Rauwolfia serpentina
Encyclopedia
Rauvolfia serpentina, or 'snakeroot' or 'sarpagandha' is a species of flowering plant
in the family Apocynaceae
.
, where it has the name shégēn mù or yìndù shémù .
Rauwolfia 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
of a poisoned arrow. It was reported that Mahatma Gandhi
took it as a tranquilizer
during his lifetime. A compound which it contains called reserpine
, is used to treat high blood pressure and mental disorders including schizophrenia
, and was particularly popular for that purpose in the West from 1954 to 1957.
It has been used for millennia as an antidote against bites of venomous reptiles.
The wood, commonly known as serpentwood, is mildly popular amongst woodcarving and woodturning hobbyists.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the family Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae
The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
.
Medicinal uses
It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, where it has the name shégēn mù or yìndù shémù .
Rauwolfia serpentina contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including yohimbine
Yohimbine
Yohimbine is an alkaloid with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe . It is also found naturally in Rauwolfia serpentina , Alchornea floribunda , along with several other active alkaloids...
, reserpine
Reserpine
Reserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
, ajmaline
Ajmaline
Ajmaline is a class Ia antiarrhythmic agent. It is often used to bring out typical findings of ST elevations in patients suspected of having Brugada syndrome....
, deserpidine
Deserpidine
Deserpidine is an antihypertensive drug related to reserpine.-References:...
, rescinnamine
Rescinnamine
Rescinnamine is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used as an antihypertensive drug.It is an alkaloid obtained from Rauwolfia serpentina and other species of Rauwolfia....
, serpentinine.
The extract of the plant has also been used for millennia in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
— Alexander the Great administered this plant to cure his general Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
of a poisoned arrow. It was reported that Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
took it as a tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:...
during his lifetime. A compound which it contains called reserpine
Reserpine
Reserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
, is used to treat high blood pressure and mental disorders including schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, and was particularly popular for that purpose in the West from 1954 to 1957.
It has been used for millennia as an antidote against bites of venomous reptiles.
Etymology