convolvulus pluricaulis – Ayurved Healing

Shankhpushpi for Anxiety: The Nootropic Herb Psychiatry Should Study

Dr. Meera Iyer — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:03:18 +0000

In a 2014 mouse elevated-plus-maze study, an ethanolic extract of Convolvulus pluricaulis given orally at 500 mg/kg produced a mean open-arm time of 84.0 ± 12.5 seconds, compared with 23.4 ± 5.3 seconds in untreated controls. Diazepam at 1 mg/kg produced 156.6 ± 32.8 seconds. These results support an anxiolytic-like effect in one animal model, but they do not show that the extract has “54% of diazepam’s potency.” Potency cannot be calculated by directly comparing one behavioural endpoint at dissimilar doses, and the experiment did not establish clinical efficacy in people.

This captures the present state of Shankhpushpi research: a credible preclinical signal and a modern pharmacopoeial identity, but major uncertainty about species, extract composition, mechanism, human dosing, interactions, and effectiveness for diagnosed anxiety disorders.

The Identity Problem: Which Plant Is Shankhpushpi?

The first research question is botanical, not pharmacological. “Shankhpushpi” has been applied to more than one plant in Indian practice and commerce. A comparative pharmacognostic investigation published in 2010 documented four plants traditionally traded or used under the name:

Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy (Convolvulaceae)
Evolvulus alsinoides L. (Convolvulaceae)
Clitoria ternatea L. (Fabaceae)
Canscora decussata (Roxb.) Schult. (Gentianaceae)

These names are not interchangeable experimental labels. The 2010 study compared morphology, microscopy, physicochemical constants, and chromatographic fingerprints to support authentication. A paper or product that says only “Shankhpushpi” may therefore be impossible to reproduce reliably.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volume II, defines Shankhapushpi as the dried whole plant of Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy. Its monograph describes a prostrate or sub-erect, spreading, hairy perennial herb with a woody rootstock. The same monograph notes that Clitoria ternatea and Evolvulus alsinoides are used as Shankhapushpi in certain parts of India. Thus, the pharmacopoeia supplies a reference identity while also acknowledging regional substitution.

A 2016 study developed an internal-transcribed-spacer multiplex PCR assay to distinguish Convolvulus prostratus—the name used by those authors for the plant also cited as C. pluricaulis—from E. alsinoides. It generated species-specific products of 200 and 596 base pairs and detected 10% admixture. Molecular testing is useful, but trials still need documented sourcing, voucher specimens, and chemical standardization.

Classical and Pharmacopoeial Profile

In the Charaka Samhita tradition, Shankhapushpi is grouped with Mandukaparni, Yashtimadhu, and Guduchi in medhya rasayana practice. “Medhya” concerns intellect, memory, and mental faculties within Ayurveda; it is not automatically a claim to treat generalized anxiety disorder, dementia, or another modern diagnosis.

The official pharmacopoeial monograph gives the following attributes for Convolvulus pluricaulis. These are the API entries and should not be replaced with properties copied from a different regional substitute or later secondary source:

Ayurvedic category	API description
Rasa	Tikta, Katu, Kashaya
Guna	Snigdha, Pichchila
Virya	Shita
Vipaka	Madhura
Karma	Tridoshahara, Rasayana, Medhya, Balya, Mohanashaka, Ayushya

The API lists manasaroga and apasmara among therapeutic uses and gives 3–8 g of powder as the monograph dose. These categories are not exact synonyms for contemporary anxiety disorders or epilepsy and require qualified clinical interpretation.

What the Anxiety Studies Actually Show

The evidence most often cited for anxiety consists mainly of rodent experiments. These studies can identify a behavioural signal and guide mechanism research, but they cannot determine whether an authenticated product is effective, safe, or appropriately dosed for a person with an anxiety disorder.

Study	Material and design	Verified finding	Main limitation
Nahata and colleagues, 2009	Rodent experiments using ethyl-acetate fractions of E. alsinoides and C. pluricaulis	Both materials produced anxiolytic-like effects in behavioural tests	Animal data from selected fractions; not a human trial
Malik and colleagues, 2011	Extracts from three commonly used botanical sources of Shankhpushpi	Nootropic, anxiolytic-like, and CNS-depressant activities varied by plant source and dose	Source-dependent results prevent a single conclusion for every “Shankhpushpi” product
Siddiqui and colleagues, 2014	Mice given aqueous, ethanolic, or chloroform extracts of C. pluricaulis at 500 mg/kg	All three extracts increased open-arm time; ethanolic extract reached 84.0 seconds versus 23.4 seconds in controls	Single acute animal experiment with a high extract dose
Heba and colleagues, 2017	Mouse model of ethanol intake and withdrawal	Shankhpushpi reduced withdrawal-associated anxiety-like behaviour and altered cortico-hippocampal GABA findings	A model of alcohol withdrawal, not ordinary clinical anxiety

