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Dhamasa

Fagonia cretica L. / Fagonia arabica L.

Dhamasa (Fagonia cretica L. / Fagonia arabica L.) is a plant drug, from the Zygophyllaceae family. Not listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic and Unani pharmacopoeias; used extensively in South Asian and Middle Eastern traditional medicine systems.

Key facts
Botanical nameFagonia cretica L. / Fagonia arabica L.
FamilyZygophyllaceae · other entries in this family
OrderZygophyllales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic and Unani pharmacopoeias; used extensively in South Asian and Middle Eastern traditional medicine systems
Taxon identifiersGBIF 6384851 · Wikidata Q310127 · NCBI Taxonomy 90528

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2014 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 2Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 10Laboratory 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

LanguageName
EnglishDhamasa
Latin/BotanicalFagonia cretica L. / Fagonia arabica L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory mechanism through dual COX-1/COX-2 inhibition (IC50 values of 26.51 and 13.02 microg/ml respectively), with selectivity favoring COX-2 inhibition
  • Antithrombotic action through saponin-mediated disruption of thrombus formation and anticoagulant effects, enhanced by liposomal delivery systems
  • Antidiabetic mechanism through DPP-4 enzyme inhibition, prolonging incretin hormone activity and improving glucose-dependent insulin secretion

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 pain and inflammatory conditions. COX inhibition studies and animal studies have reported anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
  • Traditionally used in folk practice as an anticancer remedy, particularly in Pakistan and India. In vitro studies have reported Anticancer and cytotoxic activity against multiple cancer cell lines.
  • Traditionally used for blood-related disorders. Experimental studies have reported antithrombotic activity.

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Long traditional use in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine across South Asia and Middle East is recorded, but this does not establish safety; widely used as a folk remedy for cancer in Pakistan and India
  • Saponin content may cause GI irritation at high doses; systematic toxicological evaluation is limited

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Tablet, Capsule, Swarasa (fresh juice), Kwath Ghana (solid extract)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily; 10-20ml fresh juice

Optimal Timing: Before meals with warm water for fever and blood purification; after meals for gastric conditions

Storage: Airtight containers below 25 deg C, protected from moisture and light. Flavonoid-rich extracts are photosensitive - use amber or opaque containers.

Marker Compounds: Quercetin, Kaempferol, Isorhamnetin glycosides, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid, Hederagenin saponins

Synergistic Combinations

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 reviews2

  1. Abbas A, Vohra S, Weiskirchen R and others. 2026. Fagonia cretica L. and Redox Homeostasis: An Integrative Review of Phytochemistry, Redox-Sensitive Signaling, and Pharmacological PotentialPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 42515719 · doi:10.3390/ph19071036
  2. Qureshi H, Asif S, Ahmed H and others. 2016. Chemical composition and medicinal significance of Fagonia cretica: a reviewNatural product research. PMID 25921950 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2015.1036268

Laboratory and animal studies10

  1. Badawy SA, Hassan AR, Shafaa MW and others. 2025. Liposomal formulation of Fagonia arabica L. enhances antithrombotic efficacy: phytochemical, pharmacological, and computational investigationsRSC advances. PMID 41306891 · doi:10.1039/d5ra06347g
  2. Naveed M, Atta A, Rui B and others. 2025. Combination of Withania coagulans and Fagonia cretica ameliorates hyperuricemia by re-modulating gut microbiota-derived spermidine and traumatic acidPhytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. PMID 40712280 · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2025.157079
  3. Kashif M, Abbas A, Nasir A and others. 2025. Exploring the Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Effects of Fagonia cretica Thereof: An In Vitro and In Vivo EvaluationMicroscopy research and technique. PMID 39994999 · doi:10.1002/jemt.24831
  4. Mohamed EIA, Elwekeel AH, Mohamed DEA and others. 2024. Validating anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties of Fagonia cretica L. through metabolic, in vitro, and in silico profilingBMC complementary medicine and therapies. PMID 39609685 · doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04684-y
  5. Kamran S, Anwar R, Noor A and others. 2023. Metabolic Profiling and Investigation of the Modulatory Effect of Fagonia cretica L. Aerial Parts on Hepatic CYP3A4 and UGT2B7 Enzymes in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic ModelAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36670981 · doi:10.3390/antiox12010119
  6. Ahmed W, Mansoor Q, Ahmad MS and others. 2023. TRAIL mediated apoptosis ruling and anticancer trigger by fine-tuned nano spheres of Fagonia cretica methanolic extracts as novel cancer regimeScientific reports. PMID 36635434 · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-27441-6
  7. Kiani BH, Ikram F, Fatima H and others. 2022. Comparative evaluation of biomedical and phytochemical applications of zinc nanoparticles by using Fagonia cretica extractsScientific reports. PMID 35705691 · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-14193-y
  8. Tabassum T, Rahman H, Tawab A and others. 2022. Fagonia cretica: Identification of compounds in bioactive gradient high performance liquid chromatography fractions against multidrug resistant human gut pathogensTropical biomedicine. PMID 35838088 · doi:10.47665/tb.39.2.006
  9. Zulfiqar H, Zafar A, Rasheed MN and others. 2019. Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Fagonia cretica and their antimicrobial activitiesNanoscale advances. PMID 36134229 · doi:10.1039/c8na00343b
  10. Saleem S, Jafri L, ul Haq I and others. 2014. Plants Fagonia cretica L. and Hedera nepalensis K. Koch contain natural compounds with potent dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitory activityJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 25169215 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.08.017

Reference lists that include it

Flavonoids, Kaempferol, Oleanolic acid, Quercetin, Ursolic acid

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.