Vatsanabha
Aconitum ferox Wall. ex Ser.
Vatsanabha (Aconitum ferox) is a plant drug, also called Sthavaravisha, Vatsanagaka and Bachhnaag in Hindi. Sthavaravisha names it as a plant poison, and the Ayurvedic texts require shodhana, purificatory processing, before any use. This page records documented poisoning cases; read its cautions before anything else on it.
| Botanical name | Aconitum ferox Wall. ex Ser. |
|---|---|
| Family | Ranunculaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Ranunculales |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 3033681 · Wikidata Q2647500 · NCBI Taxonomy 50866 |
| Sanskrit | Amra, Sthavaravisa, Vatsanagaka, Visa Vajranaga |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Bachhnaag, Bisa, Meethabisha, Teliya Bish |
| English | Aconite |
| Tamil | Nabhi, Vasanaavi, Vasanabhi, Vatsanabhi |
| Malayalam | Vatsanabhi |
| Telugu | Naabhi, Vatsanaabhi |
| Kannada | Basanalli, Vachanaga, Vatsanabha |
| Marathi | Bachnaga |
| Bengali | Kathavish |
| Gujarati | Basanaag, Vachhanaag |
| Urdu | Atees, Bachnak, Beesh, Mithalelia |
| Punjabi | Mitha Visha, Mithatelia |
| Oriya | Mahura, Mithvisa, Tahara |
| Assamese | Bish, Mithavish |
Source: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (column alignment reconstructed). How we source.
The evidence at a glance
11papers on this site for this drug, published 1972 to 2025, 8 with a DOI.
- 1Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 3Other clinical studies and reviews
- 7Laboratory 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
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Vatsanabha |
| Latin/Botanical | Aconitum ferox Wall. ex Ser. |
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Antipyretic (Jvarahara). Traditionally used as a febrifuge. Animal studies have reported dose-dependent antipyretic activity, comparable to paracetamol.
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (Vedanasthapana, Shothahara). Traditionally used across Himalayan regions for rheumatic pain.
What do recent studies show?
- Kent JT, Sathya A, Juurlink DN and others 2025. Mass aconite poisoning from a mislabelled spice product. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.). PMID 40637172 · doi:10.1080/15563650.2025.2526115
11 patients presented with perioral paraesthesia (91%), nausea/vomiting/abdominal pain (64%) after consuming mislabelled aconite-containing spice product. Highlights danger of Aconitum species entering food supply chain. - Tomita Y, Suzuki K, Kaizaki-Mitsumoto A and others 2025. Jesaconitine monitoring in a case of severe aconitum poisoning with torsade de pointes treated via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Acute medicine & surgery. PMID 39980743 · doi:10.1002/ams2.70047
First case report of successful monitoring of jesaconitine levels during ECMO treatment for severe aconite poisoning with torsade de pointes arrhythmia. ECMO provided life-saving hemodynamic support.
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
- Poisoning case. 2025: Mass poisoning event from mislabelled aconite spice product - 11 patients hospitalized with onset within minutes. Perioral paraesthesia was the hallmark symptom (91% of cases). All survived with aggressive supportive care.
- Poisoning case. 2024-2025: Multiple cases of accidental aconite poisoning from herbal liquors and traditional medicines in China and South Asia. A 2025 convergent analytical approach identified aconitine in homemade herbal liquors linked to fatal poisoning cases.
- Antidote. NO SPECIFIC ANTIDOTE EXISTS. Treatment is entirely supportive: IV amiodarone or lidocaine for ventricular arrhythmias (limited efficacy), sodium bicarbonate for wide-complex tachycardia, vasopressors for hypotension, temporary pacing for bradycardia. ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) has been life-saving in severe cases with refractory cardiogenic shock.
- Maximum dose. Purified (Shuddha) Vatsanabha dose: only as given under Standard Dosage (after proper Shodhana). NEVER use unpurified root. Raw root: 1-2 mg of aconitine is lethal. The therapeutic window is extremely narrow even after purification.