Open-arm time is a behavioural proxy, not a direct measure of calmness, receptor occupancy, or therapeutic equivalence. The extract also lacked a quantified marker specification. Because different botanical sources produce different CNS profiles, future trials should report the Latin binomial, plant part, solvent, extraction ratio, voucher specimen, contaminant testing, fingerprint, and marker range.

GABAergic Activity: A Plausible Pathway, Not a Settled Human Mechanism

The 2014 paper proposed possible involvement of the GABA-benzodiazepine system, but it did not measure receptor binding, chloride flux, or human GABA-A activity. Claims of proved benzodiazepine-site agonism or benefit without tolerance go beyond its evidence.

The 2017 ethanol-withdrawal experiment provides more specific preclinical support. In that mouse model, the anti-anxiety-like effect was blocked by a GABA-A antagonist, and chronic administration was associated with increased cortico-hippocampal GABA. This supports GABA-A involvement under the conditions of that experiment. It does not establish GABA-A as the sole mechanism of every preparation or predict the size of an effect in human anxiety.

Reviews report alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, and phytosterols in C. pluricaulis, including shankhpushpine, convolamine, scopoletin, kaempferol, and beta-sitosterol. Presence does not establish mechanism, and content varies with identity and extraction. The API gives only the broad constituent entry “alkaloid,” not a clinical standard for anxiety.

Mechanistic caution: A 2022 network-pharmacology paper predicted multiple targets and pathways relevant mainly to dementia research. Computational target mapping is hypothesis-generating. It cannot confirm that a compound reaches the human brain at an active concentration, binds the predicted target in vivo, or improves a clinical outcome.

Cognition and Memory: Promising Preclinical Data, Limited Clinical Proof

The cognition literature remains dominated by laboratory models. Rodent studies report effects after scopolamine- or aluminium-associated impairment. In one aluminium-neurotoxicity model, C. pluricaulis affected muscarinic M1 receptor, choline acetyltransferase, and NGF-TrkA expression. These findings do not establish prevention or treatment of human dementia.

Another rodent study used piracetam as a reference in learning and memory tests. A reference group does not establish clinical equivalence, and animal performance cannot be turned into a prescribing comparison.

Human evidence is modest. A 2015 comparative study enrolled 102 healthy young volunteers and evaluated four 500 mg Shankhapushpi tablets twice daily after food with milk for two months against a programme involving yoga and Satvavajaya Chikitsa. Some memory measures improved, but the herbal intervention was not tested against an inert placebo under a fully blinded design, and the participants did not have anxiety disorders or dementia. The study therefore offers preliminary information about cognitive testing, not proof of treatment for a psychiatric or neurodegenerative condition.

An Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation evidence review likewise concluded that well-controlled human data are lacking. Comparative trials have not established superior safety or efficacy over prescription drugs.

Dose and Preparation: What Can Be Stated Reliably

Mouse doses should not be converted into self-treatment doses by simple body-surface-area arithmetic. Such calculations do not account for extract ratio, constituent exposure, metabolism, product quality, or indication.

Preparation or context	Verified amount	How to interpret it
API whole-plant powder	3–8 g	Pharmacopoeial monograph dose for the authenticated crude drug; not evidence of efficacy for generalized anxiety disorder
Tablet used in the 2015 volunteer study	Four 500 mg tablets twice daily for 60 days	A study-specific regimen in healthy young adults; not a universal clinical dose
Commercial syrups, capsules, and extracts	No single evidence-based equivalent dose	Concentration, species, plant part, extraction ratio, sugar content, and marker compounds may differ

A useful label states the botanical name, plant part, crude-drug equivalent, solvent and ratio, and batch testing. “Shankhpushpi 500 mg” is incomplete when products may contain powder, concentrated extract, or another species.

Safety and Herb–Drug Interactions

Human safety information is insufficient for confident claims about long-term use or combinations with psychiatric and neurological medicines. Traditional use cannot replace adverse-event monitoring and interaction studies.

