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Kadamba

Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser

Kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser) is a plant drug, also called Kadambah, Haripriyah and Nipah, from the Rubiaceae family. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India for treatment of wounds, conjunctivitis, mouth ulcers, diarrhea and urinary tract diseases.

Key facts
Botanical nameNeolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser
FamilyRubiaceae · other entries in this family
OrderGentianales
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India for treatment of wounds, conjunctivitis, mouth ulcers, diarrhea and urinary tract diseases. No specific WHO monograph as of 2025.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2896888 · Wikidata Q573791 · NCBI Taxonomy 153762
Names in other languages
Sanskritकदम्बः (kadambaḥ), हरिप्रियः (haripriyaḥ), नीपः (nīpaḥ)
Hindiकदंब (kadaṃba)
TamilPriyka, Vrtta Puspa, வெள்ளைக் கடம்பு
TeluguKadamb amu, Kadimi Chettu

Sources: 'Names of Plants in India' / Dinesh Valke image record titled வெள்ளை கதம்பு (Vellaikkatampu) for Neolamarckia cadamba; Tamil agro-forestry sources give 'Vellai Kadambu' for Anthocephalus/Neolamarckia cadamba.; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Monier-Williams and the Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary via wisdomlib: नीप = 'The Kadamba tree, Nauclea Cadamba'; Narahari's Rāja Nighaṇṭu gives Nīpa as a synonym of Dhārākadamba, a variety of Kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba).; efloraofindia / 'Names of Plants in India' entry for Neolamarckia cadamba, Sanskrit in Devanagari: हरिप्रिय (haripriya), कदम्ब (kadamba).; efloraofindia Neolamarckia cadamba page and 'Names of Plants in India': Hindi कदम्ब (kadamb), Marathi कदंब, read in Devanagari.; wisdomlib / Rāja Nighaṇṭu (Narahari, 13th c.): Kadamba is the Sanskrit name of the plant Neolamarckia cadamba, with Nīpa given as a synonym of its Dhārākadamba variety and Kādambarya as a further synonym. efloraofindia's Neolamarckia cadamba page gives Sanskrit कदम्ब; the botanical epithet 'cadamba' is itself taken from this Sanskrit name.. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2014 to 2025, every one with a DOI.

  • 2Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 10Laboratory 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

LanguageName
EnglishKadamba
Latin/BotanicalNeolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser

Key Phytochemical Constituents

  • Cadambine (indole alkaloid)
  • Dihydrocadambine
  • Isodihydrocadambine
  • Isocadambine
  • Quinovic acid glycosides
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • 3-alpha-Dihydrocadambine
  • Beta-sitosterol
  • Ursolic acid
  • Cadamine
  • Saponins (triterpene type)

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory action via inhibition of NF-kB pathway and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by cadambine alkaloids
  • Antidiabetic activity through alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition by chlorogenic acid and alkaloid fractions
  • Antimalarial activity via disruption of plasmodium cell membrane integrity by quinovic acid glycosides
  • Hepatoprotective effects through free radical scavenging and restoration of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, GPx)

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • In vitro studies using disc diffusion and MIC tests have reported Antimicrobial activity against wound-infecting pathogens.
  • Traditionally used for diarrhea. Animal studies using castor oil-induced diarrhea models have reported a reduction in stool frequency.
  • Animal studies have reported Antipyretic activity in a Brewer’s yeast-induced fever model in rats.
  • Traditionally used for inflammation. Animal studies have reported reduced paw edema in carrageenan-induced models.

What do recent studies show?

No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Formal toxicity studies are limited; no standardized safety data is available.
  • Standardized extracts, mechanistic studies, and clinical trials are still needed. Available preclinical studies have reported no significant adverse effects.

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Glycosides
  • Saponins
  • Cadambine
  • Dihydrocadambine
  • Isodihydrocadambine
  • Isocadambine
  • Quinovic acid
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • 3-alpha-Dihydrocadambine
  • Beta-sitosterol
  • Ursolic acid
  • Cadamine

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (bark powder), Kashayam (bark decoction), Capsule, Taila (medicated oil), Lepa (paste)

Standard Dosage: 3-6g bark powder twice daily; 50-100ml decoction; external paste as needed

Optimal Timing: Traditionally taken before meals with warm water for fever and diabetes; external paste traditionally applied to wounds morning and evening

Storage: Cool, dry place below 25°C, protected from moisture and light. Airtight containers.

Marker Compounds: Cadambine, Isocadambine, 3-alpha-Dihydrocadambine, Cadamine, Beta-sitosterol, Chlorogenic acid

Synergistic Combinations

  • Traditionally combined with Lodhra for gynecological disorders
  • Traditionally combined with Ashoka for uterine tonic action
  • Traditionally combined with Nimba for skin conditions and fever
  • Traditionally combined with Guduchi for anti-diabetic 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.

Other clinical studies and reviews2

  1. Yuan HL, Zhao YL, Qin XJ and others. 2020. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Neolamarckia cadamba and its bioactive monoterpenoid indole alkaloidsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 32569718 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113103
  2. Pandey A, Negi PS. 2016. Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Neolamarckia cadamba: A reviewJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 26821190 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.01.036

Laboratory and animal studies10

  1. Liu W, Wang X, Zhao Z and others. 2025. NcBRI1 positively regulate vascular development and promote biomass production in Neolamarckia cadambaPlant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. PMID 39638094 · doi:10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112352
  2. Das S, Samal PP, Qaiyum MA and others. 2024. Neolamarckia cadamba (cadamba) waste pulp as a natural and techno-economic scavenger for methylene blue from aqueous solutionsInternational journal of phytoremediation. PMID 37462946 · doi:10.1080/15226514.2023.2232861
  3. Wang Y, Zhang X, Zhang W and others. 2023. Physiological and transcriptomic responses to magnesium deficiency in Neolamarckia CadambaPlant physiology and biochemistry : PPB. PMID 36963300 · doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107645
  4. Mishra A, Maurya SK, Singh A and others. 2023. Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser (Rubiaceae) extracts: promising prospects for anticancer and antibacterial potential through in vitro and in silico studiesMedical oncology (Northwood, London, England). PMID 36808013 · doi:10.1007/s12032-023-01971-5
  5. Xu Z, Liu Y, Fang H and others. 2023. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of WRKY Gene Family in Neolamarckia cadambaInternational journal of molecular sciences. PMID 37108700 · doi:10.3390/ijms24087537
  6. Li L, Wang J, Chen J and others. 2022. Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses of Growth in Neolamarckia cadamba Stimulated by Exogenous GibberellinsInternational journal of molecular sciences. PMID 36233144 · doi:10.3390/ijms231911842
  7. Que Q, Ouyang K, Li C and others. 2022. Geographic variation in growth and wood traits of Neolamarckia cadamba in ChinaForestry research. PMID 39525425 · doi:10.48130/FR-2022-0012
  8. Wang X, Li LL, Xiao Y and others. 2021. A complete sequence of mitochondrial genome of Neolamarckia cadamba and its use for systematic analysisScientific reports. PMID 34728739 · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-01040-9
  9. Lu L, Zhang Y, Li L and others. 2021. Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses to Nitrogen Deficiency in Neolamarckia cadambaFrontiers in plant science. PMID 34887886 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.747121
  10. Zhao X, Ouyang K, Gan S and others. 2014. Biochemical and molecular changes associated with heteroxylan biosynthesis in Neolamarckia cadamba (Rubiaceae) during xylogenesisFrontiers in plant science. PMID 25426124 · doi:10.3389/fpls.2014.00602

Reference lists that include it

Saponins, Ursolic acid

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.