Medicinal Plants

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium)

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium), also called Purging Croton, is most powerful laxative, which has stimulant action on bowel movement. It has potent effects, which results in cramps during defecation and loose stools.

Generally, Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) is not indicated in most cases of constipation because of its dangerous effects. The safer laxatives are available in the market. However, physician may require potent stimulant laxative in some cases with severe constipation. Before using Croton Tiglium in severe constipation, you should confirm for other causes especially Bowel obstruction (Intestinal obstruction). In this case, you should never use any formulation containing Jamal gota as an ingredient.

Basic Information

Scientific NameCroton Tiglium
Plant FamilyEUPHORBIACEAE
Hindi NameJamal gota (Jamalgota)
English NamePurging Croton

Botanical Classification (Plant Taxonomy)

KingdomPLANTAE
Sub-KingdomVIRIDIPLANTAE
Infra KingdomSTREPTOPHYTA  (land plants)
Super DivisionEMBRYOPHYTA
DivisionTRACHEOPHYTA (TRACHEOPHYTES or Vascular Plants)
Sub DivisionSPERMATOPHYTINA (SPERMATOPHYTES or Seed Plants)
ClassMAGNOLIOPSIDA
Super OrderROSANAE
OrderMALPIGHIALES
FamilyEUPHORBIACEAE (EUPHORBES, SPURGE)
GenusCROTON
SpeciesCROTON TIGLIUM

Medicinal Parts

  • Seeds
  • Leaves
  • Roots
  • External bark of croton roots
  • Seed oil (croton oil, also called Crotonis oleum)

All parts for Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) have potent laxative action.

Phytochemistry (Chemical Composition)

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) kernels contain approximately 50 to 60% croton oil. Croton seed oil contains about 17 fatty acids.

Main Components

  • LINOLEIC ACID
  • OLEIC ACID
  • EICOSENOIC ACID

These three fatty acids are found in abundant amount (about 77.33% total) in croton oil.

Medicinal Properties

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) shows following effects in the body.

  • Stimulant laxative
  • Intestinal irritant

External application of croton oil is skin irritant. Some people use Jamalgota seeds as potent colon cleanser. They believe loose motions stimulated by croton Tiglium help in curing skin diseases because this process removes disease-causing toxins via final section of the large intestine.

In ayurveda, Jamalgota is used in Panchakarma purgation therapy (Virechana) for same purpose reducing toxins in the body and aiding better absorption of the ayurvedic medicines thereafter. It is useful in many diseases mainly in which Virechana recommended. Nowadays, ayurvedic physicians rarely use Jamalgota for Virechana. Instead, they prefer safer and well tolerable remedies like TRIVRIT LEHYAM (TRIVRIT AVALEHA) for Virechana.

Ayurvedic Properties

Taste – RASAKATU (Pungent)
Main Quality – GUNAGURU (Heavy), RUKSHA (Dry), TIKSHNA (Sharp)
Potency – VIRYAUSHNA (Hot)
Resultant – VIPAKAKATU (Pungent)
Therapeutic Effect – PRABHAVAStrong Laxative
DOSHA KARMA (Effect on Humors)Pacifies KAPHA
Effects on OrgansIntestines or Bowel

 

Therapeutic Indications

Croton Tiglium (Jamalgota) is helpful in following health conditions.

  • Persistent and obstinate constipation
  • Hair Loss (very rare use)

Croton Roots Paste – External Application

  • Hemorrhoids
  • Skin Tags
  • Abscess

Croton Root Bark

  • Jaundice

Seed Purification or Detoxification (SHODHANA)

Ayurveda recommends detoxifying or purifying (SHODHANA) the seeds of Croton Tiglium (Jamalgota) before using it therapeutic purposes. The main target of this process is to reduce its irritant property. Jamalgota purification process includes following steps.

  1. Soak croton seeds overnight.
  2. Remove the outer coating (layer) of croton seeds.
  3. Remove leaf like cotyledons from inside the croton kernels.
  4. Tie in a cotton cloth and form bag (POTTALI) for steaming (SVEDANA) kernels.
  5. Now, add cow’s milk in stainless steel container (or ayurvedic instrument DOLA YANTRA) and heat it to boil and to produce steam.
  6. Now, hang the cotton bag with croton seeds above the milk container and immerse the bag in milk container. Give heat produced in the milk container for 3 hours.
  7. After that, remove seeds from cotton cloth and wash them with warm water.
  8. To reduce more irritant effect of croton kernels, then you should also press the kernels between two blotting papers to remove residual croton oil.
  9. Then dry then in the sun. Then the croton kernels can be stored in dry glass jar or earthen jar.
  10. To reduce side effects of kernels, limejuice is helpful. Ayurveda texts recommend processing (BHAVANA) croton kernels with limejuice three times.

