Question

Describe in detail Rauwolfia and Asafoetida

Answer 1

Rauwolfia: 

• Local Name – “Chotachand” “Medicine of Mad” 
• Botanical Name – Rauvolfia serpentine (Rauwolfia serpentine) 
• Family – Apocynaceae 
• Useful plant part – Dry roots and bark of roots. 

Origin: 

• Rauvolfia has its origin in India. This plant is also found in other countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Africa. 
• In India it is commercially grown in Assam, Tarai regions of Uttar Pradesh and the Himalayas, in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra etc. 
• It does not grow in Rajasthan. Plant: 
• It is evergreen, perennial shrub which normally attains a height of 60 cm. The roots are tuberous and spiral (like snape), wrinkled and rough with pale brown colour. 
• The fresh roots smell like a snake and are shaped like snake hence the plant is also called snakeroot. 
• Leaves are small, whorled and large spear-shaped. The inflorescence is racemose with small white or light pink coloured flowers.
• The fruit is a single-seeded capsule.

• The medicine is obtained from snake-shaped tuberous roots and their bark. 3-4 years old shrubs are chopped in the winter season and are dried. 
• Rauvolfia plant contains about 80 (eighty) types of alkaloids. The bark of the root contains 90% of these alkaloids. 
• The main alkaloids found in the bark are Reserpine (Most important), Reserpinine, Serpentine, Ajamaline, Ajamalinine, Rauwolfinine etc. 

Uses: 

• It is an effective remedy for insomnia, hysteria, and hypertension and is used in intense mental derangement (Psychosis). Hence it is known as medicine of mad.
• It is used as antitoxin in snake, scorpion and poisonous insect bite.
• Rauvolfia preparation induces contraction in the uterus and hence given to the pregnant women to ease the childbirth.
• Its decoction is beneficial in dysentery, diarrhoea, and abdominal ache.
• The decoction of Rauvolfia bark is anthelmintic. 
• Some medicines derived from serpent wood are available in the market, such as Serpina tablet, Sarpgandha tablet, Ghanvati, Sleep pills etc.