Rauwolfia serpentina.,-The anti-hypertensive potion, Sarpagandha, Rauwolfia serpentina.

SARPAGANDHI-അമൽപ്പൊരി 

It is from the roots of sarpagandhi that the medicene used for blood pressure named serpacil is extracted. But in ayurveda sarpagandhi has long since been used as a nidrajanaka ooushadha or sleep inducing drug.Susrutha includes this drug under psychiatric medicene.

       

Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Rauvolfia
Species:	R. serpentina
Binomial name
Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz[1]

FAMILY : APOCYNACEAE

SCI.NAME : RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA BENTH EX KURZ

"[[[ 

Rauvolfia serpentina, or ' Indian snakeroot' or 'sarpagandha' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to theIndian Subcontinent and East Asia (from India to Indonesia).

 MEDICINAL USES

Rauvolfia serpentina contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including yohimbine, reserpine, ajmaline, deserpidine, rescinnamine,serpentinine.

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. 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.

According to the American Cancer Society: "Available scientific evidence does not support claims that Indian snakeroot is effective in treating cancer, liver disease, or mental illness. It also has many dangerous side effects and is likely to increase the risk of cancer."

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name shégēn mù  or yìndù shémù 

Etymology

The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving and woodturning hobbyists.  ]]] "

R.canescens L is the alternative drug used instead of the original one.

SANSKRIT : SARPAGANDHA, NAKULI, SARPAADANI, RAKTATRIKA, KUKKUTI

HINDI : CHOTACHAND

GUJARATHI : SARPAGANDHA

BENGALI : CHANDRA

TAMIL : SIVANMELPPODI

TELUGU : PATALAGANDHI

RASADI GUNAS

KASHAYA RASA

ROOKSHA GUNA

USNA VEERYA

KATU VIPAAKA

Habitat _ The sub-Himalayas tract

from Punjab to Nepal, Sikkim,

Bhutan, Assam, Western Ghats and

the Andamans.

Action _ Root—decoction is

employed to increase uterine

contractions and for expulsion

of foetus in difficult cases. The

total alkaloidal extract of the root

induces bradycardia, hypotension,

sedation. It finds application

in hypochondria, neuropsychiatric

disorders, psychosis and

schizophrenia.

Key application _ In mild, essential

hypertension (borderline

hypertension, especially with elevated

tension of the sympathetic

nervous system, for example,

sinus tachycardia, anxiety, tension

and psychomotor irritation,

when dietetic measures alone

are not sufficient. (German

Commission E.)

(Average daily dose: 600 mg drug

corresponding to 6 mg total alkaloid.)

Treatment is usually administered with

a diuretic to prevent fluid retention

which may develop if Rauvolfia root is

given alone. (WHO.) Contraindicated

in depression, bleeding disorders, gastric

and duodenal ulcers. (Sharon M.

Herr.) Also contraindicated in pregnancy,

since it has both teratogenic

and abortifacient potential. (Francis

Brinker.)

The root and root bark are rich in

alkaloids, the most important being

reserpine, others, around 30, which include

ajmaline, ajmalicine (raubasine),

ajmalicine, yohimbine, coryanthine,

iso-ajmaline, neo-ajmaline, papaverine,

raubasine, rauwolscine, rescinnamine,

reserpine, sarpagine, serpentine,

serpentinine, serpinine and deserpidine.

Reserpine is hypotensive and tranquilizer,

used for certain forms ofmental

disorders. Ajmalicine (raubasine)

and rescinnamine are also hypotensive

and tranquilizer. Deserpidine is

sedative, as well as hypotensive. Ajmaline

exhibits antiarrhythmic activity.

A

number of Rauvolfia species are

found in India: R. beddomei Hook. f.;

R. densiflora Benth ex Hook. f. (Himalayas,

Khasi and Aka Hills; Western

and Eastern Ghats); R. micrantha

Hook. f; known as Malabar Rauvolfia,

(Kerala, up to an altitude of 300 m)

The roots of R. beddomei contain

ajmalicine, sarpagine and serpentine,

but no reserpine. R. densiflora yielded

0.51%% of total alkaloids (reserpine

0.01%). R. micrantha gave ajmalicine,

raunamine, reserpiline, sarpagine,

neosarpagine, in addition to reserpine.

(In classical Ayurvedic texts, Nakuli

and Gandha-naakuli were included in

compound formulations for mental

diseases.)

( source : springers medical plants, wikipedia, internet )