nameSesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.
FamilyFabaceae · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Pharmacopoeia statusRecognized in regional WHO traditional medicine directories; documented in WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy as a widely used medicinal food plant in Southeast Asian countries
Taxon identifiersGBIF 8281950 · Wikidata Q947251 · NCBI Taxonomy 206309
Names in other languages
Sanskritअगस्ति (agasti)
Hindiअगस्ति (agasti)
Tamilஅகத்தி, அகத்திக் கீரை

Sources: MMPND Sesbania page, Sanskrit list: "अगस्ति Agasti, Agati, Agastya, Drigapalaka, Munipriya, Varnari", Devanagari.; MMPND Sesbania page, Tamil list: "அகத்திக் கீரை Agathi keeray", Tamil script.; MMPND Sesbania page: Hindi "अगस्ति Agasti (Aagasti), अगासती Agasati, बसना Basna, गाछ मूंगा Gaach-munga", Devanagari printed, exact match.; MMPND Sesbania page: Tamil "Agathi, Agatti, Akatti, அகத்தி Akatthi, அகத்திக் கீரை Agathi keeray, Peragathi", printed in Tamil script, exact match.. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2012 to 2025, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • 2Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 9Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishAgastya
Latin/BotanicalSesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Antioxidant: Phenolic compounds and flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin) scavenge ROS and inhibit lipid peroxidation
  • Anticancer: Flavonoids and alkaloids activate caspase cascades and induce apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway
  • Anti-fibrotic: Leaf extracts modulate TGF-beta signaling and reduce collagen deposition in fibrotic tissue

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Traditionally used for inflammation. Animal studies have reported inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators and reduced edema.
  • Traditionally used as a hepatoprotective. Studies in hepatotoxicity models have reported lower liver enzymes (ALT, AST).
  • Traditionally used as an antidiabetic. Research has reported alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity in leaf flavonoids.

What do recent studies show?

Recent safety updates

  • Widely consumed as a food vegetable in Southeast Asia; flowers and leaves are edible with a long history of safe dietary use
  • No significant adverse effects reported in animal toxicity studies; however, pregnant women should consult practitioners before medicinal use due to limited safety data

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Pushpa swarasa (flower juice), Capsule, Lehyam (confection)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction; 10-20ml flower juice

Optimal Timing: Traditionally taken before meals with warm water or honey in respiratory complaints; with food for nutritional supplementation

Storage: Store in airtight containers away from light. Powder and capsules below 25°C, RH < 60%. Fresh preparations require refrigeration (2-8°C).

Marker Compounds: Oleanolic acid, Kaempferol, Quercetin, Cyanidin glycosides (red variety), Sesbanimide

Synergistic Combinations

  • With Vasa (Adhatoda), traditionally combined in respiratory complaints
  • With Haridra for anti-inflammatory synergy
  • With Yashtimadhu for bronchial support

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.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1

  1. Martins LF, Cueva SF, Lage CFA and others. 2024. A meta-analysis of methane-mitigation potential of feed additives evaluated in vitroJournal of dairy science. PMID 38353472 · doi:10.1016/S0022-0302(23)00819-6

Other clinical studies and reviews2

  1. Mokhtar FA, Ahmed M, Al Dhanhani AS and others. 2025. Distribution, Phytochemical Insights, and Cytotoxic Potential of the Sesbania Genus: A Comprehensive Review of Sesbania grandiflora, Sesbania sesban, and Sesbania cannabinaPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 39861127 · doi:10.3390/ph18010064
  2. Gunawardana SLA, Jayasuriya WJABN. 2019. Medicinally Important Herbal Flowers in Sri LankaEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. PMID 31263504 · doi:10.1155/2019/2321961

Laboratory and animal studies9

  1. Patel MN, Maheshvari J, Patel N. 2025. The Role of Sesbania grandiflora-Derived Biotin and Bambusa arundinacea-Derived Silica Extracts in Promoting Hair, Skin, and Nail Health: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical StudyCureus. PMID 40896024 · doi:10.7759/cureus.89118
  2. Ramasubbu K, Rajeswari VD. 2024. Green Synthesising ZnO Nanoparticle Using Sesbania grandiflora and Their Evaluation of Anti-diabetic Anti-advanced Glycation End Products and Cytotoxic EffectsApplied biochemistry and biotechnology. PMID 37432639 · doi:10.1007/s12010-023-04631-6
  3. Sethuraman V, Janakiraman K, Krishnaswami V and others. 2021. Combinatorial analysis of quercetin and resveratrol by HPTLC in Sesbania grandiflora/phyto-based nanoformulationsNatural product research. PMID 31496285 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2019.1662012
  4. Tjahjandarie TS, Tanjung M, Saputri RD and others. 2021. Two new 2-arylbenzofurans from Sesbania grandiflora L. and their cytotoxicity towards cancer cellNatural product research. PMID 32945195 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2020.1821016
  5. Arthanari S, Periyasamy P. 2020. Phenolic composition, antioxidant and anti-fibrotic effects of Sesbania grandiflora L. (Agastya) - An edible medicinal plantAyu. PMID 35813364 · doi:10.4103/ayu.AYU_198_19
  6. Anantaworasakul P, Hamamoto H, Sekimizu K and others. 2017. Biological activities and antibacterial biomarker of Sesbania grandiflora bark extractDrug discoveries & therapeutics. PMID 28458298 · doi:10.5582/ddt.2017.01013
  7. Pajaniradje S, Mohankumar K, Pamidimukkala R and others. 2014. Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of Sesbania grandiflora leaves in human cancer cellsBioMed research international. PMID 24949454 · doi:10.1155/2014/474953
  8. Roy R, Kumar D, Chakraborty B and others. 2013. Apoptotic and autophagic effects of Sesbania grandiflora flowers in human leukemic cellsPloS one. PMID 23967233 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071672
  9. Hasan N, Osman H, Mohamad S and others. 2012. The Chemical Components of Sesbania grandiflora Root and Their Antituberculosis ActivityPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 24280680 · doi:10.3390/ph5080882

Reference lists that include it

Kaempferol, Oleanolic acid, Quercetin

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.