Kasturi
Kasturi is an animal-derived substance used in the Ayurvedic materia medica. Its primary active component is muscone, with muscopyridine and muscopyranol alongside cholesterol and fatty acids.
| Substance type | Animal-derived substance, not a plant |
|---|
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2010 to 2023, every one with a DOI.
- 6Other clinical studies and reviews
- 6Laboratory 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 | Musk |
| Sanskrit | Kasturi |
Key Phytochemical Constituents
- Muscone (3-methylcyclopentadecanone) - primary active component
- Muscopyridine and muscopyranol
- Cholesterol and fatty acids
- Proteins and peptides
- Wax esters and steroids (5-alpha-androst-16-en-3-one)
- Phenolic compounds
- Ammonia and other volatile compounds
- Mineral salts (potassium, calcium, sodium)
How does it work?
- Neuroprotection: Muscone crosses blood-brain barrier, activates cAMP/PKA signaling, reduces neuroinflammation, and protects neurons against ischemia-reperfusion injury
- Anti-inflammatory: Inhibits NF-kB pathway, reduces TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6 production; suppresses microglial activation
- Cardioprotective: Stimulates cardiac contractility, improves coronary blood flow, and exhibits antiarrhythmic properties through calcium channel modulation
- Anticancer: Induces apoptosis in cancer cell lines through mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Hridya (cardiac tonic): traditionally used in cardiac formulations including Kasturi Bhairava Rasa and Mrigamadasava. Studies have reported cardioprotective and inotropic effects of muscone.
- Unmada and Apasmara (psychiatric/neurological disorders): used in classical Ayurvedic practice for stroke, seizures, and psychiatric conditions. Studies have reported that muscone can cross the blood-brain barrier and modulate neuroinflammation.
- Vishamjwara (intermittent fevers) and Sannipata: traditionally used in severe febrile and toxic conditions. Studies have reported anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.
What do recent studies show?
- Liu K, Xie L, Deng M and others 2021. Zoology, chemical composition, pharmacology, quality control and future perspective of Musk (Moschus): a review. Chinese medicine. PMID 34147113 · doi:10.1186/s13020-021-00457-8
Comprehensive review confirmed muscone possesses potent anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer, antioxidant, and cardiovascular protective effects; muscone activates cAMP/PKA signaling pathway for neuroprotection.
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
- CITES Appendices I and II: International trade in natural musk is prohibited or strictly regulated; possession and sale of natural Kasturi is illegal in most jurisdictions without specific permits
- Musk deer (Moschus spp.) are threatened; traditional harvesting killed the animal, though non-lethal extraction methods have been developed in Chinese musk deer farms
- Clinical trial data in humans are lacking; most pharmacological evidence is from animal studies and in vitro research
- Synthetic muscone and plant-based musk alternatives (Abelmoschus moschatus - Kasturi Bhendi) are recommended as ethical and legal substitutes
What is it made of?
Macrocyclic Ketones
- Muscone (1-3%)
- Normuscone
Steroids
- Cholesterol
- Cholestanol
- Androstenone
Nitrogenous Compounds
- Muscopyridine
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna, Component in cardiac and neurological preparations
Standard Dosage: 30–125 mg
Optimal Timing: As directed in specific formulations
Storage: Airtight, cool, dark place
Marker Compounds: Muscone (3-methylcyclopentadecanone), Muscopyridine, Steroids
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 reviews6
- 2023. Treatment Progress in Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Western and Chinese MedicineChinese journal of integrative medicine. PMID 35015221 · doi:10.1007/s11655-021-3353-2
- 2022. Chinese Medicine Phenomics (Chinmedphenomics): Personalized, Precise and PromisingPhenomics (Cham, Switzerland). PMID 36939806 · doi:10.1007/s43657-022-00074-x
- 2021. Zoology, chemical composition, pharmacology, quality control and future perspective of Musk (Moschus): a reviewChinese medicine. PMID 34147113 · doi:10.1186/s13020-021-00457-8
- 2020. Pharmacological effects of icariinAdvances in pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.). PMID 32089233 · doi:10.1016/bs.apha.2019.10.004
- 2017. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) TherapyAdvances in experimental medicine and biology. PMID 29098677 · doi:10.1007/978-981-10-5562-1_13
- 2016. Artemisinin-A Gift from Traditional Chinese Medicine to the World (Nobel Lecture)Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English). PMID 27488942 · doi:10.1002/anie.201601967
Laboratory and animal studies6
- 2023. Editorial: Traditional Chinese medicine for depression and anxietyFrontiers in psychiatry. PMID 37502820 · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1217886
- 2021. Understanding traditional Chinese medicineHepatobiliary surgery and nutrition. PMID 35004951 · doi:10.21037/hbsn-2021-25
- 2020. Publishing studies in traditional Chinese medicineJournal of advanced nursing. PMID 31858613 · doi:10.1111/jan.14297
- 2012. Modernization of traditional Chinese medicineJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 22569212 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.05.001
- 2011. The discovery of artemisinin (qinghaosu) and gifts from Chinese medicineNature medicine. PMID 21989013 · doi:10.1038/nm.2471
- 2010. Traditional Chinese medicineCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening. PMID 21143187 · doi:10.2174/138620710793360329
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.