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Simsapa

Dalbergia sissoo

Simsapa (Dalbergia sissoo) is a plant drug, also called Krsana Sara, Syama and Sisama. Tectoridin (isoflavone glycoside) is hydrolyzed by intestinal beta-glucosidases to tectorigenin, which has improved absorption. Tannins may reduce bioavailability of co-administered minerals. Lipid co-administration enhances terpenoid absorption.

Key facts
Botanical nameDalbergia sissoo
Identity sourceAyurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. III: SIMSAPA (Heart Wood)
FamilyFabaceae · other entries in this family
OrderFabales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2968532 · Wikidata Q1157813 · NCBI Taxonomy 107308
Names in other languages
SanskritKrsana Sara, शिंशपा (śiṃśapā), Syama
Hindiशीशम (śīśama)
EnglishSissoo Tree
Tamilசிசே மரம், Irupoolai, நூக்கம்
MalayalamIrupoola
TeluguIrugudu, Sissoo, Virugudu
KannadaBindi, Eragundimavu
MarathiShisav, Sisu
BengaliShishu
GujaratiSisam
UrduSheesham
PunjabiSheesham
OriyaSinsapa, Sisu

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed); efloraofindia.com, Dalbergia sissoo: Hindi 'शीशम shisham', Sanskrit 'शिंशपा shinshapa'; India Flora Online/IISc: Hindi 'Sisam, Sissu, Sheesham'; efloraofindia.com, Dalbergia sissoo: Sanskrit 'शिंशपा shinshapa'; efloraofindia.com, Dalbergia sissoo: Tamil 'சிசே cice', 'நூக்கம் nukkam', 'ஈட்டிமரவகை ittimaravakai'; India Flora Online/IISc Tamil 'Thaesi maram, Sisu-itii'; efloraofindia.com, Dalbergia sissoo: Tamil 'நூக்கம் nukkam'; India Flora Online/IISc 'Nukku kattai'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2011 to 2025, every one with a DOI.

  • 12Laboratory 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.true See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishSissoo Tree

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)Kashaya, TiktaPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Laghu, RukshaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)UshnaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)KatuPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Kwatha (decoction), Churna (powder), Capsule, Ghana vati, Asava/Arishta, Lepa (external paste)

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g bark/leaf powder per day; 50-100 mL kwatha twice daily; 500-1000 mg extract capsule twice daily

Storage: Store below 25 deg C in airtight containers, protected from light. Heartwood powder is relatively stable. RH <60%.

Marker Compounds: Tectoridin, Tectorigenin, Dalbergin, Biochanin A, Caviunin, Beta-sitosterol, Melanoxin

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.

Laboratory and animal studies12

  1. Deepali D, Gulia V, Kumar S and others. 2025. Dalbergia sissoo Ethanolic Extract: A Natural Source of Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Anticorrosive AgentsChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 40259846 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202500602
  2. Nayak TC, Singh AP, Solanki P and others. 2025. Anti-oxidative activities of Dalbergia sissoo and Aegle marmelos extracts in calves with colibacillosis inhabiting the tropical desert climatic region of Rajasthan (India)Molecular biology reports. PMID 40192952 · doi:10.1007/s11033-025-10478-3
  3. Naik HN, Kanjariya D, Parveen S and others. 2024. Dalbergia sissoo phytochemicals as EGFR inhibitors: an in vitro and in silico approachJournal of biomolecular structure & dynamics. PMID 37394798 · doi:10.1080/07391102.2023.2229437
  4. Muhammad AJ, Bilal Zia M, Yasin G and others. 2024. Association of water stress and Fusarium solani exacerbated Dalbergia sissoo dieback diseaseCellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France). PMID 39262243 · doi:10.14715/cmb/2024.70.8.26
  5. Naik HN, Kanjariya D, Parveen S and others. 2024. LC-MS profiling, in vitro and in silico C-ABL kinase inhibitory approach to identify potential anticancer agents from Dalbergia sissoo leavesScientific reports. PMID 38167560 · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49995-1
  6. Khatun H, Alam S, Aziz MA and others. 2024. Plant-assisted green preparation of silver nanoparticles using leaf extract of Dalbergia sissoo and their antioxidant, antibacterial and catalytic applicationsBioprocess and biosystems engineering. PMID 38720156 · doi:10.1007/s00449-024-03029-w
  7. Zafar UB, Shahzaib M, Atif RM and others. 2023. De novo transcriptome assembly of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. (Fabaceae) under Botryodiplodia theobromae-induced dieback diseaseScientific reports. PMID 37993468 · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-45982-8
  8. Haq IU, Ijaz S, Latif MZ and others. 2023. Phylogenomics resolves the etiology of dieback disease and deciphers Ceratocystis dalbergicans sp.nov., causal agent of Dalbergia sissoo declineFrontiers in genetics. PMID 36999059 · doi:10.3389/fgene.2023.1136688
  9. Kothari P, Tripathi AK, Girme A and others. 2022. Caviunin glycoside (CAFG) from Dalbergia sissoo attenuates osteoarthritis by modulating chondrogenic and matrix regulating proteinsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 34116187 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114315
  10. Li M, Liu M, Wang B and others. 2022. Metabonomics Analysis of Stem Extracts from Dalbergia sissooMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35335342 · doi:10.3390/molecules27061982
  11. Munir H, Shahid M, Anjum F and others. 2016. Structural, thermal and rheological characterization of modified Dalbergia sissoo gum--A medicinal gumInternational journal of biological macromolecules. PMID 26709145 · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2015.12.001
  12. Wang BY, Shi L, Ruan ZY and others. 2011. Genetic diversity and differentiation in Dalbergia sissoo (Fabaceae) as revealed by RAPDGenetics and molecular research : GMR. PMID 21268781 · doi:10.4238/vol10-1gmr995

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

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