The Sunlight Experiment
Erva Tostão

Materia Medica

Erva Tostão

Boerhavia diffusa

UrinaryHepatobiliaryCardiovascular

Erva tostão is a sprawling tropical herb whose root is used as a diuretic and a tonic for the liver and kidneys. In Ayurveda it is punarnava, a classical rejuvenating herb for swelling and fluid retention.

Verified by Justin Cooke Updated September 2026

What Is Erva Tostão?

Erva tostão is a sprawling tropical herb in the four-o’clock family, valued above all for its root. In Ayurveda it is punarnava (“that which renews”), a classical rejuvenating tonic for swelling, fluid retention and the liver and kidneys. In Brazil it is a folk diuretic and cleansing tonic.

Boerhavia diffusa grows as a weed across the tropics of Asia, Africa and the Americas, sprawling over roadsides and open ground 1,46Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →. Its stout root is the part most often dried or decocted.

The root carries a family of rotenoids called boeravinones, along with the alkaloid punarnavine 1Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →. Research on the plant has focused on the kidneys, the liver and inflammation, almost entirely in animals and cell cultures 1,2Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →Reference 2Das S et al. · 2023ReviewEthnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/View study →.

The root and the leaf are used differently. The root is taken for the kidneys and liver, and the fresh leaf juice is used for pain in Amazonian folk practice.

How Is Erva Tostão Used?

Erva tostão is used mostly as the dried root or the dried whole plant. It is a bitter, mildly warming tonic, taken at modest doses over time for the kidneys, the liver and fluid balance.

  • Decoction — 20–30 g of the dried whole plant, the dose set by the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India 48Reference 48Government of India et al.ReviewThe Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volume IView study →.
  • Fresh leaf juice — used in Amazonian folk practice for pain, without a set dose.

Traditional Uses

Ayurvedic Medicine

As punarnava (“that which renews” or “brings back to life”), B. diffusa is a classical Ayurvedic rasayana. It has been used for centuries as a diuretic and anti-oedema herb, particularly for shotha (swelling) and ascites, and as a tonic for the liver and kidneys.

It appears in classical formulations for jaundice-type liver complaints and for urinary complaints.

Classical practice cautions against its use in pregnancy beyond the first trimester, because of possible uterine stimulation.

Brazilian & Amazonian Folk Medicine

Under the Portuguese name erva tostão, the root is a folk remedy in Brazil and across wider South America. It is taken as a diuretic and depurative for fluid retention, including oedema and ascites, and as a cleansing tonic for the liver and kidneys.

In Amazonian folk medicine the fresh leaf is used separately, as a juice or decoction, to relieve pain 40Reference 40Hiruma-Lima CA et al. · 2000AnimalThe juice of fresh leaves of Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Nyctaginaceae) markedly reduces pain in mice — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 71(1-2), 267-74. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10904173/View study →.

Indications

  • Fluid retention and oedema [root; Ayurveda, Brazilian folk use] Caution: No study has measured urine output or sodium excretion. The support is indirect: kidney-protection studies in rodents and reduced calcium-oxalate crystallisation in vitro 11,12,13,14,15,44.
  • Ascites [root; Ayurveda]
  • Jaundice and liver complaints [root; Ayurveda]
  • Urinary complaints [root; Ayurveda]
  • Kidney protection [root extract]
  • Liver protection [root and leaf extracts]
  • Elevated blood sugar [leaf and root extracts]
  • Mild high blood pressure [root extract]
  • Pain [fresh leaf juice; Amazonian folk use]

Botany

Erva tostão is a low, spreading perennial herb in the four-o’clock family (Nyctaginaceae) 2,46Reference 2Das S et al. · 2023ReviewEthnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/View study →Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →. Its stems are usually much branched and trail or sprawl along the ground, reaching up to 2 m in length 46,47Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 47Lu et al. · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →.

The leaves grow in opposite pairs. They are broadly oval to nearly round, 2–6 cm long, and paler on the underside than on top, and most grow on the lower half of the plant 46Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →.

The flowers are tiny, 1–1.5 mm, and purplish-red to pink. They are borne in small clusters of two to five at the ends of slender, branching stalks 46,47Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 47Lu et al. · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. Each fruit is small and five-ribbed, with glandular hairs that make it sticky 2,46,47Reference 2Das S et al. · 2023ReviewEthnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/View study →Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 47Lu et al. · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →.

Below ground it forms a thick, spindle-shaped, woody taproot. This is the part harvested for medicine 46Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →. In India the old rootstock lies dormant through the hot summer and sends up new growth with the rains 2Reference 2Das S et al. · 2023ReviewEthnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/View study →.

Boerhavia diffusa belongs to a variable complex of closely related plants. Some botanists treat B. repens and B. coccinea as part of the same species, and others keep them separate 1,46Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →.

Distribution

Erva tostão grows throughout the tropics and subtropics, in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia and the Pacific islands. In North America it reaches Florida, Georgia and South Carolina 46,47Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →Reference 47Lu et al. · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description and distribution — floraView study →. Because botanists define the species differently, its exact natural range is hard to pin down 46Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →.

It is a common weed of roadsides, waste ground and other disturbed places, and in India it springs up in the rainy season 1,46Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →Reference 46Spellenberg · 2003Boerhavia diffusa Linnaeus — species description, habitat and distribution — floraView study →.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Erva Tostão

Lifeperennial
  • Thrives in warm, frost-free climates; treat it as a tender perennial in the tropics and subtropics and as an annual where winters bite.
  • Wants full sun to light part-shade and does well in poor, disturbed or sandy ground — it is a natural colonizer of open soil.
  • Tolerates seasonal drought once established; the stout root carries it through dry spells.
  • Spreads readily and self-sows from clinging fruits, so give it room or contain it if you don’t want a sprawling mat.

