International Journal of Innovation in Agriculture Sciences and Rural Development Vol.1, NO.1 , P : 13 - 27 Received: 19 Nov 2018 Accepted: 15 Feb 2019 A review of the therapeutic properties of the medical herb ( Rauvolfia serpentine) Seyed Mohammad Reza Soltani introduces botanical aspects, effective Moghadas materials and scientific evaluation of using R. Naturopathic Reseacher, Islamic Azad University serpentine. The author emphasizes on the importance of observing the suitable dose of Abstract using R. serpentine plant and screening the patients to minimize its side-effects and R. serpentina is an evergreen plant as a introduces this plant a good recommendation member of Apocynaceae family and is used to control and treat some diseases such as in the treatment of some of the diseases high systolic hypertension and mental including hypertension. More than 100 diseases such as anxiety and schizophrenia. species are included in the Rauwolfia genus, and they are native to tropical and subtropical Keywords: Rauvolfia serpentina, Asrole, regions around the world, including Europe, Medicinal herbs, Natural treatment, Blood Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Central pressure America and South America. The plant Introduction usually grows to a height 60 - 90 cm with the leaves as elliptical or lanceolate shaped. It Rauwolfia was named in honor of German also has small pink or white flowers, with physician Dr Leonhard Rauwolf, who shiny purple or black and round fruits. The published a report of his travelling in India. root of this plant has been used for a long time The root of this plant has been used for a long in India and the Malay peninsula as an time in India and the Malay peninsula as an antidote to the sting of insects and poisonous antidote to the stings of insects and reptiles. It has also been used to reduce fever, poisonous reptiles. The name of this plant is as a stimulant to uterine contractions, recognized as Sarpgandha in Sanskrit in the diarrhea, for insomnia, and particularly for old Indian books (1000 years before BC) and the treatment of insanity. The present study also in the great works of Charaka (second century, A.D.). This plant also has been used 13 to reduce fever, as a stimulant to uterine useful Rauwolfia species from therapeutical contractions, diarrhea, dysentery, insomnia, aspects is Rauwolfia serpentina growing to and insanity. More than two decades, its the height of 1.5 to 3 foot and it has pink clinical applications were successful in the white flowers (Mia et al., 2009:168). treatment of hypertension. Rauvolfia The history of the application of Rauwolfia in serpentina or Serpentina is a climbing or twin treating diseases shrub belongs to Apocynaceae family and is found in Himalaya, Assam, Pego, Java, R. serpentine has been used for centuries in Tenaserim, Bahar, Deccan and Malay fold medicine in India to treat different Peninsula. Its variety is recognized as diseases such as the sting of snake and Sarpgandha (ancient times), Chandria insects, fever, malaria, abdomen pain and (Sanskrite), Chota-Chand (Indian), Chand dysentery. It was also used as a uterine (Bengal), Danbarova or Pagla-Kadava stimulant, febrifuge, and cure for insanity. (Bihar), Chandra, Chota Chanid, Karavi or The plant was mentioned in Indian Harkaya (Bombay), patalagarud or manuscripts since 1000 bc and is also known Atalaganidi (Telegu), Kumanmeliour as sarpagandha and chandriko. Serpentina is (Tamil), Chovana Vilpouri (Malay) and selected for study due to its long, tapering, Danbarova or DIHAN Barea (Oria). It is said snake-like roots. The Indian political leader, that 130 special species of Rauwolfia grow in Mahatma Gandhi was known to use the root tropical areas as local. Yang can described of Rauwolfia to make a tea that he consumed five species of this plant as follows: to help relax . Rauwolfia serpinta, Rauwolfia cansine, The Indian physician Rustom Jal Vakil Rauwolfia micranta, Rauwolfia densiflora introduced Rauwolfia to western medicine. and Rauwolfia praknis. Based on the origin He collected data on patients undergoing or source of presenting eight species of treatment with Rauwolfia for 10 years, from Rauwolfia growing in India and 1939 to 1949. In 1949, he published a paper Rauwolfia species in Indian market, Bengal, on watershed in a British Medical journal and Bihar, Osma, Dehar and Seylan are presented the antihypertensive properties completely recognized. These species show of R serpentina. He presented his exact considerable difference in the quality and results from treating 50 patients who had high volume of therapeutical alkaloids. The most blood pressure with the root of Rauwolfia. 