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Shalparni

Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.

Shalparni (Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.) is a plant drug, also called Amsumati, Salaparni and Salapani, from the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. Not individually listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as a key Dashamoola ingredient.

Key facts
Botanical nameDesmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.
FamilyFabaceae (Leguminosae) · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot individually listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as a key Dashamoola ingredient
Taxon identifiersGBIF 11440699 · Wikidata Q3595474 · NCBI Taxonomy 670324
Names in other languages
Sanskritअंशुमती (aṃśumatī), शालपर्णी (śālaparṇī)
Hindiशालपर्णी (śālaparṇī), सालपानी (sālapānī)
Tamilபுள்ளடி

Sources: efloraofindia.com, Desmodium gangeticum vernacular names: Hindi 'शालपर्णी shalparni', 'सालपानी salpani'; efloraofindia.com, Desmodium gangeticum: Hindi 'सालपानी salpani'; efloraofindia.com, Desmodium gangeticum: Sanskrit 'अंशुमती anshumati'; efloraofindia.com, Desmodium gangeticum: Sanskrit 'शालपर्णी shalaparni', 'अंशुमती anshumati', 'ध्रुवा dhruva'; efloraofindia.com, Desmodium gangeticum: Tamil 'புள்ளடி pullati'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2003 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 4Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 8Laboratory 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
EnglishShalparni
Latin/BotanicalDesmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory action mediated through inhibition of COX-2 and LOX pathways, with pterocarpans acting as key anti-inflammatory agents
  • Cardioprotective mechanism involving antioxidant defense enhancement and reduction of myocardial oxidative damage
  • Hepatoprotective activity through stabilization of hepatocyte membranes and restoration of liver enzyme levels (SGOT, SGPT, ALP)

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 pain and swelling. Preclinical studies have reported anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity.
  • Traditionally used in Prameha (diabetes). Antidiabetic activity, including lower blood glucose, has been reported in in vivo studies.
  • Traditionally used for infectious conditions. Antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal strains has been reported in laboratory studies.

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

  • Considered safe at traditional Ayurvedic doses as a component of Dashamoola and Laghupanchamoola formulations; no significant adverse effects reported in available studies
  • Classified as an endangered medicinal species; sustainable sourcing and conservation efforts are recommended to prevent overexploitation

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Kaempferol
  • Quercetin
  • Phospholipids
  • Glycosides
  • Sitosterol
  • Gangetinin
  • Gangetin
  • Desmodin
  • N,N-dimethyltryptamine
  • Flavone glycosides

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Ghana vati, Asava (fermented preparation), Taila (medicated oil)

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g root powder per day; 50-100 mL kwatha twice daily; 500-1000 mg extract capsule twice daily; 15-30 mL asava after meals

Optimal Timing: After meals; traditionally used as part of Dashmool kwatha taken warm for Vata disorders

Storage: Store below 25 deg C in airtight containers, protected from light and moisture. Asava in glass bottles.

Marker Compounds: Gangetin, Desmodin, Genistein, Pterocarpan, Beta-sitosterol, Lupeol

Synergistic Combinations

  • Dashmool components (classical 10-root anti-inflammatory formulation)
  • Bilva (Vatahara combinations)
  • Prisniparni (paired herb in Laghupanchamula)
  • Shyonaka (Brihat Panchamula formulations)
  • Bala (anti-inflammatory and nervine combinations)

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 reviews4

  1. Das M, Molla SA, Debnath S and others. 2026. A brief review on chemoprofling and pharmacological potential of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DCNatural product research. PMID 39865705 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2025.2455458
  2. Rastogi S, Pandey MM, Rawat AK. 2011. An ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. and Desmodium adscendens (Sw.) DCJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 21530632 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.031
  3. Govindarajan R, Vijayakumar M, Rao ChV and others. 2007. Antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities of Desmodium gangeticum fractions in carrageenan-induced inflamed ratsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 17604372 · doi:10.1002/ptr.2199
  4. Rathi A, Rao ChV, Ravishankar B and others. 2004. Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activity of the water decoction Desmodium gangeticumJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 15507346 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.07.009

Laboratory and animal studies8

  1. Alqahtani YS, Chidrawar VR, Shiromwar S and others. 2024. A multi-modal approach to investigate Desmodium gangeticum's influence on stress-induced male infertility: In vivo, in vitro, and in silico assessmentsBiomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. PMID 38430634 · doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116358
  2. Meena AK, Motiwale M, Ilavarasan R and others. 2022. Evaluation of Substitution of Small Branches with Roots of Desmodium gangeticum (Physicochemical Analysis, HPLC, and GC-MS Profiling) and In Silico Study of Pterocarpans for Pharmacological TargetApplied biochemistry and biotechnology. PMID 34792750 · doi:10.1007/s12010-021-03696-5
  3. Chen YF, Lu YH, Tsai HY. 2022. Crude extract of Desmodium gangeticum process anticancer activity via arresting cell cycle in G1 and modulating cell cycle-related protein expression in A549 human lung carcinoma cellsBioMedicine. PMID 35836974 · doi:10.37796/2211-8039.1362
  4. Mohan PK, Adarsh Krishna TP, Senthil Kumar T and others. 2021. Pharmaco-chemical profiling of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. with special reference to soil chemistryFuture journal of pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 34692854 · doi:10.1186/s43094-021-00356-7
  5. Vaghela BD, Patel BR, Pandya PN. 2012. A comparative pharmacognostical profile of Desmodium gangeticum DC. and Desmodium laxiflorum DCAyu. PMID 23723675 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.110522
  6. Kurian GA, Paddikkala J. 2010. Role of Mitochondrial Enzymes and Sarcoplasmic ATPase in Cardioprotection Mediated by Aqueous Extract of Desmodium gangeticum (L) DC Root on Ischemic Reperfusion InjuryIndian journal of pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 21969747 · doi:10.4103/0250-474X.84585
  7. Govindarajan R, Asare-Anane H, Persaud S and others. 2007. Effect of Desmodium gangeticum extract on blood glucose in rats and on insulin secretion in vitroPlanta medica. PMID 17431824 · doi:10.1055/s-2007-967176
  8. Govindarajan R, Rastogi S, Vijayakumar M and others. 2003. Studies on the antioxidant activities of Desmodium gangeticumBiological & pharmaceutical bulletin. PMID 14519948 · doi:10.1248/bpb.26.1424

Reference lists that include it

Family: Fabaceae, Kaempferol, Lupeol, Quercetin

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.