Kumuda
Nymphaea alba
Kumuda (Nymphaea alba) is a plant drug of the family Nymphaeaceae, also called Kumudam, Sasikanta and Sitolpalam.
| Botanical name | Nymphaea alba |
|---|---|
| Identity source | Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. III: KUMUDA (Flower) |
| Also called | Nymphaea stellata Willd. (nomenclatural synonym) Nymphaea pubescens Willd. / Nymphaea lotus L. (reported in the literature) |
| Family | Nymphaeaceae |
| Order | Nymphaeales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 2882437 · Wikidata Q147030 · NCBI Taxonomy 34301 |
| Sanskrit | Kumudam, Sasikanta, Sitolpalam, Syamavrnta |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Kanval, Kui |
| English | Indian Blue Water Lily |
| Tamil | Allittamarai, Nalla Kalav, Vellampal |
| Malayalam | Ampal |
| Telugu | Allikada, Tellakaluva |
| Kannada | Bilenaydile, Biletavare |
| Marathi | Kamod |
| Bengali | Kumuda, Shandh Shaluka |
| Gujarati | Piyanu |
| Urdu | Kamal |
Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2005 to 2025, every one with a DOI.
- 1Other clinical studies and reviews
- 11Laboratory 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 | Kumuda |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta, Kashaya | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Swarasa (juice of rhizome), Lepa (paste), Ghrita (medicated ghee), Capsule
Standard Dosage: 3-6 g powder twice daily; 50-100 mL decoction; 10-20 mL rhizome juice; 5-10 g medicated ghee
Optimal Timing: After meals for Pitta-pacifying and cooling effects; Ghrita preparations: morning and evening; flower infusion: evening for calming effects
Storage: Store in airtight, light-resistant containers at 15-30°C. Flower-based preparations are particularly photosensitive, amber glass or opaque packaging required. Rhizome powder in moisture-proof containers.
Marker Compounds: Nymphaein, Nupharidine, Nupharin, Quercetin-3-O-glucoside, Cyanidin-3-glucoside, Delphinidin, Myricetin, Gallic acid
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 reviews1
- 2022. Anti-anxiety Properties of Selected Medicinal PlantsCurrent pharmaceutical biotechnology. PMID 33480339 · doi:10.2174/1389201022666210122125131
Laboratory and animal studies11
- 2025. Wound Healing Properties of Nymphaea alba (Nymphaeaceae) Flower Extract: Evidence from In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Network AnalysisCurrent computer-aided drug design. PMID 40916432 · doi:10.2174/0115734099367529250728112330
- 2024. Nymphaea alba leaf powder effectiveness in removing nisin from fermentation broth using docking and experimental analysisScientific reports. PMID 39232102 · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-71513-0
- 2023. Rhizome architecture, development and vascularization in the water lily Nymphaea albaAnnals of botany. PMID 36976535 · doi:10.1093/aob/mcad049
- 2021. Sono-Biosynthesis and Characterization of AuNPs from Danube Delta Nymphaea alba Root Extracts and Their Biological PropertiesNanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 34198512 · doi:10.3390/nano11061562
- 2019. Antifungal, Antitumoral and Antioxidant Potential of the Danube Delta Nymphaea alba ExtractsAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 31877815 · doi:10.3390/antibiotics9010007
- 2019. Ultrasound-Enhanced Subcritical Fluid Extraction of Essential Oil from Nymphaea alba var and Its Antioxidant ActivityJournal of AOAC International. PMID 31088594 · doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0337
- 2018. Antilisterial Effect of Rosa damascena and Nymphaea alba in Mus musculusBioMed research international. PMID 29607320 · doi:10.1155/2018/4543723
- 2018. Exploring New Antioxidant and Mineral Compounds from Nymphaea alba Wild-Grown in Danube Delta BiosphereMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 29882880 · doi:10.3390/molecules23061247
- 2017. Plant traits and environment: floating leaf blade production and turnover of waterliliesPeerJ. PMID 28462025 · doi:10.7717/peerj.3212
- 2011. Anxiolytic activity of Nymphaea alba Linn. in mice as experimental models of anxietyIndian journal of pharmacology. PMID 21455422 · doi:10.4103/0253-7613.75670
- 2005. Anticarcinogenic effect of Nymphaea alba against oxidative damage, hyperproliferative response and renal carcinogenesis in Wistar ratsMolecular and cellular biochemistry. PMID 15881650 · doi:10.1007/s11010-005-2258-2
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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