Kadamba: Traditional Uses, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Kadamba is Neolamarckia cadamba (syn. Anthocephalus cadamba), a Rubiaceae tree Charaka enrolled in the vedana-sthapana and shukra-shodhana groups. Animal studies report blood-sugar lowering, wound healing, antidiarrhoeal, and liver-protective effects. One small open trial tested bark and leaf powders on lipid profiles. No well-designed human trial exists, and no dose is established.

What is kadamba?

The accepted name is Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser. Kew's Plants of the World Online treats it as the accepted name in the Rubiaceae family and folds Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. and Nauclea cadamba Roxb. in as homotypic synonyms (Kew POWO). Bosser coined Neolamarckia in 1984; the Charak Samhita wiki still writes Anthocephalus cadamba (Pandey et al. 2026).

It is a large, fast-growing tropical tree: the review literature gives 20 to 45 meters, with a straight cylindrical trunk, big glossy opposite leaves, and the part everyone recognizes — dense, spherical, orange-yellow fragrant flower heads about 3 to 6 cm across (Pandey et al. 2026). Bark, leaves, roots, flowers, and fruits are all used in the traditions that employ it.

The reported chemistry includes indole alkaloids as the plant's noted marker compounds: cadambine, dihydrocadambine, isodihydrocadambine, and the neolamarckines (Pandey et al. 2026). Alongside them: quinovic acid and its glycosides in the bark (triterpenoids), saponins, flavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol derivatives, phenolic acids (caffeic, syringic, ferulic), beta-sitosterol, and chlorogenic acid, isolated from kadamba in a 1995 study in Phytotherapy Research (Pandey et al. 2026; Kapil et al. 1995). The flowers carry an essential oil built on linalool, geraniol, and geranyl acetate.

How is kadamba used traditionally?

Kadamba is thoroughly classical, and the record is specific. The Charak Samhita wiki (Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre, 2023) lists kadamba under the names Kadambaphala and Neep, and pins down its references (carakasamhitaonline):

A 2018 pharmacognostical standardization paper in Ayushdhara records kadamba in the Chakradatta for gulma, udara, kushta, prameha, shotha, vatarakta, pleehoodara, arshas, vidradhi, apasmara, and unmada, and in the Bhaishajyaratnavali for mandagni, shula, jwara, chardi, masurika, shvasa, daha, and liver-spleen disorders (Ayushdhara standardization). The same paper gives its nighantu properties as tikta-kashaya rasa, ruksha guna, sita virya, katu vipaka, with kapha-vatahara and medohara karma and vedanasthapana as prabhava. One honesty note: the Charak Samhita wiki page itself lists slightly different properties (madhura-kashaya-lavana rasa; guru-ruksha guna; karma that increases Kapha and Vata). The traditions do not speak with one voice on this herb. I keep that on the page.

And the standing rule on this site: these are traditional claims, not clinical proof. The evidence record sits below, separate.

What does modern research say about kadamba?

Everything in this section is preclinical unless a human study is named.

Blood sugar (animal studies)

Several rat studies line up behind the kaphaja-prameha use. A 2010 study in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research gave a single oral dose of methanolic bark extract to alloxan-induced diabetic rats and to glucose-loaded normal rats, and reported significant blood-glucose lowering with the peak effect at 120 minutes in the glucose-loaded animals (Gurjar et al. 2010). A 2013 study of the root extract in alloxan-diabetic rats reported dose-dependent glucose reduction over 28 days (200 and 400 mg/kg lowered blood glucose from roughly 290 to 194 mg% and 279 to 185 mg%, against glibenclamide as standard) (Acharyya et al. 2013). Flower extract work reported 500 mg/kg producing a 60.2% glucose reduction over two weeks in diabetic rats, comparable to metformin's 68.4% in the same study, with no synergy when combined (Clinical Phytoscience, 2020). A hydroethanolic flowering-tops study in the Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia found hypoglycemic effects in alloxan-diabetic rats plus protection of liver and brain against diabetes-driven oxidative damage (Alam et al. 2011).

Diarrhoea (animal study)

The same research group (Alam et al.) tested the hydroethanolic extract of the flowering tops in mice with castor-oil-induced diarrhoea. At 250 and 500 mg/kg orally, faecal droppings fell dose-dependently, and intestinal fluid accumulation and gastrointestinal transit were both significantly reduced (Alam et al., Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia). Rats, mice. Still not people.

