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Current Insight to the Uses of Rauwolfia: A Review

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 Research & Reviews: A Journal of Pharmacognosy
ISSN: 2394-7276(online)
Volume 3, Issue 3
www.stmjournals.com

Current Insight to the Uses of Rauwolfia: A Review

Nitin Biradar, Iswar Hazarika*, Vineeth Chandy
Department of Pharmacology, T. John College of Pharmacy, Gottigere, Bannerghatta Road,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Abstract
Rauwolfia serpentina is an Indian medicinal plant and is a safe and effective treatment for
poisonous reptiles. The plant was used by many physicians throughout India in the 1940s and
then was used throughout the world in the 1950, including in the United States and Canada. It
fell out of popularity when adverse side effects, including depression and cancer, become
associated with it. In this review we focus on the use of Rauwolfia and treatment for many
diseases, its botany, chemistry and mode of action with special emphasis on the plants role in
treating high blood pressure and hypertension, and also critically examining its adverse side
effects, toxicology and carcinogenicity.

Keywords: Rauwolfia serpentina, Reserpine, Indole-Alkaloids, Potent, Antihypertensive,

Herbal remedy, Medicinal plant

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: iswarhazarika@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION Rauwolfia serpentina or Sarpaghandha is an

Rauwolfia (Rauwolfia serpentina) is an
evergreen shrub that is member of the dogbane
or apocynaceae family. More than 100 species
are included in the Rauwolfia genus, and they
are native to tropical and subtropical regions
of the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia,
Australia and the Central and South America.
Rauwolfia serpentina is native to the moist,
deciduous forests of Southeast Asia, including
India, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri-lanka and
Malaysia.
The plant has many shiny, black or purple,
round fruits that are approximately 0.5 cm in
diameter. It also has small pink or white
flowers. The plant has a prominent tuberose.
The plant has also tap root that reaches a
length between 30 and 50 and diameter
between 1.2 and 2.5cm [1].
The plant is known by various common names
in different place as given below:
Hindi: Chandrabhaga, Sarpaghandha
English: Rauwolfi or Indian snake root
Latin: Rauwolfia serpentina.
Kannada: keramaddinagaddi
Bengali: Chandra
Tamil: chevanamalpodi
Chinese: Lu fu mu
Sanskrit: Sarpaghandha
important medicinal plant distributed in the
foot -hill of Himalaya range, up to the
elevation of 1300–1400 m. Rauwolfia
serpentina or sarpaghandha is widely used in
morden medical system and it is also used in
Ayurveda, Unani and folk medicine. Hindus
used this plant for centuries as an antidote to
the bites of poisonous snakes [2]. The plant
was used by many physicians throughout India
in the 1940s and then was used throughout the
world in the 1950, including in the United
States and Canada [3].
It is also used in common treatment for
hypertension, insomnia and used also on
various central nervous system disorders, both
physical and motor, including anxiety states,
excitement [4]. Extracts from the root are used
for the treatment of intestinal disorders, like
diarrhea and dysentery.
Scientific Classification [2]
Kingdom: plantae
Phylum: Angiosperms
Subphylum: Eudicots
Class: Asteroids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Rauwolfia
Species: serpentina