Grow it yourself

Farm Wiki is our cultivation-focused sister site, also run by Justin Cooke.

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Pharmacology & Research

Around 130 primary studies have been published on Boerhavia diffusa, almost all in rodents and cell lines. No placebo-controlled human trial has tested the herb on its own 1,2Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →Reference 2Das S et al. · 2023ReviewEthnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/View study →.

The most consistent findings are antioxidant, kidney-protective and liver-protective activity. They overlap, because much of the organ protection follows from the same antioxidant effect 16,20,22Reference 16Olaleye MT et al. · 2010AnimalAntioxidant activity and hepatoprotective property of leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats — rat in vivo, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 48(8-9), 2200-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553784/View study →Reference 20Satheesh MA · 2004AnimalAntioxidant effect of Boerhavia diffusa L. in tissues of alloxan induced diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Indian journal of experimental biology, 42(10), 989-92. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15511002/View study →Reference 22Aviello G et al. · 2011In vitroPotent antioxidant and genoprotective effects of boeravinone G, a rotenoid isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa — in vitro, PloS one, 6(5), e19628. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21625488/View study →.

The root’s rotenoids (the boeravinones) and the alkaloid punarnavine carry the anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective findings at the level of single molecules 25,27,30Reference 25Chen Y et al. · 2021AnimalBoeravinone B alleviates gut dysbiosis during myocardial infarction-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 25(13), 6403-6416. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34028176/View study →Reference 27Saraswati S et al. · 2013In vitroPunarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa exhibits anti-angiogenic activity via downregulation of VEGF in vitro and in vivo — mouse in vivo, Chemico-biological interactions, 206(2), 204-13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24060680/View study →Reference 30Zhou C et al. · 2022AnimalChemoprotective effect of boeravinone B against 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine induced colorectal cancer in rats via suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction — rat in vivo, Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 13(4), 1832-1841. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36092334/View study →.

What the Evidence Supports
  • Best-supported: antioxidant activity across dozens of models 20,22Reference 20Satheesh MA · 2004AnimalAntioxidant effect of Boerhavia diffusa L. in tissues of alloxan induced diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Indian journal of experimental biology, 42(10), 989-92. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15511002/View study →Reference 22Aviello G et al. · 2011In vitroPotent antioxidant and genoprotective effects of boeravinone G, a rotenoid isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa — in vitro, PloS one, 6(5), e19628. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21625488/View study →; nephroprotection against drug- and toxin-induced kidney injury 11,12Reference 11Sawardekar SB · 2015AnimalEvaluation of the effect of Boerhavia diffusa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(2), 95-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166999/View study →Reference 12Karwasra R et al. · 2016AnimalSafety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa — rat in vivo, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 81, 341-352. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27667768/View study →; hepatoprotection in chemical liver-damage models 16,17Reference 16Olaleye MT et al. · 2010AnimalAntioxidant activity and hepatoprotective property of leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats — rat in vivo, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 48(8-9), 2200-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553784/View study →Reference 17Kaushik A et al. · 2017AnimalAntioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Swaras and Hima Extracts of Tinospora cordifolia and Boerhavia diffusa in Swiss albino Mice — mouse in vivo, Pharmacognosy magazine, 13(Suppl 3), S658-S662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29142429/View study →.
  • Emerging, worth watching: boeravinone B and punarnavine as anticancer/antimetastatic leads 28,30Reference 28Manu KA · 2009AnimalAnti-metastatic potential of Punarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa Linn — mouse in vivo, Immunobiology, 214(4), 245-55. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19171408/View study →Reference 30Zhou C et al. · 2022AnimalChemoprotective effect of boeravinone B against 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine induced colorectal cancer in rats via suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction — rat in vivo, Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 13(4), 1832-1841. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36092334/View study →; RAAS-modulating cardioprotection 24,26Reference 24A P et al. · 2017AnimalPolyphenol rich ethanolic extract from Boerhavia diffusa L. mitigates angiotensin II induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats — rat in vivo, Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 87, 427-436. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28068633/View study →Reference 26Uoorakkottil I et al. · 2024AnimalMolecular Docking and Antihypertensive Activity of Eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside Isolated from Boerhavia diffusa Linn — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutics, 16(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39771606/View study →; neuroprotective and antidepressant-like signals 41,42Reference 41Yuan S · 2021AnimalBoeravinone B Protects Brain against Cerebral Ichemia Reperfusion Injury in Rats: Possible Role of Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant — rat in vivo, Journal of oleo science, 70(7), 927-936. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193669/View study →Reference 42Dhingra D · 2014AnimalEvidence for involvement of the monoaminergic system in antidepressant-like activity of an ethanol extract of Boerhaavia diffusa and its isolated constituent, punarnavine, in mice — mouse in vivo, Pharmaceutical biology, 52(6), 767-74. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24559436/View study →.
  • Mechanistically thin: the diuretic action rests on tradition and indirect renal data, not a direct diuresis study.
  • The caveat: everything is animal or in vitro. There is no standardised dose, and effects do not transfer across preparations (root vs leaf, extract vs whole powder vs isolated compound).

