Sarpagandha or Rauwolfia sepentina, a Ayurvedic herb which is considered to be very potent one among the Ayurvedic system practices for centuries. Commonly it is referred as Indian snakeroot, or serpentina root which is widely distributed in moist areas of subtropical Himalayas and plains of Punjab to Assam, Khasia Mountains, and Deccan Peninsula. The plant is native to India, Bangladesh and different areas of Asia. Sarpagandha roots, leaves, and juice have been considered of therapeutic significance from ancient times. Sarpagandha is a potential antioxidant, anticancerous, antidiuretic, antiarrhythmic, antidysentery, antidiarrheal, antihypotensive, anticontractile, and tranquillizing agent. The root and rhizome of Sarpagandha have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments including high blood pressure, mental agitation, epilepsy, traumas, anxiety, excitement, schizophrenia, sedative insomnia, and insanity. In the Ayurvedic medical system, the roots of Sarpagandha have been used to treat hypertension, insomnia, mental agitation, gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, traumas, anxiety, schizophrenia, sedative insomnia, and insanity. Similarly, in Siddha medicine, roots of Sarpagandha are employed to address hypertension-associated symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, and dysmenorrhea.
Moreover, this wonder drug is being used for the treatment of mental illness, snakebites, and blood pressure and is also used in hypertension, diarrhoea, painful bowels infections, cholera, dysentery and colic, epilepsy, dyspepsia, insomnia, giddiness. It is extensively used for the treatment of fever, rheumatism, anxiety, snake bite, eczema, insanity, intestinal disorders, cardiovascular disorder, nervous disorders, psychiatric disorders, bacterial infections and in the treatment of hypertension schizophrenia. The drug Sarpagandha is hypnotic, cardio-depressant and sedative and is used in insomnia, hypertension, vertigo and sexual aggression. As an antioxidant, it has been found to possess compounds that can help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, potentially reducing oxidative stress and protecting against cellular damage. The root and rhizome of Rauwolfia serpentina have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments including high blood pressure, mental agitation, epilepsy, traumas, anxiety, excitement, schizophrenia, sedative insomnia, and insanity. It is a highly effective remedy for hypertension.
Around the world this drug has been used in various ailments like; in India and Malay peninsula, the roots of Sarpagandha have been used as an antidote for snake venom, stings of insects, and also utilized as an anthelmintic, in loose bowels, diarrhoea, diabetes. In Nepal it is used to treat pneumonia and treating scabies. In Bangladesh plant is utilized in gastrointestinal issues while the the root decoction is used against spleen treatment, liver pain & treatment of high blood pressure.
Further as an Indian folklore medication Sarpagandha were utilized as a uterine energizer, febrifuge, and remedy for nervous system disorders. Traditional Ayurvedic herbal formulations of Sarpagandha are utilized as a solution for restoring hypertension, sleep deprivation, CNS disorders, gastro intestinal issues, epilepsy, injuries, nervousness, energy, schizophrenia, narcotic sleep deprivation, insanity, antidote, anti-pretic, manages regular menstural flow, improve appetite and helps in digestion. The root mixture of Sarpagandha with ginger and black pepper regularizes the menstrual cycle. The paste is made up of Sarpgandha roots, buds with milk and applied on the snake bit affected area in Karnataka. In Orissa, Sarpgandha roots are used in treatment of mental disorders, dysentery and to kill internal parasites in children. The decoction of leaf and rhizome are taken orally in snake bite in parts of Tamil Nadu. The roots are squeezed first and then tied over the snake bitten area in some areas of Karnataka. Some tribes of Madhya Pradesh also use this plants in the treatment of snake bite. In some areas of Western Ghats of Kerala, the mixture of Sarpgandha root and duck flower along with water is used twice a day at regular interval of three days in the treatment of snake bite. In Uttar-Pradesh, it is used as antidote while in Andhra Pradesh it’s paste is used in headaches.
India a land of biodiversity which boasts about its magical flora & fauna has about 8,000 medicinal plant species used by different communities in India across different ecosystems. But some species are on the way of extinction or on the edge of it. Sarpagandha is being classified under endangered category according to IUCN. So such magical drugs should be preserved for our future generations and we have to move forward with a motto to “Preserve & Protect” our Biodiversity.
