Dronapushpi
Leucas cephalotes
Dronapushpi (Leucas cephalotes) is a plant drug, also called Dronapuspi, Katumba and Kumbhayoni. Flavonoid glycosides have moderate oral bioavailability (15-30%) with gut deglycosylation releasing more permeable aglycones. Volatile terpenoid fraction is well absorbed but rapidly metabolized.
| Botanical name | Leucas cephalotes |
|---|---|
| Identity source | Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. II: DRONAPUSPI (Whole Plant) |
| Also called | Leucas aspera (regional usage) |
| Family | Lamiaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 5606847 · Wikidata Q3630307 · NCBI Taxonomy 1260214 |
| Sanskrit | द्रोणपुष्पी (droṇapuṣpī), Katumba, कुम्भयोनि (kumbhayoni) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | द्रोणपुष्पी (droṇapuṣpī), गूमा (gūmā) |
| Tamil | Tumbai |
| Malayalam | Tumba |
| Telugu | Tummi |
| Kannada | Tumbe |
| Marathi | Tumba |
| Bengali | Bholghasiya |
| Gujarati | Kubo |
| Punjabi | Gomobati, Gumma, Mal-bheda |
| Oriya | Gaisha |
| Assamese | Dronaphool |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed); Raj Nighantu (13th c.), verses 5.137-138, via wisdomlib: the common Hindi designation is given as 'Gūmā or Droṇapuṣpī', with the species identified as Leucas cephalotes Spreng.; Raj Nighantu 5.137-138 via wisdomlib, head-name for Leucas cephalotes Spreng.; Raj Nighantu 5.137-138 via wisdomlib: the common Hindi designation for Droṇapuṣpī (Leucas cephalotes) is given as 'Gūmā or Droṇapuṣpī'.; Raj Nighantu via wisdomlib, Droṇapuṣpī synonyms: 'Dīrghapatrā, Kumbhayoni, Kutumbikā, Citrākṣupa, Kutumbā, Supuṣpā and Citrapatrikā'.. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2002 to 2024, 9 with a DOI.
- 12Laboratory 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.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Dronapushpi |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Katu, Lavana | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Guru, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Madhura | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Tablet, Capsule, Taila (medicated oil)
Standard Dosage: 5-10ml fresh juice twice daily; 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily
Optimal Timing: Before meals with warm water for respiratory conditions; fresh juice on empty stomach where it is traditionally used as an antipyretic and hepatoprotective
Storage: Dried herb and powder in airtight containers below 25 deg C, protected from moisture. Fresh plant: refrigerate and process promptly. Taila in amber glass bottles.
Marker Compounds: Luteolin, Apigenin, Oleanolic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Leucolactone, Nicotiflorin
Synergistic Combinations
- With Tulsi (Ocimum) for respiratory and antipyretic synergy
- With Shirisha (Albizia) for anti-allergic combination
- With Haridra for anti-inflammatory and wound-healing applications
- With Kantakari, traditionally combined for cough and bronchial conditions
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.
Laboratory and animal studies12
- 2024. Computational prediction of phytochemical inhibitors against the cap-binding domain of Rift Valley fever virusMolecular diversity. PMID 37481749 · doi:10.1007/s11030-023-10702-x
- 2021. Anti-dengue activity of super critical extract and isolated oleanolic acid of Leucas cephalotes using in vitro and in silico approachBMC complementary medicine and therapies. PMID 34496833 · doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03402-2
- 2021. Functional characterization and expression profile of microsomal FAD2 and FAD3 genes involved in linoleic and α-linolenic acid production in Leucas cephalotesPhysiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology. PMID 34220042 · doi:10.1007/s12298-021-01016-z
- 2019. Total Phenolic Content, Flavonoid Content and Antioxidant Potential of Wild Vegetables from Western NepalPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 30978964 · doi:10.3390/plants8040096
- 2017. Fatty Acid Profiling and In Vitro Antihyperglycemic Effect of Leucas cephalotes (Roth) Spreng via Carbohydrate Hydrolyzing Enzyme InhibitionPharmacognosy magazine. PMID 28479721 · doi:10.4103/0973-1296.203993
- 2015. Investigations on Leucas cephalotes (Roth.) Spreng. for inhibition of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators in murine macrophages and in rat modelEXCLI journal. PMID 26535039 · doi:10.17179/excli2014-667
- 2014. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide inhibitory constituents from Cassia occidentalis rootsNatural product communications. PMID 25026715
- 2011. Hepatoprotective activity of Gumma (Leucas cephalotes Spreng.) against Carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity in wistar ratsAncient science of life. PMID 23284204
- 2011. Antiprotozoal activities of traditional medicinal plants from the Garhwal region of North West Himalaya, IndiaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 21527328 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.024
- 2010. Leucas cephalotes regulates carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and improves antioxidant status in IDDM and NIDDM ratsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 19799987 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.042
- 2006. Studies on Nepalese crude drugs. XXIX. Chemical constituents of Dronapuspi, the whole herb of Leucas cephalotes SPRENGChemical & pharmaceutical bulletin. PMID 17015972 · doi:10.1248/cpb.54.1370
- 2002. Antibacterial properties of leucas cephalotes (roth) spreng. LeafAncient science of life. PMID 22557062
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.