Results depend heavily on the preparation. A standardised ethanolic root extract, an aqueous leaf juice and an isolated boeravinone behave as different substances, and a finding for one does not carry over to the others.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support
AntioxidantPromising
72%
NephroprotectivePromising
71%
HepatoprotectivePromising
70%
Anti-InflammatoryPromising
66%
AntidiabeticPromising
61%
CardioprotectivePromising
57%
AnticancerPromising
55%
ImmunomodulatoryPromising
52%
AntimicrobialPromising
46%
SpasmolyticShaky
43%
AnalgesicShaky
38%
DiureticShaky
28%
1. Antioxidant

Antioxidant activity is the most heavily replicated property of the herb, and it underpins most of the organ-protection findings. Across roughly forty rodent and cell studies, extracts restore endogenous antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione) and lower lipid-peroxidation markers in liver, kidney and cardiac tissue 16,20Reference 16Olaleye MT et al. · 2010AnimalAntioxidant activity and hepatoprotective property of leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats — rat in vivo, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 48(8-9), 2200-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553784/View study →Reference 20Satheesh MA · 2004AnimalAntioxidant effect of Boerhavia diffusa L. in tissues of alloxan induced diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Indian journal of experimental biology, 42(10), 989-92. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15511002/View study →.

At the molecule level the root rotenoid boeravinone G shows radical-scavenging and genoprotective activity in the nanomolar range via MAP-kinase and NF-κB modulation 22Reference 22Aviello G et al. · 2011In vitroPotent antioxidant and genoprotective effects of boeravinone G, a rotenoid isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa — in vitro, PloS one, 6(5), e19628. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21625488/View study →. Boeravinone B diminishes age-associated free-radical accumulation and extends lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans 43Reference 43Rathor L · 2018AnimalAge-induced diminution of free radicals by Boeravinone B in Caenorhabditis elegans — in vivo (C. elegans), Experimental gerontology, 111, 94-106. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30004006/View study →, and methanolic extracts rank highest for combined antioxidant/anticancer effect in comparative metabolite profiling 21Reference 21Sinan KI et al. · 2021In vitroLC-MS/HRMS Analysis, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Enzymatic and Anti-Oxidant Effects of Boerhavia diffusa Extracts: A Potential Raw Material for Functional Applications — in vitro, Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34943106/View study →.

Every endpoint is a tissue biomarker or in-vitro assay — no human biomarker study has been done, and potency is preparation-dependent and unstandardised.

2. Nephroprotective

This is the deepest whole-animal body of evidence and the mechanistic core of the traditional “kidney tonic” use. Aqueous and ethanolic root extracts blunt kidney injury across a wide range of insults: gentamicin 11Reference 11Sawardekar SB · 2015AnimalEvaluation of the effect of Boerhavia diffusa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(2), 95-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166999/View study →, cisplatin 12Reference 12Karwasra R et al. · 2016AnimalSafety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa — rat in vivo, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 81, 341-352. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27667768/View study →, methotrexate 15Reference 15Dinesh Kumar R et al. · 2026AnimalProtective role of Boerhavia diffusa root extract in methotrexate-induced renal injury: evidence from oxidative stress, molecular, and immunohistochemical markers — rat in vivo, BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 26(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42046059/View study →, adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (with restored podocyte nephrin expression) 13Reference 13Sadayan S et al. · 2024AnimalBoerhavia diffusa attenuates podocyte injury in rats with adenine induced chronic kidney disease by enhancing nephrin expression — rat in vivo, Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 37(1), 155-161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38741412/View study →, and ethylene-glycol hyperoxaluria 14Reference 14Pareta SK et al. · 2011AnimalAqueous extract of Boerhaavia diffusa root ameliorates ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluric oxidative stress and renal injury in rat kidney — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutical biology, 49(12), 1224-33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21846174/View study →.

The isolated rotenoids extend this. Boeravinone C reduces lipid accumulation in diabetic kidney disease via PPARα 10Reference 10Cheng Z et al. · 2025AnimalBoeravinone C ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in diabetic kidney disease by activating PPARα signaling — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 342, 119398. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39880066/View study →, and boeravinone B improves renal function by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 inflammatory signalling 9Reference 9Wen W et al. · 2024AnimalRenal Protective Effect of Boeravinone B against Diabetic Nephropathy Rats via Inhibition of The Inflammatory and JAK2/STAT3 Signalling Pathway — rat in vivo, Cell journal, 26(6), 351-360. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39154235/View study →.

Effects are consistently framed as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rather than a direct tubular mechanism. All of it is rodent work; the one clinical study is an uncontrolled veterinary comparison in dogs 45Reference 45Oburai NL et al. · 2015ObservationalComparative clinical evaluation of Boerhavia diffusa root extract with standard Enalapril treatment in Canine chronic renal failure — observational (dog), Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(3), 150-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26604549/View study →, and there is no controlled human renal-outcome data.

3. Hepatoprotective

Hepatoprotection is well replicated in chemical liver-injury models and aligns with the traditional use in jaundice. Leaf extracts reduce serum transaminase elevation and lipid peroxidation against acetaminophen 16Reference 16Olaleye MT et al. · 2010AnimalAntioxidant activity and hepatoprotective property of leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats — rat in vivo, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 48(8-9), 2200-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553784/View study →.

Aqueous swaras/hima preparations cut paracetamol-induced necrosis 17Reference 17Kaushik A et al. · 2017AnimalAntioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Swaras and Hima Extracts of Tinospora cordifolia and Boerhavia diffusa in Swiss albino Mice — mouse in vivo, Pharmacognosy magazine, 13(Suppl 3), S658-S662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29142429/View study →.

Ethanolic extract limits oxaliplatin-induced hepatotoxicity and steatohepatitis 18Reference 18Ain NU et al. · 2019AnimalHepatoprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Boerhaavia diffusa against oxaliplatin induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats — rat in vivo, Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 32(5), 1927-1932. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31813854/View study →.

