Ikshu
Saccharum officinarum
Ikshu (Saccharum officinarum) is a plant drug, also called Iksu and Ganna. Its juice carries 12-17% sucrose, with the polyphenols chlorogenic, caffeic and cinnamic acid and the flavonoids luteolin, apigenin and tricin.
| Botanical name | Saccharum officinarum |
|---|---|
| Family | Poaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Poales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 2703912 · Wikidata Q3391243 · NCBI Taxonomy 4547 |
| Sanskrit | इक्षु (ikṣu) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | गन्ना (gannā) |
| Tamil | கரும்பு |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II monograph 22 and Vol IV monograph 16, both IKṢU for Saccharum officinarum Linn., Sanskrit: Ikṣu; Flowers of India (Sugarcane) in Devanagari: 'Sanskrit: इक्षु (Ikshu), Pundrakah'; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II, monograph 22 IKṢU (dried stem of Saccharum officinarum Linn.), Tamil: Karumbu; Flowers of India (Sugarcane) in Tamil script: 'Tamil: கரும்பு (Karumbu), புண்டறம் (Pundaram)'; DSAL glosses செங்கரும்பு as 'கரும்புவகை', a kind of கரும்பு; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol II, monograph 22 IKṢU, Hindi: Ikha, Ganna; Flowers of India (Sugarcane) in Devanagari: 'Hindi: ईख (Eekh), गन्ना (Ganna)'. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2025, 11 with a DOI.
- 4Randomised controlled trials
- 5Other clinical studies and reviews
- 3Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. 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 | Sugarcane |
Key Phytochemical Constituents
- Sucrose (12-17% in juice)
- Polyphenols: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, cinnamic acid
- Flavonoids: luteolin, apigenin, tricin
- Anthocyanins (in colored varieties)
- Policosanols (octacosanol)
- Phytosterols
- Minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese
- Vitamins: C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6
- Organic acids: aconitic, malic, citric acid
- Amino acids: asparagine, glutamine
How does it work?
- Hepatoprotective: Flavonoids and phenolic acids protect hepatocytes through CYP2E1 inhibition, Keap1/Nrf2 antioxidant pathway activation, and NF-kB inflammatory cascade suppression
- Diuretic (Mutrala): High potassium content and natural sugars promote renal osmotic diuresis
- Cooling and Pitta-pacifying: Sweet taste and cooling virya directly counteract Pitta-related heat, burning sensations, and acid conditions; phenolic antioxidants reduce oxidative heat
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Kamala (jaundice/liver disorders): fresh sugarcane juice is traditionally used in jaundice.
- Mutrakricchra and Ashmari (dysuria and kidney stones): sugarcane juice is traditionally used in urinary disorders.
- Daha (burning sensation/Pitta conditions): traditionally used as a Pitta-pacifying cooling agent, described as having cooling virya.
What do recent studies show?
- Hewawansa UHAJ, Houghton MJ, Barber E and others 2024. Flavonoids and phenolic acids from sugarcane: Distribution in the plant, changes during processing, and potential benefits to industry and health. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety. PMID 38369931 · doi:10.1111/1541-4337.13307
Comprehensive review identified six key polyphenol classes in sugarcane with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anticancer activities; processing significantly reduces polyphenol content, supporting Ayurvedic preference for fresh juice. - Wang M, Zhao L, Wang Y and others 2025. Sugarcane Molasses Polyphenol Extract Attenuates Alcohol-Induced Chronic Liver Damage via Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and CYP2E1/Keap1/NF-κB Pathway Modulation. Nutrients. PMID 40362898 · doi:10.3390/nu17091589
Sugarcane polyphenols mitigate alcoholic liver damage via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms through CYP2E1/Keap1/NF-kB pathway modulation; novel strategy for hepatoprotection.
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
- Fresh sugarcane juice has high glycemic load despite moderate GI; diabetic patients should consume in limited quantities under medical guidance
- Rapid microbial contamination of fresh juice at ambient temperature; should be consumed within 30 minutes of extraction or refrigerated
- Sugarcane juice from fields treated with excess pesticides may contain organophosphate residues; organic sourcing preferred
- Processing into refined sugar greatly reduces polyphenol, vitamin and mineral content
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Sharkara (sugar preparations), Guda (jaggery forms), Kashayam (decoction of root), Capsule (root extract)
Standard Dosage: 50-100ml fresh sugarcane juice daily; 3-6g root powder; 10-20g jaggery as vehicle
Optimal Timing: Fresh juice in morning or between meals; root decoction before meals
Storage: Fresh juice: refrigerate and consume within hours. Dried preparations: cool, dry place below 25°C. Jaggery: airtight containers, protect from moisture.
Marker Compounds: Octacosanol, Triacontanol, Policosanols (C24-C34 fatty alcohols), Luteolin, Apigenin, Tricin
Synergistic Combinations
- With Amalaki to reduce Pitta
- With Yashtimadhu for soothing urinary tract
- With Draksha (grape) for nutritive tonic action
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.
Randomised controlled trials4
- 2022. Rosa damascena together with brown sugar mitigate functional constipation in children over 12 months old: A double-blind randomized controlled trialJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 35963416 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2022.115582
- 2019. A randomized controlled double blinded trial to evaluate efficacy of oral administration of black strap molasses (sugarcane extract) in comparison with polyethylene glycol on pediatric functional constipationJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 30946967 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.111845
- 2012. Influence of different supplements and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivars on intake, digestible variables and methane production of dairy heifers under tropical conditionsTropical animal health and production. PMID 22476735 · doi:10.1007/s11250-012-0136-y
- 2006. Phoenix sylvestris Roxb pollen allergy: a 2-year randomized controlled trial and follow-up study of immunotherapy in patients with seasonal allergy in an agricultural area of West Bengal, IndiaJournal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology. PMID 17153886
Other clinical studies and reviews5
- 2024. Flavonoids and phenolic acids from sugarcane: Distribution in the plant, changes during processing, and potential benefits to industry and healthComprehensive reviews in food science and food safety. PMID 38369931 · doi:10.1111/1541-4337.13307
- 2024. Recent advances in genome editing strategies for balancing growth and defence in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum)Functional plant biology : FPB. PMID 38696670 · doi:10.1071/FP24036
- 2024. A study on waterlogging tolerance in sugarcane: a comprehensive reviewMolecular biology reports. PMID 38874798 · doi:10.1007/s11033-024-09679-z
- 2019. What Has Been the Focus of Sugarcane Research? A Bibliometric OverviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health. PMID 31509963 · doi:10.3390/ijerph16183326
- 2016. D-003 (Saccharum officinarum): The forgotten lipid-lowering agentPharmacological research. PMID 27751878 · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2016.10.008
Laboratory and animal studies3
- 2025. Sugarcane Molasses Polyphenol Extract Attenuates Alcohol-Induced Chronic Liver Damage via Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and CYP2E1/Keap1/NF-κB Pathway ModulationNutrients. PMID 40362898 · doi:10.3390/nu17091589
- 2024. Identification of male sterility-related genes in Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneumPlant reproduction. PMID 38844561 · doi:10.1007/s00497-024-00503-z
- 2024. Unraveling the Potential of Saccharum officinarum and Chlorella vulgaris towards 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Nephrotoxicity in RatsPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 39065736 · doi:10.3390/ph17070885
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.
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