Phenytoin: A 1992 report described two patients who lost seizure control while using a Shankhapushpi preparation with phenytoin. Repeated administration in rats reduced phenytoin concentration and anticonvulsant activity. Although botanical authentication was inadequate by current standards, patients should not combine them without the prescribing clinician.
Benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines, alcohol, and other CNS depressants: Some extracts show CNS-depressant or sleep-potentiating activity in animals. Additive drowsiness is a reasonable precaution, although human risk is unquantified.
Antihypertensive treatment: Limited summaries note possible blood-pressure-lowering effects. A person with low blood pressure or prescribed antihypertensives should seek clinical advice and monitoring rather than assuming the combination is harmless.
SSRIs, SNRIs, and other antidepressants: Computational literature does not establish a clinical serotonin-syndrome interaction. Combination safety is inadequately studied.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, liver or kidney disease: Adequate controlled safety data are lacking. Unsupervised medicinal use should be avoided in these groups unless an appropriately qualified clinician has assessed the individual situation.

Safety advice: Do not stop or replace prescribed anxiety, seizure, sleep, or blood-pressure treatment with Shankhpushpi. Discuss the exact product with the prescribing healthcare provider and a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, especially when symptoms are severe or medicines are already used.

Research Gaps That Should Shape the Next Trial

The evidence does not show that Shankhpushpi “works like a benzodiazepine.” It shows that authenticated C. pluricaulis deserves better-designed human research addressing the following gaps.

Diagnosed anxiety populations: PubMed-indexed literature does not provide an adequately powered, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of authenticated C. pluricaulis for a defined anxiety disorder.
Botanical authentication: Trials need a voucher specimen and molecular or validated pharmacognostic confirmation, not only the common name Shankhpushpi.
Chemical standardization: Extract ratio, solvent, fingerprint, marker range, contaminants, pesticides, microbes, and heavy metals should be reported batch by batch.
Pharmacokinetics: Human absorption, active metabolites, brain exposure, half-life, and dose proportionality have not been established for a clinically standardized preparation.
Safety and interactions: Studies should prospectively monitor sedation, cognition, blood pressure, liver and kidney indices, withdrawal effects, and interactions with commonly prescribed medicines.
Clinically meaningful outcomes: A future trial should use a preregistered primary anxiety scale, functional outcomes, adverse-event reporting, and follow-up after discontinuation rather than relying only on laboratory memory tests or subjective impressions.

Where the Evidence Leaves Us

Shankhpushpi has a genuine Ayurvedic context, an API monograph for Convolvulus pluricaulis, and anxiolytic-like and cognitive signals in animal models. That justifies investigation, not a percentage comparison with diazepam, confirmed GABA-A agonism in people, or replacement of evidence-based anxiety care.

A defensible next step is a preregistered, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study using authenticated, chemically characterized C. pluricaulis, preceded by dose-finding and safety work. Until then, species verification, professional supervision, medication review, and honest uncertainty are more appropriate than promotional certainty.

References

Nothing in this article diagnoses or treats a medical condition. Use it as educational information and consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or physician before starting herbs, supplements, detoxes, or therapeutic protocols, especially if pregnant, managing a condition, or taking medication.

Brahmi vs Shankhpushpi: Which Nootropic Herb Is Right for You?

Dr. Meera Iyer — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 16:47:30 +0000

Two Herbs, One Question: Which Ayurvedic Cognitive Herb Fits the Need?

“Brain tonic” is too broad for a precise Ayurvedic choice. Poor retention, stress-related distractibility, disturbed sleep, mental fatigue, and progressive cognitive change are not interchangeable complaints. Brahmi and Shankhapushpi are both described as medhya in authoritative Ayurvedic sources, but their botanical identities, classical attributes, doses, and levels of modern clinical study differ substantially.

A second distinction is essential. The well-known passage in Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana 1/3/30–31, names Mandukaparni juice, Yashtimadhu powder with milk, Guduchi juice, and Shankhapushpi paste as especially intellect-promoting rasayanas. Bacopa monnieri is not one of the four drugs named in that passage. Nevertheless, the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India separately identifies Bacopa monnieri as Brahmi and assigns it the actions medhya and rasayana. Both herbs therefore have authentic Ayurvedic standing, but not through the same textual statement.

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri): The Better-Studied Option for Memory

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India defines Brahmi as the dried whole plant of Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Wettst. Modern products may contain whole-plant powder or extracts standardized to selected saponins; these forms are not dose-equivalent and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Classical Ayurvedic Profile

Its recorded pharmacopoeial attributes are:

Rasa: madhura, tikta, kashaya — sweet, bitter, and astringent
Guna: laghu and sara — light and mobile or flowing
Virya: shita — cooling
Vipaka: madhura — sweet post-digestive effect
Karma: includes medhya, rasayana, matiprada, Vatahara, and Kaphahara

The pharmacopoeia lists Sarasvatarishta, Brahmi Ghrita, Brahmi Vati, Sarasvata Churna, and Smritisagara Rasa among important formulations associated with Brahmi. Raw herb, extract capsules, and compound formulations remain therapeutically distinct.

