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Shrigataka

Trapa natans L. (syn. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.)

Shrigataka (Trapa natans L. (syn. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.)) is a plant drug, also called Simgharia, from the Trapaceae (Lythraceae) family. Not listed in WHO monographs on medicinal plants; recognized as a nutritionally important aquatic crop by FAO; Shrungataka referenced in Charaka Samhita and other classical Ayurvedic texts.

Key facts
Botanical nameTrapa natans L. (syn. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.)
FamilyTrapaceae (Lythraceae) · other entries in this family
OrderMyrtales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot listed in WHO monographs on medicinal plants; recognized as a nutritionally important aquatic crop by FAO; Shrungataka referenced in Charaka Samhita and other classical Ayurvedic texts
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3188757 · Wikidata Q161110 · NCBI Taxonomy 22666
Names in other languages
Hindiसिंघाड़ा (siṃghāṛā)

Source: efloraofindia.com, Trapa natans: 'सिंघाडा Singhara'; corroborated by Indian review literature on Singhara (Trapa natans). How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2014 to 2025, 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
EnglishShrigataka
Latin/BotanicalTrapa natans L. (syn. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.)

Key Phytochemical Constituents

  • Ellagic acid
  • Gallic acid
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • Quercetin
  • Ursolic acid
  • Cycloucalenol
  • 2,3,23-Trihydroxy urs-12-en-28-oic acid
  • D-amylase
  • Riboflavin
  • Thiamine

How does it work?

  • In vitro studies have reported that ellagic acid and gallic acid polyphenols inhibit alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase enzymes. Myotube assays have reported increased glucose uptake, described as antidiabetic activity.
  • Water chestnut extract promotes M2 macrophage polarization (anti-inflammatory phenotype) through modulation of STAT6/PPAR-gamma signaling, reducing tissue inflammation and oxidative damage
  • Ursolic acid and hydrolyzable tannins from pericarp exhibit skin-protective effects by inhibiting tyrosinase, elastase, and hyaluronidase, supporting anti-aging and skin-whitening applications

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Traditionally used in Ayurveda as a cooling, Pittahara (Pitta-pacifying) food medicine. Laboratory studies on macrophage polarization have reported anti-inflammatory activity, and antioxidant assays have reported antioxidant activity.
  • Traditionally used for Prameha (diabetes). Laboratory studies have reported that hypoglycemic constituents isolated from the pericarps increase cellular glucose uptake.
  • Traditionally valued as nutritive and strength-promoting (Brimhana). Nutritional analysis has reported high starch, protein, mineral, and vitamin content.

What do recent studies show?

Recent safety updates

  • Water chestnut is widely consumed as a starchy food across Asia with a long history of culinary use
  • Plants grown in contaminated water may accumulate heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium); source verification is important for safety
  • Raw consumption not recommended due to risk of fasciolopsiasis (intestinal fluke infection); cooking eliminates this parasitic risk; no significant drug interactions documented

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Quercetin
  • Riboflavin
  • Ellagic acid
  • Gallic acid
  • Chlorogenic acid
  • Ursolic acid
  • Cycloucalenol
  • 2
  • Thiamine

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Leha (paste/confection), Capsule, Starch preparations

Standard Dosage: 5-10 g fruit powder per day; 3-6 g kernel powder per day with milk; 500-1000 mg extract capsule twice daily

Optimal Timing: After meals as nutritive supplement; with milk at bedtime for Vajikarana (reproductive tonic) action

Storage: Store below 25 deg C in airtight containers. Powder is hygroscopic. Maintain RH <50%. Protect from insect infestation (high starch attracts pests); use nitrogen-flushed packaging.

Marker Compounds: Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Beta-sitosterol, Starch (amylose:amylopectin ratio), Manganese (mineral marker)

Synergistic Combinations

  • Shatavari (nourishing and Brihana tonic synergy)
  • Ashwagandha (strength-building combinations)
  • Vidari (Vajikarana formulations)
  • Milk and ghee (traditional Anupana for nutritive action)

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. Adkar P, Dongare A, Ambavade S and others. 2014. Trapa bispinosa Roxb.: A Review on Nutritional and Pharmacological AspectsAdvances in pharmacological sciences. PMID 24669216 · doi:10.1155/2014/959830

Laboratory and animal studies11

  1. Matovic V, Ljujic B, Radojevic I and others. 2025. Trapa natans L. Extract Attenuates Inflammation and Oxidative Damage in Cisplatin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats by Promoting M2 Macrophage PolarizationMediators of inflammation. PMID 39886549 · doi:10.1155/mi/6587305
  2. Rehman AU, Khan AU, Sohaib M and others. 2024. Comparative Analysis of Nutritional Properties, Phytochemical Profile, and Antioxidant Activities between Red and Green Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) FruitsFoods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38928824 · doi:10.3390/foods13121883
  3. Naseem S, Bhat SU, Gani A and others. 2024. Starch exploration in Nelumbo nucifera and Trapa natans: Understanding physicochemical and functional variations for future perspectivesInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 38914388 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133077
  4. Rehman R, Hussain MS, Samin G and others. 2024. Effective application of citric acid treated Trapa natans and Citrullus lanatus lignocellulosic macromolecules for adsorptive remediation of acid Violet-7 dyeInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 38007018 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128285
  5. Walusiak E, Cieślak E, Wilk-Woźniak E and others. 2024. A wide range of abiotic habitat factors and genetic diversity facilitate expansion of Trapa natans within its native rangeJournal of environmental management. PMID 39276652 · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122468
  6. Mukhlish MZB, Nazibunnesa S, Islam S and others. 2023. Preparation of chemically and thermally modified water caltrop epicarp (Trapa natans L.) adsorbent for enhanced adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous solutionHeliyon. PMID 38027613 · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21862
  7. Baruah S, Bora MS, Dutta S and others. 2021. Antimony induced structural and ultrastructural changes in Trapa natansScientific reports. PMID 34021213 · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-89865-2
  8. Lin L, Wang J, Zhao YX and others. 2021. Chloroplast genome of Trapa bispinosa Roxb. (Trapa, Lythraceae)Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources. PMID 33659668 · doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1866457
  9. Hussain T, Subaiea GM, Firdous H. 2018. Hepatoprotective Evaluation of Trapa natans against Drug-induced Hepatotoxicity of Antitubercular Agents in RatsPharmacognosy magazine. PMID 29720828 · doi:10.4103/pm.pm_237_17
  10. Huang HC, Chao CL, Liaw CC and others. 2016. Hypoglycemic Constituents Isolated from Trapa natans L. PericarpsJournal of agricultural and food chemistry. PMID 27115849 · doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.6b01208
  11. Kharbanda C, Sarwar Alam M, Hamid H and others. 2014. Trapa natans L. root extract suppresses hyperglycemic and hepatotoxic effects in STZ-induced diabetic rat modelJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 24333959 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.12.007

Reference lists that include it

Ellagic acid, Gallic acid, Quercetin, 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.