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Rauvolfia serpentina,
or Indian snakeroot or sarpagandha'or ', is a species of flowering plant
in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent and East
Asia (from India to Indonesia).[3][4] Common English names : Devil-pepper,
Snake-root.

Contents [hide]

Vernacular names

Chemical composition

Medicinal uses

Other uses

See also

References

Vernacular names[edit]
English: serpentine wood[5] Bengali: Chandra; Hindi: Chandrabagha, Chota
chand; Kannada: Patalagondhi, Sarpagandhi,Shivavabhiballi, Sutranavi;
Malayalam: Chuvanna-vilpori, Suvapavalforiyan; Marathi: Harkaya, Harki;
Oriya:Patalgarur, Sanochada; Tamil: Chivan amelpodi; Telgu: Paataala garuda,
Paataala goni; Urdu: Asrel.[6] indonesia : pule pandak;

Chemical composition[edit]
Rauvolfia serpentina The plant contains more than 50 different alkaloids
which belong to the monoterpenoid indole alkaloid family. The major alkaloids
are ajmaline, ajmalicine, ajmalimine, deserpidine, indobine, indobinine,
reserpine, reserpiline, rescinnamine, rescinnamidine, serpentine, serpentinine
and yohimbine.[7]

Medicinal uses[edit]

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heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the section and add
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may be challenged and removed. (March 2016)

Rod of Asclepius2.svg
The plant is known for curing various disorders[dubious discuss] because of
the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides,
phlobatannins, phenols, resins, saponins, tannins and terpenes.

The extract of the plant has also been used for millennia in India Alexander
the Great administered this plant to cure his general Ptolemy I Soter of a
poisoned arrow. It was reported that Mahatma Gandhi took it as a tranquilizer
during his lifetime.[8] It has been used for millennia to treat insect stings and
the bites of venomous reptiles. A compound which it contains called
reserpine, was used in an attempt to treat high blood pressure and mental
disorders including schizophrenia, and had a brief period of popularity for that
purpose in the West from 1954 to 1957.[9] R. serpentina is also known for its
antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antidiuretic and
anticholinergic activities.[7]

Recent research has proved that Rauwolfia serpentina exhibits profound

activity toward drug-resistant tumor cells.[10]

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine,

where it has the name shgn m (Chinese: ) or ynd shm (Chinese:
).

Other uses[edit]
The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving
and woodturning hobbyists.

See also[edit]
Reserpine
Sarpagandha Rauwolfia serpentina

Sarpagandha Rauwolfia serpentina or Rauvolfia serpentina, or snakeroot

is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to

South and East Asia. Sarpagandha choornam is a unique Ayurvedic herbal powder
solely for hypertension. It also relieves stress, anxiety and insomnia which
are usually found associated with hypertension.

Scientific name: Rauvolfia serpentina

Rank: Species
Higher classification: Rauvolfia
Latin name: Rauwolfia Serpentina
Family: Apocyanaceae
Common name: Sarpgandha
English name: Rauwolfia
Indian Names : Arachoritita, Chandrabhaga, Chota-chand, Sanochado,
Sarpagandha, Chandrika, Patalguruda
Parts used: Root
Pharmacological action: sedative, depressant, febrifuge, and tonic
Actions and uses in ayurveda: kaphvatashamak, nidrajannan, raktbharshamak,
jvaraghna.
Chemical Properties of Sarpagandha(Rauwolfia Serpentina)

The powdered root (Rauwolfia Serpentina) generally contains anywhere from

0.15% to 0.2% active alkaloid (reserpine and rescinnamine) by weight.
Rauwolfia is cultivated for the medicinal use of its 30 alkaloids
(particularly reserpine found in the root), many used in treating
hypertension68 . Besides reserpine, other alkaloids used in hypertension and
other cardiac disorders are ajmaline, rescinnamine, serpentinine, sarpagine,
deserpidine, and chandrine.

Sarpagandha Properties and action

Nidrajanana Promotes sleep

Dpana Enkindles the digestive fire

Amapacaka Digests ama toxins

Visaghna Destroys poisons
Krmighna Anthelmintic
Hrdaya Treats the heart
Aparajita Alleviates insanity
Preparations: Decoction, powder, pills

Sarpagandha is an Ayurvedic plant which has been used for its medicinal
properties. This plant has been used by Ayurveda for thousands of years as a
remedy for various diseases such as hypertension, insomnia and even
insanity. The plant has been mentioned by sage Charaka in his work, Charaka
Samhita. Sarpagandha has a distinction of being one of the first herbs to be
listed in the Materia Medica for its therapeutic use in hypertension or blood
pressure in the mid 20th century.

