Age Ayurveda Nighantu

Kadali

Musa paradisiaca L.

Kadali (Musa paradisiaca L.) is a plant used in Ayurveda, from the Musaceae family. Not listed in WHO monographs on medicinal plants specifically; recognized by FAO/WHO as a major staple food crop; banana stem and unripe fruit referenced in traditional pharmacopoeias of India and Southeast Asia.

Key facts
Botanical nameMusa paradisiaca L.
FamilyMusaceae
OrderZingiberales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot listed in WHO monographs on medicinal plants specifically; recognized by FAO/WHO as a major staple food crop; banana stem and unripe fruit referenced in traditional pharmacopoeias of India and Southeast Asia
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2762752 · NCBI Taxonomy 89151

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishKadali
Latin/BotanicalMusa paradisiaca L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Sitoindoside IV (acylsteryl glycoside from unripe fruit) exhibits anti-ulcerogenic activity by stimulating mucus secretion, strengthening mucosal barrier, and inhibiting gastric acid-pepsin secretion
  • Leucocyanidin and condensed tannins from unripe banana pulp exert antidiarrhoeal effects by reducing intestinal motility and enhancing electrolyte and water reabsorption in the colon
  • Phytosterols (stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol) reduce plasma cholesterol through competitive inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption and modulation of hepatic cholesterol metabolism

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

  • Antidiarrhoeal activity of unripe banana (Apakva Kadali) validated through meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in children, confirming traditional Ayurvedic use for Atisara (diarrhea) and Grahani (IBS)
  • Anti-ulcerogenic activity validated through isolation of sitoindoside IV and demonstration of gastroprotective effects, supporting traditional use for Amlapitta (gastric ulcers)
  • Anti-urolithiatic effects (kidney stone prevention) validated through studies showing reduction of urinary oxalate excretion in hyperoxaluric animal models

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

  • Banana is widely consumed as a staple food globally; GRAS status for food consumption with excellent safety profile
  • High potassium content requires caution in patients with hyperkalemia or chronic kidney disease; may interact with potassium-sparing diuretics and ACE inhibitors
  • Latex allergy cross-reactivity exists (banana-latex-avocado syndrome); individuals with latex allergy should be cautioned about potential allergic reactions to banana

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Swarasa (stem juice), Churna (flower/unripe fruit powder), Capsule, Kshara (alkali preparation), Bhasma (ash preparation)

Standard Dosage: 20-40ml stem juice twice daily; 3-6g flower/fruit powder; 1-2g Kshara with water

Bioavailability: Musa paradisiaca (banana/plantain) contains flavonoids (leucocyanidin), tannins, serotonin, dopamine, and potassium. Leucocyanidin has moderate oral bioavailability. Serotonin from banana is NOT orally bioavailable for CNS effects (does not cross BBB). Potassium and minerals are highly bioavailable. Resistant starch in unripe fruit acts as prebiotic. Stem juice mucilage acts locally in urinary tract.

Optimal Timing: Stem juice: morning on empty stomach for renal calculi. Flower powder: with buttermilk for menstrual disorders. Unripe fruit: as part of meals.

Standardized Extract: Stem juice (fresh or spray-dried); unripe fruit extract standardized to resistant starch content; flower extract with HPTLC fingerprint

Shelf Life: 1 day (fresh stem juice); 6 months (pasteurized juice); 2 years (powder); 3 years (Kshara)

Storage: Fresh preparations: refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Dried preparations: cool, dry place below 25°C. Kshara: airtight, moisture-proof containers.

Marker Compounds: Leucocyanidin, Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Gallic acid, Potassium content (mineral assay), Resistant starch (in unripe fruit)

Extraction Methods

  • Cold pressing/juicing of stem (Swarasa)
  • Aqueous extraction of flowers
  • Drying and powdering of unripe fruit
  • Kshara (alkaline ash) preparation by incineration
  • Ethanol extraction for flavonoid fraction

Synergistic Combinations

  • With Gokshura for kidney stone management (stem juice)
  • With Varuna for urinary calculi
  • With Amalaki for gastric ulcer support
  • With Yashtimadhu for mucosal protection

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-analyses2

  1. Kwok JJN, Chen MK, Ong CW and others. 2025. Antidiabetic Potential of Bananas (Musa spp.): A Systematic Review of Bioactive Compounds and Antihyperglycemic ActivitiesCurrent nutrition reports. PMID 40011287 · doi:10.1007/s13668-025-00629-0
  2. Gallo Ruelas M, Gomez-Herrera GP, Noa-Peralta KF and others. 2024. Role of green banana consumption in the treatment of acute and persistent diarrhea in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsEuropean journal of pediatrics. PMID 38972965 · doi:10.1007/s00431-024-05679-0

Other clinical studies and reviews3

  1. Adinortey MB. 2021. Botanical treatments for snakebite in rural Ghana: A narrative reviewJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 34274442 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114432
  2. Velasco H, Anjos RM. 2021. A review of (137)Cs and (40)K soil-to-plant transfer factors in tropical plantsJournal of environmental radioactivity. PMID 34058642 · doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106650
  3. Panigrahi PN, Dey S, Sahoo M and others. 2017. Antiurolithiatic and antioxidant efficacy of Musa paradisiaca pseudostem on ethylene glycol-induced nephrolithiasis in ratIndian journal of pharmacology. PMID 28458427 · doi:10.4103/0253-7613.201026

Laboratory and animal studies7

  1. Munar AM, Trujillo DB, Méndez NM and others. 2025. Influence of Core Starch and Lignocellulosic Fibers from Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) Pseudostem on the Development of Thermoplastic Starches and Biobased Composite MaterialsPolymers. PMID 40219250 · doi:10.3390/polym17070859
  2. Atunnise AK, Bodede O, Adewuyi A and others. 2024. Metabolomics and in-vitro bioactivities studies of fermented Musa paradisiaca pulp: A potential alpha-amylase inhibitorHeliyon. PMID 38317983 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24659
  3. Boulogne I, Petit P, Desfontaines L and others. 2023. Biological and Chemical Characterization of Musa paradisiaca LeachateBiology. PMID 37887036 · doi:10.3390/biology12101326
  4. Pérez-Donado CE, Pérez-Muñoz F, Chávez-Jáuregui RN. 2023. Nutritional composition and in vitro digestibility of two Plantain Cultivars (Musa Paradisiaca spp.) in Puerto RicoHeliyon. PMID 37539198 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17563
  5. Medhi E, Deb N. 2022. PSFD-Musa: A dataset of banana plant, stem, fruit, leaf, and diseaseData in brief. PMID 35859788 · doi:10.1016/j.dib.2022.108427
  6. Venegas R, Torres A, Rueda AM and others. 2022. Development and Characterization of Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) Flour-Based Biopolymer Films Reinforced with Plantain FibersPolymers. PMID 35215661 · doi:10.3390/polym14040748
  7. Rai R, Kumar S, Singh KB and others. 2021. Extract and fraction of Musa paradisiaca flower have osteogenic effect and prevent ovariectomy induced osteopeniaPhytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. PMID 34662767 · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153750

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.