However, this process reduces irritant effect and side effects of croton kernels and makes them suitable for human consumption, but croton kernels still have potent laxative action.

Benefits & Medicinal Uses

All parts of Croton Tiglium (Jamalgota) have strong purgative action. Therefore, the general benefit of Jamalgota is to eliminate the constipation.

Constipation

Purified (SHODHIT) Croton Kernels: The purified (SHODHIT) croton (Jamalgota) kernels are used in ayurveda for constipation. The following mixture is beneficial and recommended in ayurvedic ancient texts to reduce side effects of croton kernels.

RemediesRatio
Croton Kernels Powder8 Parts (20 mg)
Borax Powder (Tankan Bhasma)1 Part (2.5 mg)

Ayurvedic physicians rarely use croton kernels alone. They have several ayurvedic formulations containing croton kernel (Jamalgota) powder.

Purified Jamalgota formulations are more beneficial for people with obstinate and persistent constipation if they have following symptoms or conditions.

  • They have not passed the stool since 3 days, but there is not bowel obstruction.
  • Indigestion or loss of appetite
  • AMA (Toxins developed due to undigested food)
  • Feeling heaviness in the abdomen, but no tenderness and abdominal pain

Croton Oil: Some folk physicians use 1 drop of croton oil mixing it with 1 tsp. honey or butter. Croton (Jamalgota) oil has very strong laxative and irritant action. Many people experience severe abdominal cramps, burning sensation in mouth, dizziness, vomiting and stupor. Therefore, we never believe it is UNSAFE for most people and we never recommend using croton oil internally for treating constipation. The purified (SHODHIT) croton kernels are safer option if patient urgently requires constipation management.

Croton Roots: Jamalgota or croton roots have mild laxative action, but roots may also cause mild burning in the abdomen like Jamalgota seeds.  However, croton roots are rarely used for laxative action, but roots increase the secretion of bile salts from the gall bladder and liver, which helps in removing constipation and treating jaundice.

Quick Point:

  • The oral use of unpurified seeds (croton kernels) and croton oil is likely unsafe. All these can cause severe inflammation in intestines and lead to intense abdominal pain and cramps.
  • Purified kernels may be useful for people with severe or chronic constipation, but the regular or frequent use of Jamalgota (purified kernels) is also unsafe. Its regular use may cause intestinal sluggishness and reduce natural peristalsis.

Hemorrhoids

In hemorrhoids, croton roots are used externally in form of paste. The paste is made using the fine powder of croton roots and buttermilk. This paste is applied on external hemorrhoids. The external hemorrhoids shrink and become dry. The swelling is reduced and patient feels relief from all symptoms of hemorrhoids. This application is effective only for non-bleeding piles.

Contraindicating Symptoms & Conditions

The paste application of croton root should not be applied if patient has following symptoms.

  • Burning sensation
  • Fissure or Cuts
  • Bleeding piles
  • Fistula

Skin Tags (Acrochordon)

The paste of croton (Jamalgota) roots prepared with warm water is applied on the skin tags for several days. Skin tags naturally fall off after several regular applications.

Abscess

The paste is prepared using water and external bark of croton roots. This paste is applied on the abscess. This paste helps bursting abscess. Some folks add turmeric (Curcuma Longa) powder in the paste for antiseptic purposes.

Jaundice

The external bark of croton roots is mixed with jaggery (Gur) and advised taking orally for increasing the bile secretion from the gall bladder and liver. This helps treating jaundice and reduces white stools.

Dosage

Plant Part or DerivativeDosage
Purified Jamalgota (croton kernels)5 mg to 25 mg *
Croton root powder100 mg to 1000 mg *
External bark of croton roots500 mg to 1000 mg *
Croton Oil1 drop mixed with honey or butter **

* Once a day ** Once a day, but we don’t recommend its use.

Purified Jamalgota (croton kernels) Dosage

Minimum Effective Dosage5 mg *
Moderate dosage (Adults)5 mg to 25 mg *
Moderate dosage (Children)Should not be used
Maximum Possible Dosage50 mg * (rare use)

* Once a day

Croton Antidote

Borax powder (Tankan Bhasma) is a strong antidote for all parts of Croton Tiglium plant.

