Chirayata
Swertia chirayita
Chirayata (Swertia chirayita) is a plant drug, from the Gentianaceae family.
| Botanical name | Swertia chirayita |
|---|---|
| Family | Gentianaceae |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 7419749 · Wikidata Q21318003 · NCBI Taxonomy 137887 |
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2011 to 2026, every one 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.
This entry and kiratatikta describe the same drug, Swertia chirayita, 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 | Chirayata |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Tablet, Capsule, Kwath Ghana (solid extract), Tincture, Chirayata Arishta
Standard Dosage: 1-3g powder twice daily; 30-60ml decoction; 250-500mg extract capsule; 15-30ml Arishta. Extremely bitter, lower doses for compliance.
Optimal Timing: Before meals for bitter tonic and hepatoprotective effects; morning dose preferred for fever; with honey to partially mask bitterness
Storage: Cool, dry place in airtight containers. Protect from moisture, secoiridoids can hydrolyze. Light-protected packaging for xanthone stability.
Marker Compounds: Amarogentin, Swertiamarin, Sweroside, Mangiferin, Swerchirin, Gentianine, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid, Decussatin
Synergistic Combinations
- With Kutki for hepatoprotective synergy
- Traditionally combined with Guduchi in fever (antipyretic) formulations
- With Neem for blood purification and skin diseases
- Traditionally paired with Katuki for Kamala (jaundice)
- With Bhunimba for comprehensive bitter tonic formulations
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
- 2023. Swertia chirayita: A comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, quality assessment and pharmacologyJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 36113678 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2022.115714
- 2020. Utilization of Swertia chirayita Plant Extracts for Management of Diabetes and Associated Disorders: Present Status, Future Prospects and LimitationsNatural products and bioprospecting. PMID 33118125 · doi:10.1007/s13659-020-00277-7
- 2018. Production from both wild harvest and cultivation: The cross-border Swertia chirayita (Gentianaceae) tradeJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 29960022 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2018.06.033
- 2015. A Review of Swertia chirayita (Gentianaceae) as a Traditional Medicinal PlantFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 26793105 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2015.00308
Laboratory and animal studies8
- 2026. Swertia chirayita ameliorates MAFLD by improving intestinal microenvironment and hepatic lipogenesisJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 41802510 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2026.121471
- 2024. Compositional analysis of Swertia chirayita medicinal plant using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and ICP-MSPloS one. PMID 39302984 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0309647
- 2024. Biochemical characterization of bioinspired nanosuspensions from Swertia chirayita extract and their therapeutic effects through nanotechnology approachPloS one. PMID 38330034 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0293116
- 2021. Swertia chirayita suppresses the growth of non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells and concomitantly induces apoptosis via downregulation of JAK1/STAT3 pathwaySaudi journal of biological sciences. PMID 34764752 · doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.06.085
- 2016. Amelioration of oxidative and inflammatory changes by Swertia chirayita leaves in experimental arthritisInflammopharmacology. PMID 27738917 · doi:10.1007/s10787-016-0290-3
- 2014. Metabolic discrimination of Swertia mussotii and Swertia chirayita known as "Zangyinchen" in traditional Tibetan medicine by (1)H NMR-based metabolomicsJournal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. PMID 24992216 · doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2014.06.014
- 2011. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant effects of the ethanolic extract of Swertia chirayitaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 21549823 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.058
- 2011. Hepatoprotective activity of Andrographis paniculata and Swertia chirayitaFood and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. PMID 21983487 · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2011.09.026
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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