Plant Comparison
Andrographis vs Japanese Rose
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Andrographis and Japanese Rose: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, cancer (anticancer research), cold & flu, …); 3 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Andrographis | Japanese Rose | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Cold & flu | 8/10 | 7/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Immune support | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
| Inflammation (general) | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
| Skin irritation | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Japanese Rose |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
The dominant bioactive class, driving much of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Studied for immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and gut-microbiota-modulating effects.
Concentrated in the hips, underpinning their traditional food-tonic use.
Isolated from the root and studied for antioxidant/neuroprotective activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Andrographolide, the principal diterpene lactone of Andrographis paniculata, suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis across breast, lung, colon, cervical, hepatic and haematological cancers via NF-kappaB and PI3K/Akt inhibition (preclinical).
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Andrographolide (from Andrographis paniculata) acts as a chemopreventive and antitumour agent against breast, lung, colorectal, cervical, prostate and hepatocellular cancers and leukaemia, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting NF-kappaB and PI3K/AKT signalling (preclinical).
Symptomatic relief of the common cold and acute upper respiratory tract infection (reduces symptom severity and duration)
Immunostimulant / immune support
Symptomatic relief of the common cold and acute upper respiratory tract infection (reduces symptom severity and duration)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Avoid in pregnancy and when trying to conceive: high doses have shown reproductive toxicity in animals and the herb has a traditional reputation as an abortifacient.
High doses have caused nephrotoxicity and reproductive toxicity in studies; use standardized products at recommended doses and avoid prolonged high-dose use.
Generally safe as a food plant. Rose hips should be used after removing the achenes (seeds and inner hairs), which can cause irritation. Allergic reactions are rare. No significant drug interactions documented.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Erect, branching annual herb with a slender, quadrangular (square-sectioned), dark green stem. The leaves are opposite, lance-shaped and glabrous, with a short stalk. Small, two-lipped, white flowers with purple-pink markings are borne in loose, spreading axillary and terminal racemes. The whole plant, and especially the leaves, is intensely and characteristically bitter.[11]
Dense, thicket-forming deciduous shrub (Rosaceae), 1-1.5 m tall (occasionally to 2 m), with stems densely covered in numerous straight, bristly thorns. Leaves are pinnate with 5-9 deeply veined, glossy, leathery leaflets. Large, fragrant, deep pink to white, five-petalled flowers are followed by large, tomato-red, flattened-globose hips.[2]
Habitat
Native to India and Sri Lanka and widely distributed through South and Southeast Asia, growing wild in plains, hillsides, roadsides and cultivated fields; also grown commercially as a medicinal crop.[11]
Native to coastal eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, China, far-eastern Russia), typically growing on sand dunes and coastal scrub. Widely planted and naturalised as an ornamental and hedging shrub, notably tolerant of salt spray, wind and poor sandy soils, in temperate coastal regions worldwide.[2]
Harvesting
The aerial parts (leaves and tender stems) are cut just before or at the onset of flowering, when andrographolide content is typically highest, and dried in shade to preserve the bitter diterpenoid lactones.[11]
Flowers/petals are picked as they open in summer; hips are picked in autumn once fully coloured and slightly softened.[2]
Traditional Uses
Andrographis, the 'king of bitters', is a cornerstone bitter tonic of Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine (Chuan xin lian), used for fevers, colds, sore throat, infections and liver complaints. This traditional reputation for treating the common cold and upper respiratory infections is now supported by clinical trials of standardised extracts.[10, 12]
Rosa rugosa has a long East Asian tradition - particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the flower is known as 'Mei Gui Hua' - as a mood-regulating, digestive and menstrual-cycle-supporting remedy, and the vitamin-C-rich hips are used as a food tonic. Modern research on its flavonoid- and polysaccharide-rich extracts supports broad antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity.[2]
Preparations
Dried aerial parts infused or lightly decocted in hot water as a very bitter traditional fever and cold remedy.
