Jambu
Syzygium cumini
Jambu (Syzygium cumini) is a plant drug, also called Jambuphalam, Ksudrajambu and Mahajambu. Ellagic acid has poor oral bioavailability (~1-2%) due to low solubility; metabolized by gut microbiota to urolithins which are well absorbed. Anthocyanins in fruit pulp have ~1-2% bioavailability.
| Botanical name | Syzygium cumini |
|---|---|
| Family | Myrtaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Myrtales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 3183840 · Wikidata Q232571 · NCBI Taxonomy 260142 |
| Sanskrit | जम्बू (jambū), जम्बूफलम् (jambūphalam), Ksudrajambu, Mahajambu |
|---|---|
| Hindi | जामुन (jāmuna), Raja Jambu |
| Tamil | நாவல், Mahamaram, Naaval, Nagal, Navval Sambu, நாகப்பழம் |
| Malayalam | Naval, Njaval |
| Telugu | Nesedu |
| Kannada | Jambu, Jamneralae, Merale, Neralamara |
| Marathi | Jambhool |
| Bengali | Jaam |
| Gujarati | Jambu, Jambuda |
| Urdu | Jamun |
| Punjabi | Jammu |
| Oriya | Jam, Jamukoli |
| Assamese | Jam |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed); Flowers of India, 'Jamun' (Syzygium cumini) page: Hindi जामुन in Devanagari. Corroborated by IISc Flora of Peninsular India (Hindi: Jamun, Jam).; TNAU Agritech Portal, horticulture page for jamun (Syzygium cumini): Tamil நாவல் பழம், நாகப்பழம், நவாப்பழம்.; Tamil Heritage Foundation CMS species page for Syzygium cumini, titled நாவல் (thfcms.tamilheritage.org/syzygium-cumini/); TNAU Agritech Portal horticulture page for jamun gives Tamil நாவல் பழம், நாகப்பழம், நவாப்பழம்; IISc Flora of Peninsular India gives Tamil Naval, Neredom.; wisdomlib entry for jambūphala, which parses the compound as जम्बू + फल, 'fruit of the jambu tree', for Syzygium cumini; it is also the API monograph name Jambu.; wisdomlib entry for jambūphala: 'the edible, dark blue plum of the tree Syzygium cumini', with textual occurrences in Garga Samhita and Ayurvedic/agricultural Puranic literature; Flowers of India's Jamun page gives Sanskrit जम्बुफल.. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2009 to 2025, every one with a DOI.
- 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 11Other 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 | Java plum, Jamun |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Kashaya, Madhura | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Modern Research (Meta-Analysis)
Total PubMed publications found: 514
Key Research Papers
1. Astounding Health Benefits of Jamun (
Authors: Rizvi Maryam Khalid, Rabail Roshina, Munir Seemal et al. Journal: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2022) PMID: 36364010
Keywords: Jamun, Syzygium cumini, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, obesity
2. Exploring the Chemical and Biological Potential of Jamun (Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels) Leaves: A Comprehensive Review.
Authors: Kumari Neeraj, Kumar Manoj, Chaudhary Nisha et al. Journal: Chemistry & biodiversity (2023) PMID: 37667613
Leaves of jamun collected as agro by-produce during the cultivation of jamun is traditionally used as ayurvedic medicine to treat diabetes, gall bladder stones and other ailments. Most of the beneficial effects of jamun leaves are associated with phytochemicals found in jamun leaves such as gallic acid, tannins, mallic acid, flavonoids, essential oils, jambolin, ellagic acid, jambosine, antimellin and betulinic acid. Jamun possess curative activities like anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antioxidant, antiradiation, chemotherapeutic, and gastroprotective. The main goal of this review article is to provide information on the nutritional content, phytochemical composition and health promoting properties of jamun leaves…
Keywords: Jamun leaves, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, biological activities, health promoting effects
3. Therapeutic Potentials of Jamun (
Authors: Adithya B S, Nayeem Mohammed, Sagar Narashans Alok et al. Journal: International journal of food science (2025) PMID: 40831544
In a world where consumer preferences continue to pivot toward healthier and eco-conscious choices, jamun (…
Keywords: bioactive composition, extraction techniques, food application, jamun, nutraceutical
4. Editorial for Special Issue: Anthocyanin.
Authors: Silva Paula, Mosca Luciana Journal: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2021) PMID: 33922923
What do jabuticaba (…
5. Genome sequencing of
Authors: Chakraborty Abhisek, Mahajan Shruti, Bisht Manohar S et al. Journal: Frontiers in plant science (2023) PMID: 38046611
Keywords: adaptive evolution, genome assembly and annotation, genome sequencing, medicinal properties, secondary metabolism
6. (Title not available)
Authors: Li Li, Mangali Sureshbabu, Kour Navneet et al. Journal: Journal of cancer research and therapeutics (2021) PMID: 34916393
The medicinal properties of Syzygium sp., especially the antidiabetic property, date back to the ancient times. However, in the recent past, extracts from different parts of the Syzygium sp. have demonstrated promising anticancer activities in diverse cancer types, and now, attempts are being made to identify the active phytochemicals…
Keywords: Anticancer activity, Syzygium cumini, cell proliferation, chemotherapy, cytotoxicity, ovarian cancer, phytochemicals
7. Effect of Java plum (
Authors: Wongstitwilairoong Namthip, Jermnark Usuma, Paochoosak Napasorn et al. Journal: Open veterinary journal (2024) PMID: 39545200
Antibiotic use has been rising in both humans and animals. The growing concern over antimicrobial drug resistance and the promotion of regional drug use have led to a rise in the interest in medicinal applications of herbs combined with biosynthesized nanoparticles…
Keywords: Acaricidal activity, Antimicrobial activity, Green synthesis, Silver nanoparticles, Syzygium cumini
8. Characterization of
Authors: Thiagamani Senthil Muthu Kumar, Yaswanth Chalasani Venkata, Yashwanth Chaganti et al. Journal: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2024) PMID: 38893494
Keywords: Syzgium cumini (L.) Skeels powder, antioxidant, crystallinity index, differential scanning calorimeter, physicochemical, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis
What is it made of?
The marker compounds are listed under Dosage forms and preparation, below.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (seed powder), Tablet, Capsule, Kashayam (bark decoction), Asava/Arishta (fermented preparation), Swarasa (fruit juice)
Standard Dosage: 3-6g seed powder twice daily; 500mg-1g extract; 50-100ml bark decoction; 20-40ml fruit juice
Optimal Timing: Before meals for blood sugar support; seed powder with water 30 minutes before meals
Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C. Seed powder in airtight containers. Fruit juice refrigerated.
Marker Compounds: Ellagic acid, Gallic acid, Jamboline, Mycaminose, Delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside (fruit), Beta-sitosterol, Oleanolic acid
Synergistic Combinations
- With Karela (bitter gourd) for blood sugar management
- With Gudmar (Gymnema), traditionally combined to support healthy blood sugar levels
- With Amalaki for antioxidant enhancement
- With Haridra for metabolic syndrome support
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-analyses1
- 2021. Ethnomedicinal Plants for the Management of Diabetes Worldwide: A Systematic ReviewCurrent medicinal chemistry. PMID 33475054 · doi:10.2174/0929867328666210121123037
Other clinical studies and reviews11
- 2025. Targeting diabetes with flavonoids from Indonesian medicinal plants: a review on mechanisms and drug discoveryNaunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology. PMID 40202673 · doi:10.1007/s00210-025-04139-2
- 2024. Family Myrtaceae: The treasure hidden in the complex/diverse compositionCritical reviews in food science and nutrition. PMID 36748791 · doi:10.1080/10408398.2023.2173720
- 2023. Exploring the Chemical and Biological Potential of Jamun (Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels) Leaves: A Comprehensive ReviewChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 37667613 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202300479
- 2022. Astounding Health Benefits of Jamun (Syzygium cumini) toward Metabolic SyndromeMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36364010 · doi:10.3390/molecules27217184
- 2022. Indian Indigenous Fruits as Radioprotective Agents: Past, Present and FutureAnti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry. PMID 34229590 · doi:10.2174/1871520621666210706124315
- 2018. Bioactive compounds and pharmacological and food applications of Syzygium cumini - a reviewFood & function. PMID 30379170 · doi:10.1039/c8fo00654g
- 2013. Pharmacological potentials of Syzygium cumini: a reviewJournal of the science of food and agriculture. PMID 23460190 · doi:10.1002/jsfa.6111
- 2013. Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels., a novel therapeutic agent for diabetes: folk medicinal and pharmacological evidencesComplementary therapies in medicine. PMID 23642956 · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2013.03.004
- 2013. Scientific validation of the antidiabetic effects of Syzygium jambolanum DC (black plum), a traditional medicinal plant of IndiaJournal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). PMID 23030429 · doi:10.1089/acm.2011.0752
- 2010. Syzygium cumini extract decrease adenosine deaminase, 5'nucleotidase activities and oxidative damage in platelets of diabetic patientsCellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. PMID 21063110 · doi:10.1159/000322340
- 2009. Syzygium cumini inhibits adenosine deaminase activity and reduces glucose levels in hyperglycemic patientsFundamental & clinical pharmacology. PMID 19709327 · doi:10.1111/j.1472-8206.2009.00700.x
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.