Bharangi: Benefits, Evidence & Safety
TL;DR
Bharangi is Clerodendrum serratum, the classical Ayurvedic herb for cough and labored breathing; its dried root sits in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. The modern evidence is mostly animal: rat asthma models showed less airway inflammation, guinea pigs showed bronchodilation, mice showed antiallergic effects. Two small human studies exist, a nebulization case series and a childhood-asthma comparative study, both weak, so the respiratory reputation is thinly supported in people.
What it is
Bharangi is the root of Clerodendrum serratum (L.) Moon, cited in the pharmacopoeia as Clerodendrum serratum Linn., a shrub of the Clerodendrum genus monographed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Part I, Vol. III). A peer-reviewed review of the plant confirms the pharmacopoeial identity and notes that both root and stem turn up in traditional preparations (IJCRT review; IJPSRR review).
One taxonomic footnote I want to get right: older reviews place the plant in Verbenaceae; current botany puts Clerodendrum in Lamiaceae. Same plant, moved families. If you see both, that is why.
Traditional use
The classical texts are unusually specific here. Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridayam, Chakradatta, and Bhavaprakasha Nighantu describe bharangi as kaasaghna (relieving cough) and shwasaghna (relieving breathing difficulty and asthma), and also credit it with reducing swelling (shothaghna), fever (jwarahara), and skin disorders, per a peer-reviewed survey of the classical literature (IJCRT review). The same review notes traditional use for cough, asthma, fever, wounds, and worm infestation (IJCRT review).
Specific, old, and consistent. Barely tested in humans. Traditional claims, not clinical proof. The human evidence is assessed separately below, and there is not much of it.
What modern research says
Allergic asthma (animal studies)
The study I spent the most time on: ovalbumin-induced asthmatic rats given ethanolic root extract of C. serratum at 0.53 and 5.3 mg/kg orally. The extract markedly reduced inflammatory-cell infiltration, IgE, cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha), leukotrienes, and nitrites in blood and bronchoalveolar fluid, and improved breathing rate and tidal volume. Dexamethasone at 2.5 mg/kg ran as the comparator arm (Arora et al., Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 2022).
Now the part where I push back on the earlier version of this article: it said the authors reported effects "comparable to dexamethasone." The abstract I could verify establishes the comparison arm, not comparability. Those are different claims. I am not repeating the stronger one without the full numerical tables in front of me. Animal evidence only, in any case. It does not establish an anti-asthma effect in humans.
A 2024 study in guinea pigs found hydroalcoholic leaf extract of C. serratum had bronchodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in an experimental asthma model (Swami et al., Int. J. Pharmacol. Clin. Res., 2024). I will be candid about this paper too: it is thin, low on experimental detail, and published in a low-tier journal. It exists at the cited URL and says what it says. I would not lean on it.
Antiallergic activity (animal study)
In mice, aqueous extracts of the stem and roots given orally for 14 days at 130 and 260 mg/kg were tested in a milk-induced leukocytosis model. The higher dose significantly reduced total leukocyte and eosinophil counts, indicating antiallergic activity in that animal model (review of C. serratum pharmacology). This one I could verify directly against the review text, and the numbers check out. Animal findings do not translate directly to people.
Antioxidant activity (animal study)
Antioxidant effects of C. serratum roots have been reported in a pharmacological study summarized in a peer-reviewed review (IJPSRR review, 2023). Preclinical work. No demonstrated clinical benefit. There is not much more to say about it, and I will not inflate it.
What the evidence does not support (yet)
Two small human studies exist, and both are weak. Adiga et al. (2019) ran a case series nebulizing Bharangimoola Arka (5 ml, 8-hourly × 3) against salbutamol in acute asthma exacerbation, reporting significant improvements in breathlessness (Z = −4.820, p = 0.000), FVC% (t = −5.857) and FEV1% (t = −5.090): promising on paper, but a case series, not a controlled trial (DOI). Gohel et al. (2011) compared Bharangyadi Avaleha with Vasa Avaleha in childhood asthma for six weeks: 26 children registered, 18 finished, both groups improved, and Vasa Avaleha did better overall (PMCID). So the human evidence is: two small, low-tier studies of bharangi-containing formulations, not of the root alone. Traditional claims, weak clinical support. That is the honest shape of the evidence.