Dosage
Clinical trials for upper respiratory infection commonly use extracts standardised to around 60-120 mg andrographolide daily, in divided doses, for up to 5-7 days. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
The WHO monograph on Herba Andrographidis gives, by indication - for the common cold, 1.5-3.0 g of the powdered crude drug three times daily, after meals and at bedtime; for pyrexia, a decoction from 3 g of the crude drug twice daily; for diarrhoea, a decoction from 3-9 g as a single dose as needed, or two 500 mg tablets four times daily. Note that the EMA HMPC assessed this herb and issued a public statement rather than a monograph, so there is no EU posology. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 3-6 g dried flower per cup as an infusion, or hip tea/syrup at similar strength, taken once or twice daily. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
References & Sources
- Okonogi, R. and others (2023) 'Efficacy of Andrographis paniculata spray in acute pharyngitis: A randomized controlled trial', Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, 17(5), pp. 315-321. doi:10.5582/ddt.2023.01053 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.5582/ddt.2023.01053 - Hossain, S., Urbi, Z., Karuniawati, H., Mohiuddin, R.B. and others (2018) 'Overview of pharmacological activities of Andrographis paniculata and its major compound andrographolide', Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61(10), pp. 1635-1652. doi:10.1080/10408398.2018.1501657 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2018.1501657 - Worakunphanich, W. and others (2021) 'Andrographis paniculata Formulations: Impact on Diterpene Lactone Oral Bioavailability', European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, 46(5), pp. 565-581. doi:10.1007/s13318-021-00736-7 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13318-021-00736-7 - Worakunphanich, W., Thavorncharoensap, M., Youngkong, S., Thakkinstian, A. and Chaikledkaew, U (2021) 'Safety of Andrographis paniculata: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 30(6), pp. 727-739. doi:10.1002/pds.5190 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/pds.5190 - Kumar, S., Singh, B. and Bajpai, V (2021) 'Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees and its major constituent andrographolide as potential antiviral agents', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 274, pp. 113954. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.113954 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.113954 - Barbosa, F.L. and others (2021) 'Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees: An Updated Review of Phytochemistry, Antimicrobial Pharmacology, and Clinical Safety and Efficacy', Life, 11(4), pp. 348. doi:10.3390/life11040348 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/life11040348 - Singh, P. and others (2022) 'Andrographis paniculata mitigates first-line anti-tubercular drugs-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats', Biomarkers, 27(4), pp. 385-394. doi:10.1080/1354750X.2022.2043444 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/1354750X.2022.2043444 - Coon, J.T. and Ernst, E (2004) 'Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials', Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 29(1), pp. 37-45. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2710.2003.00534.x Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2710.2003.00534.x - Rondee, N. and others (2023) 'The Effects of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.F.) Wall. Ex Nees and Andrographolide on Neuroinflammation in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases', Nutrients, 15(15), pp. 3428. doi:10.3390/nu15153428 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15153428 - Zeng, B., Wei, A., Zhou, Q., Yuan, M., Lei, K., Liu, Y., Song, J., Guo, L. and Ye, Q (2021) 'Andrographolide: A review of its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and clinical trials and pharmaceutical researches', Phytotherapy Research. doi:10.1002/ptr.7324 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7324 - Gonde, D.P., Bhole, B.K. and Kakad, K.S (2023) 'Andrographolide, diterpenoid constituent of Andrographis paniculata: Review on botany, phytochemistry, molecular docking analysis, and pharmacology', Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises. doi:10.1016/j.pharma.2023.10.001 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharma.2023.10.001 - Hu, X.Y., Wu, R.H., Logue, M., Blondel, C., Lai, L.Y.W., Stuart, B., Flower, A., Fei, Y.T., Moore, M., Shepherd, J., Liu, J.P. and Lewith, G (2017) 'Andrographis paniculata (Chuan Xin Lian) for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory tract infections in adults and children: A systematic review and meta-analysis', PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181780 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181780 - World Health Organization (2002) 'Herba Andrographidis'. Available at: https://iris.who.int/items/6418d8af-5200-4e6b-9bf5-004f3aa62a37 Traditional / reference