The flavonoid eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside protects against galactosamine liver injury, with KEAP1/NF-κB docking supporting target engagement 19Reference 19Aldawsari HM et al. · 2026AnimalValidation, quantification, and molecular docking of isolated eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside in Boerhavia diffusa Linn for hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity — rat in vivo, Scientific reports, 16(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41912552/View study →.

The mechanism is again antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rather than liver-specific.

Gap: No human liver-enzyme or NAFLD trial. Several hepatoprotective results come from multi-herb Ayurvedic formulations, not B. diffusa alone — so the herb’s isolated contribution is uncertain.

4. Anti-Inflammatory

Anti-inflammatory activity links the renal, cardiac and anticancer findings, and the mechanism is mapped in detail at the molecule level. Root rotenoids suppress NF-κB, COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Boeravinone B reduces cardiac inflammatory injury after experimental myocardial infarction and limits cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion injury 25,41Reference 25Chen Y et al. · 2021AnimalBoeravinone B alleviates gut dysbiosis during myocardial infarction-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 25(13), 6403-6416. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34028176/View study →Reference 41Yuan S · 2021AnimalBoeravinone B Protects Brain against Cerebral Ichemia Reperfusion Injury in Rats: Possible Role of Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant — rat in vivo, Journal of oleo science, 70(7), 927-936. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193669/View study →, while the alkaloid punarnavine modulates cytokine profiles in tumour-bearing mice 35Reference 35Manu KA · 2007AnimalEffect of Punarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa, on cell-mediated immune responses and TIMP-1 in B16F-10 metastatic melanoma-bearing mice — mouse in vivo, Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 29(3-4), 569-86. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18075866/View study →.

A phospholipid-complexed rotenoid-rich fraction gave 64% inhibition in a standard rodent inflammation assay, against 48% for the crude fraction, suggesting bioavailability limits the whole extract. There is no dedicated human anti-inflammatory endpoint, and whole-animal paw-oedema data are sparse.

5. Antidiabetic

Glucose-lowering is consistent across alloxan- and streptozotocin-diabetic rodents. Aqueous leaf extract lowers blood glucose and raises hepatic hexokinase activity 6Reference 6Pari L · 2004AnimalAntidiabetic activity of Boerhaavia diffusa L.: effect on hepatic key enzymes in experimental diabetes — rat in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 91(1), 109-13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15036478/View study →.

Ethanolic extract reduces hyperglycaemia and restores renal antioxidant status comparably to metformin 8Reference 8Singh PK et al. · 2011AnimalAntihyperglycaemic and renoprotective effect of Boerhaavia diffusa L. in experimental diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22754925/View study →.

Effects on serum and tissue lipids in one study exceeded glibenclamide 7Reference 7Pari L · 2004AnimalAntidiabetic effect of Boerhavia diffusa: effect on serum and tissue lipids in experimental diabetes — rat in vivo, Journal of medicinal food, 7(4), 472-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15671692/View study →.

Newer work attributes part of the effect to the boeravinones acting on renal PPARα and JAK2/STAT3 pathways in diabetic complications 9,10Reference 9Wen W et al. · 2024AnimalRenal Protective Effect of Boeravinone B against Diabetic Nephropathy Rats via Inhibition of The Inflammatory and JAK2/STAT3 Signalling Pathway — rat in vivo, Cell journal, 26(6), 351-360. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39154235/View study →Reference 10Cheng Z et al. · 2025AnimalBoeravinone C ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in diabetic kidney disease by activating PPARα signaling — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 342, 119398. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39880066/View study →, plus in-vitro α-glucosidase and antiglycation activity. It is entirely rodent work — no human glycaemic (HbA1c or fasting glucose) trial — and the comparisons to metformin and glibenclamide are model-specific, not clinical equivalence.

6. Cardioprotective

Polyphenol-rich ethanolic extract reduces angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats 24Reference 24A P et al. · 2017AnimalPolyphenol rich ethanolic extract from Boerhavia diffusa L. mitigates angiotensin II induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in rats — rat in vivo, Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 87, 427-436. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28068633/View study →, with the same anti-hypertrophic effect reproduced in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts via oxidative-stress and NF-κB/TGF-β1 down-regulation 23Reference 23Prathapan A et al. · 2013In vitroBoerhaavia diffusa L. attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiac myoblast cells via modulating oxidative stress and down-regulating NF-κβ and transforming growth factor β1 — in vitro, The British journal of nutrition, 110(7), 1201-10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23591029/View study →.

Boeravinone B lowers cardiac injury markers after experimental myocardial infarction 25Reference 25Chen Y et al. · 2021AnimalBoeravinone B alleviates gut dysbiosis during myocardial infarction-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 25(13), 6403-6416. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34028176/View study →, and the lignan liriodendrin is a calcium-channel antagonist in cardiac cells 3Reference 3Lami N et al. · 1991In vitroConstituents of the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa LView study →.

An isolated flavonoid glycoside, eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside, lowered systolic and diastolic pressure in hypertensive rats 26Reference 26Uoorakkottil I et al. · 2024AnimalMolecular Docking and Antihypertensive Activity of Eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside Isolated from Boerhavia diffusa Linn — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutics, 16(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39771606/View study →.

There is no human blood-pressure or cardiac-outcome data.

7. Anticancer

A large preclinical oncology literature spans whole extracts and isolated molecules, all in animals and cell lines. The alkaloid punarnavine inhibits tumour angiogenesis (VEGF down-regulation) and reduces melanoma lung metastasis while extending survival in mice 27,28Reference 27Saraswati S et al. · 2013In vitroPunarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa exhibits anti-angiogenic activity via downregulation of VEGF in vitro and in vivo — mouse in vivo, Chemico-biological interactions, 206(2), 204-13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24060680/View study →Reference 28Manu KA · 2009AnimalAnti-metastatic potential of Punarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa Linn — mouse in vivo, Immunobiology, 214(4), 245-55. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19171408/View study →.

