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Sala

Shorea robusta Gaertn.f.

Sala (Shorea robusta Gaertn.f.) is a plant drug, also called Asvakarna and Sakhua, from the Dipterocarpaceae family. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.

Key facts
Botanical nameShorea robusta Gaertn.f.
FamilyDipterocarpaceae
OrderMalvales
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Resin (Rala/Sarjarasa) is an official drug in Ayurvedic formulary. No WHO monograph. Commercially important timber and resin species.
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3189684 · Wikidata Q909828 · NCBI Taxonomy 666687
Names in other languages
Sanskritअश्वकर्ण (aśvakarṇa)
Hindiसाल (sāla), सखुआ (sakhuā)
Tamilகுங்கிலியம்
TeluguShaalgaach

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India Part I, SALA (Heart Wood) = Shorea robusta Gaertn., Hindi: 'Saal, Sakhuaa, Saakhu'; eFloraofIndia notes the tree 'is known also as sakhua in northern India'; eFloraofIndia, Shorea robusta, Hindi: साल (Sal), Salwa, Sakhu, Sakher. Corroborated by API Part I, SALA (Heart Wood) = Shorea robusta Gaertn., Hindi: 'Saal, Sakhuaa, Saakhu'.; eFloraofIndia, Shorea robusta, Sanskrit: agnivallabha, ashvakarna, ashvakarnika; eFloraofIndia, Shorea robusta, Tamil: attam, venkungiliyam, kungiliyam (i.e. குங்கிலியம், வெண்குங்கிலியம்).. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2024, every one with a DOI.

  • 2Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 10Laboratory 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
EnglishSala
Latin/BotanicalShorea robusta Gaertn.f.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory action via triterpenoid-mediated inhibition of NF-kB and reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6)
  • Wound healing through bergenin-mediated stimulation of collagen synthesis, fibroblast proliferation and angiogenesis
  • Antidiabetic activity via alpha-amylase/alpha-glucosidase inhibition and enhancement of GLUT4 translocation by ursolic acid
  • Immunomodulatory effects through modulation of macrophage activation and cytokine balance

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 wounds. Animal studies using excision wound models have reported faster wound closure and improved histological markers.
  • Animal studies using carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet granuloma models have reported anti-inflammatory activity.
  • Antipyretic activity has been reported in animal studies using a Brewer’s yeast-induced fever model in rodents.
  • Laboratory studies have reported antibacterial activity against common wound pathogens, including S. aureus and E. coli.

What do recent studies show?

No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

  • Resin (sal dammar) has traditionally been used externally and internally; it is also used in food grade applications. Formal human safety data are limited.
  • Seed oil is considered safe for consumption as an edible oil substitute; no reports of significant adverse effects. Formal clinical safety trials in humans remain limited.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Taila (medicated oil), Lepa (paste for external use), Ghana vati (solid extract tablet), Capsule

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g bark/resin powder per day; 50-100 mL kwatha twice daily; external application of resin paste as needed

Optimal Timing: After meals; externally as needed

Storage: Store below 25 deg C. Resin should be kept in airtight containers to prevent oxidation. Protect from direct sunlight. RH <55%.

Marker Compounds: Alpha-amyrin, Beta-amyrin, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid, Asiatic acid, Shorea-phenol

Synergistic Combinations

  • Lodhra (astringent synergy for gynecological conditions)
  • Ashoka (uterine tonic formulations)
  • Arjuna (wound healing combinations)
  • Shallaki (anti-inflammatory and bone-support formulations)

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 reviews2

  1. Mishra G, Meena RK, Kant R and others. 2023. An improved Shorea robusta genomic DNA extraction protocol with high PCR fidelityBiology methods & protocols. PMID 38116323 · doi:10.1093/biomethods/bpad039
  2. Mahmood S, Khan MA, Sarwar M and others. 2006. Chemical treatments to reduce antinutritional factors in salseed (Shorea robusta) meal: effect on nutrient digestibility in colostomized hens and intact broilersPoultry science. PMID 17135678 · doi:10.1093/ps/85.12.2207

Laboratory and animal studies10

  1. Qaiyum MA, Samal PP, Dutta S and others. 2024. Non-conventional, burnt Shorea robusta leaf extract mediated green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and facile removal of eriochrome black T dye from waterInternational journal of phytoremediation. PMID 37723603 · doi:10.1080/15226514.2023.2256903
  2. Kandel D, Timilsina S, Ayer S and others. 2024. Assessment of Soil Carbon Stock and Soil Quality in Different Forest Stands and Management Regimes in Terai Region of NepalScientifica. PMID 39583941 · doi:10.1155/2024/1739115
  3. Patel C, Thakur K, Shagond L and others. 2023. Effect of Shorea robusta resin extract in 3-nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington's disease symptoms in Sprague-Dawley ratsResearch in pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 37593162 · doi:10.4103/1735-5362.371586
  4. Aryal B, Niraula P, Khadayat K and others. 2021. Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial, and Molecular Profiling of Selected Medicinal PlantsEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. PMID 34040646 · doi:10.1155/2021/5510099
  5. Nandy S, Ghosh S, Singh S. 2021. Assessment of sal (Shorea robusta) forest phenology and its response to climatic variables in IndiaEnvironmental monitoring and assessment. PMID 34476606 · doi:10.1007/s10661-021-09356-9
  6. Chattopadhyay D, Ojha D, Mukherjee H and others. 2018. Validation of a traditional preparation against multi-drug resistant Salmonella Typhi and its protective efficacy in S. Typhimurium infected miceBiomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. PMID 29353202 · doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.01.057
  7. Deb JC, Phinn S, Butt N and others. 2017. The impact of climate change on the distribution of two threatened Dipterocarp treesEcology and evolution. PMID 28405287 · doi:10.1002/ece3.2846
  8. Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Richardson DM and others. 2016. Fungal Planet description sheets: 400-468Persoonia. PMID 27616795 · doi:10.3767/003158516X692185
  9. Yaseen Khan M, Ali SA, Pundarikakshudu K. 2016. Wound healing activity of extracts derived from Shorea robusta resinPharmaceutical biology. PMID 26030465 · doi:10.3109/13880209.2015.1052886
  10. Parkhey S, Naithani SC, Keshavkant S. 2012. ROS production and lipid catabolism in desiccating Shorea robusta seeds during agingPlant physiology and biochemistry : PPB. PMID 22766395 · doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2012.06.008

Reference lists that include it

Lupeol, Oleanolic acid, 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.