Mesua ferrea | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Mesua ferrea (Nagkesar) is a tropical evergreen tree (Family: Calophyllaceae) whose flowers, seeds, and seed oil are used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and as a spice/flavouring in South and Southeast Asian cuisines. It is valued for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties and is an ingredient in classical Ayurvedic formulations such as Chyavanprash and Brahma Rasayana.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Acute oral toxicity studies in rodents show no observable toxicity at up to 2,000 mg/kg body weight, and a 28-day subacute study (OECD 407) found no adverse effects on growth or haematological parameters at doses up to 1,000 mg/kg. No formal Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) has been established by EFSA, FDA, or WHO, reflecting its status as a traditional botanical rather than a regulated food additive. Research has screened Nagkesar for estrogenic and progestational activity, indicating a theoretical concern for pregnant women at high supplemental doses.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Spices listed by the Spices Board of India, including Nagkesar, may be used as food ingredients, supplements, or nutraceuticals under FSS (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Use, Foods for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Foods) Regulations, 2016. Specific health benefit claims require prior FSSAI approval.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Pregnancy — Nagkesar has been screened for estrogenic and progestational activity in experimental models (PMID:711261), suggesting potential hormonal effects at high supplemental doses that warrant caution during pregnancy.

Lactation — Due to the same potential hormonal activity identified in estrogenic/progestational screening studies, supplemental doses during lactation should be used cautiously until further human safety data are available.

Infants — No safety data exist for use in infants, and FSSAI regulations require medical supervision for botanical supplements in children under 5; the potential hormonal activity makes avoidance prudent.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Screening of Mesua ferrea (Nagkesar) for estrogenic and progestational activity in human and experimental models. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2PubMed. Exploring the potential antimalarial properties, safety profile, and phytochemical composition of Mesua ferrea Linn, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3PubMed. The genome sequence of Mesua ferrea and comparative demographic histories of forest trees, 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4PubMed. Subacute toxicity study of the ethanolic extract of Mesua ferrea (L.) flowers in rats, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5PubMed. In-vivo antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity of mesuol isolated from Mesua ferrea L. seed oil, 2012. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched5 citations