Human Clinical Evidence

Bacopa has a larger human evidence base than Convolvulus pluricaulis. A 2001 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a standardized extract reported improvements after 12 weeks in visual information-processing speed, learning rate, memory consolidation, and state anxiety. A separate 2002 trial in adults aged 40–65 found a significant effect on retention of newly learned word pairs, with the pattern suggesting reduced forgetting rather than a broad improvement across every memory measure.

A 2012 systematic review found the most consistent signal in memory free recall, while effects in other cognitive domains were less consistent. A 2014 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials concluded that Bacopa had potential cognitive benefits, particularly for speed of attention, while also calling for larger and better-designed trials. Standardized Bacopa extracts may improve selected outcomes in some adults after repeated use, but they are not established dementia treatments or universal remedies for poor concentration.

More recent evidence also argues against certainty. A 12-week randomized trial published in 2025 found no greater improvement in cognitive performance than placebo, although it reported signals for reduced stress and fatigue. Differences among extracts and study designs make product-specific interpretation important.

What Is Known About Mechanism

Bacopa contains dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins commonly grouped under the term bacosides. Laboratory and animal studies have examined antioxidant activity, cholinergic signaling, monoamine systems, synaptic plasticity, and neuroprotective pathways. Some human studies have also measured acetylcholinesterase-related outcomes. These findings do not justify equating Bacopa with donepezil or reducing its effects to one neurotransmitter pathway.

Shankhapushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis): Classical Medhya Rasayana with Limited Human Data

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India defines Shankhapushpi as the whole plant of Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy. It also notes that Clitoria ternatea and Evolvulus alsinoides are used as Shankhapushpi in some parts of India. A label carrying the common name “Shankhpushpi” may therefore contain a different species from the one used in a study or monograph.

Classical Ayurvedic Profile

For pharmacopoeial Convolvulus pluricaulis, the recorded Ayurvedic attributes are:

Rasa: tikta, kashaya — bitter and astringent
Guna: sara — mobile or flowing
Virya: shita — cooling
Vipaka: madhura — sweet post-digestive effect
Karma: includes medhya, rasayana, balya, ayushya, Kaphahara, Pittahara, and mohanashaka

Charaka’s medhya-rasayana passage specifies Shankhapushpi in paste form. The pharmacopoeia lists Brahmi Ghrita, Agastyaharitaki Rasayana, Brahma Rasayana, Manasamitra Vataka, Gorocanadi Vati, and Brahmi Vati among important formulations associated with Shankhapushpi. A formulation name containing “Brahmi” does not establish that every modern product contains both herbs.

Experimental Evidence and Its Limits

Animal studies have reported memory-related, anxiolytic, and central nervous system depressant effects from Convolvulus pluricaulis extracts. A 2011 study evaluated several extracts in rodents and found activity in learning, memory, anxiety, and locomotor models, with results varying by extract and dose. Phytochemical investigations describe alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, and sterols, with profiles varying by material and extraction method.

Human clinical evidence for authenticated Convolvulus pluricaulis remains sparse. It is therefore inaccurate to assign it a proven four-to-six-week onset, a validated GABA mechanism in patients, or superiority over Bacopa for anxiety. Its contemporary use is best framed as a classical Ayurvedic choice requiring individualized prescribing, not a standardized nootropic protocol.

Head-to-Head Comparison

No robust direct human trial establishes that one of these herbs is categorically superior to the other. A useful comparison separates classical pharmacopoeial information from modern clinical evidence.

Parameter	Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri)	Shankhapushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis)
Official drug part	Dried whole plant	Whole plant
Classical standing	Medhya and rasayana in the API monograph	One of Charaka’s four specified medhya rasayanas; also medhya and rasayana in the API
Rasa	Madhura, tikta, kashaya	Tikta, kashaya
Guna	Laghu, sara	Sara
Virya	Shita	Shita
Vipaka	Madhura	Madhura
Dosha-related API karma	Vatahara and Kaphahara are listed	Kaphahara and Pittahara are listed
API powder dose	1–3 g	3–8 g
Modern evidence	Several small human trials and systematic reviews; outcomes are mixed	Mainly animal and laboratory studies; limited authenticated human data
Common practical issue	Extract strengths and bacoside specifications differ	Several botanical species may be sold under the same common name

Clinical Decision Framework

Ayurvedic selection should consider the person, the complaint, digestive tolerance, concurrent medicines, and the exact preparation. Constitution alone is insufficient, and neither herb should be chosen solely from an online dosha quiz.

