Rauvolfia Serpentina: Health Benefits, Therapeutic Uses, Dosage and Side Effects - Sarpagandha

Table of Content

 "Sarpagandha is one of the popular herbal medicines used in the treatment of high blood pressure, insanity and schizophrenia."

1. Introduction

Rauvolfia is indigenous to India, it is well described and used by the ancestor of Ayurveda. In ancient time it is used for the treatment of poisoning, mental disorders and gastroenteritis. In modern era, Rauvolfia is used as an effective antihypertensive drug, and it is also considered as world's first antihypertensive drug. 

Based on studies the roots of Rauvolfia contains several alkaloids, the more important being two chemical classes known as the ajmaline and the serpentine group, the roots also contain a lot of resin and starch. 

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2. Vernaculars Names

• Assamese - Arachontita
• Bengali – Chaandar, Chandra, Chotachand
• Kannada – Sutranaabhu, Sarpangadhi, Sutraanabhi
• Sanskrit – Nakuli, Chandrika, Chandramarah
• Gujrati – Amelpodee, Sarpagandha
• Malayalam – Amalpori, Chivanavilpuri, Chivan, Tulunni
• Marathi – Adaki, Chandra, Harkaya, Harki
• Oriya – Dhanbarua, Sanochado
• Tamil – Sarppaganti, Chivan melpodi
• Telugu – Sarpagandhi, Patalgani, Patala
• Urdu – Asrel

3. Synonyms

• Bhujangakshi – Mature fruits of this plant look like the eye of a snake.
• Dhavalavitapa – The plant purifies the body.
• Sarpagandha – The root of this plant has a peculiar smell that drives away snakes.
• Surasa – The plant has exudates or latex.
• Vishadamstraka – It has vishaghna property or acts as an antidote.

4. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Not mentioned
• Sushrut Samhita – Aparajitadi gana
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Karaveeradi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Aushadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Mulakadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi varga

5. Distribution

The plant is found in the tropical Himalayas in the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu, and Kashmir and at moderate altitudes in Sikkim, North Bihar, Patna, Uttar Pradesh, Bhagalpur, Bengal, Konkan, Assam, Burma, Sri Lanka, Andaman, Pegu, Tenasserim and Deccan Peninsula along with Ghats of Travancore and Ceylon, Java and Malay Peninsula. Mostly, it is found at 4,000 feet height above sea level in moist jungles and shaded areas. Cultivation of Rauvolfia has been started in different areas of India, such as Dehradun, Lucknow, Jammu, and Indore.

6. Morphology

It is an erect herb with a smooth stem, the drug preferably in autumn from three or four-year-old plants. The small, erect, perennial undershrub of 30 to 40 cm in height.

Leaves

Simple, glabrous in whorls 3-4, rarely opposite, dark green above, pale green below, ecliptic-lanceolate or obovate, tapering at base, acute apex, and entire margin.

Flowers

Bisexual, white often tinged with red color in 5 to10 cm long peduncled corymbose cymes, pedicels stout.

Fruit

Drupes, ovoid shape, green when unripe, and purplish black when fully ripe.

Roots

Soft, brownish, tuberous zigzag with irregular nodes, frequently curved and twisted bark pale brown, corky, longitudinally fissured. Dry roots are very hard, tortuous, yellowish brown surface with vertical cracks or wrinkles. The fracture is short, irregular, odorless, and tastes very bitter. Dry root when rubbed with water yields a yellowish-tinged paste. In fresh conditions, the bark gets easily separated from the woody portion whereas in dry root it doesn’t.

7. Types of Rauvolfia

Raj Nighantu has mentioned Nakuli and Gandha nakuli/mahasugandha. The properties of Gandha nakuli are better than Nakuli.

8. Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste): It has bitter taste (tikta).

Virya (Potency): It is hot in nature (ushna).

Vipaka (post-digestive taste): It has pungent taste (Katu).

Guna: Ruksha.

Effects: Nidrajanana.

9. Chemical Constituent

It has carminative, hypotensive, sedative, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is bitter in aromatic, astringent, bitter in taste, and hot in potency. Sarpgandha root produces Alkaline reserpine, a plethora of phytonutrient compounds that have antihypertensive and antipsychotic effects on the human body. It exerts antihypertensive properties by depleting the catecholamine.

10. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 2%
• Total Ash – Not more than 8%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 1%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 4%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 10%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 2001)

11. Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

It has appetizer, digestive, relish, diuretics, antidote, cardiac depressant, sedative, laxative, uterine contractions, antipyretics.

• Doshakarma: Kapha vatashamaka.
• Dhatukarma: Raktabharaprashaman.
• Malakarma: Mutral, sramsana.

Pharmacological Actions

Antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, sedative, antibacterial, hypnotic, hypotensive, relaxant, hyperthermic, antifungal and nematocidal.

12. Heath Benefits

The herb is an effective drug for lowering blood pressure and reducing fever. It has an extensive spectrum of valuable therapeutic actions, mainly effective in the treatment of hypertension and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, anxiety, epilepsy, insomnia, and insanity, and used as a sedative, a hypnotic drug. Extracts of the roots are valued for the treatment of intestinal disorders, particularly diarrhea and dysentery, and as anathematic. Mixed with other plant extracts, they have been used in the treatment of cholera, colic, and fever.  The juice of the leaves has been used as a remedy for the opacity of the cornea.

Rauvolfia juice and extract obtained from the root can be used for treating gastrointestinal and circulatory diseases. The juice of tender leaves and root extract is used to treat liver pain, stomach pain, dysentery and expel intestinal worms.

Rauvolfia roots are also used to treat hypertension associated with cerebral pain, wooziness, and menorrhea in the Siddha system of medicine. In the Unani system, it is used as a nervine tonic, sedative, hypnotic, diuretic, and anesthetic.

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13. Therapeutic Uses

Mental Disorders – Sarpagandha is included in Aparajita gana which is indicated in mental disorders.

Insomnia - Rauvolfia root powder is given in doses of 5gm with ghee or rose water at bedtime induces sound sleep and gives relief in panic attacks, palpitations, nervousness, anxiety, and epilepsy.

It is non-stimulating and for sound sleep should be taken in doses of 0.25gms at bedtime. 

Insanity – 1 gram of powdered root can be taken thrice with milk in insanity and hysteria.

Hypertension – Taking half tsp of full root powder of Rauvolfia, twice a day or 2 tablets of Sarpagandhaghana vati once a day is effective in lowering high blood pressure.

Urticaria – 1 gram of powdered root is taken with water to prevent itching in urticaria.

14. Dosage

Root Powder – 3 to 6 gm (sedative, insanity), 1 to 2gm (in hypertension)

15. Formulations

Sarpagandhadi churna, Sarpagandhaghana vati, Sarpagandhayoga, Sarpagandha vati.

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16. Side Effects

Higher doses may cause flushing, injection of conjunctive, insomnia, bradycardia, asthenia, edema, occasionally parkinsonism, and severe mental depression which may lead to suicide. Prolonged previous use of reserpine may cause disturbances in blood pressure during operation under general anesthesia, while some patients may be highly susceptible to small parental dosage.