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Kanchanar

Bauhinia variegata L.

Kanchanar (Bauhinia variegata L.) is a plant drug, also called Kancanarah, Kancanaraka and Kacanara, from the Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae) family. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.

Key facts
Botanical nameBauhinia variegata L.
FamilyFabaceae (Caesalpinioideae) · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Kanchanar Guggulu is an official formulation in AFI (Ayurvedic Formulary of India). No dedicated WHO monograph. Ongoing RCT may provide future regulatory evidence.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2953251 · Wikidata Q840341 · NCBI Taxonomy 167791
Names in other languages
Sanskritकाञ्चनारः (kāñcanāraḥ), कञ्चनारक (kañcanāraka)
Hindiकचनार (kacanāra), कचनाल (kacanāla)
Tamilசெம்மந்தாரை

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANCANARA monograph (Bauhinia variegata Blume), Sanskrit slot "Kancanaraka"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANCANARA monograph (Bauhinia variegata Blume), Tamil slot "Sigappu mandarai, Sihappu mantarai"; Names of Plants in India:: Bauhinia variegata gives Tamil "செம்மந்தாரை cem-mantarai, சிவப்புமந்தாரை civappu-mantarai"; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, KANCANARA monograph (dried stem bark of Bauhinia variegata Blume, Fam. Leguminosae), Hindi slot "Kachanar, Kanchanar, Kachnar" (api-all.txt line 7815 ff.); Names of Plants in India:: Bauhinia variegata L. gives Hindi "कचनाल kachnal, कचनार kachnar".; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, the monograph for the stem bark of Bauhinia variegata Blume is headed KANCANARA, with Sanskrit slot "Kancanaraka" (api-all.txt line 7815 ff.); Names of Plants in India:: Bauhinia variegata gives Sanskrit "काञ्चनार kanchanara"; Names of Plants in India:: Bauhinia variegata L., Hindi list "कचनाल kachnal, कचनार kachnar". How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2021 to 2025, 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

LanguageName
EnglishKanchanar
Latin/BotanicalBauhinia variegata L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-goitrogenic activity through modulation of thyroid hormone synthesis and iodine metabolism by flavonoids
  • Anti-inflammatory action via COX-2 and LOX inhibition and suppression of NF-kB pathway by kaempferol and quercetin
  • Antidiabetic activity through aldose reductase inhibition (quercetin pentaacetate) preventing diabetic complications
  • Hepatoprotective effects via antioxidant-mediated restoration of SOD, catalase and glutathione levels

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Traditionally used as an anti-goitrogenic and for the thyroid. A clinical case series reported improved TSH and thyroid hormone levels.
  • Gandamala (lymphadenitis): traditionally used for this condition, including as Kanchanar Guggulu.
  • Traditionally used for inflammation and pain. Animal studies have reported reduced swelling in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model, along with analgesic effects.
  • Hemostatic and anti-hemorrhagic use: traditionally used to check bleeding. The plant contains astringent tannins.

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Kanchanar Guggulu formulation is widely used in Ayurvedic practice; formal safety data from controlled trials is limited
  • Long-term safety data from controlled clinical trials is still being generated; caution advised in hyperthyroid patients due to anti-goitrogenic activity. Pregnancy use not well studied.

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Kaempferol
  • Quercetin
  • Isorhamnetin
  • Hesperidin
  • Stigmasterol
  • Lupeol
  • Sitosterol
  • Ombuin

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Kwatha (decoction), Churna (powder), Guggulu formulation (Kanchanar Guggulu tablet), Capsule, Vati (tablet)

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g powder twice daily; 50-100 mL decoction twice daily; Kanchanar Guggulu: 2 tablets (500 mg each) twice daily

Optimal Timing: Before meals for thyroid-related conditions; after meals for gastrointestinal applications; Kanchanar Guggulu best taken with warm water 30 minutes before meals

Storage: Store powder and tablets in cool, dry place at 15-30°C. Decoctions must be refrigerated (2-8°C) and consumed within 48 hours. Protect from moisture and light.

Marker Compounds: Quercetin, Kaempferol, Bauhiniastatin, Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol

Synergistic Combinations

  • Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) in Kanchanar Guggulu for thyroid and lymphatic disorders
  • Triphala for enhanced detoxification
  • Varuna (Crataeva nurvala), traditionally combined for urinary calculi
  • Punarnava for lymphatic drainage

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

  1. Kulkarni SP, Parwe S. 2024. Evaluation of Comparative Efficacy of Levothyroxine Versus Kshar Basti and Kanchanar Guggul in the Treatment of Hypothyroidism: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled TrialJMIR research protocols. PMID 39255475 · doi:10.2196/57287
  2. Kenmegne Tebe UC, Tangka JK, Djoukeng HG and others. 2024. Effects of extraction parameters on the yield of oils from non-edible seeds of Bauhinia variegata and PachiraglabraHeliyon. PMID 38756583 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30777
  3. Gudavalli D, Pandey K, Ede VG and others. 2024. Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of five species of Bauhinia genus: A reviewFitoterapia. PMID 38286316 · doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105830
  4. Zhang Q, Cheng Z, Fan Y and others. 2023. Ethnobotanical study on edible flowers in Xishuangbanna, ChinaJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine. PMID 37777741 · doi:10.1186/s13002-023-00608-1
  5. Choudhary A, Noman M, Bano U and others. 2023. Global uses of traditional herbs for hepatic diseases and other pharmacological actions: A comprehensive reviewPolimery w medycynie. PMID 37260126 · doi:10.17219/pim/165977

Laboratory and animal studies7

  1. Kamal Y, Fatima N, Mumtaz A and others. 2025. Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Bauhinia variegata Linn. Roots: Isolation, Characterization, and Cytotoxic EvaluationCurrent pharmaceutical design. PMID 39779566 · doi:10.2174/0113816128299481240223054918
  2. Xu Y. 2024. Surface morphology and microstructure of Bauhinia variegata L. flowers and leavesMicron (Oxford, England : 1993). PMID 38086225 · doi:10.1016/j.micron.2023.103575
  3. de Oliveira Della Senta D, Cardoso G, Neis A and others. 2024. Antifungal Effect of Bauhinia variegata Lectin (BvL) on Bipolaris oryzaeCurrent microbiology. PMID 39190055 · doi:10.1007/s00284-024-03848-w
  4. Sun C, Chen Y, Zheng D and others. 2024. The complete mitochondrial genome of Bauhinia variegata (Leguminosae)Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources. PMID 38259357 · doi:10.1080/23802359.2024.2305712
  5. Solanki N, Bhavsar S. 2023. Neuroprotective effects of Bauhinia variegata in ameliorating diabetic neuropathy and neurodegenerationAmerican journal of translational research. PMID 37969205
  6. Kamal Y, Khan T, Haq I and others. 2022. Phytochemical and biological attributes of Bauhinia variegata L. (Caesalpiniaceae)Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia. PMID 35170677 · doi:10.1590/1519-6984.257990
  7. Behera SK, Modi PK, Karthikkeyan G and others. 2021. From LC-MS/MS metabolomics profiling of Kanchanara Guggulu to molecular docking and dynamics simulation of quercetin pentaacetate with aldose reductaseBioinformation. PMID 35655904 · doi:10.6026/97320630017911

Reference lists that include it

Ellagic acid, Gallic acid, Kaempferol, Lupeol, Quercetin, Stigmasterol

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.