Wounds, microbes, and antioxidant activity (in-vitro and animal studies)

Umachigi, Kumar, and colleagues published the most cited kadamba paper in 2007 in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. Alcoholic and aqueous bark extracts inhibited a wide panel of bacteria and fungi, with the strongest activity against the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum and against E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, and S. aureus at an MIC of 2.5 µg/disc. In wound models the extracts improved wound contraction and tensile strength, and antioxidant activity tracked with it: lipid peroxidation down, superoxide dismutase and catalase up (Umachigi et al. 2007). Fruit extracts have also been screened for antifungal and anthelmintic activity in the lab (Pandey et al. 2026); neither is clinical evidence.

Liver protection (animal studies, one isolated compound)

Chlorogenic acid isolated from kadamba was tested by Kapil, Koul, and Suri in mice with CCl4-induced liver injury and published in Phytotherapy Research in 1995. Intraperitoneal chlorogenic acid at 100 mg/kg for 8 days protected the liver better than silymarin in that model (Kapil et al. 1995). More recently, a hydroalcoholic stem-bark extract showed dose-dependent protection against chloroform-induced and iron-overload hepatotoxicity in Swiss albino mice (Pandey et al. 2026).

The one human study: bark vs leaf for lipids

Swetha Ch and V. Narasimha published a comparative clinical study in Ayushdhara (2019): 30 patients with medoroga (the Ayurvedic frame for lipid-metabolism disorders), 15 treated with kadamba bark powder and 15 with leaf powder. Both groups improved on total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides while HDL rose; in the bark group the number of patients with an abnormal lipid profile fell from 15 of 15 to 6 of 15, and in the leaf group from 15 of 15 to 2 of 15. The authors' own conclusion: the drug looks useful for lipids, but larger samples and more parameters are needed (Swetha & Narasimha 2019). This was open-label, with no placebo or control arm and 15 patients per group. It is a signal, not a verdict.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

The 2026 review in the International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Clinical Research compiles all of the above and then states the field's position plainly: detailed mechanisms of action, toxicological evaluation, pharmacokinetics, and well-designed clinical trials are still required to validate efficacy and safety (Pandey et al. 2026). A second 2026 review in the International Research Journal of Ayurveda & Yoga is blunter: most studies are limited to in-vitro and animal work, and human clinical trials are still lacking (IRJAY review).

Also in the not-supported column: the "anti-arthritic" reports are protein-denaturation assays in test tubes, and the "anticancer" finding is one MCF-7 breast-cancer cell-line study. Neither is evidence that kadamba treats arthritis or cancer in people. I do not count cell culture as medicine.

Is there an established kadamba dose?

No standard dose. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (Part I, Vol VI) monographs the stem bark for identity, purity, and strength — a quality standard, not a prescription (cited in the Ayushdhara standardization paper). The one published human trial dosed bark or leaf powder at 3 g twice daily with lukewarm water for 40 days in medoroga patients: that is the only published human regimen, not a validated standard dose, and no trial has validated a general human dose. This article omits dosage deliberately; a qualified practitioner should set any dose.

Is kadamba safe?

No human safety profile has been established. The only published toxicology outcome found in this search is the pre-screen in a nephroprotection study: a 14-day OECD 423 acute-oral limit test of a root extract at 2000 mg/kg in rats, which reported no signs of toxicity and no mortality over the observation period (nephroprotection study). That is a published outcome, not a published safety dossier: no subchronic, reproductive, or human data exist, and the 2026 review lists toxicological evaluation as a needed area. There are no data on pregnancy, breastfeeding, or children. No herb-drug interaction studies turned up in this search. The classical sources also disagree on whether kadamba increases or reduces Kapha, so classical guidance is not unanimous either. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a condition, or taking medicines, treat kadamba as unknown until a qualified practitioner advises.

FAQs

What is kadamba?

Kadamba is Neolamarckia cadamba (syn. Anthocephalus cadamba), a large Rubiaceae tree native to South and Southeast Asia. Ayurveda uses its bark, leaves, roots, flowers, and fruits, and Charaka places it in the vedanasthapana and shukrashodhana groups.

Which botanical name is correct, Neolamarckia or Anthocephalus?

Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser is the accepted name per Kew's Plants of the World Online. Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. is a homotypic synonym, and much Indian literature, including the Charak Samhita wiki, still uses it. Both names refer to the same tree.

What does Ayurveda traditionally use kadamba for?

Fever, wounds (leaves as a wound covering), kaphaja prameha, urinary complaints, pain, and skin and inflammatory conditions, per Charaka's references and later nighantu and compendium records. Traditional uses, not clinically proven effects.

Does kadamba lower blood sugar?

In rats, yes. Methanolic bark extract, root extract, and flower extract all lowered blood glucose in alloxan-diabetic rats, and one study found 500 mg/kg of flower extract comparable to metformin. No human trial has tested this.

Has kadamba been tested in people?

