Ishabgula
Plantago ovata
Ishabgula (Plantago ovata) is a plant drug, also called Snigdhajirakam and Isabagola. Mucilage is not systemically absorbed (acts locally). Seed oil fraction contains linoleic acid and oleic acid with good absorption. Protein and mineral components are partially digested and absorbed.
| Botanical name | Plantago ovata |
|---|---|
| Family | Plantaginaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 3189723 · Wikidata Q311228 · NCBI Taxonomy 185002 |
| Sanskrit | स्निग्धजीरकम् (snigdhajīrakam) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | ईसबगोल (īsabagola) |
Sources: ICAR Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR), mandate-crop page for Plantago ovata, titled ईसबगोल, Government of India body publishing the Hindi name against the species.; MMPND 'Sorting Plantago names', Plantago ovata: Sanskrit 'Snigdhajira'.. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 1994 to 2025, 11 with a DOI.
- 5Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 3Randomised controlled trials
- 4Other clinical studies and reviews
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 | Ishabgula |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Madhura | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Guru, Snigdha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Madhura | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Seed powder, Churna (powder), Capsule, Decoction
Standard Dosage: 5-10g seed powder with adequate water; 3-6g seed decoction
Optimal Timing: With meals or 30 minutes before meals with a full glass of water
Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C, protected from moisture. Whole seeds more stable than powder. Oil must be stored in dark, sealed containers under nitrogen.
Marker Compounds: Mucilage polysaccharides, Aucubin, Planteose, Linoleic acid (in seed oil fraction)
Synergistic Combinations
- With Yashtimadhu for GI mucosal protection
- With Ajwain for digestive comfort
- With Draksha for mild laxative 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.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses5
- 2025. Prebiotics for Induction and Maintenance of Remission in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisInflammatory bowel diseases. PMID 38781004 · doi:10.1093/ibd/izae115
- 2018. Effect of psyllium (Plantago ovata) fiber on LDL cholesterol and alternative lipid targets, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsThe American journal of clinical nutrition. PMID 30239559 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy115
- 2018. Efficacy and safety of laxatives for chronic constipation in long-term care settings: A systematic reviewJournal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics. PMID 29885259 · doi:10.1111/jcpt.12721
- 2015. Systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine treatments in inflammatory bowel diseasesJournal of Crohn's & colitis. PMID 25518050 · doi:10.1093/ecco-jcc/jju007
- 2013. Iranian medicinal plants for diabetes mellitus: a systematic reviewPakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS. PMID 24498803 · doi:10.3923/pjbs.2013.401.411
Randomised controlled trials3
- 2007. Effects of soluble fiber (Plantago ovata husk) on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins in men with ischemic heart diseaseThe American journal of clinical nutrition. PMID 17413119 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/85.4.1157
- 2006. Bulk agent Plantago ovata after Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy with LigasurePhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 16708408 · doi:10.1002/ptr.1926
- 1994. Digestibility and bulking effect of ispaghula husks in healthy humansGut. PMID 7829013 · doi:10.1136/gut.35.12.1747
Other clinical studies and reviews4
- 2025. The role and therapeutic effectiveness of Plantago ovata husk (psyllium husk) in the prevention and non-pharmacological treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Part 2. Clinical use of psyllium husk in the treatment of constipation and diarrheaPrzeglad gastroenterologiczny. PMID 40620304 · doi:10.5114/pg.2024.141832
- 2022. Psyllium: a useful functional ingredient in food systemsCritical reviews in food science and nutrition. PMID 32951436 · doi:10.1080/10408398.2020.1822276
- 2020. Prebiotics and Probiotics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Where are we now and where are we going?Current clinical pharmacology. PMID 32164516 · doi:10.2174/1574884715666200312100237
- 2017. PLANTAGO OVATA: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON CULTIVATION, BIOCHEMICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTSActa poloniae pharmaceutica. PMID 29513942
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.