Whole extract cut B16F10 melanoma metastasis by ~87–95% prophylactically and therapeutically 29Reference 29Leyon PV et al. · 2005AnimalInhibitory effect of Boerhaavia diffusa on experimental metastasis by B16F10 melanoma in C57BL/6 mice — mouse in vivo, Life sciences, 76(12), 1339-49. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15670614/View study →.

Boeravinone B suppresses DMH-induced colorectal and DMBA/croton-oil skin carcinogenesis dose-dependently 30,31Reference 30Zhou C et al. · 2022AnimalChemoprotective effect of boeravinone B against 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine induced colorectal cancer in rats via suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction — rat in vivo, Journal of gastrointestinal oncology, 13(4), 1832-1841. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36092334/View study →Reference 31Wang Z et al. · 2021AnimalChemoprotective Effect of Boeravinone B against DMBA/Croton Oil Induced Skin Cancer via Reduction of Inflammation — mouse in vivo, Journal of oleo science, 70(7), 955-964. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193671/View study →, and topical extract reduced DMBA skin-tumour incidence from 100% to 25–65% 32Reference 32Bharali R et al. · 2003AnimalChemopreventive action of Boerhaavia diffusa on DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice — mouse in vivo, Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 47(4), 459-64. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15266960/View study →.

Gap: No clinical oncology data of any kind. Large percentage reductions come from aggressive rodent models and do not forecast human efficacy.

8. Immunomodulatory

The immune data run in both directions, depending on the fraction. The alkaloid punarnavine is immunostimulant — raising WBC count, antibody response, NK activity and lymphocyte proliferation in mice 36Reference 36Manu KA · 2009AnimalImmunomodulatory activities of Punarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa — mouse in vivo, Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 31(3), 377-87. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19555203/View study → — whereas the flavonoid eupalitin and the ethanolic root extract are immunosuppressive, inhibiting T-cell proliferation and NK cytotoxicity in vitro 33,34Reference 33Mehrotra S et al. · 2002In vitroImmunomodulation by ethanolic extract of Boerhaavia diffusa roots — in vitro, International immunopharmacology, 2(7), 987-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12188040/View study →Reference 34Pandey R et al. · 2005In vitroImmunosuppressive properties of flavonoids isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa Linn — in vitro, International immunopharmacology, 5(3), 541-53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15683850/View study →.

The whole-herb net effect is preparation- and dose-dependent and not established.

Gap: No human immune endpoints, and no whole-animal dose-response has resolved the stimulant/suppressant split.

9. Antimicrobial

Antimicrobial activity is scattered, mostly in vitro, and rarely at the whole-herb level. Root boeravinone B inhibits the Staphylococcus aureus NorA efflux pump, lowering the ciprofloxacin MIC and reducing biofilm formation — a resistance-reversal role rather than direct bactericidal potency 38Reference 38Singh S et al. · 2017In vitroBoeravinone B, A Novel Dual Inhibitor of NorA Bacterial Efflux Pump of Staphylococcus aureus and Human P-Glycoprotein, Reduces the Biofilm Formation and Intracellular Invasion of Bacteria — in vitro, Frontiers in microbiology, 8, 1868. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29046665/View study →. Boeravinone H blocks hepatitis C virus entry into hepatoma cells 37Reference 37Bose M et al. · 2017In vitroA plant-derived dehydrorotenoid: a new inhibitor of hepatitis C virus entry — in vitro, FEBS letters, 591(9), 1305-1317. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28337741/View study →.

Crude extracts show modest antifungal activity against dermatophytic Microsporum species 39Reference 39Agrawal A et al. · 2003In vitroAntifungal activity of Boerhavia diffusa against some dermatophytic species of Microsporum — in vitro, Hindustan antibiotics bulletin, 45-46(1-4), 1-4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16281821/View study → and variable antibacterial effects. There is no whole-animal infection-model efficacy for the herb alone at realistic doses.

10. Spasmolytic

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanolic root extract isolated a series of non-prenylated rotenoids (boeravinones D, E, G and related compounds) that relax guinea-pig ileum and reduce intestinal motility, apparently through a direct action on smooth muscle 4,5Reference 4Borrelli F et al. · 2005In vitroIsolation of new rotenoids from Boerhaavia diffusa and evaluation of their effect on intestinal motility — in vitro, Planta medica, 71(10), 928-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16254824/View study →Reference 5Borrelli F et al. · 2006In vitroSpasmolytic effects of nonprenylated rotenoid constituents of Boerhaavia diffusa roots — in vitro, Journal of natural products, 69(6), 903-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16792408/View study →.

Structure–activity work links the effect to specific substitutions on the rotenoid B and D rings. It is all in vitro on isolated gut tissue — no whole-animal GI-motility study and no human data — and because the active rotenoids are root constituents, leaf preparations may not carry the effect.

11. Analgesic

A lyophilised decoction and the fresh-leaf juice each produced ~47–50% inhibition of acetic-acid-induced writhing in mice, comparable to dipyrone, with the juice also raising hot-plate latency — pointing to a partly central, opioid-independent mechanism 40Reference 40Hiruma-Lima CA et al. · 2000AnimalThe juice of fresh leaves of Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Nyctaginaceae) markedly reduces pain in mice — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 71(1-2), 267-74. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10904173/View study →.

The same study found no anti-oedema effect against carrageenan, so the antinociception is not simply anti-inflammatory.

Gap: Two mouse studies only; no dose-response beyond a single dose, no human data, and the effect is tied specifically to the fresh leaf, not the root.