- Safety alert. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS: Aconitum ferox is one of the most toxic plants known. Toxicity can occur from skin contact alone. Processing does not eliminate all toxicity. Even purified preparations can cause fatal arrhythmias if dose is exceeded. Must be prescribed only by experienced practitioners.
- Forensic concern. Aconitine is virtually undetectable by standard toxicology screens and has been used as a homicidal poison historically (‘queen of poisons’). Detection requires specific LC-MS/MS analysis of blood and urine. Post-mortem redistribution complicates forensic analysis.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Shodhit (purified) Churna, Vati (tablet), Capsule, EXTERNAL USE: Lepa (paste), Taila (oil)
Standard Dosage: TOXIC HERB - Only after Shodhana: 15 to 30 mg of Shodhit (purified) powder per dose (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. II, which monographs Vatsanabha as Aconitum chasmanthum and notes that it is dangerous to exceed this dose); NEVER exceed 125 mg/day; ONLY under qualified Ayurvedic physician supervision
Optimal Timing: Only as prescribed by qualified Vaidya; typically after meals with specific anupana; short-term use only
Storage: POISON CUPBOARD - locked storage with restricted access. Airtight containers at 15-25 deg C. Label: SCHEDULE E1 / VISHA DRAVYA / POISON. Complete batch documentation and chain-of-custody records mandatory. Separate from non-toxic materials.
Marker Compounds: Aconitine (must be below safety limit post-Shodhana), Mesaconitine, Hypaconitine, Benzoylaconine (less toxic hydrolysis product), Aconine (non-toxic hydrolysis product), Pseudaconitine, Bikhaconitine
Synergistic Combinations
- Trikatu - traditionally combined post-Shodhana for enhanced therapeutic action with reduced toxicity
- Tankana (borax) - processing adjunct during Shodhana
- Ghrita (ghee) - lipid vehicle that modulates absorption rate
- Maricha (black pepper) - traditional combination in processed Vatsanabha formulations
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
Other clinical studies and reviews3
- 2014. Transient A-V dissociation and severe hypotension due to consumption of Ayurvedic medicine--Vatsanabha (aconitum ferox)The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India. PMID 25438496
- 2011. Cardiotoxicity from 'safe' herbomineral formulationsTropical doctor. PMID 21262956 · doi:10.1258/td.2010.100304
- 2010. Overdose effect of aconite containing Ayurvedic Medicine ('Mahashankha Vati')International journal of Ayurveda research. PMID 21170213 · doi:10.4103/0974-7788.72493
Laboratory and animal studies7
- 2025. Mass aconite poisoning from a mislabelled spice productClinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.). PMID 40637172 · doi:10.1080/15563650.2025.2526115
- 2025. Jesaconitine monitoring in a case of severe aconitum poisoning with torsade de pointes treated via extracorporeal membrane oxygenationAcute medicine & surgery. PMID 39980743 · doi:10.1002/ams2.70047
- 2022. Assessment of the systemic toxicity of Laghu vishagarbha taila, an Ayurvedic medicated oil formulation after dermal exposureToxicology research. PMID 35237409 · doi:10.1093/toxres/tfab104
- 2017. Preparation and physicochemical characterization of ingredients of Indian traditional medicine, Mahamrutyunjaya RasaJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 28757226 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2017.02.002
- 2013. Evaluation of toxicity of 'Vatsanabha' (Aconitum ferox, Ranunculaceae) Before and After ShodhanaJournal of young pharmacists : JYP. PMID 24023444 · doi:10.1016/j.jyp.2013.01.001
- 2009. Stability-indicating reversed-phase liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of aconitine and piperine in a polyherbal formulationJournal of AOAC International. PMID 19714970
- 1972. Alkaloids from Aconitum plants. I. Isolation of bikhaconitine, chasmaconitine, indaconitine and pseudaconitine from Aconitum feroxLloydia. PMID 5037482
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.