Age Ayurveda Nighantu Ayurvedic practitioner? List or verify your practice

Surana

Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume ex Decne. (syn. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson)

Surana (Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume ex Decne. (syn. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson)) is a plant drug, also called Arsoghna, Kandala and Suranakanda, from the Araceae family. Not listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; widely consumed as food in South and Southeast Asia after appropriate processing.

Key facts
Botanical nameAmorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume ex Decne. (syn. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson)
Currently accepted nameAmorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson, the name above is treated as a synonym by GBIF; both are in use
FamilyAraceae
OrderAlismatales
Pharmacopoeia statusNot listed in WHO monographs; recognized in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; widely consumed as food in South and Southeast Asia after appropriate processing
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2871556 · Wikidata Q37247507 · NCBI Taxonomy 203634
Names in other languages
SanskritArsoghna, Kandala
HindiSuranakanda, Zamikanda
EnglishElephant Foot
TamilKarunai Kizhangu
MalayalamCena Karana, Chena, Kattuchena
TeluguMancai Kanda Durada Gadda
KannadaSuranagadde
MarathiJungli Suran, Suran
BengaliOle
GujaratiSooran
UrduZamikand, Zamin-qand
PunjabiGimikanda
OriyaOlooakanda, Suran

Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2003 to 2024, 9 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
EnglishSurana
Latin/BotanicalAmorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume ex Decne. (syn. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson)

Key Phytochemical Constituents

How does it work?

  • Astringent tannins and anti-inflammatory flavonoids have been proposed to underlie the traditional use in Arsha (piles); not established clinically
  • In vitro studies have reported induction of apoptosis in hepatoma cell lines through mitochondrial pathway activation and caspase cascade triggering
  • Prebiotic and digestive mechanism through glucomannan, a dietary fiber that supports bowel function

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

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

  • Arsha (piles): traditionally used as a premier Ayurvedic remedy for piles. Clinical studies have reported reduced symptoms.
  • Hepatoprotective activity has been reported in experimental studies. Traditionally used in liver disorders.
  • Shotha (inflammation): traditionally used for inflammation and pain conditions. Preclinical studies have reported anti-inflammatory and analgesic 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

  • Raw corms contain calcium oxalate crystals and acridity-causing compounds; Ayurvedic processing (Shodhana) through repeated washing and cooking with specific agents (lime water, tamarind) is essential to reduce irritant properties
  • Properly processed Surana is considered safe

What is it made of?

Key Active Markers

  • Tannins
  • Flavonoids
  • Quercetin
  • Kaempferol
  • Alkaloids
  • Steroids
  • Sitosterol
  • Stigmasterol

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Vati (tablet), Capsule, Chips/dried slices, Avaleha (confection), Ghana vati

Standard Dosage: 3-10 g tuber powder per day; 500-1000 mg extract capsule twice daily; 5-10 g avaleha with buttermilk; traditionally processed (Shodhita) form only

Optimal Timing: After meals with buttermilk for Arsha (hemorrhoid) treatment; with warm water for digestive conditions

Storage: Store below 25 deg C in airtight containers. Powder is moderately hygroscopic, RH <55%. Protect from insect infestation. Avaleha in glass jars. Raw tuber in cool, dry, ventilated space.

Marker Compounds: Glucomannan, Diosgenin, Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Betulinic acid, Calcium oxalate (must be below safety limit post-processing)

Synergistic Combinations

  • Haritaki (Suranaka Vati, classical formulation for hemorrhoids)
  • Chitraka (digestive fire enhancement in Arsha/hemorrhoid formulations)
  • Pippali (bioavailability enhancer and Deepana combination)
  • Takra/buttermilk (traditional vehicle for Arsha treatment)

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. Fan L, Li X, Tripathi AS. 2024. Amorphophallus campanulatus tuber extract protects diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy rat model by regulating oxidative stress and TNF-α inflammatory pathwayActa cirurgica brasileira. PMID 39109782 · doi:10.1590/acb395324
  2. Chen D. 2016. NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF AMORPHOPHALLUS CAMPANULATUS IN STZ INDUCED ALZHEIMER RAT MODELAfrican journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM. PMID 28480351 · doi:10.21010/ajtcam.v13i4.8
  3. Ansil PN, Wills PJ, Varun R and others. 2014. Cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of Amorphophallus campanulatus tuber extracts against human hepatoma cell lineResearch in pharmaceutical sciences. PMID 25657798
  4. Ansil PN, Wills PJ, Varun R and others. 2014. Cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Bl. tuber extracts against human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-15Saudi journal of biological sciences. PMID 25473360 · doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2014.01.004
  5. Ansil PN, Nitha A, Prabha SP and others. 2014. Curative effect of Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume. tuber on N-nitrosodiethylamine- induced hepatocellular carcinoma in ratsJournal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer. PMID 25272059 · doi:10.1615/jenvironpatholtoxicoloncol.2014011320
  6. Saini AS, Kumar J, Melo JS. 2014. Microplate based optical biosensor for L-Dopa using tyrosinase from Amorphophallus campanulatusAnalytica chimica acta. PMID 25300217 · doi:10.1016/j.aca.2014.08.016
  7. Ansil PN, Prabha SP, Nitha A and others. 2013. Chemopreventive effect of Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) blume tuber against aberrant crypt foci and cell proliferation in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine induced colon carcinogenesisAsian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP. PMID 24175821 · doi:10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.9.5331
  8. Ansil PN, Nitha A, Prabha SP and others. 2011. Protective effect of Amorphophallus campanulatus (Roxb.) Blume. tuber against thioacetamide induced oxidative stress in ratsAsian Pacific journal of tropical medicine. PMID 22078949 · doi:10.1016/S1995-7645(11)60211-3
  9. Jain S, Dixit VK, Malviya N and others. 2009. Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Amorphophallus campanulatus Roxb. tubersActa poloniae pharmaceutica. PMID 19702175
  10. Das D, Mondal S, Roy SK and others. 2009. Isolation and characterization of a heteropolysaccharide from the corm of Amorphophallus campanulatusCarbohydrate research. PMID 19889399 · doi:10.1016/j.carres.2009.09.025
  11. Khan A, Rahman M, Islam MS. 2008. Antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities of amblyone isolated from Amorphophallus campanulatusIndian journal of pharmacology. PMID 21264161 · doi:10.4103/0253-7613.40489
  12. Paranjpe PS, Karve MS, Padhye SB. 2003. Characterization of tyrosinase and accompanying laccase from Amorphophallus campanulatusIndian journal of biochemistry & biophysics. PMID 22900290

Reference lists that include it

Flavonoids, Lupeol, Saponins, Stigmasterol, Tannins

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.