When Brahmi May Be the More Defensible Starting Point

Brahmi is the more evidence-supported option when the goal is a time-limited trial for memory retention or selected attention outcomes in an otherwise medically assessed adult. Considerations include:

Difficulty retaining newly learned information without sudden or progressive neurological symptoms
A preference for a product standardized in the same way as a published human trial
Willingness to use it consistently for the trial period rather than expecting an immediate stimulant effect
Access to professional review of gastrointestinal tolerance, thyroid status, and possible medicine interactions

When Shankhapushpi May Be Considered

Shankhapushpi may be selected within an Ayurvedic plan when its classical medhya, rasayana, Pittahara, and Kaphahara profile fits the assessed presentation. Practical requirements are:

Confirmation that the product contains Convolvulus pluricaulis rather than an unspecified substitute
Use of the whole herb or a clearly characterized preparation rather than assuming all syrups are equivalent
Practitioner supervision when the complaint includes anxiety, insomnia, seizures, thyroid disease, or regular medication use
Realistic expectations, because a clinically validated onset time and comparative superiority have not been established

Should They Be Combined?

A combination is not automatically more effective. Classical and proprietary formulations may contain multiple medhya herbs, but their rationale, proportions, processing, and adjuvants are formulation-specific. A fixed schedule of 300 mg Bacopa extract plus 3 g Shankhapushpi is neither a universal classical protocol nor a validated combined regimen. Combination use should follow a qualified practitioner’s assessment.

Dosing and Dosage Forms

Dose must be tied to the exact material. A gram dose of whole-plant powder cannot be converted directly into a milligram dose of concentrated extract, and commercial syrups may also contain several ingredients.

Brahmi

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India gives 1–3 g of the drug in powder form. Several adult cognition trials used about 300 mg daily of a particular standardized extract, but the extract specification is part of the dose and cannot be omitted. Brahmi Ghrita is an official classical formulation associated with the herb; its dose should follow the applicable formulary, product directions, and practitioner advice rather than being inferred from raw-herb dosing.

Shankhapushpi

The pharmacopoeial dose is 3–8 g of the drug in powder form. It does not establish a universal dose for juice, syrup, tablets, or concentrated extracts. Because several species circulate under the common name, check the botanical name and plant part.

Ghee, Milk, and Black Pepper

Ghee has an established place in Ayurvedic dietetics and in classical medicated-ghee formulations used for medhya purposes. That use does not prove that ghee increases absorption of every constituent in either herb. Likewise, adding black pepper is not automatically appropriate; piperine can alter drug metabolism, and no universal Brahmi–Shankhapushpi protocol requires it.

Safety Considerations and Interactions

“Natural” does not mean interaction-free. Product authentication, dose, duration, age, pregnancy status, medical conditions, and concurrent medicines all affect safety.

Brahmi: Human trials most often report gastrointestinal effects such as increased stool frequency, abdominal cramps, and nausea. Caution is appropriate with thyroid disease or thyroid hormone, cholinergic or anticholinergic medicines, and drugs affected by CYP enzymes.
Shankhapushpi: Human safety and interaction data for authenticated Convolvulus pluricaulis are limited. Do not use animal thyroid findings to alter levothyroxine, antithyroid medicine, or endocrine care.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Avoid self-prescribing either herb because adequate human safety data and product consistency are lacking.
Children and older adults: Dosing should be individualized by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or healthcare professional, especially when other medicines are used.
Persistent symptoms: New, worsening, or progressive memory change, confusion, severe anxiety, sleep disruption, or functional decline requires medical evaluation rather than treatment with a nootropic supplement alone.

Consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner and the relevant healthcare provider before starting either herb, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, treating a thyroid or neurological condition, or taking prescription medication.

Bottom Line

Brahmi and Shankhapushpi are not interchangeable “brain herbs.” Bacopa monnieri has the stronger human research base for selected memory and attention outcomes, although results are mixed and extract-specific. Convolvulus pluricaulis has a particularly clear classical position as one of Charaka’s medhya rasayanas, but its modern human evidence is much thinner and botanical substitution is a major practical concern. The sound choice depends on authenticated material, the precise clinical goal, the Ayurvedic assessment, and safety review—not on claims of a universal best nootropic.