12. Diuretic

Punarnava is classically a diuretic and anti-oedema rasayana. There is no controlled experimental study measuring urine output, natriuresis or a diuretic dose-response for B. diffusa.

What exists is adjacent: the nephroprotective literature 11,12,13,14,15Reference 11Sawardekar SB · 2015AnimalEvaluation of the effect of Boerhavia diffusa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(2), 95-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166999/View study →Reference 12Karwasra R et al. · 2016AnimalSafety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa — rat in vivo, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 81, 341-352. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27667768/View study →Reference 13Sadayan S et al. · 2024AnimalBoerhavia diffusa attenuates podocyte injury in rats with adenine induced chronic kidney disease by enhancing nephrin expression — rat in vivo, Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 37(1), 155-161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38741412/View study →Reference 14Pareta SK et al. · 2011AnimalAqueous extract of Boerhaavia diffusa root ameliorates ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluric oxidative stress and renal injury in rat kidney — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutical biology, 49(12), 1224-33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21846174/View study →Reference 15Dinesh Kumar R et al. · 2026AnimalProtective role of Boerhavia diffusa root extract in methotrexate-induced renal injury: evidence from oxidative stress, molecular, and immunohistochemical markers — rat in vivo, BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 26(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42046059/View study →, reduced oxalate excretion in hyperoxaluric rats 14Reference 14Pareta SK et al. · 2011AnimalAqueous extract of Boerhaavia diffusa root ameliorates ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluric oxidative stress and renal injury in rat kidney — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutical biology, 49(12), 1224-33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21846174/View study →, and inhibition of calcium-oxalate crystallisation in vitro 44Reference 44Yasir F · 2011In vitroEffect of indigenous plant extracts on calcium oxalate crystallization having a role in urolithiasis — in vitro, Urological research, 39(5), 345-50. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21643743/View study →. These renal effects are consistent with diuresis but do not demonstrate it.

Gap: The central claim is untested experimentally.

Mechanisms

The root’s rotenoids, the boeravinones, and the alkaloid punarnavine have been studied mainly for their effects on inflammatory signalling, including NF-κB, and for free-radical scavenging. These shared actions link many of the kidney, liver, heart and anticancer findings.

The lignan liriodendrin has been identified as a calcium-channel antagonist in cardiac cells, which may relate to the blood-pressure findings in animals 3Reference 3Lami N et al. · 1991In vitroConstituents of the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa LView study →.

MechanismDrivesKey compounds
NF-κB ↓, COX-2 ↓, JAK2/STAT3 ↓, PPARα ↑, ROS scavenging, NorA efflux inhibition
anti-inflammatorynephroprotectiveanticancerantioxidantantimicrobial
boeravinone B, boeravinone C, boeravinone G, boeravinone H
VEGF/MMP ↓, NK-cell & antibody ↑, monoaminergic modulation
anticancer/antimetastaticimmunomodulatoryantidepressant-like
punarnavine
Ca²⁺-channel antagonism
cardiovascularspasmolytic
liriodendrin, syringaresinol
T-cell proliferation ↓, NK cytotoxicity ↓, BP ↓, Nrf2/KEAP1 modulation
immunosuppressionhepatoprotectiveantihypertensive
eupalitin
general anti-inflammatory / membrane effects
supportivenon-specific
beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid

Clinical Trials

No controlled clinical trial of Boerhavia diffusa as a single herb has been registered. Human evidence is limited to ethnobotanical surveys and one uncontrolled comparison in dogs with chronic kidney failure 45Reference 45Oburai NL et al. · 2015ObservationalComparative clinical evaluation of Boerhavia diffusa root extract with standard Enalapril treatment in Canine chronic renal failure — observational (dog), Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(3), 150-7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26604549/View study →.

CompletedPlannedTerminatedPreclinical
000~130

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

The root carries the alkaloid punarnavine and a family of rotenoids called boeravinones (A–H) 1Reference 1Mishra S et al. · 2014ReviewPhytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/View study →. Boeravinone B is the best characterised, and boeravinone C, boeravinone G and boeravinone H have each been linked to specific pharmacological findings. The root also contains the rotenoid glycoside punarnavoside.

Other root constituents include the lignans liriodendrin, a calcium-channel antagonist 3Reference 3Lami N et al. · 1991In vitroConstituents of the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa LView study →, and syringaresinol, along with β-sitosterol and the triterpene ursolic acid.

The leaf is the main source of the flavonol eupalitin, chiefly as its galactoside 19Reference 19Aldawsari HM et al. · 2026AnimalValidation, quantification, and molecular docking of isolated eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside in Boerhavia diffusa Linn for hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity — rat in vivo, Scientific reports, 16(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41912552/View study →.

A group of non-prenylated rotenoids isolated from the root relaxes intestinal smooth muscle in vitro 4,5Reference 4Borrelli F et al. · 2005In vitroIsolation of new rotenoids from Boerhaavia diffusa and evaluation of their effect on intestinal motility — in vitro, Planta medica, 71(10), 928-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16254824/View study →Reference 5Borrelli F et al. · 2006In vitroSpasmolytic effects of nonprenylated rotenoid constituents of Boerhaavia diffusa roots — in vitro, Journal of natural products, 69(6), 903-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16792408/View study →.

Constituent Summary

Reported mainly from the root; eupalitin mainly from the leaf.

