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Dhataki

Woodfordia fruticosa

Dhataki (Woodfordia fruticosa) is a plant drug, also called Bahupuspi, Tamrapuspi and Vahnijvala. Primary traditional use is as fermentation agent in Aristha/Asava preparations.

Key facts
Botanical nameWoodfordia fruticosa
FamilyLythraceae · other entries in this family
OrderMyrtales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 5635525 · Wikidata Q2143225 · NCBI Taxonomy 141189
Names in other languages
SanskritBahupuspi, धातकी (dhātakī), Tamrapuspi, Vahnijvala
Hindiधाई (dhāī), धवई (dhavaī)
EnglishFire flame bush
TamilKattati, Kattattipoo
MalayalamTatire, Tattiripuvu
TeluguAarl Puruvu
KannadaDhataki, Tamrapushpi
MarathiDhavati, Dhayati
BengaliDhaiphul
GujaratiDhavadi, Dhavani
PunjabiDavi, Phul Dhava
OriyaDhaiphula, Dhatuki
AssameseDhaiphool

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed); Ayushvedah drug record for Woodfordia fruticosa, Sanskrit: 'Dhataki, dhatupushpi, vahnijwala, tamrapushpi, bahupushpi'.; India Flora Online (IISc) herbsheet for Woodfordia fruticosa, Hindi list including 'Dhai'; Vindhyan Ecology Foundation Hindi page giving धावी, धाइ.; Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation, Hindi monograph titled 'धवई / ढवाई (Woodfordia fruticosa) के पारम्परिक उपयोग'; corroborated by India Flora Online (IISc) Hindi 'Dhawai, Dhawi' for Woodfordia fruticosa.. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 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.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishFire flame bush

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

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

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Pushpa (flower) powder, Kashayam (decoction), Aristha/Asava (as fermentation initiator), Tablet, Capsule, Kwath Ghana

Standard Dosage: 3-6g flower powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily. Primary traditional use is as fermentation agent in Aristha/Asava preparations.

Optimal Timing: Traditionally taken after meals with warm water for digestive complaints, and between meals for menstrual complaints

Storage: Dried flowers and powder in airtight, light-resistant containers below 25 deg C. Protect from moisture - high tannin content makes powder hygroscopic. Flowers for fermentation use: store in jute bags in dry, ventilated area.

Marker Compounds: Ellagic acid, Gallic acid, Myricetin, Quercetin, Woodfordin C, Oenothein B, Norbergenin

Synergistic Combinations

  • As Sandhana Dravya (fermentation initiator) with all Aristha/Asava preparations
  • With Lodhra for uterine tonic and menstrual regulation
  • With Ashoka for gynecological conditions
  • With Nagakesara for hemostatic synergy
  • With Ushira for Pitta-pacifying and hemostatic combination

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

  1. Kumari A, Chandila N, Bhutani R and others. 2026. Hepatoprotective Potential of Indian Medicinal PlantsCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening. PMID 39835553 · doi:10.2174/0113862073346295250107070310
  2. Aileni M, Bulle M, Malavath RN and others. 2023. Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz: in vitro biotechnological interventions and perspectivesApplied microbiology and biotechnology. PMID 37522947 · doi:10.1007/s00253-023-12695-x
  3. Das PK, Goswami S, Chinniah A and others. 2007. Woodfordia fruticosa: traditional uses and recent findingsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 17276634 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.12.029

Laboratory and animal studies9

  1. Lee EB, Lee K. 2024. Woodfordia fruticosa fermented with lactic acid bacteria impact on foodborne pathogens adhesion and cytokine production in HT-29 cellsFrontiers in microbiology. PMID 38751719 · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1346909
  2. Najda A, Bains A, Klepacka J and others. 2022. Woodfordia fruticosa extract nanoemulsion: Influence of processing treatment on droplet size and its assessment for in vitro antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activityFrontiers in nutrition. PMID 36225883 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.944856
  3. Tayab MA, Chowdhury KAA, Jabed M and others. 2021. Antioxidant-Rich Woodfordia fruticosa Leaf Extract Alleviates Depressive-Like Behaviors and Impede HyperglycemiaPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 33546288 · doi:10.3390/plants10020287
  4. Najda A, Bains A, Chawla P and others. 2021. Assessment of Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Potential of Ethanolic Extract of Woodfordia fruticosa Flowers: GC-MS AnalysisMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 34885782 · doi:10.3390/molecules26237193
  5. Raghuwanshi N, Yadav TC, Srivastava AK and others. 2019. Structure-based drug designing and identification of Woodfordia fruticosa inhibitors targeted against heat shock protein (HSP70-1) as suppressor for Imiquimod-induced psoriasis like skin inflammation in mice modelMaterials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications. PMID 30573271 · doi:10.1016/j.msec.2018.10.061
  6. Birajdar VV, Mhase AG, Gurav AM and others. 2014. Preliminary pharmacognostic and phytochemical standardization of Dhataki [Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz.] leavesAyu. PMID 25972722 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.153752
  7. Baravalia Y, Vaghasiya Y, Chanda S. 2012. Brine Shrimp Cytotoxicity, Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Properties of Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz FlowersIranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR. PMID 24250512
  8. Shah AS, Juvekar AR. 2010. In vitro and in vivo immunostimulatory activity of Woodfordia fruticosa flowers on non-specific immunityPharmaceutical biology. PMID 20731559 · doi:10.3109/13880200903490497
  9. Chandan BK, Saxena AK, Shukla S and others. 2008. Hepatoprotective activity of Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz flowers against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicityJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 18639619 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.020

Reference lists that include it

Ellagic acid, Gallic 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.