Chemical Properties
Chirata is an annual herbaceous plant native to the Himalayas, but also grown in South Africa. It is about 60 to 70 cm
high with a thick, branched stalk, small opposite leaves, and flowering tops. The whole plant is used with small portions of root.
Chirata has a bitter, tonic taste. Other Swerita species are sometimes used as adulterants. Xanthones are the active principles of chirata.
Average maximum levels of herb use in alcoholic beverages is 0.0016% and nonalcoholic beverages is 0.0008%.
Essential oil composition
Bitter secoiridoid glycosides, such as swertiamarin (ca. 0.4%), gentiopikroside (trace amounts to 0.45% in
crude drug and sweroside) and the much bitterer biphenylcarboxylic acid esters of sweroside and swertiamarine (CoE, 2000).
