Rakta Chandana (Red Sandalwood): Traditional Uses, Evidence & Safety

TL;DR

Rakta chandana is the heartwood of Pterocarpus santalinus (red sanders, Fabaceae): not the same plant as white sandalwood (Santalum album). Ayurveda uses it as a cooling drug for ulcers, eye diseases, dysentery and bleeding. One small 1-week RCT (80 adults) reported headache-pain reduction with bark extract; animal studies show anti-inflammatory effects. No strong clinical evidence yet.

What it is

Rakta chandana ("red sandalwood") is the heartwood and bark of Pterocarpus santalinus L.f. (family Fabaceae), known in English as red sanders: a moderate-sized deciduous tree with extremely hard, dark-red heartwood (JABB 2025 review). It is endemic to India, with a localized distribution in the dry, hilly forests of the southern Eastern Ghats (southern Andhra Pradesh and northern Tamil Nadu), and reviews describe it as an endangered species under pressure from illegal harvest (WJPPS review abstract; JETIR pharmacognostic review). The heartwood yields the red dye santalin, used as a colouring agent in pharmaceutical preparations and foodstuffs (JABB 2025 review).

Do not confuse it with white sandalwood. Our article on chandana covers Santalum album (family Santalaceae): a different species, a different family, and different traditional uses. Research on one does not transfer to the other.

Traditional use

In Ayurveda, rakta chandana is classified as a cooling (sheeta) drug. Traditional records describe the heartwood decoction for ulcers, eye diseases, inducing vomiting and mental aberrations. It is used as a cooling agent and credited with antihyperglycaemic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and tonic properties, plus activity in haemorrhage, dysentery, as an aphrodisiac and diaphoretic (JABB 2025 review). The heartwood is described as bitter and sweet, cooling, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge, with its decoction given in chronic dysentery and for vitiated pitta, burning sensation, vomiting, skin diseases and ulcers. These are traditional claims, not clinical proof: the research record is examined separately below.

What modern research says

Tension-type headache (one small RCT)

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Lahore, Pakistan enrolled 80 adults (18–65) with tension-type headache, giving either P. santalinus bark extract (100 mg/mL, 250 mL three times daily) or placebo for one week. Mean pain scores (visual analogue scale) fell from 6.22 to 0.48 in the extract group versus 6.10 to 4.05 with placebo (p < 0.001), with no reported adverse events (JHWCR trial). Caveats: this is a single small, very short trial reporting an unusually large effect (95% complete pain relief): it needs independent replication before it can support any treatment claim. It also tested a bark extract, not the traditional heartwood preparation.

Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant effects (animal study)

A methanolic wood extract given orally to rats at 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema, reduced acetic-acid-induced writhing, and increased hot-plate pain latency in a dose-dependent manner. In the lab it scavenged 76.6% of DPPH radicals at 500 µg/mL. No mortality occurred even at the highest tested dose (2,000 mg/kg) (PMC animal study). This is preclinical pharmacology: it establishes biological activity in rodents, not efficacy in people.

What the evidence does not support (yet)

No randomized clinical trials were identified testing rakta chandana for its classical Ayurvedic indications: ulcers, eye diseases, dysentery, bleeding, or diabetes. Reviews of the species agree it "has remained unexplored for many pharmacological activities claimed" (JABB 2025 review).

Safety & contraindications

No dedicated human safety trials of rakta chandana were identified. In the rat study above, a single 2,000 mg/kg oral dose produced no mortality (PMC animal study), but animal tolerance is not human safety evidence. There are no data on use in pregnancy or breastfeeding, or on interactions with medications: consult a qualified practitioner before medicinal use. Because the species is endangered, source material responsibly; legality and sustainability are real concerns with red sanders timber.

FAQs

What is rakta chandana?

The heartwood and bark of Pterocarpus santalinus L.f. (red sanders, Fabaceae), an endangered Indian tree whose heartwood yields the red dye santalin (JABB 2025 review).

Is rakta chandana the same as sandalwood (chandana)?

No. White sandalwood is Santalum album (Santalaceae): covered in our chandana article. Rakta chandana is Pterocarpus santalinus (Fabaceae). Different species, different family, different evidence base.

What is rakta chandana used for in Ayurveda?

Ayurveda classifies it as a cooling drug, traditionally used for ulcers, eye diseases, dysentery, bleeding, burning sensations and skin diseases (JABB 2025 review). These are traditional uses, not clinically proven effects.

Does it help with headaches?

Only very preliminary evidence: one small 1-week RCT of 80 adults reported large pain-score reductions with a bark extract, but the effect size is unusually large and the trial needs replication (JHWCR trial). It tested bark extract, not traditional heartwood preparations.

Is rakta chandana safe?

No human safety trials were identified. Animal studies showed no mortality at tested doses, but that is not human safety evidence. There are no data for pregnancy, breastfeeding, or drug interactions.

No established human dose exists. Without pharmacopoeial or clinical-trial dosing, no recommendation can be made.

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.