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Giant dodder

Cuscuta reflexa

Also calledAkashbel / Akashabela, Amarbel / Amarabela (Hindi, Urdu) · Swarnalata (Bengali) · Akakhilata (Assamese) · Aftimoun (Arabic, Persian medicine) · Dodder

In older monographsCuscuta grandiflora, Cuscuta macrantha, Cuscuta verrucosa, Monogynella reflexa

A leafless, rootless yellow vine that lives as a parasite on other plants across South Asia. Persian medicine adds it, as Aftimoun, to whey preparations, and South Asian communities use it for pain, swelling, jaundice and skin infections. One Iranian trial of a whey-plus-dodder product in type 2 diabetes found small falls in blood sugar but no clear added effect of the dodder; the rest of the evidence is from animals, and its chemistry depends on the host plant it grew on.

What it is used for

  • In a triple-blind randomised trial in Iran (90 analysed, type 2 diabetes, 8 weeks), 25 g daily of Ma'aljobon Aftimouni (whey with C. reflexa) lowered fasting glucose by about 18 mg/dL and HbA1c by about 0.2 points; whey without dodder lowered HbA1c by a similar amount, so the dodder's own contribution is unclear.1

  • Used in Pakistan for sore knees. An aqueous-methanol extract (600 mg/kg) reduced paw and joint swelling by over 70% in two rat arthritis models. Animal data only.2

  • Used traditionally for kidney problems. The same extract reduced gentamicin-induced kidney damage markers in rats. Animal data only.2

  • Traditionally used against vomiting and in antiemetic herbal formulas. Juice and extracts given by injection reduced the number of vomiting episodes in pigeons given copper sulphate, ampicillin or cisplatin. Animal data only.4

  • Used by Indigenous communities in Bangladesh for pain and swelling. A methanol extract (400 mg/kg) reduced chemically induced pain responses in mice. Animal data only.3

  • Diarrhoea
    Limited

    The same mouse study found fewer diarrhoeal stools in the castor-oil model. Animal data only.3

  • Used for skin infections; an aqueous-methanol extract sped the healing of experimental frostbite wounds in rats. Animal data only.5,3

How it is prepared

powder

Ma'aljobon Aftimouni: a powdered whey preparation containing the plant, stirred into lukewarm water and taken on an empty stomach.

Mehrabi et al. 2025 trial: 25 g in 250 ml lukewarm water daily for 8 weeks.

Blood sugar and diabetes

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy
Insufficient data
Breastfeeding
Insufficient data

Interactions with medicines

  • diabetes medicinesMinorA whey-plus-dodder product lowered fasting glucose in people with type 2 diabetes who were on medication; additive effects are possible.
Interaction checker →

Do not use if

  • Milk or whey allergy (for whey-based Ma'aljobon products)

Side effects

  • Diarrhoea and intestinal colic with excessive amounts (Persian medicine sources, as cited by Mehrabi et al.)

Toxicity

A methanol extract and the cardiac glycosides isolated from it caused chromosome aberrations and inhibited root growth in onion and garlic test systems, a sign of possible genotoxicity. Because dodder absorbs compounds from its host, plants grown on toxic hosts may carry those toxins. No human toxicity studies were found.

In the healing traditions

  • Persian medicine (Unani)

    Aftimoun

    Described as a medicine for old age and used for psychiatric disorders and disorders of the digestive and urinary systems; added to Ma'aljobon (whey) to strengthen its effect. Excessive amounts are said to cause diarrhoea and intestinal colic.

  • South Asian folk and tribal medicine

    Akashbel / Amarbel / Swarnalata

    Used by tribal communities in Bangladesh and Nepal for pain, oedema, tumours, jaundice, liver disorders and skin infections, and also for insanity, melancholy, fits and fever; in Pakistan for sore knees and kidney problems.

Active compounds

kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, luteolin, astragalin
flavonoids reported from the plant
β-sitosterol, α-amyrin, sesamin, coumarin
other constituents reported
odoroside H, neritaloside, strospeside
cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) isolated from a methanol extract; linked to genotoxic effects in onion and garlic root-tip tests

History

Dodder's Persian name Aftimoun is used in Persian medicine, where it was combined with Ma'aljobon, the whey left after curdling milk, a pairing tested in a clinical trial in Iran in 2021–2022.

Sources

  1. 1.Mehrabi F et al. Efficacy of Ma'aljobon Aftimouni (Cuscuta reflexa and whey) on HbA1c and blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized triple-blind clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2025
  2. 2.Niazi SG et al. Appraisal of anti-arthritic and nephroprotective potential of Cuscuta reflexa. Pharm Biol 2017
  3. 3.Adnan M et al. Unveiling pharmacological responses and potential targets insights of identified bioactive constituents of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. leaves through in vivo and in silico approaches. Pharmaceuticals 2020
  4. 4.Muhammad N et al. The pharmacological basis of Cuscuta reflexa whole plant as an antiemetic agent in pigeons. Toxicol Rep 2020
  5. 5.Hassan W et al. Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. expedites the healing process in contact frostbite. Biomed Res Int 2020
  6. 6.Ali SR et al. Cytotoxicity and chromosomal aberrations induced by methanolic extract of Cuscuta reflexa and its pure compounds on meristematic cells of Allium species. Pak J Pharm Sci 2017 (abstract)
  7. 7.Zagorcheva T et al. Pharmacological properties of parasitic plants: current evidence and the role of parasitic lifestyle. Plants 2026
  8. 8.GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (with IUCN Red List category)

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.