Kampillaka: Uses, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Kampillaka (Mallotus philippensis) is the red glandular powder from kamala fruit, rich in rottlerin, traditionally used in Ayurveda as a purgative and tapeworm remedy and for skin conditions. Evidence is preclinical: animal studies support anthelmintic and purgative effects; no human trials exist. Large doses irritate the gut, and animal data suggest antifertility effects: avoid in pregnancy.

(57 words. Sources: PMC ethnopharmacology review; Kampillaka review 2021; GBIF species account.)

What it is

Kampillaka is the drug obtained from Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae): the kamala tree, native from southern China to New Guinea and Australia (GBIF species account). The medicinal part is the red glandular powder covering the fruit surface (Glandulae Rottlerae, "kamala powder"), collected by shaking or sieving the fruits.

Its signature constituent is rottlerin (mallotoxin), a phloroglucinol derivative concentrated in the glandular hairs, alongside related chalcones (mallotophilippens C, D, and E) and other phenolics (ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry review, PMC).

Traditional use

In Ayurveda, kampillaka is classically a purgative and a krimighna (anthelmintic), famed for expelling tapeworms, and is applied to skin conditions including ringworm, scabies, and eczema (Kampillaka review; GBIF species account). Ethnomedicinal surveys record its use for leprosy, piles, dysentery, constipation, colic, wounds, and intestinal worms across Himalayan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu traditions (Kampillaka review, ethnomedicinal survey). The GBIF account summarizes the Indian medicinal use: the glandular hairs on the fruit are used as a purgative, "said to destroy tapeworms," and employed on ringworm, scabies, and other skin diseases (GBIF). These are traditional claims, examined against the experimental record below.

What modern research says

Anthelmintic effects (animal studies)

The traditional tapeworm claim has the most experimental support: in animals. Resin from the plant showed lethal anthelmintic effects of 35.69% and 78.21% on tapeworm populations in the small intestine of rats at 60 and 120 mg/kg respectively, and aqueous, ethereal, and alcoholic extracts acted against cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes both in vitro and in vivo, including in rats naturally infested with Taenia solium (Kampillaka review). No human trials have tested it as a deworming agent.

Purgative effects (animal study)

A significant purgative effect was measured in rats after an oral dose of 120 mg/kg of resin isolated from the plant, assessed by fecal weight and liquid-feces blotting area (Kampillaka review). Again, animal data only.

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity (laboratory studies)

Rottlerin showed potent bactericidal activity against Helicobacter pylori, including clarithromycin- and metronidazole-resistant strains, at minimal bactericidal concentrations of 3.12–6.25 mg/L in vitro (PMC review). Chalcones from the fruit suppressed nitric-oxide production and inflammatory gene expression (iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β) in a mouse macrophage cell line (PMC review). Fruit fractions also showed antioxidant and antiradical activity (PMC review). All laboratory work: none of it is human evidence.

Cytotoxic/antitumor screening (cell studies)

Ethanolic extracts of the glandular-hair fraction showed the strongest cytotoxic effect across a panel of 14 human cancer cell lines in vitro (Kampillaka review summary). Cell-line cytotoxicity is a screening signal, not a cancer treatment: this finding belongs in a lab, not a clinic.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

No human clinical trial of kampillaka was identified in the reviews surveyed. The anthelmintic and purgative effects are supported only in rats; the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic findings are in vitro. Traditional efficacy claims for worms, skin disease, and digestion remain unvalidated in people.

Dosage

There is no established human dose. The only dose figures in the literature are animal ones (e.g., 60–120 mg/kg of resin in rats for anthelmintic/purgative effects), which cannot be converted into a human dose. No clinical-trial or pharmacopoeial human dose was verified from a citable source, so none is given.

Safety & contraindications

FAQs

What is kampillaka?

Kampillaka is the red glandular powder from the fruit surface of Mallotus philippensis (the kamala tree), rich in the compound rottlerin. In Ayurveda it is classically used as a purgative, a tapeworm remedy, and for skin conditions (PMC review; GBIF).

Is kampillaka effective against tapeworms?

In rats, yes: fruit resin at 60–120 mg/kg showed substantial lethal effects on intestinal tapeworms, and extracts acted against multiple worm classes in vitro and in vivo (Kampillaka review). But no human trials exist: use a modern, properly dosed anthelmintic instead of experimenting.

Is kampillaka safe in pregnancy?

Avoid it. Animal studies report reduced fertility, and rottlerin has been reported to suppress reproductive hormones via the hypothalamic axis (GBIF; practitioner review). There are no human pregnancy safety data.

What are the side effects of kampillaka?

As a purgative it can cause GI distress, nausea, and colic cramping, especially at larger doses (practitioner review). Systematic human safety data do not exist.

Is rottlerin proven to kill cancer cells?

Only in laboratory cell lines: ethanolic extracts showed cytotoxicity across 14 human cancer cell lines in vitro (review summary). That is a research lead, not a treatment: there is no human evidence.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Kampillaka is a strong purgative with no established human dose and animal data suggesting antifertility effects; it must not be used as a home deworming remedy or during pregnancy. Talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner before use — especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, managing a medical condition, or taking prescription medicines.