Grouped by class · 11 compounds
Other Alkaloid1 compoundno data
Other AlkaloidPunarnavineNo data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)5 compoundsno data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)Boeravinone BNo data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)Boeravinone CNo data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)Boeravinone GNo data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)Boeravinone HNo data
Isoflavonoid (Rotenoid)PunarnavosideNo data
Lignan2 compoundsno data
LignanLiriodendrinNo data
LignanSyringaresinolNo data
Flavonoid1 compound1 with data
FlavonoidEupalitinNo Data (leaf)
Sterol1 compoundno data
Sterolβ-SitosterolNo data
Triterpene1 compoundno data
TriterpeneUrsolic acidNo data

Dosage

Doses follow the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, which lists the dried whole plant for swelling (shotha) and anaemia (pandu) 48Reference 48Government of India et al.ReviewThe Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volume IView study →.

The root and leaf are used differently. The root rotenoids carry the spasmolytic and much of the anti-inflammatory activity, while the pain-relief findings come from fresh leaf juice 4,5,40Reference 4Borrelli F et al. · 2005In vitroIsolation of new rotenoids from Boerhaavia diffusa and evaluation of their effect on intestinal motility — in vitro, Planta medica, 71(10), 928-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16254824/View study →Reference 5Borrelli F et al. · 2006In vitroSpasmolytic effects of nonprenylated rotenoid constituents of Boerhaavia diffusa roots — in vitro, Journal of natural products, 69(6), 903-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16792408/View study →Reference 40Hiruma-Lima CA et al. · 2000AnimalThe juice of fresh leaves of Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Nyctaginaceae) markedly reduces pain in mice — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 71(1-2), 267-74. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10904173/View study →.

Traditional Dosage

SystemPreparationDose
Ayurvedic (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India)Dried whole plant, as a decoction20–30 g of the herb for decoction 48Reference 48Government of India et al.ReviewThe Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volume IView study →

Safety & Pregnancy

Erva tostão has a reassuring toxicity record in animals. Its cautions follow from its pharmacology: it may add to blood-pressure and diuretic medicines, and its effect on the immune system varies with the preparation.

Safety at a Glance
Low / no toxicity
  • Blood-pressure lowering. May add to antihypertensive drugs — liriodendrin and eupalitin lower blood pressure in animal models.
  • Additive diuresis. High doses could add to pharmaceutical diuretics, with a risk of excess fluid and electrolyte loss.
  • Variable immune effect. One constituent stimulates immune activity and another suppresses it — take care alongside immune-modulating therapy.
  • Drug metabolism. A water extract inhibited the drug-metabolising enzymes CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 in laboratory tests; this has not been tested in animals or people 49Reference 49Ekow Thomford N et al. · 2018In vitroBush mint (Hyptis suaveolens) and spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa) medicinal plant extracts differentially affect activities of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes — in vitro, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 211, 58-69. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28942133/View study →.
  • No human safety studies. The toxicity record comes from animals.
  • Reassuring animal toxicity. Rodent studies report no organ toxicity at the doses used.
Full Safety & Interactions Detail

Animal studies report no organ toxicity at the doses used. There are no human safety studies, and no human herb–drug interaction or CYP450 study.

Drug metabolism. In laboratory tests, a water extract of the plant inhibited the drug-metabolising enzymes CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6, but this has not been tested in animals or people 49Reference 49Ekow Thomford N et al. · 2018In vitroBush mint (Hyptis suaveolens) and spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa) medicinal plant extracts differentially affect activities of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes — in vitro, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 211, 58-69. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28942133/View study →. Part of the inhibition on all three enzymes was time-dependent 49Reference 49Ekow Thomford N et al. · 2018In vitroBush mint (Hyptis suaveolens) and spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa) medicinal plant extracts differentially affect activities of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes — in vitro, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 211, 58-69. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28942133/View study →. The root rotenoid boeravinone B also blocked the drug pump P-glycoprotein in human cells 38Reference 38Singh S et al. · 2017In vitroBoeravinone B, A Novel Dual Inhibitor of NorA Bacterial Efflux Pump of Staphylococcus aureus and Human P-Glycoprotein, Reduces the Biofilm Formation and Intracellular Invasion of Bacteria — in vitro, Frontiers in microbiology, 8, 1868. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29046665/View study →.

Blood pressure. The lignan liriodendrin is a calcium-channel antagonist 3Reference 3Lami N et al. · 1991In vitroConstituents of the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa LView study →, and the flavonoid glycoside eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside lowered blood pressure in hypertensive rats 26Reference 26Uoorakkottil I et al. · 2024AnimalMolecular Docking and Antihypertensive Activity of Eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside Isolated from Boerhavia diffusa Linn — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutics, 16(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39771606/View study →. The herb may add to the effect of antihypertensive drugs.

Diuretics. Given its traditional use for fluid retention, high doses could add to the effect of pharmaceutical diuretics, with a risk of excess fluid and electrolyte loss. This is inferred from its pharmacology rather than seen in patients.

Immune-modulating therapy. The root alkaloid punarnavine is immunostimulant 36Reference 36Manu KA · 2009AnimalImmunomodulatory activities of Punarnavine, an alkaloid from Boerhaavia diffusa — mouse in vivo, Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology, 31(3), 377-87. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19555203/View study →, while the flavonoid eupalitin and the ethanolic root extract are immunosuppressive 34Reference 34Pandey R et al. · 2005In vitroImmunosuppressive properties of flavonoids isolated from Boerhaavia diffusa Linn — in vitro, International immunopharmacology, 5(3), 541-53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15683850/View study →. The net effect alongside immune-modulating therapy cannot be predicted.

Pregnancy & Lactation
Avoid in pregnancy Avoid while breastfeeding

Avoid. Classical Ayurvedic practice cautions against punarnava in pregnancy beyond the first trimester, because of possible uterine stimulation.

There is no data on use while breastfeeding, so it is best avoided.

