Age Ayurveda Nighantu

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 used in Ayurveda, 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

This entry and aparajita describe the same drug, Clitoria ternatea, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use; the other is treated as the primary record for citation.

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?

  • Brain tonic and intellect enhancer (Medhya) - validated through multiple animal studies showing improved memory retention and learning
  • Anxiolytic (Manasa-Dosha-hara) - confirmed through pharmacological studies showing benzodiazepine-like anxiolytic activity
  • Eye health (Chakshushya) - partially validated through antioxidant protection of ocular tissues
  • Complexion and skin health (Varnya) - supported by antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms

What do recent clinical trials show?

1 further claim previously listed here could not be traced to a published paper and has been removed. 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

Bioavailability: Clitoria ternatea (Gokarna / Aparajita / Butterfly Pea) contains anthocyanins (ternatins), flavonol glycosides (kaempferol, quercetin), and triterpenoid saponins. Ternatins (polyacylated anthocyanins) are unique to this species and have moderate oral bioavailability with pH-dependent stability (more stable than common anthocyanins due to polyacylation). Flavonoids show 15-25% bioavailability. Cyclotides (cyclic peptides) in the plant have poor oral bioavailability but show unique biological activities. Enhancement: liposomal delivery of ternatin-rich fraction; nano-emulsion of bioactive peptides; co-administration with ascorbic acid stabilizes anthocyanins.

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

Standardized Extract: Flower extract standardized to NLT 10% total anthocyanins (as ternatin equivalents) by HPLC at pH 3.0. Root extract: NLT 2% total saponins. Extract ratios: flower 10:1, root 6:1.

Shelf Life: 2 years (dried flowers/powder with acid stabilization); 2.5 years (tablet/capsule); fresh flowers: use within 24 hours

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)

Extraction Methods

  • Aqueous extraction (traditional - preserves anthocyanins at acidic pH)
  • Hydroalcoholic extraction (50:50 ethanol:water, acidified)
  • Fresh flower juice for anthocyanin-rich preparations
  • Acidified aqueous extraction (0.1% citric acid) for maximum anthocyanin yield
  • Root decoction for nootropic applications

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 reviews9

  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. Yolin Angel PASR, Jeyakumar P, Jasmin Suriya AR and others. 2024. Topical antifungal keratitis therapeutic potential of Clitoria ternatea Linn. flower extract: phytochemical profiling, in silico modelling, and in vitro biological activity assessmentFrontiers in microbiology. PMID 38328419 · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1343988
  3. 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
  4. Hasanah NN, Mohamad Azman E, Rozzamri A and others. 2023. A Systematic Review of Butterfly Pea Flower (Clitoria ternatea L.): Extraction and Application as a Food Freshness pH-Indicator for Polymer-Based Intelligent PackagingPolymers. PMID 37299340 · doi:10.3390/polym15112541
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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 studies3

  1. 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
  2. Wang Y, Liu T, Xie Y and others. 2022. Clitoria ternatea blue petal extract protects against obesity, oxidative stress, and inflammation induced by a high-fat, high-fructose diet in C57BL/6 miceFood research international (Ottawa, Ont.). PMID 36461234 · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112008
  3. Nguyen GK, Qiu Y, Cao Y and others. 2016. Butelase-mediated cyclization and ligation of peptides and proteinsNature protocols. PMID 27658013 · doi:10.1038/nprot.2016.118

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.