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Parijata

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

Parijata (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L.) is a plant drug, also called Nisipuspa, Sephalika and Harasimgara, from the Oleaceae family. Included in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.

Key facts
Botanical nameNyctanthes arbor-tristis L.
FamilyOleaceae · other entries in this family
OrderLamiales
Pharmacopoeia statusIncluded in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Recognized in Indian traditional medicine systems (AYUSH). No dedicated WHO monograph. Listed in various national herbal pharmacopeias of Southeast Asian countries.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3683008 · Wikidata Q764525 · NCBI Taxonomy 41398
Names in other languages
Sanskritनिशिपुष्पा (niśipuṣpā), शेफालिका (śephālikā)
Hindiहरसिंगार (harasiṃgāra), पारिजात (pārijāta), प्राजक्ता (prājaktā), शिउली (śiulī)
Tamilபவழமல்லி, பவளமல்லிகை

Sources: Wisdomlib plant-name lexicon: "Pavizhamalli ... in Tamil is the name of a plant identified with Nyctanthes arbor-tristis of the Oleaceae family"; corroborated by a Siddha clinical paper in Der Pharma Chemica on "Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Pavalamalli)"; efloraofindia gives the fuller Tamil form பவளமல்லிகை; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Hindi list: शिउली shiuli, नेवारी newari, केसर kesar, रजनीहासा rajani-hasa; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Sanskrit list: निशिपुष्पा nishipushpa, शीतमञ्जरी shitamanjari, रजनीहासा rajanihasa, रक्तवृन्ता raktavrnta; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Sanskrit list: शीफालिका shiphalika; Wisdomlib lexicon: Śephālikā is a Sanskrit name of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Tamil list: பவளமல்லிகை pavala-mallikai, with சேடல் cetal, பாரிசாதம் paricatam; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: Hindi "प्राजक्ता prajakta" among हरसिंगार, शिउली, नेवारी, निशिपुष्पा; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: Hindi list headed "हरसिंगार harsingar"; Flowers of India titles its species page for Nyctanthes arbor-tristis "Har Singar"; efloraofindia, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: पारिजात parijata listed under Sanskrit, with Hindi प्राजक्ता and हरसिंगार; "Names of Plants in India" (FRLHT-derived) notes the plant "is known in India and Nepal as pārijāta". How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2013 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 3Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 9Laboratory 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
EnglishParijata
Latin/BotanicalNyctanthes arbor-tristis L.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Antimalarial activity via arbortristosides disrupting plasmodium schizont maturation and erythrocytic stages
  • Anti-inflammatory action through inhibition of COX-2 and LOX pathways and suppression of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta
  • Immunomodulatory effects via stimulation of T-cell proliferation, NK cell activity and macrophage activation
  • Hepatoprotective mechanism through restoration of antioxidant enzyme levels and reduction of lipid peroxidation (MDA)

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Traditionally used for fevers as an Antipyretic and antimalarial. Animal studies in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice have reported antimalarial activity.
  • Traditionally used for arthritis. Animal studies in adjuvant-induced arthritis models have reported reduced paw edema and joint inflammation.
  • In vitro studies have reported anthelmintic activity against Ascaridia galli and Pheretima posthuma.
  • Animal studies in rodents have reported protective effects against paracetamol-induced liver damage.

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

  • Most pharmacological studies lack proper dosage standardization, positive and negative controls; clinical human trials are limited
  • Leaves decoction is used traditionally for fever; excessive use may cause gastric irritation. Not recommended during pregnancy without medical supervision.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (leaf powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Swarasa (fresh juice), Ark (distillate), Taila (oil)

Standard Dosage: 1-3 g leaf powder daily; 15-30 mL leaf decoction twice daily; 10-15 mL fresh leaf juice; 500-750 mg standardized extract daily

Optimal Timing: For fever: decoction taken early morning on empty stomach (traditional protocol). For arthritis and chronic conditions: after meals, twice daily. Fresh juice: morning on empty stomach.

Storage: Dried leaves: airtight containers, below 25 deg C, RH <55%, protected from light. Extracts: amber containers, below 25 deg C. Fresh juice: 2-8 deg C. Taila: room temperature, amber glass.

Marker Compounds: Arbortristoside-A, Arbortristoside-C, Nyctanthic acid, Nyctanthin, Iridoid glycosides, D-mannitol, Tannic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Oleanolic acid

Synergistic Combinations

  • Guduchi (anti-pyretic and immune modulation synergy)
  • Tulsi (antimicrobial and febrifuge combination)
  • Chirayata (anti-malarial and bitter tonic)
  • Pippali (bioenhancer for improved absorption)
  • Haridra (anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective)

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 reviews3

  1. Aggarwal A, Mehta DK, Bhardwaj A and others. 2026. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis: A Multifaceted Medicinal Plant in Traditional and Contemporary MedicinePlanta medica. PMID 41213599 · doi:10.1055/a-2706-7358
  2. Tipugade O, Sawale J, Jadhav N. 2026. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn.: comprehensive insights into its medicinal, phytochemical and safety profilesNatural product research. PMID 39873741 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2025.2456086
  3. Agrawal J, Pal A. 2013. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn--a critical ethnopharmacological reviewJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 23376280 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.01.024

Laboratory and animal studies9

  1. Sana T, Khan M, Siddiqui BS and others. 2024. Anti-inflammatory and urease inhibitory iridoid glycosides from Nyctanthes arbor-tristis LinnJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 38380570 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117368
  2. Gahtori R, Tripathi AH, Chand G and others. 2024. Phytochemical Screening of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Plant Extracts and Their Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity AnalysisApplied biochemistry and biotechnology. PMID 37140779 · doi:10.1007/s12010-023-04552-4
  3. Gupta D, Singh S, Tiwari AK and others. 2024. Quantification of Arbortristoside-A isolated from Nyctanthes arbor-tristis using HPLC: Method development and pharmaceutical applicationsJournal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences. PMID 38199059 · doi:10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123985
  4. Gupta D, Vikram VN, Lama P and others. 2024. Isolation of Arbortristoside-A from Nyctanthes arbor-tristis seeds and its structural validation by X-ray crystallographic analysisNatural product research. PMID 37367436 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2023.2228985
  5. Khadka A, Budha Magar A, Sharma KR. 2024. Chemical Profiling and Biological Activities on Nepalese Medicinal Plant Extracts and Isolation of Active Fraction of Nyctanthes arbor-tristisTheScientificWorldJournal. PMID 38515931 · doi:10.1155/2024/5080176
  6. Parekh S, Arkatkar A, Soni A and others. 2023. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis alkaloids activates p53 independent cell death receptor and necroptosis pathways in HepG2 cells3 Biotech. PMID 37162805 · doi:10.1007/s13205-023-03594-z
  7. Sharma A, Goel A, Lin Z. 2023. In Vitro and In Silico Anti-Rheumatic Arthritis Activity of Nyctanthes arbor-tristisMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37630377 · doi:10.3390/molecules28166125
  8. Ahmad V, Khan MI, Jamal QMS and others. 2023. Computational Molecular Docking and Simulation-Based Assessment of Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn PhytochemicalsPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38256852 · doi:10.3390/ph17010018
  9. Noorafsha, Kashyap AK, Kashyap A and others. 2022. Biosynthesis and biophysical elucidation of CuO nanoparticle from Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn LeafApplied microbiology and biotechnology. PMID 35941256 · doi:10.1007/s00253-022-12105-8

Reference lists that include it

Lupeol, Oleanolic 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.