Age Ayurveda Nighantu Ayurvedic practitioner? List or verify your practice

Mahabala

Sida rhombifolia L.

Mahabala (Sida rhombifolia L.) is a plant drug, from the Malvaceae family. Not listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia as Mahabala (great strength); some species of Sida subject to regulatory scrutiny due to ephedrine alkaloid content.

Key facts
Botanical nameSida rhombifolia L.
FamilyMalvaceae · other entries in this family
OrderMalvales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia as Mahabala (great strength); some species of Sida subject to regulatory scrutiny due to ephedrine alkaloid content
Taxon identifiersGBIF 5406735 · Wikidata Q3595921 · NCBI Taxonomy 108377

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2020 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Randomised controlled trials
  • 1Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 10Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. 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
EnglishMahabala
Latin/BotanicalSida rhombifolia L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory mechanism through inhibition of COX-2 and prostaglandin synthesis, with ecdysteroids contributing to tissue repair and regeneration
  • Analgesic action through both central and peripheral pain pathway modulation, with alkaloid fraction (ephedrine-related compounds) contributing to bronchodilatory effects
  • Antimalarial mechanism involving disruption of Plasmodium parasite erythrocytic stages, with cryptolepine showing potent antiplasmodial activity

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Traditionally used in Vataroga (joint and muscular conditions). Animal studies have reported anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
  • Traditionally used for wounds and infectious conditions. Antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi has been reported in studies.
  • Used in ethnomedicine for fever and malaria. Studies have reported antimalarial activity against Plasmodium species.

What do recent studies show?

Recent safety updates

  • May contain ephedrine-type alkaloids (trace, species-dependent); prolonged use or high doses may cause cardiovascular stimulation (increased heart rate, blood pressure); should be used cautiously in patients with hypertension or cardiac conditions
  • 28-day toxicity study showed safety at moderate doses in rats; however, regulatory concerns exist in some countries regarding ephedrine-containing plants

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Pseudoephedrine
  • Alkaloids
  • Flavonoids
  • Kaempferol
  • Quercetin
  • Sitosterol
  • Mucilage
  • Saponins

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Taila (medicated oil), Capsules, Tablets, Ghrita (medicated ghee), Basti preparations (enema)

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g root powder per day; 50-100 mL decoction twice daily; Taila for external application as directed; 500-1000 mg extract capsules twice daily

Optimal Timing: Morning for tonic and strength-building effects; before meals with warm water or milk; Taila application morning and evening with gentle massage; Basti as per Panchakarma schedule

Storage: Root powder in airtight containers below 25 deg C. Taila in amber glass bottles, protected from light, at room temperature. Ghrita in clean, dry glass or stainless steel containers. All forms protected from moisture.

Marker Compounds: Ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), Cryptolepine, Quindoline, Quindimine, Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Mucilage polysaccharides, Ephedrine (trace, species-dependent)

Synergistic Combinations

  • Bala (complementary strength-building)
  • Ashwagandha (adaptogenic and musculoskeletal synergy)
  • Rasna (anti-inflammatory for joint conditions)
  • Dashamula (anti-Vata polyherbal combination)
  • Eranda Taila (joint lubrication and anti-inflammatory)

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.

Randomised controlled trials1

  1. Liu Q, Chen B, Li X and others. 2024. Dietary supplementation of Sida rhombifolia enhances the plasma antioxidation and modulates gut microbiota in Anyi tile-like grey chickensJournal of animal physiology and animal nutrition. PMID 38943520 · doi:10.1111/jpn.14013

Other clinical studies and reviews1

  1. Jiménez-Ferrer E, Herrera-Ruiz M, Campos-Vidal Y and others. 2025. Sida L.: Ethnobotany, Pharmacology, and Phytochemistry: A ReviewPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 41095255 · doi:10.3390/plants14193115

Laboratory and animal studies10

  1. Hasanah U, Rohaeti E, Batubara I and others. 2026. LC-HRMS- and TLC-based metabolomics for the identification and authentication of Sida rhombifoliaJournal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences. PMID 41187659 · doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2025.124834
  2. Aniyan KY, Ganesan A, Krithika CL and others. 2025. Sida Rhombifolia linn: an empirical analysis on phytochemicals and an in vitro outcome on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant perspectiveScientific reports. PMID 41315559 · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-26447-6
  3. Ilmiawati A, Alfarisi I, Senjayana TO and others. 2025. FTIR- and LC-HRMS-Metabolomics Analysis, Total Phenolics, and Antioxidant Activity of Sida rhombifolia From Different Growth LocationsChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 40644693 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202500548
  4. Imran M, Robert SMJ, Sharma M and others. 2023. Evaluation of Sida cordifolia and Sida rhombifolia extracts in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathyPolimery w medycynie. PMID 36975210 · doi:10.17219/pim/156847
  5. Silviani D, Zam Astari S, Anggraini Septianingsih D and others. 2023. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HR-MS-Based Metabolomics for Profiling the Sida rhombifolia Metabolites with Different Plant Organs and Cultivation AgesChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 37276379 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202201042
  6. Xu Z, Gao P, Liu D and others. 2022. Chemical Composition and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Sida rhombifolia L. Volatile Organic CompoundsMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 36296660 · doi:10.3390/molecules27207067
  7. Ahmadi M, Ebrahimzadeh MA, Rafiei A and others. 2022. Sida rhombifolia Exerts Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Effects in Human Liver Cancer HepG2 Cells in VitroAsian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP. PMID 36444580 · doi:10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.11.3677
  8. Kamdoum BC, Simo I, Wouamba SCN and others. 2022. Chemical constituents of two Cameroonian medicinal plants: Sida rhombifolia L. and Sida acuta Burm. f. (Malvaceae) and their antiplasmodial activityNatural product research. PMID 34121522 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2021.1937156
  9. Cristina da Costa Araldi I, Piber de Souza T, de Souza Vencato M and others. 2021. Preclinical safety assessment of the crude extract from Sida rhombifolia L. aerial parts in experimental models of acute and repeated-dose 28 days toxicity in ratsRegulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. PMID 34139276 · doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.104974
  10. Mejouyo PWH, Nkemaja ED, Beching OR and others. 2020. Physical and Tensile Properties of Handmade Sida rhombifolia PaperInternational journal of biomaterials. PMID 32733569 · doi:10.1155/2020/3967641

Reference lists that include it

Flavonoids, Saponins, 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.