Bakuchi, also called Babchi, is the dried seed of Psoralea corylifolia, a Fabaceae herb long used in Ayurvedic and Unani formulations for skin conditions. In recent years the seed has also become the feedstock for cosmetic bakuchiol, marketed as a plant-based alternative to retinol.

Botanical identity and part used

Psoralea corylifolia is an upright annual herb, now also classified under the genus Cullen in some botanical treatments, that grows 60 to 120 cm tall and bears small kidney-shaped pods each containing a single seed. The seed, known in the trade as Fructus Psoraleae or Bakuchi beej, is the officinal part used across Ayurveda, Unani and Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is called Buguzhi.

Where it grows in India

The plant is cultivated on a limited scale and also collected from naturalised stands in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, with Rajasthan generally producing the better-quality seed. It is not grown as an organised, large-acreage commercial crop anywhere in India, which keeps supply comparatively fragmented.

Harvest and processing

Seed is sown in March and April, the plant flowers during the monsoon, and pods mature from November onward, turning a characteristic purple. Because pods do not ripen uniformly, harvesting is typically carried out in several rounds between December and March rather than as a single cut.

Harvested pods are threshed to release the seed, which is then sun dried and cleaned before grading and packing.

Why buyers source it

The seed's principal marker compounds are the furanocoumarins psoralen and isopsoralen (angelicin), alongside bakuchiol, psoralidin, bavachinin and related flavonoids, and these are the compounds assayed by HPLC for identity and potency. Cosmetic buyers extract bakuchiol specifically for topical anti-ageing formulations, while Ayurvedic and Unani manufacturers use the whole seed or seed powder.

An important safety note for buyers

Published toxicology literature, including case reports of acute liver injury and cholestatic hepatitis linked to oral use of Psoralea corylifolia seed and its extracts, has drawn regulatory and pharmacovigilance attention in several markets. Bakuchiol, bavachin, psoralidin and related seed constituents are named in this literature as the compounds most associated with hepatotoxic effects.

This concern applies to oral ingestion of seed material and seed extracts. Topically applied cosmetic bakuchiol is assessed separately as a skin ingredient and is not automatically subject to the same finding, but any buyer formulating an oral product should review current safety literature and their target market's regulatory position before finalising a product.

Forms that trade

AV Biotech supplies Bakuchi as whole cleaned seed and milled seed powder. Buyers extracting bakuchiol should confirm required purity and extraction specifications at enquiry stage, since this is a contract-manufactured extract rather than a standard stock item.

Industry applications of Bakuchi

Bakuchi serves three distinct buyer groups, Ayurvedic and Unani manufacturers, cosmetic extract houses, and export buyers supplying the Traditional Chinese Medicine trade, and each has a different risk and specification profile to manage.

Ayurvedic and Unani manufacturing

Classical manufacturers buy whole seed and seed powder for churna, taila and lepa formulations traditionally used for skin conditions including vitiligo-type depigmentation and psoriasis-type skin conditions. These are topical and traditional oral dosage forms governed by the manufacturer's own licensed processing and dosing protocols.

Cosmetic and personal care

The largest area of modern growth is bakuchiol extraction for topical anti-ageing serums and creams, where it is positioned as a plant-derived alternative to retinol. Buyers in this segment need a defined bakuchiol purity specification and should note that this is a topical, not oral, application.

Export and Traditional Chinese Medicine trade

Bakuchi seed, known as Buguzhi, is an established item in Chinese and other East Asian herbal pharmacopoeias, and export buyers in this channel typically specify furanocoumarin (psoralen and isopsoralen) content on the Certificate of Analysis.

Extract and standardisation buyers

A smaller group of formulators buy seed as feedstock for standardised extracts used in dermatology-adjacent and pigmentation-focused product lines, again generally for topical rather than oral use.

Segments where extra caution applies

Oral nutraceutical and dietary-supplement use of whole seed extract carries the hepatotoxicity caution described above, and buyers considering this category should review current safety literature and their destination market's regulatory stance before formulating.

Common product formats

• Bakuchi churna, taila and lepa classical Ayurvedic formulations
• Bakuchiol-standardised cosmetic extracts for anti-ageing serums and creams
• Whole and powdered seed for Traditional Chinese Medicine export
• Pigmentation-focused topical dermatology-adjacent formulations

Traditional use and current research

Ayurveda classifies Bakuchi under Kushtaghna, meaning herbs traditionally used for skin conditions, and it has a long classical history of topical and traditional oral use for depigmentation-type skin conditions and other dermatological complaints. It is also used traditionally in Unani medicine.

The following notes describe traditional positioning and current research directions, alongside the safety findings buyers must weigh, not established medical outcomes.

Traditional skin use

Bakuchi's traditional reputation rests almost entirely on external and traditional oral use for skin depigmentation and other dermatological conditions, generally combined with other herbs and administered under a defined classical protocol rather than used alone at high dose.

Bakuchiol and cosmetic research

Bakuchiol, one of the seed's principal constituents, has been studied as a topical antioxidant and anti-ageing ingredient, and published research has explored its comparability to retinol on certain skin measures. This research is specific to topical application at cosmetic-use concentrations.

The hepatotoxicity finding buyers must know

Multiple published studies and case reports describe liver injury, including acute liver failure and cholestatic hepatitis, associated with oral use of Psoralea corylifolia seed, seed powder and seed extracts. Bakuchiol, bavachin, psoralidin, bavachinin and neobavaisoflavone are named across this literature as the constituents most strongly linked to hepatotoxic effects in laboratory and clinical case findings.

This is a plainly documented safety signal, not a traditional-use caution alone, and it has drawn pharmacovigilance and regulatory attention in more than one market. It applies specifically to oral ingestion of seed material; it is a separate question from the safety of topically applied cosmetic bakuchiol, which is evaluated under cosmetic-ingredient safety frameworks.

What buyers should note on claims and formulation

Any oral finished product built on whole Bakuchi seed or seed extract should be developed against current toxicology literature and the destination market's specific regulatory position, and dose, extract type and intended route of administration should all be documented in the manufacturer's own safety file.

This information is provided for educational and B2B product-sourcing purposes only. It is not medical advice and these statements have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority. Finished-product claims are the responsibility of the manufacturer.