References

  1. Mishra S, Aeri V, Gaur PK, & Jachak SM (2014). Phytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn — review, BioMed research international, 2014, 808302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24949473/
  2. Das S, Singh PK, Ameeruddin S, et al (2023). Ethnomedicinal values of Boerhaavia diffusa L. as a panacea against multiple human ailments: a state of art review — review, Frontiers in chemistry, 11, 1297300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033469/
  3. Lami N, Kadota S, Kikuchi T, & Momose Y (1991). Constituents of the roots of Boerhaavia diffusa L. III. Identification of Ca2+ channel antagonistic compound from the methanol extract — in vitro, Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin, 39(6), 1551-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1934177/
  4. Borrelli F, Milic N, Ascione V, et al (2005). Isolation of new rotenoids from Boerhaavia diffusa and evaluation of their effect on intestinal motility — in vitro, Planta medica, 71(10), 928-32. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16254824/
  5. Borrelli F, Ascione V, Capasso R, Izzo AA, Fattorusso E, & Taglialatela-Scafati O (2006). Spasmolytic effects of nonprenylated rotenoid constituents of Boerhaavia diffusa roots — in vitro, Journal of natural products, 69(6), 903-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16792408/
  6. Pari L, Amarnath Satheesh M (2004). Antidiabetic activity of Boerhaavia diffusa L.: effect on hepatic key enzymes in experimental diabetes — rat in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 91(1), 109-13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15036478/
  7. Pari L, Amarnath Satheesh M (2004). Antidiabetic effect of Boerhavia diffusa: effect on serum and tissue lipids in experimental diabetes — rat in vivo, Journal of medicinal food, 7(4), 472-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15671692/
  8. Singh PK, Baxi D, Doshi A, & A V R (2011). Antihyperglycaemic and renoprotective effect of Boerhaavia diffusa L. in experimental diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22754925/
  9. Wen W, Sun J, Ma Y, et al (2024). Renal Protective Effect of Boeravinone B against Diabetic Nephropathy Rats via Inhibition of The Inflammatory and JAK2/STAT3 Signalling Pathway — rat in vivo, Cell journal, 26(6), 351-360. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39154235/
  10. Cheng Z, Zhan H, Yuan H, et al (2025). Boeravinone C ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in diabetic kidney disease by activating PPARα signaling — mouse in vivo, Journal of ethnopharmacology, 342, 119398. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39880066/
  11. Sawardekar SB, Patel TC (2015). Evaluation of the effect of Boerhavia diffusa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats — rat in vivo, Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine, 6(2), 95-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26166999/
  12. Karwasra R, Kalra P, Nag TC, Gupta YK, Singh S, & Panwar A (2016). Safety assessment and attenuation of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity by tuberous roots of Boerhaavia diffusa — rat in vivo, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 81, 341-352. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27667768/
  13. Sadayan S, Raghavan V, Raj Thomson JE, Shankaranarayanan A, Anbumani S, & Subramanian M (2024). Boerhavia diffusa attenuates podocyte injury in rats with adenine induced chronic kidney disease by enhancing nephrin expression — rat in vivo, Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 37(1), 155-161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38741412/
  14. Pareta SK, Patra KC, Mazumder PM, & Sasmal D (2011). Aqueous extract of Boerhaavia diffusa root ameliorates ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluric oxidative stress and renal injury in rat kidney — rat in vivo, Pharmaceutical biology, 49(12), 1224-33. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21846174/
  15. Dinesh Kumar R, Lakshmanan G, Kalpana R, et al (2026). Protective role of Boerhavia diffusa root extract in methotrexate-induced renal injury: evidence from oxidative stress, molecular, and immunohistochemical markers — rat in vivo, BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 26(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42046059/
  16. Olaleye MT, Akinmoladun AC, Ogunboye AA, & Akindahunsi AA (2010). Antioxidant activity and hepatoprotective property of leaf extracts of Boerhaavia diffusa Linn against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in rats — rat in vivo, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 48(8-9), 2200-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20553784/
  17. Kaushik A, Husain A, Awasthi H, Singh DP, Khan R, & Mani D (2017). Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Swaras and Hima Extracts of Tinospora cordifolia and Boerhavia diffusa in Swiss albino Mice — mouse in vivo, Pharmacognosy magazine, 13(Suppl 3), S658-S662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29142429/
  18. Ain NU, Bano N, Beg AE, Hameed K, Fayyaz TB, & Sadaf R (2019). Hepatoprotective effects of ethanolic extract of Boerhaavia diffusa against oxaliplatin induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats — rat in vivo, Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 32(5), 1927-1932. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31813854/
  19. Aldawsari HM, Ameena K, Thasneem CK, et al (2026). Validation, quantification, and molecular docking of isolated eupalitin 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside in Boerhavia diffusa Linn for hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity — rat in vivo, Scientific reports, 16(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41912552/
  20. Satheesh MA, Pari L (2004). Antioxidant effect of Boerhavia diffusa L. in tissues of alloxan induced diabetic rats — rat in vivo, Indian journal of experimental biology, 42(10), 989-92. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15511002/
  21. Sinan KI, Akpulat U, Aldahish AA, et al (2021). LC-MS/HRMS Analysis, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Enzymatic and Anti-Oxidant Effects of Boerhavia diffusa Extracts: A Potential Raw Material for Functional Applications — in vitro, Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(12). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34943106/
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  23. Prathapan A, Vineetha VP, Abhilash PA, & Raghu KG (2013). Boerhaavia diffusa L. attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiac myoblast cells via modulating oxidative stress and down-regulating NF-κβ and transforming growth factor β1 — in vitro, The British journal of nutrition, 110(7), 1201-10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23591029/
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