Tanduliyaka

Names and identification

Language	Name
Sanskrit	Tanduliyaka, Tanduliya; synonyms Meghanada, Alpamarisha, Vishaghna, Bhandira
Hindi	Kanta chaulai
English	Spiny amaranth, prickly amaranth
Latin/Botanical	Amaranthus spinosus L.
Family	Amaranthaceae

Charaka’s chapter on food and drink (Sutrasthana 27, verse 94) places Tanduliyaka among the leafy vegetables, and the Charak Samhita Online edition identifies it as Amaranthus spinosus Linn., the prickly amaranth. A 2018 review in the International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine (Chandrashekhar 2018) traces the same identification through the nighantus and collects about a hundred synonyms, of which Meghanada and Alpamarisha are the most widely repeated. The GBIF Backbone Taxonomy accepts Amaranthus spinosus L. in the family Amaranthaceae.

The name Kshavaka has sometimes been attached to this plant. In Charaka, Kshavaka is a nasal-clearing drug identified as the sneezeweed Centipeda minima; see Kshavaka.

We could not find a monograph for Tanduliya in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volumes I to VII. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, does use Tanduliyaka root (24 g) as an ingredient of Asoka Ghrta (entry 6:4, from Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Strirogadhikara 17-20).

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

Property	Value	Description
Rasa (Taste)	Madhura	Primary taste
Guna (Quality)	Laghu, Ruksha	Physical quality
Virya (Potency)	Sheeta	Heating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)	Madhura	Post-digestive effect

Charaka (Sutrasthana 27.94) describes the vegetable as dry, sweet in taste and after digestion, and cold in potency. The 2018 review tabulates the same profile, with Laghu added, across Sushruta, Ashtanga Hridaya, Dhanvantari Nighantu, Madanapala Nighantu, Kaiyadeva Nighantu and Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, and reports that the texts hold it to pacify Pitta and Kapha.

How is it used traditionally?

• Charaka says it counteracts intoxication (mada) and poison (visha) and is beneficial in raktapitta (Sutrasthana 27.94). The 2018 review adds that Charaka also uses it in pradara, that Sushruta uses it in arsha and mushika visha, and that Chakrapani recommends it in atisara.
• Raja Nighantu (verses 5.73-75, as quoted by the Wisdom Library) describes it as cooling, sweet and an antidote to poisons, and as an appetiser that is wholesome (pathya). The Kashyapa Samhita includes it in a nasal antidote for snake poison, according to the same entry.
• The 2018 review tabulates folk uses from across India, among them root decoctions taken as a diuretic in Gujarat and Kerala, leaf poultices on boils and wounds in Karnataka, and the young shoots cooked as a vegetable in several states.

Key Phytochemical Constituents

As summarised in the 2018 review from the Wealth of India and the primary papers it cites:

• Amaranthine and isoamaranthine (betacyanin pigments), other betalains
• Rutin, quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, hydroxycinnamates
• Stigmasterol, alpha-spinasterol, hentriacontane (leaves and stems)
• Saponins of alpha-spinasterol (root)
• Linoleic acid; squalene and tocotrienols in the seed oil
• Oxalic acid in the leaves (see safety)

What do recent studies show?

• Amuthan A, Chogtu B, Bairy KL and others 2012. Evaluation of diuretic activity of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. aqueous extract in Wistar rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. PMID 22331031 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.01.049
  An aqueous extract of the whole plant increased sodium, potassium and chloride excretion and alkalinised the urine in rats, with the largest effect at 500 mg/kg and no dose-response relationship; the authors describe a thiazide-like, carbonic anhydrase inhibiting pattern.
• Zeashan H, Amresh G, Singh S and others 2009. Hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of Amaranthus spinosus against CCl4 induced toxicity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. PMID 19465104 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.05.010
  An ethanolic extract lowered raised liver enzymes and oxidative stress markers in a carbon tetrachloride model in rats.
• Sangameswaran B, Jayakar B 2008. Anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic and spermatogenic effects of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Natural Medicines. PMID 18404348 · doi:10.1007/s11418-007-0189-9
  A methanolic stem extract lowered blood glucose and lipids over 15 days in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
• Chaudhary MA, Imran I, Bashir S and others 2012. Evaluation of gut modulatory and bronchodilator activities of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. PMID 23025418 · doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-166
  A whole-plant extract increased faecal output in mice and relaxed isolated gut and tracheal preparations; the authors attribute the spasmolytic effect to calcium channel blockade.
• Patil SD, Patel MR, Patel SR, Surana SJ 2012. Amaranthus spinosus Linn. inhibits mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions. Journal of Immunotoxicology. PMID 22145857 · doi:10.3109/1547691X.2011.631609
  An ethyl acetate leaf fraction reduced compound 48/80-induced mast cell degranulation and histamine release in rat cells and in a mouse model.

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. An absence here means we could not identify the source, not that no work exists.

Recent safety updates

• The leaves contain a large amount of oxalic acid, 116.4 mg per 100 g fresh weight according to Shingade 1995 as cited in the 2018 review. This is a consideration for anyone advised to limit dietary oxalate.
• The review notes that the pollen is a recognised aeroallergen in India.
• Material sold under the name Kshavaka may be this plant or the sneezeweed Centipeda minima; confirm the identity with the supplier.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Svarasa (fresh juice), Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet

Optimal Timing: Traditionally taken before meals; morning administration with honey or jaggery as traditional vehicle

Storage: Store in airtight, light-resistant containers at 15-25 deg C. Betalain-containing products require protection from light, heat, and humidity. Freeze-dried forms stored at 2-8 deg C for maximum stability.

Marker Compounds: Amaranthine, Isoamaranthine, Rutin, Quercetin, Kaempferol, beta-Sitosterol, Gallic acid, Ferulic acid

Synergistic Combinations

Combinations listed in the source notes, without supporting studies:

• Amalaki (Emblica officinalis)
• Shunthi
• Guduchi
• Jaggery, as a traditional vehicle