Sharapunkha
Tephrosia purpurea
Sharapunkha (Tephrosia purpurea) is a plant drug, also called Sarapumkha and Saraphomka.
| Botanical name | Tephrosia purpurea |
|---|---|
| Family | Fabaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Fabales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 5342239 · Wikidata Q3281054 · NCBI Taxonomy 228354 |
| Sanskrit | शरपुंखा (śarapuṃkhā) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | सरफोंक (saraphoṃka) |
| Tamil | கொழுஞ்சி, காவாளி |
Sources: India Biodiversity Portal, Tephrosia purpurea (indiabiodiversity.org/species/show/32797), Tamil common names incl. Kolinji/Kolunchi; corroborated by instituteofayurveda.org Tephrosia purpurea local names; efloraofindia.com, Tephrosia purpurea: Hindi 'सरफोंक sarphonk', 'शरपुंखा sharpunkha', 'बन नील ban-nil'; efloraofindia.com, Tephrosia purpurea: Sanskrit 'शरपुंखा sarapunkha'; efloraofindia.com, Tephrosia purpurea: Tamil 'காவாளி kavali', 'கொள்ளுக்காய்வேளை kolluk-kay-velai'. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2001 to 2023, 11 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
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Sharapunkha |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta, Kashaya | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Laghu, Ruksha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Ushna | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Katu | Post-digestive effect |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Swarasa (fresh juice), Ghana vati (solid extract tablet), Capsule, Asava
Standard Dosage: 3-6 g powder per day; 10-20 mL swarasa twice daily; 50-100 mL kwatha twice daily; 500 mg extract capsule twice daily
Optimal Timing: Before meals on empty stomach for hepatosplenic conditions; morning dose preferred
Storage: Swarasa: refrigerate at 2-8 deg C. Churna and capsules: below 25 deg C in airtight containers, protected from light and moisture.
Marker Compounds: Rutin, Quercetin, Luteolin, Rotenone (must be below safety limit), Deguelin, Tephrosin, Beta-sitosterol
Synergistic Combinations
- Kutki (hepatoprotective-splenoprotective synergy)
- Bhumyamalaki (liver and spleen disorder formulations)
- Rohitaka (Pleeha-Yakrit conditions)
- Punarnava (hepato-renal formulations)
- Guduchi (immunomodulatory-hepatoprotective 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 reviews2
- 2020. A comprehensive review on ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of Tephrosia purpurea (L.) PersPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 32147928 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6657
- 2014. Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Tephrosia purpureaChinese journal of natural medicines. PMID 24484589 · doi:10.1016/S1875-5364(14)60001-7
Laboratory and animal studies10
- 2023. Repurposing small molecules of Tephrosia purpurea against SARS-CoV-2 main proteaseJournal of biomolecular structure & dynamics. PMID 35983619 · doi:10.1080/07391102.2022.2112616
- 2023. Phytochemical Analysis and Profiling of Antioxidants and Anticancer Compounds from Tephrosia purpurea (L.) subsp. apollinea Family FabaceaeMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37175349 · doi:10.3390/molecules28093939
- 2022. A chalcone (Pongamol) and phytoconstituents of Tephrosia purpureaNatural product research. PMID 32840388 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2020.1808640
- 2021. New prenylated flavonoid and neuroprotective compounds from Tephrosia purpurea subsp. dunensisNatural product research. PMID 32878453 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2020.1815739
- 2016. Preventive Effect of Tephrosia purpurea on Selenite-Induced Experimental CataractCurrent eye research. PMID 25848963 · doi:10.3109/02713683.2015.1011281
- 2016. Determination of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity of Tephrosia purpurea: a seasonal studyJournal of integrative medicine. PMID 27854196 · doi:10.1016/S2095-4964(16)60276-5
- 2016. Effects of flavonoids from Martynia annua and Tephrosia purpurea on cutaneous wound healingAvicenna journal of phytomedicine. PMID 27761428
- 2010. Chemical constituents of Tephrosia purpureaPharmacognosy research. PMID 21808544 · doi:10.4103/0974-8490.62951
- 2010. Determination of polyphenols and free radical scavenging activity of Tephrosia purpurea linn leaves (Leguminosae)Pharmacognosy research. PMID 21808558 · doi:10.4103/0974-8490.65509
- 2001. Tephrosia purpurea alleviates phorbol ester-induced tumor promotion response in murine skinPharmacological research. PMID 11243714 · doi:10.1006/phrs.2000.0711
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.