Andrographis

Andrographis paniculata · Andrographolide · Kalmegh

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Acute respiratory tract infection¹ Cough² Sore throat¹ Knee osteoarthritis pain³ Progressive multiple sclerosis⁴	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁵ Aminophylline use⁶ Chemotherapy use⁶

Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata, Kalmegh) is a bitter Asian herb whose andrographolides act through anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects⁶. It is used mainly for cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infections¹. It is also used in ulcerative colitis, knee osteoarthritis pain, progressive multiple sclerosis, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Randomized trials in respiratory infection show improved cough and sore throat against placebo, though trial quality was poor¹. Pooled ulcerative colitis trials showed no significant response over placebo, while one placebo-controlled trial found less knee osteoarthritis pain. A 2022 open-label trial in Indonesian malaria patients reported high treatment efficacy without a control group⁷. Of 510 products listing andrographis, the sampled forms were capsules and liquids; see Form comparison.

Per Memorial Sloan Kettering, andrographis inhibits a liver enzyme that metabolizes aminophylline, raising that medication's side-effect risk, and its antioxidant effects may interfere with chemotherapy⁶. Per the same source, patients taking anticoagulants or antiplatelets are asked to consult their treating physician⁶.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

56 sources, 44 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources