Jatiphala
Myristica fragrans
Jatiphala (Myristica fragrans) is a plant drug, also called Jati, Jatiphalam and Jatisasya. Myristicin is well absorbed orally with high lipophilicity (logP ~2.5). Myristicin is metabolized to MMDA-like compounds by CYP enzymes (contributing to psychoactive effects at high doses).
| Botanical name | Myristica fragrans |
|---|---|
| Family | Myristicaceae |
| Order | Magnoliales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 5406817 · Wikidata Q2724976 · NCBI Taxonomy 51089 |
| Sanskrit | जाती (jātī), Jatiphala, जातीफलम् (jātīphalam), Jatisasya |
|---|---|
| Hindi | जायफल (jāyaphala), Jaiphal |
| English | Nutmeg |
| Tamil | Jadhikai, Jatikkai, Sathikkai, சாதிக்காய் |
| Malayalam | Jatika |
| Telugu | Jajikaya |
| Kannada | Jadikai, Jaykai |
| Marathi | Jaiphal |
| Bengali | Jaiphala, Jaitri |
| Gujarati | Jaiphala, Jayfar |
| Urdu | Jaiphal, Jauzbuwa |
| Punjabi | Jaiphal |
| Oriya | Jaiphal |
| Assamese | Jaiphal, Kanivish |
| Kashmiri | Jafal |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; MMPND 'Sorting Myristica names', Myristica fragrans, Tamil in Tamil script: சாதிக்காய் (Cātikkāy) and ஜாதி காய் (Jāti kāy) for nutmeg.; MMPND 'Sorting Myristica names', Myristica fragrans: Sanskrit for nutmeg given as 'Jatiphala'.; MMPND, 'Sorting Myristica names', Myristica fragrans: Hindi nutmeg given in Devanagari as जायफल (Jāyaphala), with the variant जाईफल; mace given separately as जावित्री.; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary entry for jātī (retrieved via wisdomlib): the primary gloss is 'Jasminum grandiflorum' (citing Harivaṃśa, Bhartṛhari, Bhāgavata-purāṇa, Amaru-śataka), and the same entry additionally gives 'mace, nutmeg' citing Suśruta and Varāhamihira's Bṛhat-saṃhitā; the 17th-c. Bhojanakutūhala also uses jātī for nutmeg.. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2026, 11 with a DOI.
- 5Other clinical studies and reviews
- 7Laboratory 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.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Nutmeg |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Katu, Tikta | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Tikshna | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Capsule, Tablet, Essential oil, Lepa (paste), Taila (oil infusion)
Standard Dosage: 250-500mg powder (LOW DOSE - toxic at higher doses); 125-250mg extract; 1-3 drops essential oil (external/aromatherapy)
Optimal Timing: After meals for digestive support; traditionally taken at bedtime with warm milk (pinch of powder) to support sleep
Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C. Whole nutmeg is more stable than ground. Ground powder loses volatiles rapidly; nitrogen-flushed packaging recommended. Essential oil in amber glass, sealed.
Marker Compounds: Myristicin, Elemicin, Safrole (toxic marker - monitor and limit), Sabinene, Alpha-pinene, Trimyristin, Myristic acid, Macelignan
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 reviews5
- 2022. Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) essential oil: A review on its composition, biological, and pharmacological activitiesPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 35567294 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7491
- 2022. Synthesis and Biological Activities of Dehydrodiisoeugenol: A ReviewPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36355523 · doi:10.3390/ph15111351
- 2021. Trends in Grinding of Agroindustrial Products-A Literature ReviewRecent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture. PMID 33238874 · doi:10.2174/2212798411666201125114243
- 2020. Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Myristica fragrans Houtt.: an updated reviewArchives of pharmacal research. PMID 33206347 · doi:10.1007/s12272-020-01285-4
- 2006. Nutmeg PMID 30000898
Laboratory and animal studies7
- 2026. Macelignan, a lignan from Myristica fragrans Houtt., rescues mitochondrial homeostasis and prevents cognitive decline in vascular dementia by modulating the mTOR-Mitophagy axisJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 40946820 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2025.120603
- 2024. Neolignans and Diarylnonanoid Derivatives with Anti-inflammatory Activity from Myristica fragrans Houtt. SeedsACS omega. PMID 39157106 · doi:10.1021/acsomega.4c05649
- 2023. Effect of Simmering Technology on Components and Activity of Myristica fragrans HouttMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38005349 · doi:10.3390/molecules28227627
- 2023. The Identification and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) and Its SubstituentsFoods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38231602 · doi:10.3390/foods12234211
- 2022. Phenylpropanoids and neolignans isolated from Myristica fragrans enhance glucose uptake in myotubesFood & function. PMID 35275149 · doi:10.1039/d1fo04408g
- 2021. Myristica fragrans promotes ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux in THP-1-derived macrophagesActa biochimica et biophysica Sinica. PMID 33434281 · doi:10.1093/abbs/gmaa146
- 2019. Prominent Pancreatic Lipase Inhibition and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of a Myristica fragrans Ethanolic Extract in vitro. Potential Role in Obesity TreatmentMaedica. PMID 31798741 · doi:10.26574/maedica.2019.14.3.254
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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