Katuki (Kutki, Picrorhiza kurroa) — Ingredient Hub | Riddhish Herbals

Written and reviewed by Dr. Riddhish Padiya — B.Pharm (Ayurveda), M.Pharm (Pharmacognosy), Ph.D. (Dravyaguna), ITRA Jamnagar. Publications under “Padiya RH”. Founder, Riddhish Herbals.

Identity — what Katuki actually is

Field	Detail
Botanical name	Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth.
Family	Plantaginaceae (formerly placed in Scrophulariaceae)
Part used	Rhizome with roots (the underground portion)
Habitat	Alpine and sub-alpine Himalaya, roughly 3,000–5,000 m
Rasa	Tikta (bitter)
Guna	Laghu, Ruksha
Virya	Sheeta
Vipaka	Katu
Doshakarma	Described as balancing Kapha and Pitta
Classical dose (churna)	0.5–1 g, decided by your physician

Classical position

Katuki is not a minor herb that later authors added. It sits inside the named groups of all three of the Bruhat Trayi:

• Charaka Samhita — Bhedaniya, Lekhaniya, Stanyashodhana and Tikta skandha.
• Sushruta Samhita — Patoladi, Pippalyadi and Mustadi ganas.
• Ashtanga Hridaya (Vagbhata) — Patolyadi and Mustadi; Pippalyadi in the Ashtanga Sangraha.

The Patolyadi placement matters for anyone reading our product pages. Patol (Trichosanthes dioica) and Katurohini are a classical pair — the Patolakaturohinyadi group of formulations is named for exactly those two dravyas — and that pairing is why they appear together in Ras Pachak Tablets, at 165 mg each.

Classical literature records its use in the contexts of Prameha, Kasa, Shwasa, Kustha and Krimi, as described in the Nighantu and Samhita literature. These are classical terms of record, cited here as classical record rather than as anything we are offering. What a dravya is described as doing in a 2,000-year-old text and what a modern product may lawfully claim are two different things, and we keep them separate.

Names across India

Native script is shown only where we could verify it against a reliable source; elsewhere the name is given romanised only, because a wrong native-script name is worse than none.

Language	Name
Common / trade name	Kutki
Sanskrit	कटुकी Katuki · कटुरोहिणी Katurohini · also Katuka, Katvi, Tikta, Chakrangi, Ashoka, Katumbhara, Shakuladani, Krishnabheda, Shataparva, Rohini
Hindi	कुटकी Kutki · Katuka
Gujarati	કડુ Kadu · Katu
Marathi	Kali Katuki · Bala Kadu (romanised only)
Bengali	Katuki · Katki (romanised only)
Tamil	Katukarogini · Kadugurohini (romanised only)
Telugu	Katuka Rohini (romanised only)
Kannada	Katuka rohini (romanised only — native script not verified)
Malayalam	Kadugurohini (romanised only)
Punjabi	Kaundd · Kaud · Karru (romanised only)
English · Botanical · Part	Kutki, Picrorrhiza, Yellow gentian · Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. · rhizome with roots
Search variants	katuki, kutki, kutaki, katuka, katurohini, katuka rohini, kadugurohini, picrorhiza, picrorrhiza kurroa, picroliv
Common misspellings	kutkee, katukee, picrohiza, picrorhiza kurrooa

Sourcing, scarcity and adulteration — the part most pages leave out

Katuki grows in a narrow high-altitude band, regenerates slowly and has been collected from the wild for a very long time. The peer-reviewed literature describes it as an endangered Himalayan medicinal plant, and it is listed in Appendix II of CITES. Two practical consequences follow, and both affect what you buy.

First, genuine Katuki is expensive, and a bitter root offered far below the going rate deserves a question rather than an order. Second, substitution is common. Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora, a related Himalayan species, and various other bitter roots turn up in the trade under the same name. Chirayata (Swertia chirata) and Kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica) are distinct dravyas that are sometimes conflated with it because they are all bitter. They are not interchangeable.

This is a good argument for buying Katuki inside a licensed finished formulation, where the quantity is declared on a printed label under a manufacturing licence, rather than as loose root of unstated origin.

Reference

Frequently asked questions

What is Katuki?

Katuki is the dried rhizome and root of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth., a small perennial herb of the high Himalaya. In classical Ayurveda it is one of the defining dravyas of the Tikta (bitter) group, and it is known in the texts equally as Katurohini.

Is Katuki the same as Kutki?

Yes. Kutki is the Hindi name and Katuki the Sanskrit; both refer to Picrorhiza kurroa. Katurohini, Katuka, Tikta and Chakrangi are further Sanskrit synonyms of the same dravya.

Which part of the plant is used?

The rhizome together with the roots — the underground portion. Aerial parts are not the officinal drug. Any listing that does not say which part it is selling is worth a question.

Why is Katuki so expensive compared with other bitters?

It grows in a narrow high-altitude Himalayan band, it is slow to establish, and it has been harvested from the wild for a very long time. Peer-reviewed work describes it as an endangered Himalayan species and it is listed in Appendix II of CITES. Price follows scarcity.

Is Katuki a substitute for Kutaja or for Chirayata?

No. Kutaja is Holarrhena antidysenterica and Chirayata is Swertia chirata. All three are Tikta dravyas and all three are sometimes loosely called bitters in trade, but they are distinct plants with distinct classical actions. Substitution is common in the raw-material market; ask what you are buying.

What classical groups does Katuki belong to?

Charaka places it in the Bhedaniya, Lekhaniya, Stanyashodhana and Tikta skandha groups. Sushruta places it in Patoladi, Pippalyadi and Mustadi. Vagbhata places it in Patolyadi and Mustadi in the Ashtanga Hridaya, and Pippalyadi in the Ashtanga Sangraha.

What are its classical properties?

Rasa: Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Katu. It is described as balancing Kapha and Pitta. Classical dose for the churna is commonly given as 0.5 to 1 g, and is decided by your physician.

Which Riddhish Herbals products contain Katuki?

Katuki is one of the three declared dravyas in Ras Pachak Tablets, at 165 mg per uncoated tablet, alongside Patol and Indrajav. It also appears in a number of classical kwaths and churnas in the catalogue.

Can I take Katuki on my own?

It is a strongly bitter, potent dravya and is not a casual daily herb. Use it under the direction of a qualified Ayurvedic physician, who will decide the dose, the duration and the anupan. Not for use in pregnancy or lactation without physician advice.