Nikochaka: The API Identity Behind the Name

TL;DR

Nikochaka is listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as a Sanskrit synonym of Aṅkolah, defined as the dried leaf of Alangium salvifolium. Laboratory work on the species uses varied parts and extracts that do not match the pharmacopoeial leaf drug. No human trial of a standardized nikochaka preparation was found, and safety data is limited.

What it is

In the API's searchable text, the monograph for Aṅkolah defines the drug as the dried leaf of Alangium salvifolium, and the synonym list includes Nikochaka among its Sanskrit names (API searchable copy).

Two things follow. First, nikochaka is not a separate herb; it is a name for the same drug the pharmacopoeia calls aṅkolah. Second, the pharmacopoeial drug is the leaf: dried leaf, specifically. Research on root bark, stem extracts, or whole-plant preparations of Alangium salvifolium is research on something other than the defined drug, and this article does not borrow its results.

Traditional use

The pharmacopoeia itself records traditional data for aṅkolah leaf. The monograph's properties-and-action table gives: rasa tikta (bitter), kaṭu (pungent), kaṣāya (astringent); guṇa laghu (light), snigdha (unctuous), tīkṣṇa (sharp), sara (mobile); vīrya uṣṇa (hot). Vipāka kaṭu (pungent); and karma vātahara and kaphahara (pacifying vāta and kapha), vāmaka (emetic), recaka (purgative), vraṇaśodhaka (cleansing wounds), mūtrala (diuretic), pārada-śodhana, and jvaraghna (antipyretic). It lists traditional therapeutic uses including jvara, kaṇṭharoga, śotha, śūla, kṛmi, visarpa, and several viṣa (poisoning) conditions, with a dose of 2–10 g, and names no formulations (API searchable copy). This is traditional pharmacopoeial classification, not clinical proof, and is reported here as the tradition's claims, not as evidence of effect.

What modern research says

The honest summary is short: this review found no human trial of a standardized nikochaka preparation: no randomized trial, no observational study, nothing measuring efficacy or safety in people.

Animal and laboratory studies of Alangium salvifolium exist, but they were excluded from this article on a methodological ground, not an oversight: they test different plant parts, different extracts, and different preparations than the pharmacopoeial dried leaf. A result from root-bark extract in rats cannot be pasted onto a leaf drug and called evidence. Until someone studies the defined preparation, there is no modern evidence base for nikochaka, only a species with scattered lab data around it.

Safety & contraindications

No verified safety data for the pharmacopoeial leaf preparation was located: no toxicity studies, no interaction data, no pregnancy or breastfeeding data. The position is plain:

FAQs

What is nikochaka?

Nikochaka is a Sanskrit drug name listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India as a synonym of Aṅkolah, the dried leaf of Alangium salvifolium. It is a name for one defined drug, not a separate herb.

Is nikochaka the same as ankolah?

Pharmacopoeially, yes. The API monograph for Aṅkolah includes Nikochaka among its Sanskrit synonyms, and defines the drug as the dried leaf of Alangium salvifolium.

What part of the plant is used as nikochaka?

The dried leaf. That specificity matters: studies on other parts of Alangium salvifolium do not constitute evidence for the leaf drug.

What is nikochaka used for?

The API monograph for Ankolah lists traditional therapeutic uses including jvara (fever), kantharoga (throat disorders), shotha (swelling), shula (pain), krimi (worms), visarpa (spreading skin lesions), and several visa (poisoning) conditions, with a dose of 2–10 g. This is traditional pharmacopoeial classification, not clinical proof: no human trial of the leaf preparation exists.

Is nikochaka safe?

Safety data is limited to the point of absence for the defined leaf preparation. No human safety data was found. Do not self-administer it.

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is for education only, not medical advice. Ayurvedic herbs can interact with medicines and are unsafe in some conditions. Talk to a qualified practitioner before using any herb or formulation.