Age Ayurveda Nighantu Ayurvedic practitioner? List or verify your practice

Punarnava

Boerhaavia diffusa

Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa) is a plant drug, from the Nyctaginaceae family. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) as a rasayana (rejuvenative) category herb. Anti-inflammatory: Punarnavine inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and GM-CSF while increasing IL-2 and IFN-gamma production.

Key facts
Botanical nameBoerhaavia diffusa
Identity sourceAyurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. I: PUNARNAVA (RAKTA) (Whole plant)
Also calledBoerhaavia verticillata Poir. (attribution recorded without a cited source)
Trianthema portulacastrum Linn. (attribution recorded without a cited source)
Trianthema decandra L. (attribution recorded without a cited source)
FamilyNyctaginaceae
OrderCaryophyllales
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) as a rasayana (rejuvenative) category herb. Over 35 Ayurvedic formulations contain Punarnava as a major ingredient. Used across Ayurveda, traditional African, and South American medicine systems. Recognized in Indian Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia as well. No standalone WHO monograph identified, but referenced in WHO traditional medicine literature for hepatoprotective and diuretic uses.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 7469489 · Wikidata Q115790884 · NCBI Taxonomy 930814

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2014 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • 6Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 5Laboratory 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
EnglishPunarnava

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory: Punarnavine inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1alpha, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and GM-CSF while increasing IL-2 and IFN-gamma production.
  • Anti-inflammatory: Extract inhibits Src/Syk/TRAF6 signaling pathway, suppressing NO and TNF-alpha production with decreased iNOS and TNF-alpha mRNA expression.
  • Diuretic: Saponins stimulate mild diuresis via increased glomerular filtration rate. Boeravinones enhance urine output without significant sodium loss.
  • Renal protection: Punarnavine and flavonoids curb inflammatory cascades in renal glomeruli, working synergistically with boeravinones.
  • Anti-obesity: Phytoconstituents block cannabinoid receptors (CB1), reducing HFD-induced weight gain and improving lipid profile.
  • Hepatoprotective: Boeravinones A and B protect hepatocytes against ethanol-induced toxicity via antioxidant mechanisms.
  • Immunomodulatory: Syringaresinol mono-beta-D-glucoside, punarnavine, and quercetin exhibit immunostimulant activity.
  • Anti-angiogenic: Punarnavine downregulates VEGF expression both in vitro and in vivo.
  • Key active constituents: Boeravinones A-G, punarnavine, rotenoids, flavonoids, quercetin, and syringaresinol mono-beta-D-glucoside.

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

  • Generally considered safe for short-term use in most healthy adults based on traditional use history, but comprehensive human safety data are lacking.
  • Diuretic effect may disrupt electrolyte balance, especially potassium levels, potentially affecting cardiac and muscular function.
  • May interact with diuretic medications (additive effect on fluid and electrolyte loss).
  • May interact with blood thinners (anticoagulants) — caution advised.
  • May interact with diabetes medications (potential additive hypoglycemic effect).
  • May interact with blood pressure medications (additive hypotensive effect).
  • Use with caution in patients with kidney disorders due to diuretic properties.
  • Gastrointestinal side effects possible: upset stomach, nausea, loose stools.
  • Avoid or use with medical supervision during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or concurrent use with allopathic medications.
  • Allergic reactions reported but uncommon.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (root/whole herb powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Mandoora combination (Punarnavadi Mandoora), Swarasa (fresh juice), Guggulu combination, Asava

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g root powder daily; 20-40 mL decoction twice daily; 500 mg - 1 g standardized extract twice daily; 10-20 mL fresh juice daily

Optimal Timing: Morning on empty stomach for diuretic effect (ensure adequate water intake). With meals for hepatoprotective use. Kwatha: morning and evening between meals.

Storage: Dried root and powder: airtight, below 25 deg C, RH <55%, protected from moisture and pest infestation. Extracts: amber containers, cool and dry. Fresh juice: refrigerated, use within 24 hours. Asava: amber glass, room temperature, improves with age.

Marker Compounds: Punarnavine, Boeravinone B, Boeravinone E, Liriodendrin, Ursolic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Hypoxanthine-9-L-arabinofuranoside, Eupalitin

Synergistic Combinations

  • Gokshura (diuretic and renal health combination - Punarnavadi Guggulu)
  • Mandoora Bhasma (iron + Punarnava for edema and anemia)
  • Guduchi (hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory)
  • Varuna (urinary tract and renal health)
  • Amalaki (rejuvenation and antioxidant synergy)
  • Shilajit (renal tonic combination)

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.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1

  1. Kumar S, Singh B. 2026. Boerhavia diffusa L.: Integrative Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Properties, and Quality Control/Quality AssuranceChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 41355611 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202501724

Other clinical studies and reviews6

  1. Gasmi A, Noor S, Mujawdiya PK and others. 2025. Herbal Treatments for Obesity: A ReviewCurrent medicinal chemistry. PMID 38509683 · doi:10.2174/0109298673287491240315055726
  2. Patel N, Mishra R, Rajput D and others. 2025. A comprehensive review of the phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and green nanotechnological significance of Boerhavia diffusa LinnFitoterapia. PMID 40334820 · doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106599
  3. Das S, Singh PK, Ameeruddin S and others. 2023. Ethnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art reviewFrontiers in chemistry. PMID 38033469 · doi:10.3389/fchem.2023.1297300
  4. Maurya R, Boini T, Misro L and others. 2023. Review on Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Characteristics of Medicinal Plants which can be used to Design a Novel Ayurvedic Formulation to Treat Hypertension in Multidimensional ApproachesCurrent hypertension reviews. PMID 36809945 · doi:10.2174/1573402119666230221084859
  5. P K PK, Priyadharshini A, Muthukumaran S. 2021. A Review on Rotenoids: Purification, Characterization and its Biological ApplicationsMini reviews in medicinal chemistry. PMID 33596799 · doi:10.2174/1389557521666210217092634
  6. Mishra S, Aeri V, Gaur PK and others. 2014. Phytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa LinnBioMed research international. PMID 24949473 · doi:10.1155/2014/808302

Laboratory and animal studies5

  1. Khalid M, Alqarni MH, Shoaib A and others. 2022. Anti-Obesity Action of Boerhavia diffusa in Rats against High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity by Blocking the Cannabinoid ReceptorsPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35567159 · doi:10.3390/plants11091158
  2. Gunaseelan D, Ali MSBN, Albert A and others. 2022. Biochemical and molecular anticancer approaches for Boerhaavia diffusa root extracts in oral cancerJournal of cancer research and therapeutics. PMID 36510972 · doi:10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_932_20
  3. Zheng Q, Ren H, Yang S. 2021. Boerhaavia diffusa Extract Acts as a Specific Antituberculosis Agent in Vitro Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv InfectionDoklady. Biochemistry and biophysics. PMID 34426925 · doi:10.1134/S160767292104013X
  4. Karwasra R, Kalra P, Nag TC and others. 2016. Safety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusaRegulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP. PMID 27667768 · doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2016.09.020
  5. Patil KS, Bhalsing SR. 2015. Efficient micropropagation and assessment of genetic fidelity of Boerhaavia diffusa L- High trade medicinal plantPhysiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology. PMID 26261407 · doi:10.1007/s12298-015-0301-7

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.