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Nikochaka

Alangium salviifolium

Nikochaka (Alangium salviifolium) is a plant drug, also called Ankolah, Akola and Nikocaka. Its traditional uses remain uncertain until its botanical identity is settled. The name may appear in specific Nighantu (Ayurvedic lexicon) texts such as Dhanvantari Nighantu, Raja Nighantu, or Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, which would need targeted scholarly investigation.

Key facts
Botanical nameAlangium salviifolium
FamilyUnknown
OrderCornales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot identifiable in WHO or any standard pharmacopoeial reference; requires specialist ethnobotanical research for positive identification
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3701897 · Wikidata Q10927686 · NCBI Taxonomy 616984
Names in other languages
Sanskritअङ्कोलः (aṅkolaḥ)
Hindiअकोल (akola), निकोचक (nikocaka)
Tamilஅழிஞ்சில், அங்கோலம்
UrduChilgoza pine. Edible pine, Neosa pine

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; efloraofindia / Names of Plants in India, Alangium salviifolium: Sanskrit अङ्कोल angkola, अङ्कोलक angkolaka; efloraofindia, Alangium salviifolium Hindi list: निकोचक nikochak; efloraofindia, Alangium salviifolium Tamil list: அங்கோலம் ankolam; efloraofindia, Alangium salviifolium page: Hindi "अकोल (akol), अंकूल (ankul), ढेरा (dhera), निकोचक (nikochak), थेल (thel)"; efloraofindia, Alangium salviifolium: Tamil "அழிஞ்சில் (alincil)" listed first, with அங்கோலம், அணிஞ்சில் and others. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

11papers on this site for this drug, published 2002 to 2026, 10 with a DOI.

  • 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.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.

This entry and ankola describe the same drug, Alangium salviifolium, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishNikochaka
Latin/BotanicalUncertain - possibly a regional/historical Ayurvedic name with unclear botanical identity

Key Phytochemical Constituents

  • Identification uncertain - insufficient data available
  • No standardized phytochemical profile established
  • Requires further ethnobotanical investigation
  • May correspond to a plant referenced only in specific Nighantu texts

How does it work?

  • Cannot be determined without positive botanical identification
  • Pharmacological mechanisms remain undocumented for this specific name

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Traditional uses remain uncertain until the botanical identity is settled
  • Name may appear in specific Nighantu (Ayurvedic lexicon) texts such as Dhanvantari Nighantu, Raja Nighantu, or Bhavaprakasha Nighantu requiring targeted scholarly investigation

What do recent studies show?

  • No specific published research was found for the term ‘Nikochaka’ in available scientific databases. The herb may be a rare or obsolete Sanskrit name requiring specialist Ayurvedic lexicography for positive identification.

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

  • Safety profile cannot be established without confirmed botanical identity
  • Use of unidentified herbs poses significant safety risks; proper botanical authentication is essential before any medicinal application
  • Specialist consultation with Ayurvedic pharmacognosy experts (Dravyaguna Vijnana specialists) recommended for identification

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Identification uncertain - insufficient data available
  • No standardized phytochemical profile established
  • Requires further ethnobotanical investigation
  • May correspond to a plant referenced only in specific Nighantu texts

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Lepa (paste for external use)

Standard Dosage: No dosage can be given until the botanical identity is confirmed.

Storage: Store in airtight containers below 25 deg C, RH <60%, protected from light. Double-sealed polyethylene-lined containers recommended for bulk powder.

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 studies11

  1. Karunya S, Balakrishnan V, Saranya S and others. 2026. Multi-technique comparative analysis of bioactive metabolites in Alangium salviifolium (L.f.) Wangerin leaf, fruit and seed extracts using UV-Vis, FTIR, HPLC, LCMS and cytotoxicity evaluation on A431 cell lineNatural product research. PMID 41609250 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2026.2619417
  2. Wei YM, Cen FL, Zhang X and others. 2026. Structural diversity of bioactive triterpenoids from Alangium salviifolium and their attenuation of acute lung injury through AKT/MAPK signalingPhytochemistry. PMID 42843494 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2026.115098
  3. Wei YM, Zhang X, Cen FL and others. 2024. Structurally diverse isoquinoline alkaloids from the barks of Alangium salviifolium (L. f.) Wangerin and their cytotoxicityPhytochemistry. PMID 38750707 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114139
  4. Dhruve P, Nauman M, Kale RK and others. 2022. A novel hepatoprotective activity of Alangium salviifolium in mouse modelDrug and chemical toxicology. PMID 32141350 · doi:10.1080/01480545.2020.1733593
  5. Siddaiah C, Kumar Bm A, Deepak SA and others. 2020. Metabolite Profiling of Alangium salviifolium Bark Using Advanced LC/MS and GC/Q-TOFTechnologyCells. PMID 33374892 · doi:10.3390/cells10010001
  6. Cai YS, Wang C, Tian C and others. 2019. Octahydro-Protoberberine and Protoemetine-Type Alkaloids from the Stems of Alangium salviifolium and Their CytotoxicityJournal of natural products. PMID 31513408 · doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00670
  7. Pailee P, Prachyawarakorn V, Ruchirawat S and others. 2015. Bioactive cardinane sesquiterpenes from the stems of Alangium salviifoliumChemistry, an Asian journal. PMID 25645740 · doi:10.1002/asia.201403253
  8. Yagi N, Nakahashi H, Kashima Y and others. 2014. Isolation and biological activity of a novel cadinane-type sesquiterpenoid from the essential oil of Alangium salviifoliumJournal of oleo science. PMID 25452263 · doi:10.5650/jos.ess14059
  9. Ahad HA, Padmaja BS, Sravanthi M and others. 2012. Phytochemical screening and anti-inflammatory actions of Alangium salviifolium root extractNatural product research. PMID 22008064 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2011.589054
  10. Tran MH, Nguyen HD, Kim JC and others. 2009. Phenolic glycosides from Alangium salviifolium leaves with inhibitory activity on LPS-induced NO, PGE(2), and TNF-alpha productionBioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters. PMID 19500975 · doi:10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.05.070
  11. Wuthi-udomlert M, Prathanturarug S, Wongkrajang Y. 2002. Antifungal activity and local toxicity study of Alangium salviifolium subsp hexapetalumThe Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health. PMID 12971498

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.