Oroxylum indicum

Also called Oroxylum, Oroxylum indicum extract, Sabroxy, Oroxylum bark.

Best grade C across 1 graded outcome Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 3 sources

Oroxylum indicum is an Asian traditional-medicine tree whose bark flavonoids include baicalein, chrysin and oroxylin A. One 12-week trial in 82 older adults with memory complaints, funded by the extract's maker, found better episodic memory on some tests but no change in overall cognitive screening scores. No agency has reviewed its safety.

Every graded outcome on this page

1 row · line = participants
  1. Grade CMemory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaintsMemoryn 82

Key facts

What it is
A tree used for centuries in Asian traditional medicine, including Ayurvedic formulas, for conditions such as jaundice, arthritis, ulcers and diarrhoea1
Main compounds
About 111 compounds identified, mostly flavonoids; baicalein, chrysin and oroxylin A are major stem-bark flavonoids1
Memory
In 82 older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints, 500 mg twice daily of a standardized extract for 12 weeks improved episodic memory and some computer tasks vs placebo, but not the MoCA total score2
Tolerability
Well tolerated in the 12-week trial apart from more mild digestive complaints and headaches2
Funding
The memory trial was funded by Sabinsa Corporation, maker of the Sabroxy extract; Sabinsa's founder is a co-author2
Agency safety reviews
No ODS, NCCIH, LactMed, LiverTox, Health Canada or EMA source covers Oroxylum indicum3

What it is

Oroxylum indicum is an Asian tree used in traditional medicine; its stem bark is rich in flavonoids such as baicalein, chrysin and oroxylin A.

How it works

Proposed

Flavonoids dominate the plant's chemistry, and its extracts and isolated compounds show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies. In the memory trial BDNF rose equally with extract and placebo, so how the extract might affect memory is unknown.12

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Oroxylum indicum forms compared

2 forms
Oroxylum indicum forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 formsStandardized extract (Sabroxy)Bark, root bark or fruit preparations
Absorption in peopleNo human absorption data in our sources.2No human absorption data in our sources.1
GI toleranceWell tolerated over 12 weeks at 1,000 mg/day, with more mild digestive complaints and headaches than placebo.2No human trial of traditional preparations in our sources.1
Studied forMemory in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaintsTraditional Asian medicine; no human trials in our sources
  1. Standardized extract (Sabroxy)
    Absorption in people
    No human absorption data in our sources.2
    GI tolerance
    Well tolerated over 12 weeks at 1,000 mg/day, with more mild digestive complaints and headaches than placebo.2
    Studied for
    Memory in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints
  2. Bark, root bark or fruit preparations
    Absorption in people
    No human absorption data in our sources.1
    GI tolerance
    No human trial of traditional preparations in our sources.1
    Studied for
    Traditional Asian medicine; no human trials in our sources
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

1 graded outcome, largest study first

One graded outcome so far. Memory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints: a 2021 randomized trial of 82 people found mixed results.

1. Memory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints: mixed, 82 people1

1Memory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaints

Mixed · Grade C · RCT, 82 people, 2021

Older adult volunteers with self-reported mild cognitive impairment (82 randomized)

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Memory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaintsMixed82Grade C · RCT, 2021Older adult volunteers with self-reported mild cognitive impairment (82 randomized)
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

1 row
Grade CMemory and cognition in older adults with self-reported cognitive complaintsMemorySome memory tasks better; MoCA unchangedRCT
n 82 · 2021

Mixed Compared with placebo, episodic memory, immediate word recall and numeric working memory improved more and location learning was faster; other cognitive tests, the MoCA total score and self-report questionnaires did not differ. BDNF rose in both groups with no between-group difference. Mild digestive complaints and headaches were more common.

Design
RCT, n = 82, 2021
Population
Older adult volunteers with self-reported mild cognitive impairment (82 randomized)
Form
Standardized Oroxylum indicum extract (Sabroxy)
Dose
500 mg twice daily (1,000 mg/day)
Duration
12 weeks
Source
Reference 2 · PubMed 34531736 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

One sponsored trial

All human evidence in our sources is a single 82-person trial funded by the extract's maker, with improvements on some memory tasks but not on the overall screening score.2

How we got this: Design, outcomes and funding statement of the cited trial

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 500 mg twice a day to the same 1,000 mg daily total, because only one 12-week trial of a standardized extract exists in our sources.2

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Oroxylum indicum and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Oroxylum indicum.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

4 groups
Related compounds
No ODS, NCCIH, LactMed, LiverTox, Health Canada or EMA source covers Oroxylum indicum. Its flavonoids baicalein and chrysin have their own pages.31
People on medicines
NCCIH notes that dietary supplements may interact with medications and advises telling your health care providers about any supplement you use.3
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
No trial in our sources studied these groups, and NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.3
Before surgery
NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about all supplements well before an operation.3
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

1 checks
Extract, not raw bark

The memory trial used a standardized extract at 500 mg twice daily; results may not apply to raw bark powders.2

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, oroxylum indicum included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

5 answers
Does Oroxylum indicum improve memory?

One 12-week trial in 82 older adults found better episodic memory and some computer-task scores than placebo, but no difference on the MoCA screening test or self-reported measures. It was funded by the extract's maker.2

Is Oroxylum indicum safe?

It was well tolerated over 12 weeks, though mild digestive complaints and headaches were more common than with placebo. No agency has reviewed it, and NCCIH notes supplements may interact with medications.23

How much was studied?

500 mg twice a day (1,000 mg daily) of a standardized extract for 12 weeks.2

What is Oroxylum indicum?

An Asian tree used in traditional medicine, including Ayurveda. Its bark contains flavonoids such as baicalein, chrysin and oroxylin A.1

What is Sabroxy?

Sabroxy is the standardized Oroxylum indicum extract tested in the memory trial, made by the trial's funder, Sabinsa.2

Sources

3 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

3 sources
  1. 1Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz, an important Asian traditional medicine: from traditional uses to scientific data for its commercial exploitation.Review J Ethnopharmacol, 2015 · PMID 25543018
  2. 2Effects of an Oroxylum indicum Extract (Sabroxy(®)) on Cognitive Function in Adults With Self-reported Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.RCT Front Aging Neurosci, 2021 · PMID 34531736
  3. 3Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

1 entry
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
allInitial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (and, where noted, the full text for funding, product and participant details). Industry funding disclosed: Sabinsa Corporation funded the only trial and its founder is a co-author. No agency source covers Oroxylum indicum, so safety text cites NCCIH's Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Where to buy: we didn’t list a product; none of the stores we checked sells it.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

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