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Trikatu

Trikatu is classified in Ayurveda as Deepaniya (Appetizer), Amapachana (Toxin digester), from the Piperaceae + Zingiberaceae family. Parts used: long pepper + black pepper + dry ginger. Synergistic combination: piperine enhances absorption of other herbs and foods.

Key facts
Substance typeCompound formulation of several ingredients, not a single plant
FamilyPiperaceae + Zingiberaceae
Ayurvedic categoryDeepaniya (Appetizer), Amapachana (Toxin digester)

The evidence at a glance

11papers on this site for this drug, published 1999 to 2022, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Randomised controlled trials
  • 2Other 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
EnglishTrikatu
Common NamesTrikatu, Three Pungents
HindiTrikatu
SanskritTrikatu, Tryushana
Latin/BotanicalCompound: Piper longum + P. nigrum + Zingiber officinale

Parts Used

Dosha Effects

DoshaEffect
VataDecreases
KaphaDecreases
PittaIncreases

Key Phytochemical Constituents

Therapeutic Actions (Karma)

  • Bioavailability enhancer
  • Digestive stimulant
  • Thermogenic
  • Expectorant
  • Metabolism booster

How is it used traditionally?

Synergistic combination, piperine enhances absorption of other herbs and foods. Used for Agnimandya (weak digestion), Ama (metabolic toxins), Kasa (cough), and Sthaulya (obesity). Often added to other formulations as bioenhancer.

Where is it described in the classical texts?

  • Charaka Samhita
  • Sharangadhara Samhita

Powder: at the dose given under Standard Dosage, before meals with honey

Safety, contraindications and cautions

  • Pitta disorders
  • Gastritis/ulcers
  • Pregnancy
  • Bleeding disorders

What is it made of?

Part(s) Analyzed: Long pepper + Black pepper + Dry ginger (equal parts)

Key Active Markers

  • Piperine
  • Gingerols
  • Shogaols

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Vati (tablet), Capsule, Guggulu combination, Kwatha additive

Standard Dosage: 1 to 3 g powder (Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 7:14) twice daily with honey or warm water; 250-500 mg tablet/capsule twice daily

Optimal Timing: Before meals (15-30 minutes) for digestive stimulation and bioenhancer effect; avoid at bedtime due to thermogenic activity

Storage: Airtight containers at 15-25 deg C, protected from moisture and light. Piperine is photosensitive; use opaque packaging. Powder tends to absorb moisture; include desiccant sachets.

Marker Compounds: Piperine, Piperlongumine, Piperanine, 6-Gingerol, 8-Gingerol, 10-Gingerol, 6-Shogaol, Zingerone

Synergistic Combinations

  • Acts as universal bioenhancer (Yogavahi) for virtually all Ayurvedic formulations
  • Triphala + Trikatu - digestive and metabolic combination (Trifala Trikatu)
  • Guggulu - enhanced anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering formulations
  • Sitopaladi Churna - respiratory formula containing Trikatu components
  • Chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica) - enhanced thermogenic 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.

Randomised controlled trials1

  1. Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, Tiyaboonchai W and others. 2014. Efficacy and safety of topical Trikatu preparation in, relieving mosquito bite reactions: a randomized controlled trialComplementary therapies in medicine. PMID 24559814 · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2013.08.014

Other clinical studies and reviews2

  1. Javed D, Dixit AK. 2022. Is Trikatu an ayurvedic formulation effective for the management of flu-like illness? A narrative reviewJournal of complementary & integrative medicine. PMID 34081846 · doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0485
  2. Dama MS, Varshneya C, Dardi MS and others. 2008. Effect of trikatu pretreatment on the pharmacokinetics of pefloxacin administered orally in mountain Gaddi goatsJournal of veterinary science. PMID 18296885 · doi:10.4142/jvs.2008.9.1.25

Laboratory and animal studies8

  1. Harwansh RK, Mukherjee K, Bhadra S and others. 2014. Cytochrome P450 inhibitory potential and RP-HPLC standardization of trikatu--a Rasayana from Indian AyurvedaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 24690772 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.03.023
  2. Lala LG, D'Mello PM, Naik SR. 2004. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies on interaction of "Trikatu" with diclofenac sodiumJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 15120451 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2003.12.027
  3. Murunikkara V, Rasool MK. 2017. Trikatu, a herbal compound mitigates the biochemical and immunological complications in adjuvant-induced arthritic ratsInternational journal of rheumatic diseases. PMID 25546349 · doi:10.1111/1756-185X.12535
  4. Doss HM, Ganesan R, Rasool M. 2016. Trikatu, an herbal compound ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis by the suppression of inflammatory immune responses in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis and on cultured fibroblast like synoviocytes via the inhibition of the NFκB signaling pathwayChemico-biological interactions. PMID 27613480 · doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2016.09.003
  5. Murunikkara V, Rasool M. 2014. Trikatu, an herbal compound as immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis--an experimental studyCellular immunology. PMID 24394943 · doi:10.1016/j.cellimm.2013.12.002
  6. Chanda D, Shanker K, Pal A and others. 2009. Safety evaluation of Trikatu, a generic Ayurvedic medicine in Charles Foster ratsThe Journal of toxicological sciences. PMID 19182439 · doi:10.2131/jts.34.99
  7. Karan RS, Bhargava VK, Garg SK. 1999. Effect of trikatu, an Ayurvedic prescription, on the pharmacokinetic profile of rifampicin in rabbitsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 10363842 · doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00127-5
  8. Murunikkara V, Rasool M. 2014. Trikatu, a herbal compound that suppresses monosodium urate crystal-induced inflammation in rats, an experimental model for acute gouty arthritisCell biochemistry and function. PMID 23674350 · doi:10.1002/cbf.2979

Reference lists that include it

Piperine

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.