Ajwain Herb
Coleus amboinicus
Ajwain Herb (Coleus amboinicus) is a plant drug, from the Lamiaceae family. The leaf (Coleus aromaticus / Plectranthus amboinicus, sometimes called Ajwain ka patta) contains thymol and carvacrol in lower concentrations than seed Ajwain but has additional flavonoids.
| Botanical name | Coleus amboinicus |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Also known as | Ajwain Herb, AjwainHerb |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 5341313 · Wikidata Q39087854 · NCBI Taxonomy 204180 |
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2026, 11 with a DOI.
- 3Other clinical studies and reviews
- 9Laboratory 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. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
This entry and parnayavani describe the same drug, Coleus amboinicus, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Ajwain Herb |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh leaf juice), Churna (dried leaf powder), Capsule, Phanta (hot infusion), Lepa (paste for external application)
Standard Dosage: 10-20ml fresh leaf juice twice daily; 2-4g dried leaf powder twice daily; 500mg extract capsule
Optimal Timing: Traditionally taken as warm fresh juice with honey in cough and cold, 2-3 times daily between meals
Storage: Fresh leaves refrigerated (2-8°C). Dried herb in airtight containers away from light and moisture. Essential oil in amber glass at 15-25°C.
Marker Compounds: Thymol, Carvacrol, Rosmarinic acid, Eugenol, Beta-caryophyllene, Cirsimaritin
Synergistic Combinations
- Traditionally combined with Tulsi in cough preparations
- Traditionally combined with Adrak (ginger) in cold preparations
- With Madhu (honey) as expectorant combination
- Traditionally combined with Haridra
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.
Other clinical studies and reviews3
- 2025. Plectranthus amboinicus: A Systematic Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemical Properties, and Therapeutic ApplicationsPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 40430526 · doi:10.3390/ph18050707
- 2024. Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities of Coleus amboinicus: A Comprehensive ReviewCurrent pharmaceutical design. PMID 38321896 · doi:10.2174/0113816128283267240130062600
- 2006. Coleus PMID 30000934
Laboratory and animal studies9
- 2026. Comparative in vitro study of Coleus amboinicus and paclitaxel on oral cancer cellsJournal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFP. PMID 42064131 · doi:10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_108_25
- 2026. Chromium toxicity in Coleus amboinicus Lour.: morphological, physiological, and ultrastructural changesInternational journal of phytoremediation. PMID 41773042 · doi:10.1080/15226514.2026.2619019
- 2024. Evaluation of Free Radical Scavenging and Antimicrobial Activity of Coleus amboinicus-Mediated Iron Oxide NanoparticlesCureus. PMID 38571817 · doi:10.7759/cureus.55472
- 2024. Untargeted LC/HRMS Metabolomics Analysis and Anticancer Activity Assay on MCF-7 and A549 Cells from Coleus amboinicus Lour Leaf ExtractIranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR. PMID 39108647 · doi:10.5812/ijpr-143494
- 2023. Coleus Amboinicus Lour. Leaf Extract as an Antioxidant in SepsisMedical archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina). PMID 38313107 · doi:10.5455/medarh.2023.77.451-454
- 2022. Effects of Coleus amboinicus L. Essential Oil and Ethanolic Extracts on Planktonic Cells and Biofilm Formation of Microsporum canis Isolated from Feline DermatophytosisAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36551390 · doi:10.3390/antibiotics11121734
- 2022. Dietary Coleus amboinicus Lour. decreases ruminal methanogenesis and biohydrogenation, and improves meat quality and fatty acid composition in longissimus thoracis muscle of lambsJournal of animal science and biotechnology. PMID 35027089 · doi:10.1186/s40104-021-00654-3
- 2021. Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activities of Coleus amboinicus Lour. Cultivated in Indonesia and PolandMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 34068950 · doi:10.3390/molecules26102915
- 2021. Constitutive and facultative crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in Cuban oregano, Coleus amboinicus (Lamiaceae)Functional plant biology : FPB. PMID 32919492 · doi:10.1071/FP20127
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.
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