https://iris.who.int/items/6418d8af-5200-4e6b-9bf5-004f3aa62a37 - Tundis, R. and Patra, J.K. and Bonesi, M. and Das, S. and Nath, R. and Das Talukdar, A. and Das, G. and Loizzo, M.R (2023) 'Anti-Cancer Agent: The Labdane Diterpenoid-Andrographolide', Plants, 12(10), pp. 1969. doi:10.3390/plants12101969 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12101969 - Mishra, S.K. and Tripathi, S. and Shukla, A. and Oh, S.H. and Kim, H.M (2015) 'Andrographolide and analogues in cancer prevention', Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition), 7(2), pp. 255-266. doi:10.2741/E732 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.2741/E732 - Paul, S. and Roy, D. and Pati, S. and Sa, G (2021) 'The Adroitness of Andrographolide as a Natural Weapon Against Colorectal Cancer', Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12, pp. 731492. doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.731492 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.731492 - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (n.d.) 'Andrographis (About Herbs)'. Available at: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/andrographis Traditional / reference
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/andrographis
- Zhang, Z., Hu, W., Yu, A., Bai, M. and others (2024) 'Physicochemical properties, health benefits, and applications of the polysaccharides from Rosa rugosa Thunb.: A review', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 282(Pt 3), pp. 136975. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136975 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136975 - Dong, X., Li, Y., Yang, K., Zhang, L. and others (2024) 'Total flavonoids from Rosa rugosa Thunb.: A comprehensive review of its extraction and purification process, chemical composition, biological effect and applications', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 398(3), pp. 2343-2363. doi:10.1007/s00210-024-03504-x Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03504-x - Kim, J., Lee, S., Park, H. and others (2024) 'Hair Growth Effect and the Mechanisms of Rosa rugosa Extract in DHT-Induced Alopecia Mice Model', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(21), pp. 11362. doi:10.3390/ijms252111362 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111362 - Baiyisaiti, A., Liu, Y., Zhang, J. and Yang, R (2019) 'Rosa rugosa flavonoids exhibited PPAR-alpha agonist-like effects on genetic severe hypertriglyceridemia of mice', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 240, pp. 111952. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.111952 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.111952 - Lei, L., Zhu, Y., Gao, W., Du, X. and others (2023) 'Ethanol Extract of Rosa rugosa Ameliorates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury via Upregulating Sirt1 and Subsequent Potentiation of LKB1/AMPK/Nrf2 Cascade in Hepatocytes', Molecules, 28(21), pp. 7307. doi:10.3390/molecules28217307 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217307 - Dai, C., Zheng, X., Zhu, J., Zhang, H. and others (2025) 'Polysaccharides derived from Rosa rugosa cv. Plena ameliorate colorectal cancer by regulating intestinal microbiota composition and lipid metabolism pathway', NPJ Science of Food, 9(1), pp. 176. doi:10.1038/s41538-025-00544-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00544-2 - Chen, M., Peng, Y., Zhu, R., Luo, X. and others (2025) 'Therapeutic potential of Rosa rugosa polysaccharide and its nanofiber membrane in psoriasis via PI3K-AKT/mTOR pathway inhibition', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 320(Pt 2), pp. 145724. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145724 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145724 - Park, C.K., Choi, S.J., Kim, C.R., Shin, H.R. and others (2025) 'Ethanolic Extract of Rosa rugosa Roots and Its Bioactive Compound, Oleamide, Prevented Amyloid beta-Induced Oxidative Stress and Improved Behavioral Tests in Mice', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(9), pp. 4214. doi:10.3390/ijms26094214 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094214 - Ashraf, S., Ashraf, M.Z., Miao, B. and Zhao, X (2025) 'Optimizing Extraction Methods for Bioactive Polysaccharides from Rosa rugosa and Rosa damascena', Foods, 14(18), pp. 3211. doi:10.3390/foods14183211 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14183211 - Liu, X., Liu, H., Zhang, Y. and others (2022) 'Rosa rugosa polysaccharide induces autophagy-mediated apoptosis in human cervical cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 212, pp. 257-274. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.023 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.023 - Chrubasik, C., Roufogalis, B.D., Müller-Ladner, U. and Chrubasik, S (2008) 'A systematic review on the Rosa canina effect and efficacy profiles', 22(6), pp. 725--733. doi:10.1002/ptr.2400 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2400 - Grieve, M (1931) 'A Modern Herbal'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A%20Modern%20Herbal - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.