14 The results were considerable and An alkaloid isolated by the Chemistry significant. By 1949, more than 90% of Department of the tropical school of Indian physicians were using Rauwolfia in Medicine, Calcutta, was investigated by the treatment of high blood pressure. After Chopra, Gupta and Mukherjee (1933). As a Vakil’s original paper, more than 100 result of their pharmacological studies they scientific articles were published around the showed that this alkaloid has a toxic effect on world. After the main article of Vakil, more lower forms of life such as Paramoecia than 100 scientific papers were published all Caudatum in dilution of 1 in 20,000. Its around the world. In recent years, this drug is toxicity on animals was variable. Frogs used for sedative properties and it is also used tolerated completely, whereas the white for curing insanity and is advertised mostly in mouse was very sensitive. The drug was non-allowed press. Its application in the much more toxic, when injected treatment of hypertension is a new source of intravenously or intraperitoneally, than when pharmacological researches about this drug. injected subcutaneously. In the circulatory It is said that the consumption cases of this system, the drug decreased the blood pressure drug is under experiment and any registration of cats under anaesthesia as it has long- of the exact clinical observations is valuable lasting effect. If spine of cats are used, the in real evaluation of this drug in the treatment effect produced is very low, which shows that of hyperpicsia. Chemically, the root contains the fall in blood pressure was due to some alkaloids. Sen and Bose (1931) found vasodilatation as a result of the the depression two alkaloids with different melting points. of the vasomotor center in the medulla Siddiqui and Siddiqui (1931) introduced five oblongata. The fall in blood pressure was also alkaloids including ajmaline, ajmalimine, noticed after the terminations of the vagi ajmalicine, serpentine, serpentinine . Von were paralysed with atropine, showing that Italie and Steenhaur mentioned at least three vagal inhibition is not important in the fall alkaloids that their nature and identity were created. The fall in blood pressure was also similar to the findings of Siddiqui and partly due to decreased cardic output, which Siddiqui. was found on myocardiographic studies. During the injection of the drug through isolated vessels, Chopra and his coworkers found that it definitely decreased the number 15 of drops of the injection per minute, which R. serpentina is an evergreen plant as a means that it causes ‘vasoconstriction’ member of Apocynaceae family and is used though they have erroneously called it in the treatment of some of the diseases vasodilatation. Both, the subjects were intact. including hypertension. More than 100 The drug seemed to have a slight depressant species are included in the Rauwolfia genus, action. The alkaloid has a stimulant action on and they are native to tropical and subtropical the simple muscles of the alimentary canal regions around the world, including Europe, and the uterus. However, its most interesting Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Central action was observed on the central nervous America and South America. system, which it seems to act in the reverse Rauwolfia serpentina is native to the humid order of development of heart congestive forests of Southeast Asia, including India, system. As by affecting the neural centers can Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and lead to drowsiness, diminution in motor Malaysia. The plant normally grows to a activity, diminution in the sensory stimuli, height between 60 and 90 cm and has green low performance of the medullary centers leaves as 7 to 10 cm long and 3.5 to 5.0 cm (Bhatia, 1942:2). wide. The leaves are elliptical or lanceolate shaped with 3 to 5 leaves. The plant has The introduction of Rouvolfia serpentine or small pink or white flowers. It has many Indian snake root shiny, black or purple and round fruits that Family : Apocynaceae are about 0.5 cm in diameter. The plant has a prominent, soft taproot with a length between Species : serpentina 30 and 50 cm and a diameter between 1.2 and Genus : Rouvolfia 2.5 cm (Kiran, Jothi Priya & Gayatri Devi, 2018:25 16 Figure 1- Rouvolfia Figure 2-Another view of Rouvolfia 2. Chemical constituents of Rouvolfia system and thereby decreases blood pressure as compared to other blood-pressure Rauvolfia serpentina has been an extensive decreasing agents. It is reported that R. field of research for decades and several serpentina root contains 0.7-3.0% of total individuals have explored this field due to its alkaloids and about 0.1% of the active phytochemical properties. The various principle reserpine which is an indole phytochemical compounds or secondary alkaloid, existing in the root. Thus, root metabolites present in R. serpentina include biomass production of this plant may be of alkaloids, phenols, tannins and flavonoids economic importance. On the basis of the (Rahman, 2018:45). structure, there are three types of alkaloids: Alkaloids Weak basic indole alkaloids, intermediate Alkaloids are large group of organic base alkaloids and strong anhydronium molecules which contain a heterocyclic bases. The various alkaloids identified in nitrogen ring.