Age Ayurveda Nighantu

Upodika

Basella alba

Upodika (Basella alba) is a plant used in Ayurveda. Oxalic acid is highly bioavailable and can contribute to calcium oxalate kidney stone risk at high doses. 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 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

Bioavailability: Betalains (betacyanins and betaxanthins) show moderate oral bioavailability (20-30%) with rapid absorption. Oxalic acid is highly bioavailable and can contribute to calcium oxalate kidney stone risk at high doses. Saponins from Basella have low oral bioavailability (<10%) but act locally as mucosal demulcents. Iron and calcium bioavailability is moderate but reduced by the high oxalate content; co-administration with vitamin C improves iron absorption.

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

Standardized Extract: Freeze-dried powder preserving >70% of fresh betalain content; hydroethanolic extract standardized to >2% total saponins (by gravimetric hemolytic method)

Shelf Life: Fresh greens: 2-3 days refrigerated; Freeze-dried powder: 18 months; Spray-dried powder: 12-18 months; Capsules: 24 months

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

Extraction Methods

  • Aqueous extraction (cooking/decoction)
  • Cold pressing for juice
  • Hydroethanolic extraction (40-60% ethanol)
  • Freeze drying for color-preserving powder

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 reviews2

  1. Langat BC, Aluora OP. 2025. Biosorption potential of basella Alba (Malabar spinach) for removal of fluoride in aqueous solutions based on its phytoremediation applications; a reviewInternational journal of phytoremediation. PMID 39578694 · doi:10.1080/15226514.2024.2427378
  2. 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 studies10

  1. 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
  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. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Nadia Ahmad S, Raees Ahmad K, Abdullah U and others. 2022. Basella alba, Grewia asiatica, Solanum nigrum and Ficus carica fruit extracts ameliorate the testicular histopathology induced by CCl(4) exposure in albino mice: An experimental studyInternational journal of reproductive biomedicine. PMID 35434474 · doi:10.18502/ijrm.v20i2.10502
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Baskaran G, Salvamani S, Azlan A and others. 2015. Hypocholesterolemic and Antiatherosclerotic Potential of Basella alba Leaf Extract in Hypercholesterolemia-Induced RabbitsEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. PMID 26697097 · doi:10.1155/2015/751714
  10. 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

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.

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