Hermetica Superfood Encyclopedia
Legacy index-continuity record: the score and narrative are provisional and must not be represented as validated or human-approved.
Review flags: AWAITING_SEMANTIC_VALIDATION
Tinospora cordifolia is an Ayurvedic climbing shrub containing bioactive compounds like tinosporin and berberine that modulate immune responses and inflammatory pathways. Clinical trials demonstrate significant improvements in allergic rhinitis symptoms and physical performance metrics.
Origin & History
Tinospora cordifolia, known as Guduchi or Giloy in Ayurveda and Seenthil Kudineer in South Indian traditions, is a climbing shrub native to tropical regions of India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. The primary medicinal preparation comes from dried stems of this deciduous vine, extracted using aqueous or alcoholic methods. It belongs to the Menispermaceae family and is classified as a bitter tonic herb containing diterpenoids, alkaloids, and polysaccharides.
Research Narrative (Provisional)
Clinical evidence includes a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=36) demonstrating adaptogenic effects at 150-300mg/day for 28 days, and a pilot trial (PMID: 33520840) showing metabolic benefits in hypertriglyceridemia. Most studies are small-scale trials without meta-analyses, including allergic rhinitis and HIV symptom trials with limited sample sizes.
Preparation & Dosage
Dosage guidance is withheld because the publication gate has not recorded adequate support for this profile.
Nutritional Profile
Tinospora cordifolia (Seenthil Kudineer / Guduchi) stem is primarily valued for its bioactive phytochemical profile rather than macronutrient content. Key compounds include: • Alkaloids: berberine (~0.2-0.5% dry weight), palmatine, magnoflorine, tembetarine, choline, tinosporin • Diterpenoid lactones: tinosporide, columbin (~0.08-0.15%), clerodane derivatives (furanoid diterpenes) including tinosporaside • Glycosides: 18-norclerodane glucoside (cordifolioside A, B, C), tinocordiside, cordioside (~0.05-0.1%) • Polysaccharides: arabinogalactan (G1-4A), ~15-30% of aqueous extract dry weight; immunomodulatory high-molecular-weight polysaccharide fraction (RR1) • Steroids: β-sitosterol (~0.03-0.08%), δ-sitosterol, ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone, ~0.02%) • Phenolics and flavonoids: total phenolic content ~12-25 mg GAE/g dry extract; contains syringin, cordifolioside D, magnoflorine • Minerals (per 100g dry stem): calcium ~72-85 mg, phosphorus ~28-35 mg, iron ~4.2-5.8 mg, copper ~0.64 mg, zinc ~1.2-1.8 mg, manganese ~0.54 mg • Fiber: crude fiber ~8-12% of dry stem weight • Protein: ~4.5-6.5% dry weight (relatively low); contains free amino acids including proline and glutamic acid • Bitter principles: tinosporon, tinosporic acid, giloin (~0.1%), giloinin contribute to hepatoprotective and digestive-stimulant activity • Ascorbic acid: ~28-38 mg/100g fresh stem • Bioavailability notes: The aqueous decoction (kudineer) form enhances extraction of water-soluble polysaccharides and glycosides; berberine has inherently low oral bioavailability (~5%) but polysaccharide matrix may partially improve absorption; tinocordiside and cordifoliosides show moderate oral bioavailability in animal models; traditional preparation with milk (ksheerapaka) or ghee may enhance absorption of lipophilic diterpenoids; piperine co-administration has been shown to increase berberine bioavailability by ~2-fold
Reported Mechanism (Provisional)
Tinospora cordifolia's alkaloids including berberine, tinosporin, and palmatine activate macrophages and enhance natural killer cell activity while modulating cytokine production. The polysaccharides stimulate complement pathways and antibody production. Sesquiterpenoids like tinocordiside inhibit pro-inflammatory mediators through NF-κB pathway suppression.
Clinical Narrative (Provisional)
A randomized controlled trial with 100 allergic rhinitis patients found 79-100% symptom improvement with Tinospora cordifolia versus 12-21% with placebo. A separate RCT (n=36) demonstrated that 150-300mg daily significantly improved VO2 max, grip strength, and endurance in healthy adults over 8 weeks. Additional small studies suggest immune parameter improvements, though larger trials are needed. Evidence quality remains moderate due to limited sample sizes.
Also Known As
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