Herb library · Updated 16 October 2026 · By Aashish Passi
The Ayurvedic herb library.
What the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India says about each herb, what clinical trials have and haven't shown, and what to know about safety and quality. Every statement is referenced, so you can check it yourself.
Monographs
Herbs
Withania somnifera (L.) DunalAshwagandhaAshwagandha is the dried root of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, a shrub of the nightshade family (Solanaceae).Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook.f. & Thomson (listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol. I, as Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers)GiloyGiloy, or Guduchi, is the dried mature stem of Tinospora cordifolia, a perennial climber of the Menispermaceae family found throughout tropical India and an official drug in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn.ArjunaArjuna is the dried stem bark of Terminalia arjuna, a large deciduous tree of the Combretaceae family found across much of India, and is official in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, which lists it as hṛdya (cardiac tonic) and for hṛdroga (heart conditions) among other uses.Polyherbal formulation, equal parts of fruit pericarp of: Terminalia chebula Retz. (Haritaki); Terminalia bellirica Roxb. [API spelling: T. belerica Roxb.] (Bibhitaki); Phyllanthus emblica L. [API: Emblica officinalis Gaertn., syn. Phyllanthus emblica Linn.] (Amalaki)TriphalaTriphala ('three fruits') is a classical Ayurvedic powder made of equal parts of the dried fruit rind of Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica); the Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it as Triphala Churna, citing the Bhavaprakasha.Not a plant species: a humic- and fulvic-acid-rich organo-mineral exudate that oozes from rock strata, mainly in the Himalaya (mineral pitch / asphaltum; 'Asphaltum punjabianum' in Ayurvedic literature). No binomial or authority applies.ShilajitShilajit (Sanskrit Śilājatu) is a pale-brown to blackish-brown, sticky exudate that seeps from rock layers in mountain ranges, especially the Himalaya and Hindu Kush, and is used in Ayurveda as a rasayana (rejuvenative).
Method
How we write these monographs
- Official texts first. The Ayurvedic profile, dose and identity tests come from the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) and the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, published by the Government of India.
- Human evidence ranked by strength. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials come first. Laboratory and animal studies are shown separately, because they don't show the same effect in people.
- Every citation checked. Each PubMed ID is checked against the NCBI database, and authors, titles and years are copied from it.
- Bad news included. Null trials, liver-injury reports, drug interactions and regulatory actions in India and abroad appear alongside positive findings.
- Careful wording. We report what studies found and how strong the evidence is. We make no claims to treat or prevent any disease, in line with the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
- Kept up to date. Each page shows when it was last updated. Corrections are welcome at info@prabhatayurvedicpharmacy.in.
The library is written by Aashish Passi, Managing Director of Prabhat Ayurvedic Pharmacy, an AYUSH GMP certified manufacturer in Amritsar since 1959.
Educational content, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor before using any herbal medicine.