Rauvolfia serpentina, known in multiple common names- Sarpagandhi, Sarpagandha, Indian Snakeroot, Devil Pepper etc- is one of the ancient plant widely used by humans since ages.
Scientific Name: Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz.
Family: Apocynaceae
Habitat: Moist shady places near forests of India, Srilanka and Indonesia.
There are nearly 100 species of the genus Rauvolfia, a member of the milkweed family Apocynaceae. These plants are characterised by the presence of milky latex in stem and leaves.
Morphology: The plants are sub-shrubs, with watery latex. Simple leaves with whorled (3-4 leaves) phyllotaxy. Cymose inflorescence. Petals white and fruits are crimson red.
Uses:
The plant is widely used in modern medicine, ayurvedic, unani and folk medicine as well.
1. It is used in treating hypertension, eg. BP Care & Cure made by German's company.
2. It is used for insomnia, i.e., is lack of sleep.
3. Used for central nervous system diseases.
4. Used as a tranquilizer, in case of anxiety related issues, for example Alprazolam tablets and Zolfresh tablets.
5. Root extract is used for intestinal disorders, such as dysentery and diarrhea.
6. Used in treating hysteria and schizophrenia.
Constituents:
The constituent is Reserpine. In addition, a lot of other secondary metabolites are present in Rauvolfia- Ajmalicine, Ajamaline, Chandrine, Renoxidine, Serpentine and tetraphyllicine.
No comments:
Post a Comment