Age Ayurveda Nighantu Ayurvedic practitioner? List or verify your practice

Shati

Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm.

Shati (Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm.) is a plant drug, also called Gandhamulika, Sati and Kapura kacari, from the Zingiberaceae family. Not in WHO monographs; listed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; recognized in Tibetan and Nepali traditional medicine systems.

Key facts
Botanical nameHedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm.
FamilyZingiberaceae · other entries in this family
OrderZingiberales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot in WHO monographs; listed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; recognized in Tibetan and Nepali traditional medicine systems
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2758631 · Wikidata Q3628042 · NCBI Taxonomy 110723
Names in other languages
Sanskritगन्धमूलिका (gandhamūlikā), शटी (śaṭī)
Hindiकपूर कचरी (kapūra kacarī)
EnglishSpiked ginger lily
Tamilபூலங்கிழங்கு, Kichili Kizongu, Poolankizangu, கிச்சிலிக்கிழங்கு
MalayalamKatcholam, Katchooram
TeluguGandha Kachuralu
KannadaGoul Kachora, Kachora, Seenakachora
MarathiGablakachari, Kapurakachari
BengaliKachri, Shati
GujaratiKapurkachali, Kapurkachri
PunjabiKachur
OriyaGandhasunthi
AssameseKaturi, Sati
KashmiriKapoorkachara

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed); JAIMS review of Shati (Hedychium spicatum), Sanskrit synonym 'Gandhmulika'; JAIMS review of Shati (Hedychium spicatum), Tamil: Poolakizhangu, Kichilikizhangu; Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences review of Shati (Hedychium spicatum), Sanskrit synonyms: Shati, Gandhamulika, Gandharika, Shatagrantha, Palashi; Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences, 'A Comprehensive Review of Shati (Hedychium spicatum Buch-Ham)', Tamil: Poolakizhangu, Kichilikizhangu; efloraofindia.com, Hedychium spicatum: Hindi 'कपूर कचरी Kapur kachri'; Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences, 'A Comprehensive Review of Shati (Hedychium spicatum)', Hindi: Kapur kachri, Kachoor, Van haldi. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

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

  • 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • 3Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 8Laboratory 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
EnglishShati
Latin/BotanicalHedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. ex Sm.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity through terpenoid-mediated inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and COX pathways
  • Anti-asthmatic effect via antihistaminic action and bronchodilation through 1,8-cineole and other monoterpenes
  • CNS-depressant and tranquilizing activity through modulation of GABAergic neurotransmission
  • Hepatoprotective mechanism via antioxidant restoration and reduction of lipid peroxidation by hedychenone

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • Cough and respiratory disorders (Kasa-hara, Shvasa-hara): traditionally used for cough and breathing complaints. Studies have reported antihistaminic, bronchodilatory, and expectorant properties.
  • Fever (Jvarahara): traditionally used to reduce fever. Studies have reported antipyretic activity, attributed to anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
  • Nausea and vomiting (Chhardi-nigrahana): traditionally used as a digestive remedy for nausea. Studies have reported carminative and antiemetic activity.
  • Inflammation (Shotha-hara): traditionally used for swelling. Animal studies using carrageenan-induced paw edema models have reported anti-inflammatory activity.

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

  • Generally safe at recommended Ayurvedic doses; essential oil may cause skin sensitization in topical applications at high concentrations
  • Limited chronic toxicity data available; not recommended during pregnancy due to potential uterine effects of terpenoids

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Cineole
  • Camphene
  • Limonene
  • Myrcene
  • Sabinene
  • Sitosterol
  • Linalool
  • Hedychenone

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Avaleha (confection/jam), Capsule, Essential oil (inhalation), Vati (tablet)

Standard Dosage: 1-3 g rhizome powder per day; 50-100 mL kwatha twice daily; 5-10 g avaleha with honey twice daily; 500 mg capsule twice daily

Optimal Timing: After meals for respiratory indications; avaleha with honey for cough (Kasa) management; inhalation as needed

Storage: Essential oil in amber glass, nitrogen headspace, 15-25 deg C. Churna in airtight containers below 25 deg C. Avaleha in glass jars, protect from moisture.

Marker Compounds: 1,8-Cineole (eucalyptol), Camphor, Borneol, Hedychenone, Coronarin D, Beta-sitosterol

Synergistic 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.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1

  1. Rawat S, Jugran AK, Bhatt ID and others. 2018. Hedychium spicatum: a systematic review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and future prospectusThe Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology. PMID 29484653 · doi:10.1111/jphp.12890

Other clinical studies and reviews3

  1. Maurya AK, Baliyan N, Kumar R and others. 2022. Synthesis of Sulfur-Containing Analogues of Hedychenone, a Labdane Diterpenoid from Hedychium spicatumJournal of natural products. PMID 35790346 · doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00112
  2. Tavares WR, Barreto MDC, Seca AML. 2020. Uncharted Source of Medicinal Products: The Case of the Hedychium GenusMedicines (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 32354114 · doi:10.3390/medicines7050023
  3. Bisht GS, Awasthi AK, Dhole TN. 2006. Antimicrobial activity of Hedychium spicatumFitoterapia. PMID 16530343 · doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2006.02.004

Laboratory and animal studies8

  1. Xavier A, Gowda V. 2024. Characterization of SSR markers from draft genome assembly and genotypic data in Hedychium spicatum (Zingiberaceae)Data in brief. PMID 39183967 · doi:10.1016/j.dib.2024.110568
  2. Gangwar A, Tewari G, Pande C and others. 2024. Effect of drying conditions on the chemical compositions, molecular docking interactions and antioxidant activity of Hedychium spicatum Buch.-Ham. Rhizome essential oilScientific reports. PMID 39562660 · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-79712-5
  3. Maurya AK, Kumar P, Agnihotri VK. 2024. Isocratic elution based analytical method for quantification of phytoconstituents in Hedychium spicatum and evaluation of their α-glucosidase inhibitory activityNatural product research. PMID 36371801 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2022.2140804
  4. Farooq N, Anwar F, Saleem U and others. 2023. The wound healing potential of Hedychium spicatum Sm. and Zinnia peruviana (L.) ethanolic extracts against excision wound model in ratsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 37001768 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.116404
  5. Ray A, Gadnayak A, Jena S and others. 2023. Hedychium spicatum rhizome essential oil induces apoptosis in human prostate adenocarcinoma PC-3 cells via mitochondrial stress and caspase activationHeliyon. PMID 36873474 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13807
  6. Rawat A, Prakash OM, Nagarkoti K and others. 2023. Chemical composition, pesticidal activities and in-silico investigation of Hedychium spicatum Sm. chloroform extractAnais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias. PMID 37466542 · doi:10.1590/0001-3765202320220964
  7. Rawat A, Rawat M, Prakash OM and others. 2022. Comparative study on eucalyptol and camphor rich essential oils from rhizomes of Hedychium spicatum Sm. and their pharmacological, antioxidant and antifungal activitiesAnais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias. PMID 35920490 · doi:10.1590/0001-3765202220210932
  8. Suresh G, Poornima B, Babu KS and others. 2013. Cytotoxic sesquiterpenes from Hedychium spicatum: isolation, structure elucidation and structure-activity relationship studiesFitoterapia. PMID 23422227 · doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2013.02.004

Reference lists that include it

Family: Zingiberaceae

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.