Ambasthaki

Cissampelos pareira L.

Ambasthaki (Cissampelos pareira L.) is a plant drug, also called Patna and Patsan, from the Menispermaceae family. Not in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as Laghu Patha/Ambastha; widely used in Latin American and African traditional medicine systems.

Key facts
Botanical name	Cissampelos pareira L.
Family	Menispermaceae · other entries in this family
Order	Ranunculales
Pharmacopoeia status	Not in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as Laghu Patha/Ambastha; widely used in Latin American and African traditional medicine systems
Taxon identifiers	GBIF 3033937 · Wikidata Q3291604 · NCBI Taxonomy 108409

Names in other languages
Hindi	Patna, Patsan
English	Jamaican Sorrel
Tamil	Pulichikire
Malayalam	Pariccakam, Pulicheera
Telugu	Gongura, Pundikura
Kannada	Kempu Pundrike Pullichekir, Pudisoppu
Marathi	Lalambari
Bengali	Masts Pal, Mesta
Gujarati	Ambodi
Urdu	Patsan
Punjabi	Kolada
Oriya	Kaunria, Khataa, Tak Bhend

Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 to 2025, 11 with a DOI.

4Other clinical studies and reviews
8Laboratory 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.

Names and identification

Language	Name
English	Ambasthaki
Latin/Botanical	Cissampelos pareira L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

Pareirarine (isoquinoline alkaloid)
Magnoflorine
Magnocurarine
Salutaridine
Cissamine and hayatinine
Flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides

How does it work?

Preclinical studies have reported antimalarial/antiplasmodial activity via isoquinoline alkaloid-mediated disruption of Plasmodium parasite metabolism
Preclinical studies have reported anti-inflammatory action through inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6) and NF-kB pathway modulation by magnoflorine
Preclinical studies have reported anticancer activity through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cell lines by alkaloid fractions
Preclinical studies have reported an antidiabetic effect via alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibition

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

Antimalarial and antipyretic (Jvara-nashaka): traditionally used for fevers. Phytochemical studies have reported alkaloids with antiplasmodial activity.
Menstrual regulation and uterine tonic (Artava-janana): traditionally used to regulate menstruation and as a uterine tonic.
Anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic (Shotha-hara): traditionally used for inflammation and arthritic conditions. Animal studies have reported anti-inflammatory activity.
Snakebite antidote (Visha-nashaka): traditionally used in folk medicine as an antidote for snakebite.

What do recent studies show?

Thim-Uam A, Thepmalee C, Chaiwangyen W and others 2025. Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antioxidant and Anticancer Evaluation of Stem and Leaf Extracts of Cissampelos pareira L. Mediators of inflammation. PMID 40689394 · doi:10.1155/mi/7555073
Identified exceptionally high phenolic (95.73 mg GAE/g in leaves) and flavonoid (82.68 mg CE/g in leaves) content; demonstrated significant anticancer activity against multiple cancer cell lines.
Bhatt V, Kumari S, Upadhyay P and others 2020. Chemical profiling and quantification of potential active constituents responsible for the antiplasmodial activity of Cissampelos pareira. Journal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 32726676 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113185
A phytochemical study identified and quantified isoquinoline alkaloids in the plant and reported antiplasmodial (antimalarial) activity. The plant is traditionally used against fevers.
Kumari S, Anmol, Bhatt V and others 2021. Cissampelos pareira L.: A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology. Journal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 33485976 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.113850
A review documented phytomolecules isolated from the plant, mainly isoquinoline alkaloids. It summarized reported antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities from pharmacological studies.

Recent safety updates

Systematic toxicological studies are limited
May cause uterine contractions; strictly contraindicated during pregnancy; potential interactions with anticoagulant medications due to alkaloid content

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

Magnoflorine
Flavonoids
Glycosides
Pareirarine
Magnocurarine
Salutaridine
Cissamine and hayatinine

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Avaleha (confection)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg-1g extract capsule

Optimal Timing: Before meals with warm water or honey for urinary and digestive indications

Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C. Protect from moisture and light. Airtight containers.

Marker Compounds: Hayatinine, Cissampareine, Pareirine, Curine, Cycleanine, Beta-sitosterol

Synergistic Combinations

Traditionally combined with Gokshura for urinary complaints
Traditionally combined with Pashanbheda for renal calculi
Traditionally combined with Guduchi for fevers
Traditionally combined with Kutaja for diarrhea and dysentery

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 reviews4

Kumari S, Anmol, Bhatt V and others. 2021. Cissampelos pareira L.: A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacologyJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 33485976 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.113850
Giovannini P, Howes MR. 2017. Medicinal plants used to treat snakebite in Central America: Review and assessment of scientific evidenceJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 28179114 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2017.02.011
Semwal DK, Semwal RB, Vermaak I and others. 2014. From arrow poison to herbal medicine--the ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological significance of Cissampelos (Menispermaceae)Journal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 24997389 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.06.054
Amresh G, Singh PN, Rao ChV. 2007. Antinociceptive and antiarthritic activity of Cissampelos pareira rootsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 17240096 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.12.026

Laboratory and animal studies8

Thim-Uam A, Thepmalee C, Chaiwangyen W and others. 2025. Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antioxidant and Anticancer Evaluation of Stem and Leaf Extracts of Cissampelos pareira LMediators of inflammation. PMID 40689394 · doi:10.1155/mi/7555073
Yu J, Yin C, Deng Z and others. 2025. Community Structure Diversity of Endophytic Fungi in Cissampelos pareira from Different Habitats and Their α-Glucosidase Inhibitory ActivityJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 41003161 · doi:10.3390/jof11090615
Suresh PS, Kesarwani V, Kumari S and others. 2023. Bisbenzylisoquinolines from Cissampelos pareira L. as antimalarial agents: Molecular docking, pharmacokinetics analysis, and molecular dynamic simulation studiesComputational biology and chemistry. PMID 36848855 · doi:10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107826
Asif M, Dwivedi J, Yadav S. 2021. Anti-depressant, Anxiolytic, and the Muscle Relaxant Activity of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Cissampelos pareira Linn. LeavesCentral nervous system agents in medicinal chemistry. PMID 33964866 · doi:10.2174/1871524921666210505101704
Bhatt V, Kumari S, Upadhyay P and others. 2020. Chemical profiling and quantification of potential active constituents responsible for the antiplasmodial activity of Cissampelos pareiraJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 32726676 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113185
Singh BK, Pillai KK, Kohli K and others. 2016. Cissampelos pareira Linn. ameliorates thyroxin-induced cardiac hypertrophy in ratsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 26647106 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.043
Singh SG, Nishteswar K, Patel BR and others. 2016. Comparative antipyretic and analgesic activities of Cissampelos pareira Linn. and Cyclea peltata (Lam.) Hook. F. & ThomasAyu. PMID 28827957 · doi:10.4103/ayu.AYU_208_14
Reza HM, Shohel M, Aziz SB and others. 2014. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigation of Ethanol Extract of Cissampelos pareiraIndian journal of pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 25425762

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Cite this page. Age Ayurveda. “Ambasthaki.” Age Ayurveda Nighantu. Last reviewed 30 October 2026. https://nighantu.ageayurveda.com/herb/ambasthaki/
Machine-readable source: Markdown. Reviewed 2026-10-30.

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