Durva
Cynodon dactylon
Durva (Cynodon dactylon) is a plant drug, also called Niladurva, Sataparva and Satavalli. Flavone C-glycosides (orientin, vitexin) are resistant to acid hydrolysis and absorbed intact through SGLT1 transporter with moderate bioavailability (20-35%). Apigenin has moderate oral bioavailability (~25%) improved by lipid co-administration.
| Botanical name | Cynodon dactylon |
|---|---|
| Family | Poaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Poales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 6109637 · NCBI Taxonomy 28909 |
| Sanskrit | Niladurva, Sataparva, Satavalli |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Doob, Neelee Doob |
| English | Conch Grass, Creeping Cynodon, Dhub Grass |
| Tamil | Arukampillu, Aruvam Pullu |
| Malayalam | Karuk, Koruka Pullu |
| Telugu | Doolu, Garichgaddi, Garika, Harvali, Pacchgaddi |
| Kannada | Garik Hallu, Garike, Garike Hullu |
| Marathi | Doorva, Harlee, Haryali, Neel durva |
| Bengali | Durva, Neel Doorva |
| Gujarati | Dhro, Khaddhro, Lilidhro, Neeladhro |
| Urdu | Doob, Doob Ghas |
| Punjabi | Dubada |
| Oriya | Dubea |
| Assamese | Ushb |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2013 to 2025, every one 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 |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit | Durva |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Madhura, Kashaya | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | 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, Lepa (paste for external use), Ghrita (medicated ghee)
Standard Dosage: 10-20ml fresh juice twice daily; 3-6g powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction twice daily; 500mg extract capsule twice daily
Optimal Timing: Fresh juice traditionally taken on an empty stomach in the morning, where it is traditionally used for blood purification and as a hemostatic; traditionally taken before meals for digestive complaints; externally as needed
Storage: Dried herb in airtight, light-resistant containers below 25 deg C. Fresh grass: refrigerate, process within 24 hours. Juice: refrigerate at 2-8 deg C. Green powder darkens on light exposure - use opaque packaging.
Marker Compounds: Orientin, Vitexin, Luteolin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Cynodin, Triterpenoids (friedelin, beta-amyrin)
Synergistic Combinations
- With Ushira (vetiver) for hemostatic and Pitta-pacifying synergy
- With Lodhra for uterine tonic combination
- With Nagakesara and Ashoka in combinations traditionally used for menorrhagia
- With Chandana (sandalwood) for cooling and hemostatic Pitta formulations
- With Amalaki for antioxidant and Rasayana synergy
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. Research Progress and Prospects of Molecular Breeding in Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)International journal of molecular sciences. PMID 39769020 · doi:10.3390/ijms252413254
- 2024. Mitigating digestive disorders: Action mechanisms of Mediterranean herbal active compoundsOpen life sciences. PMID 38645751 · doi:10.1515/biol-2022-0857
- 2013. Mycotoxicoses of ruminants and horsesJournal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc. PMID 24091682 · doi:10.1177/1040638713504572
Laboratory and animal studies9
- 2025. Hydro-Alcoholic Extract of Cynodon dactylon Ameliorates Malathion-Induced Neurocognitive Behavior and NeurotoxicityNeuromolecular medicine. PMID 40394307 · doi:10.1007/s12017-025-08859-9
- 2024. Biochar and Dairy Manure Amendment Effects on Cynodon dactylon Performance and Soil PropertiesPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38256792 · doi:10.3390/plants13020242
- 2023. Interspecific Drought Cuing in PlantsPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36904059 · doi:10.3390/plants12051200
- 2023. Growth characteristics of Cynodon dactylon and mechanical properties of slope with different sludge contentsEnvironmental technology. PMID 35703442 · doi:10.1080/09593330.2022.2090861
- 2023. Study on Cynodon dactylon root system affecting dry-wet cracking behavior and shear strength characteristics of expansive soilScientific reports. PMID 37567903 · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-39770-7
- 2021. Physiological and metabolomic responses of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) to alkali stressPhysiologia plantarum. PMID 32909624 · doi:10.1111/ppl.13209
- 2021. Bioengineered gold nanoparticles using Cynodon dactylon extract and its cytotoxicity and antibacterial activitiesBioprocess and biosystems engineering. PMID 33606108 · doi:10.1007/s00449-021-02527-5
- 2015. Anti-chikungunya activity of luteolin and apigenin rich fraction from Cynodon dactylonAsian Pacific journal of tropical medicine. PMID 26003593 · doi:10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60343-6
- 2013. Isolation and in silico evaluation of antidiabetic molecules of Cynodon dactylon (L.)Journal of molecular graphics & modelling. PMID 23261878 · doi:10.1016/j.jmgm.2012.10.009
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.