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Padmaka

Prunus cerasoides D. Don

Padmaka (Prunus cerasoides D. Don) is a plant drug, also called Padmagandhi, Pitarakta and Padma Kastha. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as an official drug.

Key facts
Botanical namePrunus cerasoides D. Don
FamilyRosaceae · other entries in this family
OrderRosales
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as an official drug. Referenced in classical Ayurvedic texts (Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita) as a Varnya (complexion-enhancing) herb. No dedicated WHO monograph published.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3021409 · Wikidata Q150149 · NCBI Taxonomy 378224
Names in other languages
SanskritPadmagandhi, Pitarakta
HindiPadma Kastha, Padmakha, Paja
EnglishBiyd Cherry
TamilPadmakashdham
MalayalamPathimukam
TeluguPadmakashtham
KannadaPadmaka
MarathiPadmaka, Padmakastha
BengaliPadmakastha
GujaratiPadmaka, Padmakastha
PunjabiPajja
AssameseDiengsoh-iog-Krems

Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 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

LanguageName
EnglishPadmaka
Latin/BotanicalPrunus cerasoides D. Don

Key Phytochemical Constituents

  • beta-Sitosterol (phytosterol)
  • Stigmasterol (steroid)
  • Ursolic acid (pentacyclic triterpenoid)
  • Prunetinoside (isoflavone glycoside)
  • Glucogenkwanin (flavone glycoside)
  • Neosakuranin (flavanone glycoside)
  • Puddumin-A and Puddumin-B (flavonoids)

How does it work?

  • Ursolic acid anti-inflammatory pathway: proposed to inhibit NF-kB nuclear translocation and suppress COX-2 and iNOS expression
  • Phytosterol skin barrier enhancement: beta-Sitosterol and stigmasterol are proposed to integrate into skin lipid bilayers and support the stratum corneum barrier
  • Flavonoid antioxidant protection: Prunetinoside and neosakuranin are proposed to scavenge free radicals and chelate metal ions
  • Astringent toning mechanism: Tannin-like compounds are proposed to precipitate superficial skin proteins

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Complexion enhancement (Varnya): traditionally used in face packs. Research has reported antioxidant activity, and a Padmaka-based cosmetic face serum has been developed.
  • Skin rashes and itching: studies of bark powder application have reported reduced skin rashes and itching, linked to NF-kB suppression.
  • Skin discoloration: the heartwood is traditionally used for discoloration. Research has reported antioxidant activity, but clinical trials are still needed.

What do recent studies show?

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

  • No significant adverse effects reported in traditional use at recommended doses. Limited formal toxicology data available; the 2025 comprehensive review emphasizes the need for formal safety studies
  • Wild Himalayan cherry is a food-grade plant (fruits edible); bark and heartwood preparations for skin use have a long history of traditional use in Ayurveda. Formal safety and drug interaction data are limited

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Sitosterol
  • Stigmasterol
  • Flavonoids
  • Ursolic acid
  • Prunetinoside
  • Glucogenkwanin
  • Neosakuranin
  • Puddumin-A and Puddumin-B

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna, Kwatha, Capsule, Tablet, Asava/Arishtam, Lepa (paste), Cream

Standard Dosage: 1-3 g heartwood powder twice daily; 500-750 mg standardized extract daily; 15-20 mL decoction twice daily

Optimal Timing: After meals for general use. For menstrual health: begin 5-7 days before expected menses. For skin conditions: morning and evening with meals.

Storage: Store in airtight containers below 25 deg C, protected from light and moisture. Heartwood pieces can be stored longer (up to 5 years) in dry conditions.

Marker Compounds: Sakuranetin, Prunetin, Genistein, Naringenin, Taxifolin, Puddumin-A, Beta-sitosterol, Tannic acid

Synergistic Combinations

  • Ashoka (uterine health and menstrual regulation)
  • Lodhra (leucorrhea and gynecological health)
  • Chandana (cooling and complexion-enhancing)
  • Ushira (anti-inflammatory and cooling combination)
  • Manjistha (skin complexion and blood purification)

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

  1. Jyotshna, Shanker K. 2025. An Insight Review on Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Evidences, and Biosynthesis of Key Metabolites of Indian Himalayan Cherry (Prunus cerasoides Don.) with Emphasis on its Safety and Use in Tradtional PhytomedicineChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 39552266 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202401814

Laboratory and animal studies11

  1. Kooltheat N, Tedasen A, Yamasaki K and others. 2023. Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity, Chemical Components and Molecular Docking Studies of Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. D. Don. FlowersJournal of evidence-based integrative medicine. PMID 36740925 · doi:10.1177/2515690X231152928
  2. Kim SD, Kim M, Wu HH and others. 2021. Prunus cerasoides Extract and Its Component Compounds Upregulate Neuronal Neuroglobin Levels, Mediate Antioxidant Effects, and Ameliorate Functional Losses in the Mouse Model of Cerebral IschemiaAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35052603 · doi:10.3390/antiox11010099
  3. Sachdeva C, Kumar S, Kaushik NK. 2021. Exploration of Anti-plasmodial Activity of Prunus cerasoides Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don (family: Rosaceae) and Its Wood Chromatographic FractionsActa parasitologica. PMID 32940831 · doi:10.1007/s11686-020-00272-5
  4. Kim SD, Kim Y, Kim M and others. 2020. Estrogenic properties of Prunus cerasoides extract and its constituents in MCF-7 cell and evaluation in estrogen-deprived rodent modelsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 31908073 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6604
  5. Arora DS, Mahajan H. 2019. Major Phytoconstituents of Prunus cerasoides Responsible for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Potential Against Some Reference Strains of Pathogenic Bacteria and Clinical Isolates of MRSAApplied biochemistry and biotechnology. PMID 30854606 · doi:10.1007/s12010-019-02985-4
  6. Arora DS, Mahajan H. 2018. In Vitro Evaluation and Statistical Optimization of Antimicrobial Activity of Prunus cerasoides Stem BarkApplied biochemistry and biotechnology. PMID 28871479 · doi:10.1007/s12010-017-2571-8
  7. Sharma A, Joshi R, Kumar S and others. 2018. Prunus cerasoides fruit extract ameliorates inflammatory stress by modulation of iNOS pathway and Th1/Th2 immune homeostasis in activated murine macrophages and lymphocytesInflammopharmacology. PMID 29429000 · doi:10.1007/s10787-018-0448-2
  8. Seelan TV, Kumari HL, Kishore N and others. 2016. Exploitation of novel gum Prunus cerasoides as mucoadhesive beads for a controlled-release drug deliveryInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 26772921 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.01.007
  9. Rajan JP, Singh KB, Kumar S and others. 2014. Trace elements content in the selected medicinal plants traditionally used for curing skin diseases by the natives of Mizoram, IndiaAsian Pacific journal of tropical medicine. PMID 25312159 · doi:10.1016/S1995-7645(14)60267-4
  10. Malsawmtluangi C, Thanzami K, Lalhlenmawia H and others. 2014. Physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of Prunus cerasoides D. Don gum exudatesInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 24875319 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.05.050
  11. Chandel V, Rana T, Hallan V and others. 2007. Wild Himalayan Cherry (Prunus cerasoides) as a Natural Host of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus in IndiaPlant disease. PMID 30780621 · doi:10.1094/PDIS-91-12-1686C

Reference lists that include it

Stigmasterol, Ursolic acid

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.