Bruhati: Traditional Uses, Research & Safety

TL;DR

Bruhati is the Sanskrit name for Solanum indicum, a thorny nightshade whose roots and fruits are used in Ayurveda, including in the classical Dashmula formula, for cough, asthma, fever, and pain. No human clinical trials were found; the published evidence is animal and laboratory studies. Its glycoalkaloid content means it is not a herb to self-dose.

What it is

Bruhati (also spelled Brihati or Brhati) is the Sanskrit name for Solanum indicum Linn., a thorny, densely branched perennial under-shrub in the nightshade family (Solanaceae): the same family as potato and tomato. It grows 0.3–1.5 m tall in the warmer regions of India up to about 1,500 m altitude, with blue flowers and round golden berries roughly 1.5 cm across. In Hindi it is known as Badi Bhatkataiya (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India's published contents list a monograph titled "Brhati (Rt.)" for Solanum indicum Linn.: i.e., the official drug is the root (API Part I, Vol. II contents). Traditional literature also makes use of the fruits, leaves, and seeds.

Traditional use

Brihati is one of the ten roots of Dashmula (Dashamula), the classic Ayurvedic ten-root formula recommended in the tradition for post-natal care. Acharya Charaka placed it in the Kanthya (throat disorders), Hikkanigrahana (hiccup), Shothahara (anti-inflammatory), and Angamarda Prashamana (pain-relieving) groups of herbs, while Acharya Sushruta placed it in the Laghupanchamula group (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). The root and fruit are described in Ayurvedic sources as bitter, warming, digestive, and astringent to the intestines, and are traditionally used for cough and catarrhal conditions (as an expectorant), asthma, bronchitis, fever, vomiting, itching, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, toothache, and skin disorders (same). These are traditional uses, not clinical proof: the human evidence is assessed below.

What modern research says

Phytochemistry — what the plant contains (laboratory analysis)

Chemical analyses of S. indicum have isolated steroidal alkaloids and glycoalkaloids, solasodine, solamargine, solasonine, solanine, and solanidine, alongside steroidal saponins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and coumarins. Total alkaloid content of the fruit ranges from 0.2% to 1.8% of dry weight depending on where the plant was collected (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). These are chemistry findings: they describe what is in the plant, not health effects in people.

Pharmacological studies (animal and in-vitro only)

A peer-reviewed review of the plant's ethnobotany and pharmacology catalogs reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, cytostatic, anti-convulsant, anti-ulcerogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties: and explicitly presents this evidence as coming from laboratory and animal studies (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). Promising in a petri dish or a rat is a long way from a proven effect in humans.

Human clinical trials

No human clinical trial of Brihati was identified in the sources reviewed for this article. The review's abstract states its scope as examining in-vitro, in-vivo, and clinical-trial evidence, but the evidence it actually compiles is preclinical (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). Traditional use for cough, asthma, and pain therefore remains unverified by human studies.

Safety & contraindications

The main safety concern is the plant's nightshade glycoalkaloids: the review calls solanine "one of the plant's most feared poisons" (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). A published case report (Huang et al., Clinical Toxicology 2008) describes a 43-year-old man who developed central diabetes insipidus, confirmed by a water-deprivation test and low serum anti-diuretic hormone, after consuming seven doses of a concentrated S. indicum solution over two weeks (as cited in the review). Large or concentrated doses have therefore been linked to serious harm. No human studies establish a safe dose, so there is no Dosage section in this article. Do not self-dose with Brihati; anyone considering it should talk to a qualified practitioner first.

FAQs

What is Bruhati?

Bruhati (Brihati) is the Sanskrit name for Solanum indicum, a thorny nightshade shrub used in Ayurveda. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India defines the official drug as its root, and it is best known as one of the ten roots of the classical Dashmula formula (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR).

What is Bruhati traditionally used for?

Traditional Ayurvedic sources use the root and fruit for cough and catarrhal conditions (as an expectorant), asthma, bronchitis, fever, vomiting, digestive complaints such as dyspepsia and colic, toothache, and skin disorders. It also appears in the classical groupings for throat disorders, hiccups, inflammation, and pain (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). These are traditional uses, not clinically proven effects.

Does Bruhati work for cough or asthma?

There is no human-trial evidence either way. Brihati's traditional reputation as an expectorant for cough, catarrh, asthma, and bronchitis rests on classical Ayurvedic use; the modern studies cataloged in a peer-reviewed review are animal and laboratory studies only (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). Traditional use is not clinical proof.

Is Bruhati safe to take?

No safe dose has been established in humans. The plant contains nightshade glycoalkaloids such as solanine, and a published case report links a concentrated S. indicum solution to central diabetes insipidus in an adult man (Akaram & Dubey, IJPSR). Do not self-dose; consult a qualified practitioner.

Which part of the plant is used?

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India lists the official drug as the root: "Brhati (Rt.)" for Solanum indicum Linn. (API Part I, Vol. II contents). Traditional and folk literature also uses the fruits (berries), leaves, and seeds.

Sources

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.