Ketaki (Kewda) in Ayurveda: Properties & Everyday Use

What it is

Ketaki is Pandanus odoratissimus Linn. f. (family Pandanaceae), a small tree of India's coastal districts, Orissa (especially Ganjam), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, better known as kewda or the screw pine (Adkar & Bhaskar, BioMed Research International 2014). Some literature regards Pandanus fascicularis Lam. as the same plant (the names are used interchangeably in parts of the literature), so a product labeled either way may refer to this species (IJPSR). The male inflorescences yield kewda oil, the intensely fragrant essential oil used in perfumery and traditional remedies, whose main constituents include phenyl ethyl methyl ether, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, and benzyl benzoate (Adkar & Bhaskar 2014). The leaves contain distinctive pyridine alkaloids (pandamarilactones) and the aroma compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (same review).

Classical properties

• Taste (rasa): bitter (Tikta), sweet (Madhura)
• Qualities (guna): light (Laghu)
• Potency (virya): warming (Ushna)
• After digestion (vipaka): pungent (Katu)
• Doshas: traditionally said to settle Pitta and Kapha; may increase Vata

Traditional use

A 2014 systematic-style review of the plant's ethnopharmacology records that Indian Ayurvedic medicine recommends it for headache, rheumatism, spasm, cold/flu, epilepsy, wounds, boils, scabies, leucoderma, ulcers, colic, hepatitis, smallpox, leprosy, syphilis, and cancer: and as a cardiotonic, antioxidant, dysuric, and aphrodisiac (Adkar & Bhaskar 2014). The kewda oil from the flowers is used traditionally for earache, headache, arthritis, debility, giddiness, and rheumatism. The leaves are used for backache, rheumatic diseases, epilepsy, wound healing, nervous disorders, indigestion, diabetes, and skin diseases (same review; PMC4220508). These are traditional claims, not clinical proof: the human evidence is assessed below.

What research has looked at

Adaptogenic and analgesic activity (animal only)

A lyophilized hydroethanol extract showed adaptogenic activity in Swiss albino mice (PMC4897571). Aqueous extracts showed analgesic activity in animal tests, a finding cited as supporting the traditional use in rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis (IJPSR). This is preliminary animal work, not a treatment; never use it in place of, or alongside, prescribed medicine without your doctor. Leaf constituents have also shown CNS-depressant action in mice (same source). Animal results are not evidence of human efficacy.

Antitumor claims (lab only)

An aqueous extract of roots and leaves of P. odoratissimus f. ferreus was tested against human cancer cell lines in vitro: but the study authors themselves note that "scientific evidence in support of the antitumor activity of P. odoratissimus f. ferreus is lacking despite its use as a potential antitumor agent in traditional system" (PMC4220508). Traditional anticancer use is not evidence of anticancer effect.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

No human clinical trial of ketaki for any condition was identified in the reviews surveyed. The long traditional-use list above, from leprosy to cancer to epilepsy, rests on ethnobotanical records and preclinical work, not on human testing.

Safety notes

No human safety studies of ketaki were found. The most important safety signal comes from a rat study: a hydroalcoholic leaf extract given orally showed significant antifertility activity, including anti-implantation and antiestrogenic effects, even though it showed no acute toxicity at the amounts tested (PMC6806807). Avoid ketaki in pregnancy and when trying to conceive. Traditional sources also describe the roots and flowers as abortifacient (IJPSR). Avoid while breastfeeding for lack of data, and discuss use with a clinician if taking prescription medication or managing a medical condition.

FAQs

What is ketaki (kewda)?

Ketaki is Pandanus odoratissimus, the screw pine of India's coasts, whose intensely fragrant male flowers yield kewda oil used in perfumery and traditional medicine (Adkar & Bhaskar 2014). It is sometimes labeled Pandanus fascicularis: the names overlap in the literature.

Does kewda oil have proven health benefits?

No. Traditional uses (headache, earache, rheumatism) are documented, but no human trial of kewda oil or any ketaki preparation was identified in the reviews surveyed (Adkar & Bhaskar 2014).

Is ketaki safe during pregnancy?

No: avoid it. A rat study found antifertility and anti-implantation effects from leaf extract, and traditional sources describe the roots and flowers as abortifacient (PMC6806807; IJPSR).

Can ketaki treat cancer?

There is no evidence it can. Traditional anticancer use and in-vitro cell-line work do not equal treatment, and the researchers studying it say scientific support is lacking (PMC4220508).

Is ketaki the same as the pandan leaves used in cooking?

Not exactly: check the Latin name. Culinary pandan is usually a different Pandanus species; the traditional-medicine literature for ketaki concerns P. odoratissimus (sometimes called P. fascicularis) (IJPSR).

Sources

• Adkar PP, Bhaskar VH. "Pandanus odoratissimus (Kewda): A Review on Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Nutritional Aspects." BioMed Research International. 2014;2014:120895. DOI: 10.1155/2014/120895 — PMC · PMC4408760
• "Adaptogenic Activity of Lyophilized Hydroethanol Extract of Pandanus odoratissimus in Swiss Albino Mice." — PMC · PMC4897571
• "Antifertility effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Pandanus odoratissimus L. leaves." — PMC · PMC6806807
• "Anticancer Studies of Aqueous Extract of Roots and Leaves of Pandanus Odoratissimus f. ferreus (Y. Kimura) Hatus: An In Vitro Approach." — PMC · PMC4220508
• "Nocturnal enuresis, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Pandanus odoratissimus L. peduncle." Int J Pharm Sci Res — ijpsr.com

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.