Name of wavy shaped crude drugs | Medicinal uses of rauvolfia serpentina.

 Name of wavy shaped crude drugs

What is the definition of wavy

According to Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus the Definition of wavy is curving in shape, or having a series of curves just like given below image.

Rauvolfia serpentina

Rauvolfia serpentina is a crude drugs and the shape of its roots are just like this image means 

wavy shape (curving in shape, or having a series of curves). It also known as Indian snakeroot, devil 

pepper and serpentine wood.

wavy shape roots of Rauvolfia serpentina

General Information about Rauvolfia serpentina

Rauvolfia (sometimes spelled Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs, commonly known 

as devil peppers, in the family Apocynaceae. The genus is named to honor Leonhard Rauwolf. The 

genus can mainly be found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and various oceanic 

islands.

Rauvolfia serpentina is an erect, evergreen shrub growing up to 1 metre tall from a yellowish rootstock.

The plant has been used medicinally in India for over 2,000 years, being valued especially for its 

sedative actions and ability to lower the blood pressure.

Synonyms and scintific name: -

Scientific Name: Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz. (Syn. Ophioxylon sepentinum L.)

English Name: Rauvolfia root, serpentine

Trade Name: Serpentine Roots

Common (Indian) Names:

Hindi: Chota-chand, Sarpagandha

Marathi: Harkaya: Harki

Sanskrit: Sarpagandha, Chandrika, Patalguruda

Telugu: Patalaguni, Patalagaruda, Sarpagandha

Tamil: Chevanamalpodi

Assamese: Arachoritita

Bengali: Chandra

Malyalma: Churannavilpori, Suvapavalporiya

Oriya: Patalagarur, Sanochado

Morphological features :

  The roots of rauwolfia are rarely branched.

• The rootlets are 0.5-1mm in diameter.

• Pieces of rhizomes are recognised by a small central pith but it is closely resemble roots and 

   sometimes      they are attached to them small pieces of aerial stem.

• Outer surface consist of wrinkles or longitudinal ridges with occasional scars of rootlets.

• The drug composed of mostly small pieces which are 2-15 cm long and 3-22 mm in diameter.

• The shape of pieces are cylindrical, slightly tapering and tortuous.

Chemical constituents: -

  it consist of 40 types of alkaloids(about 0.7-2.4%).

• it contain phytosterol, fatty acids, unsaturated alcohols and sugars as chemical constituents.

• Reserpine and rescinnamine are alkaloids which have main therapeutical effect in rauwolfia.

• Also it contain indole alkaloids and iridoid glycoside,7- epiloganin, which is a new sucrose derivative.

• It also contain ajmaline and ajmalicine.

Medicinal uses of rauvolfia roots: -

Rauwolfia alkaloids belong to the general class of medicines called antihypertensives. They are used to 

treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Rauwolfia alkaloids work by controlling nerve impulses along certain nerve pathways. As a result, they

 act on the heart and blood vessels to lower blood pressure.

 It is also used in anxiety condition, as sedative, stimulates the central of peripheral nervous 

system, increase the utrine contraction, treatment of intestinal disorders and anthelminthic bitter tonic 

and febrifuge.