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Putranjivaka

Putranjiva roxburghii

Putranjivaka (Putranjiva roxburghii) is a plant drug, from the Putranjivaceae family. Triterpenoid saponins show limited oral bioavailability (10-25%) but are partially converted by gut bacteria to sapogenins with improved absorption. Seed oil fatty acids are well absorbed.

Key facts
Botanical namePutranjiva roxburghii
FamilyPutranjivaceae
OrderMalpighiales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3076079 · Wikidata Q15373833 · NCBI Taxonomy 28504

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 1997 to 2026, 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
EnglishPutranjivaka

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)Madhura, KatuPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)GuruPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)SheetaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)MadhuraPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (seed/bark powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Ghrita, Taila

Standard Dosage: 1-3 g seed powder daily; 3-5 g bark powder daily; 15-20 mL decoction twice daily; 500 mg standardized extract twice daily

Optimal Timing: Traditional use for fertility: with ghee and milk, morning on empty stomach or before bedtime. General use: after meals with warm water.

Storage: Seeds: cool, dry, pest-proof storage, below 20 deg C. Powder and extracts: airtight, below 25 deg C, RH <55%. Ghrita: clean, dry glass containers, below 30 deg C, protect from moisture.

Marker Compounds: Glucosinolates (as glucocochlearin), Putranjivic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Oleic acid, Triterpenoid saponins, Friedelin

Synergistic Combinations

  • Ashwagandha (fertility and reproductive health)
  • Shatavari (female reproductive tonic combination)
  • Guduchi (immune modulation and rejuvenation)
  • Amalaki (antioxidant and rejuvenation)
  • Bala (strength and vitality 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.

Other clinical studies and reviews1

  1. Bhardwaj V, Goel F, Rajput MS. 2026. Targeting oxidative stress and neurodegeneration: the role of Putranjiva roxburghii in Alzheimer'sInflammopharmacology. PMID 41863761 · doi:10.1007/s10787-026-02200-x

Laboratory and animal studies11

  1. Mishra S, Kumar S, Ramdas and others. 2023. Quebrachitol from Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. (Putranjivaceae) a potent antimalarial: Pre-clinical efficacy and its interaction with PfLDHParasitology international. PMID 36089201 · doi:10.1016/j.parint.2022.102675
  2. Verma P, Varshney R, Yadav SPS and others. 2022. SAXS Analysis and Characterization of Anticancer Activity of PNP-UDP Family Protein from Putranjiva roxburghiiThe protein journal. PMID 35674860 · doi:10.1007/s10930-022-10060-x
  3. Kaur P, Shergill R, Mehta RG and others. 2021. Biofunctional significance of multi-herbal combination against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar ratsEnvironmental science and pollution research international. PMID 34165748 · doi:10.1007/s11356-021-15019-6
  4. Nazli A, Irshad Khan MZ, Ahmed M and others. 2021. HPLC-DAD Based Polyphenolic Profiling and Evaluation of Pharmacological Attributes of Putranjiva roxburghii WallMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35011299 · doi:10.3390/molecules27010068
  5. Balkrishna A, Nain P, Joshi M and others. 2021. Supercritical Fluid Extract of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. Seeds Mitigates Fertility Impairment in a Zebrafish ModelMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 33672019 · doi:10.3390/molecules26041020
  6. Kala C, Imam SS, Taleuzzaman M and others. 2020. Extraction, GC-MS Evaluation and Anti-epileptic Potential of Seeds Ethanolic Extract of Putranjiva roxburghii WallCentral nervous system agents in medicinal chemistry. PMID 33109052 · doi:10.2174/1871524920999201027125743
  7. Kar B, Verma P, den Haan R and others. 2018. Effect of N-linked glycosylation on the activity and stability of a β-glucosidase from Putranjiva roxburghiiInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 29409818 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.01.201
  8. Abhimanyu KK, Ravindra CS, Avanapu RS. 2018. Data on investigation of hypoglycemic, anti-cholesteremic, in vivo antioxidant and pancreatic beta cell protective effect of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall bark in streptozotocin-induced diabetic ratsData in brief. PMID 29904686 · doi:10.1016/j.dib.2018.04.124
  9. Reanmongkol W, Noppapan T, Subhadhirasakul S. 2009. Antinociceptive, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activities of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. leaf extract in experimental animalsJournal of natural medicines. PMID 19387768 · doi:10.1007/s11418-009-0336-6
  10. Chaudhary NS, Shee C, Islam A and others. 2008. Purification and characterization of a trypsin inhibitor from Putranjiva roxburghii seedsPhytochemistry. PMID 18561964 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2008.05.002
  11. Singh BP, Verma J, Sridhara S and others. 1997. Immunobiochemical characterization of Putranjiva roxburghii pollen extract and cross-reactivity with Ricinus communisInternational archives of allergy and immunology. PMID 9363906 · doi:10.1159/000237676

Reference lists that include it

Stigmasterol

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.