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) Toxicity Treatment

Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium) can cause severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps along with burning sensation in the whole abdomen. Vacha (Calamus) root ash is a good antidote to reduce its toxicity and symptoms occurring due to it. Vacha root ash powder should be taken in dosage of 500 to 1000 mg two to three times a day or as required to reduce the symptoms. The Tankan Bhasma (250 mg) and Praval Pishti (1000 mg) should also be taken twice daily. If burning sensation is excess, then Praval Pishti can be repeated for 3 to 6 times a day in higher dosage (1 g).

Side Effects

Unpurified or Unprocessed Jamalgota (Croton Seeds)

Unpurified or unprocessed Jamalgota (croton seeds) is LIKELY UNSAFE and cause severe irritation and inflammation in the alimentary canal. It results in following side effects.

  • Diarrhea
  • Severe cramps
  • Severe abdominal tenderness
  • Burning in the abdomen
  • Ulceration in mouth
  • Acid dyspepsia
  • Vomiting
  • Stupor
  • Dizziness

External application of croton seeds (Jamal gota) can lead to following adverse effects.

  • Blistering
  • Itching
  • Burning sensation

Purified Jamalgota or Processed Croton Kernels

The unsupervised use can cause same side effects listed above, but the intensity of its effects are less than unpurified Jamalgota.

Croton Oil

Croton oil is LIKELY UNSAFE. 20 drops of croton oil can lead to death. Even a single drop can cause following side effects.

  • Mouth ulcer or Blistering in mouth
  • Burning in mouth
  • Vertigo
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • Stupor
  • Severe cramps

Croton Roots

The oral intake croton roots may be POSSIBLY UNSAFE if taken unsupervised, but it may be well tolerable by most of people within dosage less than 500 mg a day. The roots can cause burning sensation.

External Bark of Croton Roots

The External Bark of Croton Roots is WELL TOLERABLE in dosage less than 1000 mg a day. However, the higher dosage (even about 10 grams) is recommended in ancient texts for jaundice, but many ayurvedic physicians consider 1000 mg safest and effective dosage for external bark of croton roots.

How to treat diarrhea due to Jamalgota (Croton Tiglium)

Diarrhea due to jamal gota subsides itself. Sipping warm water is very helpful for reducing cramps and loose stools due to jamal gota indigestion. There is no treatment required in mild to moderate cases.

If severe diarrhea with severe abdominal cramps occurs due to Jamalgota, then antispasmodic and Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) may also require. Antidiarrheal drugs are ineffective in such case. In severe cases, Intravenous Fluid Resuscitation is also required.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

All parts of Croton Tiglium plant are STRONGLY UNSAFE in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Croton formulations can result in miscarriage and birth defects in children. It can cause severe diarrhea in breastfeeding babies if lactating mothers use it for treating their constipation.

Contraindications

Croton Tiglium (Jamal gota) is contraindicated in following health conditions.

  • Before and after surgery
  • Bleeding disorders
  • GERD
  • Gastritis
  • Abdominal pain
  • Acute abdomen
  • Ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory conditions of abdomen
  • Endometritis (inflammation of endometrium)

Subscribe to Ayur Times

Get notification for new articles in your inbox

Dr. Jagdev Singh

Dr. Jagdev Singh is a qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Herbalist with B.A.M.S. and M. Sc. in Medicinal Plants. He has a wealth of experience in using Ayurveda to treat patients, including the use of herbal medicine and personalized Ayurvedic diets. His passion for spreading accurate and scientific information about Ayurveda and Medicinal Plants led him to create Ayur Times, a trusted resource for those seeking reliable information on the topic. Through his dedicated work, Dr. Singh has helped thousands of patients find relief and improve their health with Ayurveda and Herbal Medicine.

Related Articles

16 Comments

    1. Application of Jamalgota may cause blistering and often wrong application can results in severe blisters. Therefore, we have not written its use in hair loss and method of application. We do not recommend its use for this purpose.

  1. Dir Sir!
    Sorry for you! This plant is not Croton tiglium Linn. Jamalgota in ayurveda includes two species : Croton tiglium Linn and Jatropha curcas. This picture is Jatropha gossypifolia.

  2. Sir i used jamal gota on skin for reducing the hair shrink(بال جھاڑ ) for using it small burning Mark is occur on skin..
    kindly tell me the how to reduce this mark?

  3. I heard if we will grind jamal ghota and olive oil in a grinder for an hour then it can be used for penis enlargement.
    Please tell me if it does work.

    1. We are not sure for its action in enlargement. But it is used for erectile dysfunction in ayurveda. For this purpose, Jamalgota seed powder is mixed in water and a paste is prepared. This paste is applied to the penile tissue. It should also work in the method you described.

  4. I am applying Jamagota root powder on skin tags from last 5 days. I feel skin tags are loosened. How many days will it take to remove skin tags?

Back to top button