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Upodika

Basella alba

Upodika (Basella alba) is a plant drug, also called Potaki and Poi. Oxalic acid is only partly absorbed, but high intake can contribute to calcium oxalate kidney stone risk. Saponins from Basella have low oral bioavailability (<10%) but act locally as mucosal demulcents.

Key facts
Botanical nameBasella alba
FamilyBasellaceae
OrderCaryophyllales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 3083504 · Wikidata Q1130368 · NCBI Taxonomy 3589
Names in other languages
Sanskritपोतकी (potakī), उपोदिका (upodikā)
Hindiपोई (poī)
Tamilபசளி

Sources: MMPND Sorting Basella names, Basella alba entry, Hindi: 'पोई Pō'ī, पोइ Pō'i, पोई का साग, पोई साग, साग'; MMPND Sorting Basella names, Basella alba entry, Tamil: 'பசளி Pasali / Pacaḷi, Sivappu, Venpacali'; MMPND Sorting Basella names, Basella alba: 'Sanskrit: Upodika'; corroborated by the Basella alba Ayurvedic reviews which give Upodika, Potaki, Malva and Amritavallari; wisdomlib entry for Potaki/Pōtakī, citing Shabda-Sagara and Monier-Williams Sanskrit lexicons and a Kannada dictionary that identifies potaki as 'the plant Basella rubra of Basellaceae family' (Basella alba sensu lato, with synonyms Basella lucida, B. nigra, B. rubra). How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2005 to 2024, 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
EnglishUpodika

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)MadhuraPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Guru, SnigdhaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)SheetaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)MadhuraPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Shaka (cooked vegetable), Svarasa (fresh juice), Churna (powder), Capsule, Kwatha (decoction)

Standard Dosage: Cooked greens: 50-100 g daily as food; Fresh juice: 20-40 mL twice daily; Powder: 3-5 g twice daily

Optimal Timing: With meals as food; fresh juice in morning on empty stomach for nutritive effect

Storage: Fresh material at 4-8 deg C in perforated bags. Dried products in airtight, light-resistant, moisture-proof containers at 15-25 deg C. Betalain-containing products in opaque packaging.

Marker Compounds: Basellasaponin A, Basellasaponin B, Betacyanin, Betaxanthin, Rutin, Kaempferol, beta-Sitosterol, Oxalic acid

Synergistic Combinations

  • Amalaki - vitamin C enhances iron absorption from Upodika
  • Shunthi - digestive enhancement and anti-emetic synergy
  • Ghrita (ghee) - vehicle for enhanced nutrient absorption and Pitta reduction
  • Mudga (mung bean) - light, nutritious combination in convalescence diets

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. Manfo FP, Nantia EA, Dechaud H and others. 2014. Protective effect of Basella alba and Carpolobia alba extracts against maneb-induced male infertilityPharmaceutical biology. PMID 24073857 · doi:10.3109/13880209.2013.816860

Laboratory and animal studies11

  1. Lingeshwaran L, Alagarasan JK, Siddharthan S and others. 2024. Sustainable ultrasonic extraction of antibacterial Basella alba fruit dye for cotton, silk, and leatherUltrasonics sonochemistry. PMID 39307093 · doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.107069
  2. Zhang Y, Cheng W, Di H and others. 2024. Variation in Nutritional Components and Antioxidant Capacity of Different Cultivars and Organs of Basella albaPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38592915 · doi:10.3390/plants13060892
  3. Hou BY, Wu MH, Hsu HY and others. 2024. Polysaccharides from Basella alba Protect Post-Mitotic Neurons against Cell Cycle Re-Entry and Apoptosis Induced by the Amyloid-Beta Peptide by Blocking Sonic Hedgehog ExpressionInternational journal of molecular sciences. PMID 39000427 · doi:10.3390/ijms25137316
  4. Rusak A, Mrozowska M, Kozłowska W and others. 2024. Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Gomphrenin-Rich Fraction from Basella alba L. f. rubra FruitsNutrients. PMID 39771014 · doi:10.3390/nu16244393
  5. Linsaenkart P, Ruksiriwanich W, Sringarm K and others. 2024. Anti-Melanogenic Potential of Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) in Human Melanoma Cells with Oxidative Stress Suppression and Anti-Inflammatory ActivitiesFoods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 39335872 · doi:10.3390/foods13182943
  6. Kozioł Ł, Knap M, Sutor-Świeży K and others. 2024. Identification and reactivity of pigments in prominent vegetable leaves of Basella alba L. var. 'Rubra' (Malabar spinach)Food chemistry. PMID 38394904 · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138714
  7. Sheik A, Kim E, Adepelly U and others. 2023. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of Basella alba against colorectal cancerSaudi journal of biological sciences. PMID 36970255 · doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103609
  8. Wang X, Larrea-Sarmiento A, Olmedo-Velarde A and others. 2023. Survey of Viruses Infecting Basella alba in HawaiiPlant disease. PMID 36167515 · doi:10.1094/PDIS-02-22-0449-SR
  9. Sutor-Świeży K, Antonik M, Dziedzic E and others. 2022. Structural Studies on Diverse Betacyanin Classes in Matured Pigment-Rich Fruits of Basella alba L. and Basella alba L. var. 'Rubra' (Malabar Spinach)International journal of molecular sciences. PMID 36232545 · doi:10.3390/ijms231911243
  10. Kumorkiewicz A, Szneler E, Wybraniec S. 2018. Conjugation of Oxidized Betanidin and Gomphrenin Pigments from Basella alba L. Fruits with GlutathioneJournal of agricultural and food chemistry. PMID 30415538 · doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04941
  11. Moundipa PF, Beboy NS, Zelefack F and others. 2005. Effects of Basella alba and Hibiscus macranthus extracts on testosterone production of adult rat and bull Leydig cellsAsian journal of andrology. PMID 16281090 · doi:10.1111/j.1745-7262.2005.00056.x

Reference lists that include it

Kaempferol

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

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