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Varahikanda

Dioscorea bulbifera

Varahikanda (Dioscorea bulbifera) is a plant drug, also called Varahikandah and Ratalu.

Key facts
Botanical nameDioscorea bulbifera
Identity sourceAyurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. IV: VARAHI (Rhizome)
FamilyDioscoreaceae
OrderDioscoreales
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2755489 · Wikidata Q311239 · NCBI Taxonomy 35874
Names in other languages
Sanskritवाराहीकन्दः (vārāhīkandaḥ)
Hindiरतालू (ratālū)
Tamilகாட்டுக்காய்வள்ளி, காய்வள்ளி, பண்ணுக்கிழங்கு

Sources: Dioscorea bulbifera Ayurvedic monographs (easyayurveda, ayushvedah drug record for barahi / Dioscorea bulbifera Linn.), which give Sanskrit Varahikanda, Aluka, Pindalu and the etymology 'Varahasya iyam priyatvat iti Varahi', dear to the boar, the tuber resembling a boar's face; MMPND Sorting Dioscorea names, Dioscorea bulbifera entry, Tamil: 'காய்வள்ளி Kaayvalli, காட்டுச்சீரகவள்ளி, காட்டுக்காய்வள்ளி Kaattukkaayvalli, Pannu kilangu'; MMPND Sorting Dioscorea names, Dioscorea bulbifera, Tamil list; also Dinesh Valke's Names of Plants in India photo record 'Kaattukkaayvalli (Tamil: காட்டுக்காய்வள்ளி)' for D. bulbifera; MMPND Sorting Dioscorea names, Dioscorea bulbifera: 'Hindi: Gaithi, Hoei oepas, Ratalu, Karukanda, Karu kunda'; MMPND Sorting Dioscorea names, Dioscorea bulbifera: 'Tamil: காய்வள்ளி Kaayvalli, காட்டுச்சீரகவள்ளி, காட்டுக்காய்வள்ளி Kaattukkaayvalli, Pannu kilangu'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2012 to 2026, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • 3Other 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
EnglishVarahikanda

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

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

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Avaleha (confection), Modaka

Standard Dosage: 3-6 g powder twice daily with milk or ghee; 50-100 mL decoction twice daily

Optimal Timing: After meals with warm milk or ghee for Rasayana (rejuvenative) effect; morning and evening dosing

Storage: Airtight, moisture-proof containers at 15-25 deg C. Protect from insects (starchy material attracts pests). Unprocessed tubers must be clearly labeled ‘NOT FOR DIRECT CONSUMPTION - REQUIRES SHODHANA’.

Marker Compounds: Diosgenin, Dioscin, Dioscorine (toxic - must be absent/below limit after Shodhana), beta-Sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Kaempferol, Quercetin

Synergistic Combinations

  • Ashwagandha - adaptogenic and anabolic synergy
  • Shatavari - female reproductive tonic combination
  • Musali (Chlorophytum borivilianum) - vitality and vigor combination
  • Ghrita (ghee) - lipid vehicle enhances diosgenin absorption

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.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses1

  1. Mathew E, Thomas PL, Mathew L. 2026. Dioscorea bulbifera: Phytotherapeutic Potential and Toxicological Risks, A Critical ReviewPlanta medica. PMID 41461207 · doi:10.1055/a-2779-6570

Other clinical studies and reviews3

  1. Narzary C, Sarkar D, Das P and others. 2025. Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activity of Dioscorea bulbifera: A Comprehensive ReviewChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 39283965 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.202401408
  2. Yadav SA, Hasan S, Gnanaselvan S and others. 2024. Biological Activities and Nanoparticle Synthesis of Dioscorea bulbifera and its Mechanistic Action - An Extensive ReviewPharmaceutical nanotechnology. PMID 38265372 · doi:10.2174/0122117385284106240110065809
  3. Li H, Peng Y, Zheng J. 2020. Dioscorea bulbifera L.-induced hepatotoxicity and involvement of metabolic activation of furanoterpenoidsDrug metabolism reviews. PMID 32757959 · doi:10.1080/03602532.2020.1800724

Laboratory and animal studies8

  1. Wang X, Zhang Y, Shi L and others. 2025. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Attenuates Dioscorea bulbifera L.-induced liver injury by regulating the FXR/Nrf2-BAs-related proteins and intestinal microbiotaJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 39778784 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2025.119319
  2. Sanguansermsri D, Sanguansermsri P, Buaban K and others. 2024. Antibacterial activity of Dioscorea bulbifera Linn. extract and its active component flavanthrinin against skin-associated bacteriaBMC complementary medicine and therapies. PMID 38698382 · doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04480-8
  3. Kim IY, Lee HL, Choi HJ and others. 2024. A Combined Extract from Dioscorea bulbifera and Zingiber officinale Mitigates PM(2.5)-Induced Respiratory Damage by NF-κB/TGF-β1 PathwayAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 39765899 · doi:10.3390/antiox13121572
  4. Wang X, Zhang Y, Zhu H and others. 2024. Puerarin improves Dioscorea bulbifera L.-induced liver injury by regulating drug transporters and the Nrf2/NF-κB/Bcl-2 signaling pathwayThe Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology. PMID 39380211 · doi:10.1093/jpp/rgae123
  5. Ekaette E, Nwofia E, Okocha P and others. 2024. Exploring the genetic diversity and population structure of aerial yams (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) DArT-seq and agronomic traitsPloS one. PMID 39178185 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0306631
  6. Hu Z, Zhao Y, Yang Y and others. 2022. Development of a mechanism-based biomarker for Dioscorea bulbifera L. exposure and hepatotoxicity in ratsPhytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. PMID 35609388 · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154172
  7. Chaniad P, Wattanapiromsakul C, Pianwanit S and others. 2016. Anti-HIV-1 integrase compounds from Dioscorea bulbifera and molecular docking studyPharmaceutical biology. PMID 26864337 · doi:10.3109/13880209.2015.1103272
  8. Ghosh S, Ahire M, Patil S and others. 2012. Antidiabetic Activity of Gnidia glauca and Dioscorea bulbifera: Potent Amylase and Glucosidase InhibitorsEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. PMID 21785651 · doi:10.1155/2012/929051

Reference lists that include it

Kaempferol, Quercetin, Stigmasterol

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.