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Gokarna

Clitoria ternatea L. (same species as Aparajita; Gokarna is a regional Ayurvedic synonym)

Gokarna (Clitoria ternatea L. (same species as Aparajita; Gokarna is a regional Ayurvedic synonym)) is a plant drug, also called Aparajita and Girikarnika, from the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. Not in WHO monographs; FDA-approved as food color additive (2021); recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India under name Aparajita/Gokarna.

Key facts
Botanical nameClitoria ternatea L. (same species as Aparajita; Gokarna is a regional Ayurvedic synonym)
FamilyFabaceae (Leguminosae) · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot in WHO monographs; FDA-approved as food color additive (2021); recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India under name Aparajita/Gokarna
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2946519 · Wikidata Q312265 · NCBI Taxonomy 43366
Names in other languages
Sanskritअपराजिता (aparājitā), गिरिकर्णिका (girikarṇikā)
Hindiअपराजिता (aparājitā)
Tamilகருவிளை, காக்கணம்

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II monograph 5 APARĀJITĀ (Root) and Part I Vol IV monograph 4 APARĀJITĀ (Leaf), both of Clitoria ternatea Linn., Hindi: Aparajita. Flowers of India (Butterfly Pea) gives 'Hindi: अपराजिता Aparajita'.; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II monograph 5 APARĀJITĀ (Root), Sanskrit: Girikarṇikā, Viṣṇukrāntā; Vol IV monograph 4, Sanskrit: Girikarṇika; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II monograph 5 and Vol IV monograph 4 APARĀJITĀ (Clitoria ternatea Linn.), Tamil: Kakkanam; read in Tamil script in the Madras Tamil Lexicon and Winslow entries for கருவிளை ('See காக்கணம்' / 'as காக்கணம், Clitoria ternatea, L.'); Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II monograph 5 and Vol IV monograph 4 are both titled APARĀJITĀ and defined as Clitoria ternatea Linn.; wisdomlib s.v. Aparājitā: 'a medicinal plant identified with Clitoria ternatea'.; Winslow s.v. கருவிளை: 'A wild creeper with dark blue flowers--as காக்கணம், Clitoria ternatea, L.'; Madras Tamil Lexicon and DSAL s.v. கருவிளை: 'Mussel-shell creeper. See காக்கணம்.'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2003 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 8Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 4Laboratory 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.

This entry and aparajita describe the same drug, Clitoria ternatea, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishGokarna
Latin/BotanicalClitoria ternatea L. (same species as Aparajita; Gokarna is a regional Ayurvedic synonym)

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Nootropic effect via enhancement of acetylcholine levels through acetylcholinesterase inhibition in hippocampus
  • Anxiolytic mechanism through potentiation of GABAergic neurotransmission in limbic system
  • Antioxidant action via ternatin anthocyanin-mediated scavenging of ROS and upregulation of SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase
  • Wound healing through cyclotide-mediated antimicrobial activity and collagen synthesis stimulation

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Brain tonic and intellect enhancer (Medhya): traditionally used as a brain tonic and intellect enhancer. Animal studies have reported improved memory retention and learning.
  • Anxiolytic (Manasa-Dosha-hara): traditionally used as an anxiolytic. Pharmacological studies have reported benzodiazepine-like anxiolytic activity.
  • Eye health (Chakshushya): traditionally used for eye health. Research has reported antioxidant protection of ocular tissues.
  • Complexion and skin health (Varnya): traditionally used for complexion and skin health. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity has been reported.

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

  • Blue flower tea is widely consumed globally with no significant adverse effects at culinary doses; classified as safe food colorant
  • Potential mild diuretic and blood platelet aggregation inhibition effects; caution with anticoagulant medications; limited clinical trial data for therapeutic doses

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (seed/root powder), Kashayam (decoction), Swarasa (fresh juice), Tablet, Capsule, Lepa (external paste)

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

Optimal Timing: Morning doses for nootropic/cognitive effects; root decoction before meals; flower tea can be consumed throughout the day

Storage: Dried flowers and powder: airtight, light-resistant, nitrogen-flushed containers below 25 deg C at pH <5 (acidified matrix). Light and alkaline pH rapidly degrade anthocyanins. Root powder: standard conditions, airtight below 25 deg C.

Marker Compounds: Ternatin A1/A2/B1/B2 (polyacylated anthocyanins), Kaempferol glycosides, Quercetin glycosides, Taraxerol, Clitorin, Cyclotides (CT1, CT2), Aparajitin (root)

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 reviews8

  1. Maia NMA, Andressa I, Cunha JS and others. 2025. Clitoria ternatea: Perspectives on Its Application in Foods and Potential Health BenefitsPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 41225871 · doi:10.3390/plants14213322
  2. Ahad MA, Chear NJ, Keat LG and others. 2023. Bio-enhanced fraction from Clitoria ternatea root extract ameliorates cognitive functions and in vivo hippocampal neuroplasticity in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rat modelAgeing research reviews. PMID 37343678 · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2023.101990
  3. Jeyaraj EJ, Lim YY, Choo WS. 2021. Extraction methods of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower and biological activities of its phytochemicalsJournal of food science and technology. PMID 33967304 · doi:10.1007/s13197-020-04745-3
  4. Vidana Gamage GC, Lim YY, Choo WS. 2021. Anthocyanins From Clitoria ternatea Flower: Biosynthesis, Extraction, Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and ApplicationsFrontiers in plant science. PMID 34975979 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.792303
  5. Oguis GK, Gilding EK, Jackson MA and others. 2019. Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea), a Cyclotide-Bearing Plant With Applications in Agriculture and MedicineFrontiers in plant science. PMID 31191573 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.00645
  6. Solanki YB, Jain SM. 2010. Antihyperlipidemic activity of Clitoria ternatea and Vigna mungo in ratsPharmaceutical biology. PMID 20673179 · doi:10.3109/13880200903406147
  7. Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Kumar NS and others. 2008. The Ayurvedic medicine Clitoria ternatea--from traditional use to scientific assessmentJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 18926895 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.009
  8. Jain NN, Ohal CC, Shroff SK and others. 2003. Clitoria ternatea and the CNSPharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior. PMID 12895670 · doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(03)00130-8

Laboratory and animal studies4

  1. Fu H, Yang CY, So PB and others. 2026. Assessment of skin safety and anti-pollution activity of Clitoria ternatea L. (butterfly pea) flower extractJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 41130581 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2025.120739
  2. Kiran R, Neelakandan V, Naveen Kumar B and others. 2024. Neurohistopathological Alterations Induced by Clitoria Ternatea and Emblica Officinalis Extracts in Diabetic Male Wistar RatsCureus. PMID 39575021 · doi:10.7759/cureus.72079
  3. Sasmana IGAP, Wihandani DM, Sadeva IGKA and others. 2024. Antiobesity and antidyslipidemic properties of Clitoria ternatea petals aqueous extract against rats induced by high-fat dietTurkish journal of medical sciences. PMID 39050394 · doi:10.55730/1300-0144.5805
  4. Jeyaraj EJ, Lim YY, Choo WS. 2022. Antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activities of Clitoria ternatea flower extracts and anthocyanin-rich fractionScientific reports. PMID 36050436 · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-19146-z

Reference lists that include it

Family: Fabaceae

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.