Safety & contraindications
No human safety data for bharangi were identified. The animal studies above used root and leaf extracts at defined doses in rodents and guinea pigs. Those numbers cannot be converted into safe human doses, and anyone who tries is guessing.
No safety data for pregnancy or breastfeeding either. Safety data is limited, so talk to a clinician before use. Especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing asthma or another medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.
FAQs
Does bharangi help asthma?
Barely tested in humans. Root and leaf extracts reduced airway inflammation in asthmatic rats and guinea pigs; the rat study ran dexamethasone as a comparator (Arora et al., 2022). The only human data are a small nebulization case series and a six-week childhood-asthma comparative study of bharangi-containing formulations: neither is a controlled trial of the root itself. If you have asthma, this is not a substitute for prescribed treatment.
Is it useful for cough?
Traditionally, yes. The classical texts list bharangi as kaasaghna, cough-relieving (IJCRT review). No clinical trial has tested bharangi for cough in humans, so the traditional claim remains unproven. Tradition is a reason to study something, not a result.
How is bharangi traditionally used?
The root is the pharmacopoeial part, listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Part I, Vol. III), and classical preparations also use the stem (IJPSRR review). Traditional forms include decoctions and powders, prepared under practitioner guidance. Guidance matters here more than usual, because there is no human dosing data to fall back on.
Is bharangi safe?
Human safety data do not exist. Animal studies used controlled extract doses in rodents, which cannot be converted to safe human doses. Safety data is limited, so talk to a clinician before use, particularly with asthma, chronic illness, or regular medication.
Can I take bharangi in pregnancy?
No safety data exist for pregnancy or breastfeeding. Avoid use unless a qualified practitioner advises otherwise. Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Sources
Adiga M., Rao P.N., Priyanka B.V., Mallika K.J. "Comparative clinical trial of Bharangimoola Arka and salbutamol nebulization in Tamaka Shwasa (acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma): a case series study." Int. J. Res. Ayurveda Pharm. 2019;10(1):90–94 (DOI). Gohel S.D., Anand I.P., Patel K.S. "A comparative study on efficacy of Bharangyadi Avaleha and Vasa Avaleha in the management of Tamaka Shwasa w.s.r. to childhood Asthma." Ayu. 2011 Jan–Mar;32(1):82–89 (PMCID).
The pharmacopoeial anchor is the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. III: monograph listing for bharangi, the root of Clerodendrum serratum Linn. The classical-use survey, covering Charaka through Bhavaprakasha and the traditional indications, is "Medicinal plant review: Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum)" in IJCRT; the download URL originally cited now serves a generic page, so the citation was corrected to the journal's own cited file URL (PDF). The broader phytochemical and pharmacological picture comes from Patel and Bhoya's "Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Clerodendrum serratum Linn.: a comprehensive review" in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research Review, 2023 (PDF). The rat asthma study is Arora, Ansari, and Nainwal's "Clerodendrum serratum extract attenuates production of inflammatory mediators in ovalbumin-induced asthma in rats," Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 2022, with the dexamethasone comparator arm (journal page). The guinea-pig study is Swami, Asija, and Nagar's "Pharmacological evaluation of hydroalcoholic extract of Clerodendrum serratum leaves with special reference to asthma on guinea pigs," International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Research, 2024, a paper I found thin and cite with that reservation (PDF). The 260 mg/kg antiallergic mouse data were verified directly in Pailwan et al.'s "A comprehensive review on Clerodendrum serratum: phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and therapeutic potential," International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025 (PDF).
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Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Herbal products can interact with medications and are not suitable for everyone. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.