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Current Insight to the Uses of Rauwolfia: A Review
Rauwolfia serpentina contain 50 different
alkaloids. In 1891, Dymock detected the
presence of alkaloids and yellow resin in the
root of Rauwolfia serpentina [5]. It contains
two stronger yellow, crystalline bases are
"serpentine and serpetinine".
Already in India, rauwolfia root tablets were
highly popular, about 90% of doctors
prescribed as routine hypotensive agent and
around 50 million tablets had been sold by a
single manufacturing firm alone but it fell out
of popularity when adverse side effects,
including depression and cancer, become
associated with it. The chemical of reserpine
shows many other side effects like lethargy,
sedation, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, etc.
MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES
Rauwolfia is shrub and evergreen, perennial,
glabrous and the maximum height of the plant
is 60 cm. The roots are tuberous with pale
brown cork. The leaves are three whorls,
elliptic to lanceolate or obvate, below pale
green and bright green above and it is thin. Its
flowers are in irregular corymbose cymes,
white, often tiged with violet. March to May
mounts flowering time according to Indian
conditions. The fruits are drupe, single or
didymous, shining black, the inflorescence
with red pedicles and calyx and white corolla.
CULTIVATION
Land preparation: The plant requires slightly
acidic to neutral soils for rich better growth
with medium to deep well drained fertile soils.
Rich in organic content are suitable for
commercial cultivation.
Planting: The seed propagation is the best
method for raising commercial plantation. The
plant can be propagated by seed, stem cutting
and root cutting.
By stem cutting: Hard wooden stem cutting
measuring 15 to 22cm are closely planted
during June in the nursery beds where
continuous moisture is maintained.
By root cutting: Nearly 5 cm long root cutting
are planted during spring season closely in
nursery beds. The beds are kept moist through
watering.
RRJoPC (2016) 1-4 © STM Journals 2016. All Rights Reserved
Biradar et al.
Chemical Constituents of Rauwolfia
serpentine [6]
The major alkaloids is present in roots, stem
and leaves of the plant is reserpine. Reserpine
was first isolated in 1952 and its chemical
formula was found to be C33 H40 O9 N2 [7].
Yield of reserpine varies from 1.7 to 3.0%.
About 90% of alkaloid is present root barks of
the root [8]. The minor alkaloids present in the
plant are ajmalicine, ajamaline, isoajmaline,
ajamalinine, chandrine, rauwolfinine,
renoxidine, rescin- namine, reserpiline,
reserpine, reserpinine. sarpagine, serpentine,
serpentinine, tetraphyllicine, yohimbine, 3-
epi-a-yohimbine.
The root contains ophioxyline, resin, starch
and wax. The exact concentration of alkaloids
varies from plant to plant. A study found that
the yield of total alkaloids ranged from 0.8 to
1.3% of the dry weight of the plant. Another
study put the total yield of alkaloids between
0.7–3.0% of root content. The maximum
alkaloid content detected in regenerated roots
was 3.3%.
Medicinal Uses of Rauwolfia
Rauwolfia serpentina is found to have the
following pharmacologic actions [9]:
1. It leads to generalized vasodilatation and
lowering of blood pressure by action on
the vasomotor centre.
2. It soothes the general nervous system by
depressant action on the cerebral canters
[10].
3. It stimulates the bronchial musculature.
Antipsychotic [11,12]: Historically reserpine
has also been used for the treatment of
schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia.
Rauwolfia is an erect herb with a smooth stem.
It is used as febrifuge or fever relieving drug
[13].
Insomnia[11,12]: Rauwolfia is a valuable
remedy in treating "insomnia "because of its
sedative properties. The very important the
Rauwolfia plant is highly beneficial in treating
insanity. 1 g of powdered root can be taken
twice a day with 250 ml of goats milk,
sweetened with sugar candy.
Treatment of Hysteria: Rauwolfia is useful in
treating "hysteria". 1 g of powdered root can
Page 2
Research & Reviews: A Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume 3, Issue 3
ISSN: 2394-7276(online)
be administered thrice with milk. Treatment
should be continued till a complete cure is
obtained.
Anti-hypertensive [6]: It is also used in
treatment for high blood pressure and it has
been adapted by medical fraternity in most
countries. These alkaloids which have a direct
effect on Hypertension have been isolated in it
and are widely used by practitioners of modern
medicine. It relieves itching in urticaria
Cancer [14]: It is also used in the treatment of
"Breast cancer". Subsequent research and
analysis eliminating exclusion bias showed
that no increase in the rate of breast cancer
occurred in those patients using Rauwolfia.
Other uses: Extracts of R. serpentina is also
useful in treatment of other diseases such as
fever, malaria, eye diseases, pneumonia,
asthma, AIDS, headache skin disease and
spleen disorder [15–21].
Mechanism of Action
The mechanism of action of reserpine is well
researched and well documented. Reserpinine
binds to protein receptors called vesicular
monoamine transporters (VMATs) in the
organelle membranes of specialized Secretory
vesicles of presynaptic neurons. Reserpine
prevents intracellular neurotransmitters from
binding to VMAT proteins and stops secretory
vesicles from uptaking neurotransmitters.
Ultimately, use of reserpine provides that no or
few neurotransmitters are released from the
presynaptic neuron. As a result, no or only
slight promulgation of the nerve impulse
occurs in the postsynaptic neuron.
VMAT1 and VMAT2 two isoforms of
vesicular transport proteins.VMAT1 is mainly
found in the neuroendocrine cells of the
peripheral nervous system, particularly in the
chromaffin granules in the adrenal medula,
sympathetic neurons, and platelets.
VMAT2 is mainly found in the brain and
sympathetic nervous system. Mast cells and
cells containing histamine are found in gut and
pancreas. Reserpine has an affinity for
VMAT2 that is three times greater than its
affinity for VMAT1. It has a strong affinity
RRJoPC (2016) 1-4 © STM Journals 2016. All Rights Reserved
and binds almost irreversibly to specific
receptors in platelets [22, 23].
CONCLUSION
India is a hub for all the medicinal plant and it
is a great source of plant as well. The present
review suggested some of the newer use of
Rauwolfia serpentina. This use can be further
studied scientifically and can be used for the
benefit of humanity to cure the diseases.
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Cite this Article
Nitin Biradar, Iswar Hazarika, Vineeth
Chandy. Current Insight to the Uses of
Rauwolfia: A Review. Research &
Reviews: A Journal of Pharmacognosy.
2016; 3(3): 1–4p.
Page 4