Changeri (Oxalis corniculata): Traditional Uses, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Changeri is the Ayurvedic name for low-growing creeping wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), traditionally used for diarrhea, dysentery, and digestive complaints. A 2024 review identified only preclinical pharmacological studies, animal and laboratory work on gut, liver, and wound effects, and no human trial testing Changeri for any condition. Its extracts disrupted pregnancy in rats, so avoid it in pregnancy.

What it is

Changeri is the Sanskrit and Ayurvedic name for Oxalis corniculata L., a low-growing herbaceous perennial in the wood-sorrel family (Oxalidaceae), recognizable by its clover-like leaves and small yellow flowers (Bharti et al., Beni-Suef Univ J Basic Appl Sci 2024). The review's synonym list records "Changeri" (alongside the variants Carngeri and Cangeri) among its Sanskrit names. Pharmacological studies have used the leaf and the whole plant rather than a single standardized part.

Traditional use

In Asia the plant has long been used in folk medicine for gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and dysentery, and in India it is described as astringent, cooling, and antiscorbutic, used traditionally for rectal prolapse, dysentery, fever, and biliousness (Bharti et al. 2024). Other recorded folk uses include stomach ulcers, toothache, and tonsillitis, and the review notes the herb is recognized in the Siddha, Unani, and Ayurveda traditions. These are traditional and folk claims, not clinical proof: the 2024 review identified no human trial testing any of them (see below).

What modern research says

The 2024 review identified no published human trials of Changeri for any condition. Everything below comes from animal or laboratory studies summarized in that peer-reviewed review (Bharti et al. 2024). Animal findings do not transfer to people.

Diarrhea and gut inflammation (animal studies)

In rats with castor-oil-induced diarrhea, water and methanol extracts reduced diarrheal symptoms, with the water extract performing better at the tested doses. In a separate suckling-mouse model, methanolic leaf extract reduced intestinal colonization by Shigella dysenteriae (Bharti et al. 2024). In a chemically induced rat colitis model (a laboratory model of inflammatory bowel disease), ethanolic leaf extract showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. Animal models only: not evidence for treating human diarrhea or bowel disease.

Stomach ulcers (animal study)

In an indomethacin-induced ulcer model in rats, methanolic extract at 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg reduced ulcer score, ulcer index, and ulcer count in a dose-dependent manner, an effect the review attributes to the extract's flavonoids (Bharti et al. 2024). Consistent with the traditional use for stomach complaints, but still rat data.

Wound healing (animal study)

Petroleum ether and alcohol extracts (300–500 mg/kg) promoted granulation tissue formation, collagen synthesis, and wound closure in rat excision, incision, and dead-space wound models (Bharti et al. 2024). The review explicitly cautions that these findings are based on animal models and need validation in human subjects.

Liver protection (animal studies)

Aqueous leaf extract reduced carbon-tetrachloride-induced rises in bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP in rats, and ethanolic extract showed membrane-stabilizing effects against thioacetamide-induced liver injury in rats (Bharti et al. 2024). Preclinical only: not evidence for liver disease treatment.

Blood sugar (animal study)

Ethanolic and aqueous extracts improved final body weight and blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats compared with untreated diabetic controls (Bharti et al. 2024). A single diabetic-rat study is not evidence for treating diabetes.

Osteoarthritis mechanism (computational only)

A 2024 study combined chemical profiling of an O. corniculata decoction (539 compounds identified by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS) with network pharmacology and molecular docking to predict anti-inflammatory pathways and targets relevant to osteoarthritis (Zhang et al., Medicine 2024). This is a computational hypothesis with no animal or human testing of the decoction: interesting chemistry, not a treatment finding.

Safety & contraindications

No human safety data were identified in the sources reviewed for Changeri. In mice, acute oral toxicity testing per OECD guideline 425 found no signs of toxicity, mortality, or behavioral changes at 2000 mg/kg of methanol extract (Bharti et al. 2024): but a single-dose mouse test says nothing about chronic human use. The important caution: petroleum ether extract of the whole plant showed anti-implantation and abortifacient effects in rats, with 100 mg/kg producing complete pregnancy inhibition in all six treated rats. Changeri should be avoided in pregnancy and by anyone trying to conceive. Given the lack of identified human data, any use should involve a qualified practitioner rather than self-direction.

FAQs

What is Changeri?

Changeri is the Sanskrit and Ayurvedic name for Oxalis corniculata L., a low-growing perennial in the wood-sorrel family (Oxalidaceae) with clover-like leaves and small yellow flowers. Pharmacological studies have used its leaf and whole plant (Bharti et al. 2024).

Is there any human evidence for Changeri?

None. A 2024 peer-reviewed review of all published pharmacology found only animal and laboratory studies: diarrhea, ulcer, wound, liver, and blood-sugar models in rats and mice, plus in-vitro antimicrobial and computational work. The review identified no published human trial testing Changeri for any condition (Bharti et al. 2024).

What is Changeri traditionally used for?

In Asian folk medicine it is used for gastrointestinal disorders including diarrhea and dysentery. Indian tradition describes it as astringent, cooling, and antiscorbutic, used for rectal prolapse, fever, and biliousness, with other recorded uses for stomach ulcers, toothache, and tonsillitis. It is recognized in the Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani traditions (Bharti et al. 2024). These are traditional claims, not clinical proof.

Is Changeri safe in pregnancy?

Avoid it. Petroleum ether extract of the whole plant showed anti-implantation and abortifacient effects in rats, with 100 mg/kg causing complete pregnancy inhibition in all six treated animals (Bharti et al. 2024). There are no human pregnancy data, so the cautious course is to avoid Changeri when pregnant or trying to conceive.

How much Changeri should I take?

There is no established dose. No human trial and no pharmacopoeial dosing schedule was identified, and animal-study doses (in mg per kg of rat body weight) do not convert directly into human doses. Anyone considering it should consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner rather than self-dosing.

Can I eat Changeri like a leafy green?

The review notes that communities in Odisha, India, consume the plant as a leafy vegetable, and it has a long folk history as a food-medicine (Bharti et al. 2024). Culinary use as a sour green is different from taking concentrated extracts, for which no human safety data were identified in the reviewed sources.

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.