Sarpagandha Plant Description

Sarpagandha - Rauwolfia serpentinaSarpagandha is found in abundance in

the Western Ghats in the moist forests. Apart from these areas, this Indian
medicinal plant is also found widely scattered in the shaded under storey of
moist deciduous forests as well as in open, secondary scrub forest and grassy
moist habitats. It grows on a variety of soils from sea level up to 1200 metres
altitude, generally on sites that were previously inhabited.

This plant is admired in household and people grow it for getting benefit from
this entire plant. Sarpagandha is widely grown in India as well as all over the
world. It is glabrous under-shrub which grows in waste places and shady
forests in India. It is now considered red listed and widely cultivated at many
parts of India.

Sarpagandha - Rauwolfia serpentinaSarpagandha is an erect, evergreen subshrub. This plant is 0.2m to 0.6 m tall. The stem has no branch and has
irregularly longitudinally fissured, pale brown and corky bark. The taproot of
this plant is tuberous, soft, sometimes irregularly nodular and bitter. The
leaves are placed in whorls of 3 or 4 and are 5cm to 18 cm long and 1.5 cm
to 7 cm wide. They are elliptic-Lanceolate or Obovate, apex acute or

acuminate, base tapering, the surface is dark green and the beneath of the
leaf is pale green and the petioles are 0.6cm to 1.4 cm long.

The flowers of Sarpagandha are white or violet-tinged. The flowers blossom in

abundance at a time and have Corymbose Cymes. The peduncles are 0.5 cm
to 12.5 cm long. The pedicels are stout, 0.3cm to 0.6 cm long and bright red
in colour. The Calyx is bright red with Lanceolate segments and corolla is 1cm
to 1.3 cm long. The tube of the plant is slender and cylindrical in shape. The
fruits are obliquely ovoid, 0.6 cm in diameter; they grow purplish-black in
colour when they get ripe. The seeds are ovoid and the surface is slightly
unsmooth. Sarpagandha flowers generally blossom during April to July and
bear fruits from July to September. Sometimes the flowering and fruiting may
occur year-round.

Health and Other Benefits of Sarpagandha

Sarpagandha is used for the treatment of paranoia, schizophrenia, and

hypertension.
In serpant bite, the powder of Sarpagandha roots is given orally, as well as,
applied on the site of bite
It relieves itching in Urticaria
Specially in snake bite, it is extensively used as antidote
The Rauvolfia herb is the best remedy for high blood pressure and it has been
adapted by medical fraternity in most countries
It relieves tension, anxiety and worry and fat people especially find it
effective. Whenever a patient is extremely irritable and is behaving in an
unruly manner, Sarpagandha has been found effective. However, it should be
used with great care in the case of the debilitated, or those habitually
depressed.
It relieves constipation in the case of patients suffering from hypertension as
also headache. While it is used, a little chill or cold, and sometimes sneezing,
may be observed in some cases.
Sarpagandhas sedative properties are legendary. It nourishes majja dhatu
and reduces vatato benefit insomnia and agitation. It is also used in manic
psychological disturbance as a sedating tranquilliser.
Its affinity for the blood takes it directly to the heart. It swiftly dilates the

blood vessels, causing high blood pressure to drop and the heart rate to
reduce. Use drop-by-drop doses until the blood pressure has reduced.
It is a symptomat+ic remedy that treats the high blood pressure via the
nervous system and so benefits high blood pressure caused by high vata and
arteriosclerosis. It should be used with a diuretic to prevent fluid retention.
Sarpagandha can cause diarrhoea, low libido and weight gain in larger doses.
Because of Ushna Virya and Tikta Guna Sarpagandha acts as an appetizer,
digestive, cholagogue, anthelmintic, hence it is used in loss of appetite,
helminthiasis etc.
Sarpagandhareduces the heart rate and dilates blood vessels with lowering of
blood pressure. Because of this special property of reducing the blood
pressure, it is a universally known medicine for high blood pressure.
Conclusion

Sarpagandha has been used as an antihypertensive herbs both in Ayurveda

and Modern system of medicine . It is bitter tonic and possesses well marked
sedative properties and was used as remedy for poisonous snake bites and in
insomnia and irritative conditions of the central nervous system.

All together more than 20 alkaloids have been isolated from Rauwolfia
serpentina including Reserpine which is used as a tranquiliser, hypotensive
agent, and for various psychoneurotic conditions mainly where anxiety plays
an important aggravating role. It is also used in psychiatric disorder, hysteria,
schizophrenia ,epilepsy and anxiety stated insomnia and depression.

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