Nagakesara
Mesua ferrea
Nagakesara (Mesua ferrea) is a plant drug, also called Nagakesarah, Gajakesara and Hema. Coumarins are well absorbed in the upper GI tract. Mesuol has good lipophilicity favoring absorption. Fixed oil from seeds enhances absorption of co-administered lipophilic compounds.
| Botanical name | Mesua ferrea |
|---|---|
| Identity source | Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. II: NAGAKESARA (Stamen) |
| Also called | Mammea longifolia (Wight) Planch. & Triana (= Ochrocarpos longifolius Benth. & Hook.f.), the market 'Surangi' / red Nagkesar (reported in the literature) Cinnamomum wightii Meisn., flower buds sold as 'Tamra/Pilu Nagkesar' (attribution recorded without a cited source) |
| Family | Calophyllaceae |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Also known as | Nagakesara, Naga Kesara, Mesua ferrea, Nagapuspa, Ceylon Ironwood, Cobra Saffron |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 7330039 · Wikidata Q2001737 · NCBI Taxonomy 210380 |
| Sanskrit | नागकेसरः (nāgakesaraḥ), Gajakesara, Hema, Kesara, Naga, Nagapuspa, नागपुष्पः (nāgapuṣpaḥ) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | नाग केसर (nāga kesara), Pila Nagkesara |
| English | Cobras Saffron |
| Tamil | Nagachampakamu, நாகப்பூ |
| Malayalam | Nagkesara |
| Telugu | Nagkesar, Narmushk |
| Kannada | Nagakesari, Nagsampige |
| Marathi | Nageswar |
| Bengali | Nagesar, Nageshvara |
| Gujarati | Nagchampa, Nagkesara, Pilunagkesar, Sachunagkeshara, Tamranagkesar |
| Punjabi | Nagachampakam, Naugaliral, Naugu, Sirunagappu |
| Oriya | Nageswar |
| Assamese | Nahar, Negeshvar |
| Kashmiri | Nagappovu, Nagppu, Nauga, Peri, Veluthapala |
Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, NAGAKESARA (Stamen) monograph on Mesua ferrea, Hindi "Nagkesara, Pila Nagkesara"; MMPND Mesua page, Hindi line "Gajapushpam, नाग केसर (Nāga kēsara) Nagakesar, नागचम्पा Nagchampa, नागेसर Nagesar, नागकेसर Nagkesar".; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, monograph title NAGAKESARA for Mesua ferrea (Sanskrit synonyms "Kesara, Nagapuspa, Naga, Hema, Gajakesara"); MMPND Mesua page, Sanskrit line including "नागकेशर Nagakesarah, Nagakesara, नागपुष्प Nagapuspah".; MMPND Mesua page, Sanskrit line "... नागपुष्प Nagapuspah ..."; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, NAGAKESARA monograph, Sanskrit "Kesara, Nagapuspa, Naga, Hema, Gajakesara".; MMPND Mesua page, Tamil line "... நாகப்பூ (Nāgappū, Nākappū) Nagappu, சிறுநாகப்பூ Ciṟunākappū, நாகேசுரம் Nakecuram, நாங்கு Nāṅku ..."; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, NAGAKESARA monograph, Tamil "Sirunagappu, Naugu, Nagachampakam".. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2011 to 2025, every one with a DOI.
- 12Laboratory 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.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Ceylon Ironwood, Cobra Saffron |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Kashaya | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (stamen/flower powder), Capsules, Tablets, Kwatha (decoction), Lepa (topical paste), Taila (medicated oil), Gutika (pills)
Standard Dosage: 1-3 g stamen powder per day; 250-500 mg standardized extract twice daily; 30-50 mL decoction twice daily; topical as directed
Optimal Timing: Between meals for hemostatic and Pitta-pacifying effects; morning for skin health; after meals for digestive action; topical application morning and evening
Storage: Stamens and powder in airtight, light-resistant containers below 25 deg C. Protect from moisture. Seed oil in amber glass, tightly sealed. Taila at room temperature. Store in dry location as xanthones can degrade with humidity.
Marker Compounds: Mesuaferrin A and B, Mesuol, Mesuone, Mammeisin, Beta-amyrin, Mesuanic acid, Euxanthone, Calophyllolide
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.
Laboratory and animal studies12
- 2025. Mesua ferrea L. extract Attenuates Angiogenesis Through HIF-1α and WNT Mediated Blockage of VEGF/Angiopoietin AxisDose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society. PMID 40851795 · doi:10.1177/15593258251367613
- 2024. Comparative discriminant analysis of Mesua ferrea L. and its adulterantsHeliyon. PMID 38601576 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28459
- 2024. Exploring the potential antimalarial properties, safety profile, and phytochemical composition of Mesua ferrea LinnPloS one. PMID 39621736 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0312047
- 2024. Antiplasmodial potential of isolated xanthones from Mesua ferrea Linn. roots: an in vitro and in silico molecular docking and pharmacokinetics studyBMC complementary medicine and therapies. PMID 39054443 · doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04580-5
- 2023. Chromosome-scale genomes of commercial timber trees (Ochroma pyramidale, Mesua ferrea, and Tectona grandis)Scientific data. PMID 37537171 · doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02420-8
- 2023. The Effect of Ethanol Extract from Mesua ferrea Linn Flower on Alzheimer's Disease and Its Underlying MechanismCurrent issues in molecular biology. PMID 37232728 · doi:10.3390/cimb45050259
- 2022. The whole chloroplast genome of Mesua ferrea: Insight into the dynamic pattern of evolution and its comparison with species from recently diverged familiesGene. PMID 36084895 · doi:10.1016/j.gene.2022.146866
- 2021. The genome sequence of Mesua ferrea and comparative demographic histories of forest treesGene. PMID 33039539 · doi:10.1016/j.gene.2020.145214
- 2015. Pyrolysis of Mesua ferrea and Pongamia glabra seed cover: characterization of bio-oil and its sub-fractionsBioresource technology. PMID 25453438 · doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.10.079
- 2013. Cytotoxicity and structure-activity relationships of xanthone derivatives from Mesua beccariana, Mesua ferrea and Mesua congestiflora towards nine human cancer cell linesMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 23381024 · doi:10.3390/molecules18021985
- 2013. Effects of Mesua ferrea leaf and fruit extracts on growth and morphology of Staphylococcus aureusMicroscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada. PMID 23332129 · doi:10.1017/S1431927612013785
- 2011. Antiarthritic activity of various extracts of Mesua ferrea Linn. seedJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 21986230 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.09.042
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
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