Age Ayurveda Nighantu

Chirayata

Swertia chirayita

Chirayata (Swertia chirayita) is a plant used in Ayurveda. Extremely bitter—lower doses for compliance. Bioavailability: Amarogentin shows moderate oral bioavailability (25-35%) with rapid absorption. Swertiamarin is well absorbed (40-50% bioavailability) and metabolized to erythrocentaurin.

Key facts
Botanical nameSwertia chirayita
FamilyGentianaceae
OrderGentianales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 7419749 · Wikidata Q21318003 · NCBI Taxonomy 137887

This entry and kiratatikta describe the same drug, Swertia chirayita, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use; the other is treated as the primary record for citation.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishChirayata

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)TiktaPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Laghu, RukshaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)SheetaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)KatuPost-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.

Bioavailability: Amarogentin shows moderate oral bioavailability (25-35%) with rapid absorption. Swertiamarin is well absorbed (40-50% bioavailability) and metabolized to erythrocentaurin. Xanthone glycosides undergo gut microbial deglycosylation. Bitter taste activates bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) in the gut which contribute to therapeutic effect—whole decoction may be more effective than encapsulated isolates.

Optimal Timing: Before meals for bitter tonic and hepatoprotective effects; morning dose preferred for fever; with honey to partially mask bitterness

Standardized Extract: Whole plant extract standardized to amarogentin NLT 0.1%; swertiamarin NLT 3%; total secoiridoids NLT 5%; mangiferin NLT 1%

Shelf Life: 2 years (powder); 3 years (tablet/capsule); 5 years (Arishta)

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

Extraction Methods

  • Aqueous decoction for traditional Kashayam
  • Hydroalcoholic extraction (70:30) for secoiridoid-rich fraction
  • Methanol extraction for xanthone profiling
  • Cold maceration for heat-sensitive iridoids
  • Spray drying for instant Kwath powder

Synergistic Combinations

  • With Kutki for hepatoprotective synergy
  • With Guduchi for antimalarial and antipyretic combinations
  • With Neem for blood purification and skin diseases
  • With Katuki for Kamala (jaundice) management
  • 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

  1. Swati K, Bhatt V, Sendri N and others. 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
  2. Dey P, Singh J, Suluvoy JK and others. 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
  3. Cunningham AB, Brinckmann JA, Schippmann U and others. 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
  4. Kumar V, Van Staden J. 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

  1. Gou X, Shen Y, Liu F and others. 2026. Swertia chirayita ameliorates MAFLD by improving intestinal microenvironment and hepatic lipogenesisJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 41802510 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2026.121471
  2. Wu C, Lei Z, Xiao Y and others. 2025. Multimodal Assessment of Gentiopicroside's Protective Effect in CDCA-induced HepG2 Cell InjuryJournal of visualized experiments : JoVE. PMID 40788838 · doi:10.3791/68320
  3. Chen H, Liu P, Yu R and others. 2024. Swertiamarin ameliorates type 2 diabetes by activating ADRB3/UCP1 thermogenic signals in adipose tissuePhytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. PMID 39515102 · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2024.156190
  4. Rehman HU, Hassan NU, Jelani M and others. 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
  5. Gupta R, Sood H. 2022. Optimizing nutrient media conditions for continuous production of shoot biomass enriched in major medicinal constituents, amarogentin and mangiferin of endangered medicinal herb, Swertia chirayitaVegetos (Bareilly, India). PMID 36061345 · doi:10.1007/s42535-022-00464-6
  6. Ahmad A, Tiwari RK, Almeleebia TM and others. 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
  7. Lad H, Bhatnagar D. 2016. Amelioration of oxidative and inflammatory changes by Swertia chirayita leaves in experimental arthritisInflammopharmacology. PMID 27738917 · doi:10.1007/s10787-016-0290-3
  8. Chen Y, Huang B, He J and others. 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

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