Dugdhika
Euphorbia prostrata
Dugdhika (Euphorbia prostrata) is a plant drug, also called Goraksadugdhi, Ksirini and Laghudugdhika.
| Botanical name | Euphorbia prostrata |
|---|---|
| Identity source | Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. V: DUGDHIKA (Whole Plant) |
| Also called | Euphorbia thymifolia (attribution recorded without a cited source) Euphorbia hirta (attribution recorded without a cited source) Euphorbia thymifolia / Euphorbia hirta (attribution recorded without a cited source) |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 3067891 · Wikidata Q1023705 · NCBI Taxonomy 212836 |
| Sanskrit | Goraksadugdhi, Ksirini, Laghudugdhika, Nagarjuni, Svaduparni |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Chhotidudhi, Dudhi |
| Tamil | Sittirappaladi |
| Malayalam | Nilappal |
| Telugu | Peddivari manubaala |
| Kannada | Kempu nene hakki |
| Marathi | Lahaan naaytee, Lahaandudhi, Naayeti |
| Bengali | Bara, Dudiya, Kerai, Shwet Keruee |
| Gujarati | Naagalaa dudhelee, Raati Dudhelee |
| Urdu | Doolu, Garichgaddi, Harvali |
| Punjabi | Baradodk, Dodhak, Hajardana, Hazardana |
Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 1984 to 2024, 10 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
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Dugdhika |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Katu, Tikta | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Guru | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh plant juice/latex), Churna (whole plant powder), Kashayam (decoction), Tablet, Capsule, Lepa (external paste)
Standard Dosage: 3-6g powder twice daily; 5-10ml fresh juice; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily. Latex: topical application as directed.
Optimal Timing: After meals for GI conditions; latex/paste traditionally applied topically to skin lesions and warts
Storage: Dried herb in airtight containers below 25 deg C. Protect from moisture and light. Fresh plant: refrigerate and use promptly. Latex: cannot be stored long-term in native form.
Marker Compounds: Quercetin, Quercitrin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Euphorbol, Beta-amyrin
Synergistic Combinations
- With Kutaja for anti-diarrheal and anti-dysenteric action
- With Nagakesara, traditionally combined for hemostatic action
- With Yashtimadhu for galactagogue (milk-promoting) combination
- With Durva for hemostatic and wound-healing applications
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
- 2024. Medicinal Effects, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology of Euphorbia prostrata and Promising Molecular MechanismsChinese journal of integrative medicine. PMID 36653685 · doi:10.1007/s11655-023-3544-0
- 2019. Gastroprotective and antioxidant potential of Euphorbia prostrata against aspirin induced gastric ulcers in rabbitsPakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 30772784
- 2012. Evaluation of different extracts and synthesised silver nanoparticles from leaves of Euphorbia prostrata against Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Hippobosca maculataVeterinary parasitology. PMID 22429701 · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.02.001
Laboratory and animal studies9
- 2024. The complete chloroplast genome of Euphorbia prostrata (Euphorbiaceae)Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources. PMID 38348094 · doi:10.1080/23802359.2024.2313039
- 2024. Efficacy and Safety of Oral Euphorbia prostrata Tablet and Topical Cream in the Management of Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy: Results From a Prospective Multicenter StudyCureus. PMID 38496090 · doi:10.7759/cureus.54152
- 2024. Phytochemical screening, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and analgesic potential of aqueous-ethanolic extracts of Euphorbia prostrata ait. and Crotalaria burhia Buch-HamHeliyon. PMID 38545175 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27279
- 2023. Crude extract from Euphorbia prostrata extended curative period of glibenclemide in alloxan-induced diabetic ratsJournal of complementary & integrative medicine. PMID 36662647 · doi:10.1515/jcim-2022-0315
- 2023. Two Novel Plant-Growth-Promoting Lelliottia amnigena Isolates from Euphorbia prostrata Aiton Enhance the Overall Productivity of Wheat and TomatoPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37687328 · doi:10.3390/plants12173081
- 2017. Multidrug resistant bacteria are sensitive to Euphorbia prostrata and six others Cameroonian medicinal plants extractsBMC research notes. PMID 28743314 · doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2665-y
- 2015. Green Synthesis of Silver and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Using Euphorbia prostrata Extract Shows Shift from Apoptosis to G0/G1 Arrest followed by Necrotic Cell Death in Leishmania donovaniAntimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. PMID 26033724 · doi:10.1128/AAC.00098-15
- 2011. The efficacy of Euphorbia prostrata in early grades of symptomatic hemorrhoids--a pilot studyEuropean review for medical and pharmacological sciences. PMID 21434487
- 1984. Effects of Euphorbia prostrata and Fumaria parviflora in normoglycaemic and alloxan-treated hyperglycaemic rabbitsPlanta medica. PMID 6473545 · doi:10.1055/s-2007-969653
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.