Once, in a small way. A 2019 open-label study in Ayushdhara gave bark or leaf powder to 30 medoroga patients (15 per group) and found improved lipid profiles in both groups. There was no control arm, so this is a signal, not proof.

Is kadamba safe?

Unknown. No human safety data, and no data for pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, or drug interactions. The only published toxicology outcome is a 14-day OECD 423 acute-oral limit test (2000 mg/kg root extract in rats) that reported no toxicity or mortality. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Voices

The classical texts

The Charak Samhita wiki's kadamba entry gives the herb a full classical CV. Beyond the group enrollments, the individual references are the interesting part: Chikitsa Sthana 6/27 reaches for a kadamba decoction in kaphaja prameha, Chikitsa Sthana 18/154 gives milk processed with kadamba when cough comes with urinary discoloration and difficulty (Talk: Kasa Chikitsa), and Chikitsa Sthana 25/95 lays kadamba leaves over wounds as a covering (carakasamhitaonline). The ancients used this plant as a pain remedy, a semen purifier, and a wound dressing. They did not claim it cured diabetes.

The modern clinic

The modern voice is Swetha Ch and V. Narasimha's 2019 Ayushdhara trial: bark powder in one arm, leaf powder in the other, 30 medoroga patients total, lipid profiles measured before and after. Both arms improved on every lipid parameter, with the leaf arm showing slightly more patients normalizing (13 of 15 vs 9 of 15) (full text). Their honesty is worth quoting: kadamba "may be assumed" to reduce cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides while raising HDL, but they call for "further research in large samples with more parameters." Small, single-center, no control. Interesting, not conclusive.

Sources

Botanical identity rests on Kew's Plants of the World Online, which lists Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser as the accepted name with Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. and Nauclea cadamba Roxb. among its homotypic synonyms (POWO). The broad pharmacology survey is Pandey, Jain, Gour, and Nayak's 2026 comprehensive review, "Pharmacognostical and phytochemical profile of Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.): A comprehensive review," International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Clinical Research 8(5):17-22 (PDF), the source of the phytochemistry table (indole alkaloids, quinovic acid glycosides, flavonoids, sterols) and of the in-vitro anti-arthritis, fruit antifungal, and stem-bark hepatoprotection summaries; its conclusion is the one quoted above on toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and clinical trials. A second 2026 review in the International Research Journal of Ayurveda & Yoga Vol. 9(1):17-22 covers taxonomy, Ayurvedic properties, and the same preclinical evidence, and is the source of the "human clinical trials are still lacking" statement (PDF).

The classical picture comes from the Charak Samhita wiki's kadamba page (Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre, 2023), which catalogues the Charaka references from Sutra Sthana 4 through Chikitsa Sthana 29 and gives the herb's synonyms Kadambaphala and Neep (page). The nighantu properties and Chakradatta/Bhaishajyaratnavali indications come from a 2018 pharmacognostical standardization paper of kadamba leaf in Ayushdhara, Vol. 5(5) (PDF).

Individual studies: Umachigi SP et al., "Antimicrobial, wound healing and antioxidant activities of Anthocephalus cadamba," Afr. J. Tradit. Complement. Altern. Med. 2007;4(4):481-7, DOI 10.4314/ajtcam.v4i4.31241 (full text); Kapil A, Koul IB, Suri OP, "Antihepatotoxic effects of chlorogenic acid from Anthocephalus cadamba," Phytother. Res. 1995;9(3):189-93 (DOI); Gurjar H et al., "Hypoglycaemic effects of methanolic extract of Anthocephalus cadamba bark in alloxan induced diabetic rats," Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Res. 2010;1(3):79-83 (link); Acharyya S et al., antihyperglycemic and antilipidemic activity of roots, Eur. J. Exp. Biol. 2013;3(3):116-120 (PDF); Alam MA et al., antidiarrhoeal property of the hydroethanolic extract of flowering tops, Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 2008 (abstract); Alam MA et al., hypoglycemic effect and antioxidant protection of flowering tops, Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 2011 (full text). The human trial: Swetha Ch, Narasimha V, "Comparative clinical study of kadamba (Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq) bark and leaf in medoroga," Ayushdhara 2019;6(2):2095-2101 (PDF). The flower antidiabetic percentages (60.2% vs metformin 68.4%, no synergy in combination) are from the primary study in Clinical Phytoscience (record, DOI 10.1186/s40816-020-00183-y). The acute-oral OECD 423 limit test was the pre-screen in a nephroprotection study of the root extract in Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal (link).

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Kadamba's traditional uses rest on classical Ayurvedic texts and preclinical studies; human evidence is limited to one small open-label trial with no control arm, and no human safety profile or established dose exists. Talk to a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or clinician before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.