Rauwolfia

Rauwolfia description, morphology, microscopy& uses

1. Rauwolfia By, Rasika B halke

2. CHARACTER DETAILS COMMON NAME SERPENTINE ROOTS BOTANICAL NAME RAUVOLFIA SERPENTINA FAMILY APOCYANACEAE CHROMOSOME NUMBER 2N= 2X= 20 NATIVE PLACE SHIWALIK HILLS OF HIMALAYAS

3. 4 Biological Sources:- The drug Sarpagandha consist of the dried roots of Rauwolfia serpentina . Family apocynaceae

4. Description Sarpagandha , an evergreen plant, has been in use since 4000 years in Indian medicine. An erect under-shrub, it is a species of flowering plants. The leaves are 7-10cm long, spear-shaped. The flowers are 1 inch long, white and violet. It contains nectar at the deep of the corolla tube. The blooming time is in the month of August and September. The root is branched and tuberous. It is used as a useful herb in the Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy treatments.

5. 6 Introduction:- Flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae . Evergreen, glabrous, errect and grows up to a height of 60 cm (rarely more than that). It consist of long irregularly yellowish root.

6. 7 Botanical description:- Macroscopic character:- Leaves:- Simple, opposite, leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 to 4,to 10 cm long and 5 cm broad. Fruits:- Round, 5 cm in diameter, dark, purple or blackish when ripe.

7. Flower:- Glabrous, white or pinkish, with deep red peduncle.

8. 10/1/2020 Pharmaceutical seminar 1st 9 Habit and Habitat:- It is an evergreen, perennial, glabrous, erect and grows up to a height of 60 cm. Roots are tuberous with pale brown cork. Flowers are white, often has violet color.

9. Fruits are purplish black in color. It is mostly found in the decidous forest of Nepal, India, Pakistan and Srilanka . It is widely distributed from 100-900 m high from sea level of Nepal, Burma and Bhutan.

10. Organoleptic properties:- Color: - Bary grayish yellow to brown; wood pale yellow Odor: Odorless Taste: very bitter taste

11. Microscopy

12. CLIMATE AND SOIL: Hot and humid tropical regions with sufficient rainfall. A range of temperature of 10-30⁰C is found favourable for the plants. It grows from sea level to 1300 m elevation. PLANTING: June and july are suitable months for transplanting seedlings and vegetatively propagated plants. The seedlings which are 7.5 to 12 cm high are carefully dug out from nursery beds and planted. AFTER CARE: use of organic matter @ 25-30 tonnes per hectare and two top dressing of 20 kg may be applied of N AND 30 kg each P and K is applied annually. Cultivation and collection

13. SEEDS: Direct sowing does not give good results because of poor germination rate, so the seeds are in raised beds about 5.5 kg seeds are sufficient to plant one hectare. ROOT CUTTINGS: The large taproots as well as secondary roots are employed for preparing the cuttings 2.5-3.0 cm. STEM CUTTINGS: Stem cuttings of 15-20 cm length with three internodes should be planted in month of july- august in the nursery and keep moist.They strike roots within 60 days and afterwards they are transplanted to main field.

14. IRRIGATION: The transplanted seedlings require irrigation at a regular intervals. During hot dry season fortnightly and during winter once a month irrigation is required. INTERCROPPING: Although sole cropping is done for good root yield, intercropping with soyabean in wet season and garlic in winter season is recommended.

15. HARVESTING: Ideal age for harvesting is 2-3 years from planting .In addition to the thick tap root system ,fibrous secondary roots should also be collected as the are rich in alkaloid content. YIELD : From a good crop stand 2000-2500 kg dried roots can be obtained from one hectare. DRYING AND STORAGE: Roots thoroughly dried upto 3% moisture level, the dried roots are then broken into small pieces of 15-20 cm and packed in air tight containers for storage in cool and dry place.

16. Sarapgandha is susceptible to many diseases especially to leaf spot, leaf blight , powder mildews and die back diseases so 2-3 sprayings of 0.5% bordeaux mixture and dithane Z 78 for die back required. Among pests caterpillars common so spraying with dimethoate 0.03%.

17. Chemical Constiuents:- The major chemical constituents are:- Serpentine Reserpine Ajmaline Ajmalicine Ricinnamine Fatty acids Unsaturated alcohol Fumaric acid

18. Ajmalicine:-

19. Molecular structure of Reserpine:-

20. Pharmacological action:- Reserpine is used to treat mild to moderate hypertension. These are normally involved in controlling heart rate, force of contraction and peripheral resistance. The effects of reserpine include respiratory inhibition, stimulation of peristalsis ,relaxation of membranes and influence on the temperature regulating centre.

21. Ayurvedic Preparations:- Sarpagandha ghanavati Sarpagandha yoga Sarpagandha churna Mahesvari vati

22. Ethnomedical uses:- As the antidote against the bites of venomous reptiles, insect and animal bites. Used in the anxiety states. Traditionally being used in the intestinal disorder.

23. Contd….. Young shoot extract of serpentina is given three times daily to cure pneumonia in early stage by the people of Jhapa district. Local people uses R . serpentina fresh leaves juices to prevent eye inflammation.

24. Dosage:- Rauvolfia :- 100 to 150 mg (oral twice a day) Reserpine:- Initial dose 250 µg once a day Root powder:- 1-2 gm daily

25. The dried roots of rauvolfia is one of the most important crude drugs which has been used in the indigenous system of medicine from ancient times. It has been used in treatment of blood pressure (hypertension), or as a sedative and transqualising agent. A large number of alkaloids have been isolated from the roots of this plant such as ajmalicine, ajmaline,reserpine,serpentine. India exports 4 tonnes annually worth 0.43 million rupees.