Rauvolfia (also spelled
Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs in the
milkweedAsclepias L. , the milkweeds, is a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants that contains over 140 known species...
family,
ApocynaceaeThe Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
. The approximately 85 species in the genus can mainly be found in tropical regions.
Rauvolfia caffra is the South African
quinineQuinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine....
tree.
Rauvolfia serpentina, or Indian Snakeroot or
Sarpagandha, contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including
ajmalineAjmaline is a class Ia antiarrhythmic agent. It is often used to bring out typical findings of ST elevations in patients suspected of having Brugada syndrome....
,
deserpidineDeserpidine is an antihypertensive drug related to reserpine.-References:...
,
rescinnamineRescinnamine is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used as an antihypertensive drug.It is an alkaloid obtained from Rauwolfia serpentina and other species of Rauwolfia....
, serpentinine, and
yohimbineYohimbine is a psychoactive drug of the tryptamine chemical class with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects. It is an alkaloid and is found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe , formerly known as Corynanthe yohimbe, as the herb's primary active constituent...
.
ReserpineReserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic behaviors, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
is an alkaloid first isolated from
R.
Discussion
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Rauvolfia (also spelled
Rauwolfia) is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs in the
milkweedAsclepias L. , the milkweeds, is a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants that contains over 140 known species...
family,
ApocynaceaeThe Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas.Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs...
. The approximately 85 species in the genus can mainly be found in tropical regions.
Rauvolfia caffra is the South African
quinineQuinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , and anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine....
tree.
Chemical constituents
Rauvolfia serpentina, or Indian Snakeroot or
Sarpagandha, contains a number of bioactive chemicals, including
ajmalineAjmaline is a class Ia antiarrhythmic agent. It is often used to bring out typical findings of ST elevations in patients suspected of having Brugada syndrome....
,
deserpidineDeserpidine is an antihypertensive drug related to reserpine.-References:...
,
rescinnamineRescinnamine is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used as an antihypertensive drug.It is an alkaloid obtained from Rauwolfia serpentina and other species of Rauwolfia....
, serpentinine, and
yohimbineYohimbine is a psychoactive drug of the tryptamine chemical class with stimulant and aphrodisiac effects. It is an alkaloid and is found naturally in Pausinystalia yohimbe , formerly known as Corynanthe yohimbe, as the herb's primary active constituent...
.
Medicinal uses
ReserpineReserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic behaviors, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
is an alkaloid first isolated from
R. serpentina which was widely used as an
antihypertensiveThe antihypertensives are a class of drugs that are used to treat hypertension . Evidence suggests that reduction of the blood pressure by 5–6 mmHg can decrease the risk of stroke by 40%, of coronary heart disease by 15–20%, and reduce the likelihood of dementia, heart failure, and mortality from...
drug. It had drastic psychological side effects and has been now replaced by as a first-line antihypertensive drug by other compounds that lack such adverse effects, although combination drugs that include it are still available in some countries as second-line antihypertensive drugs.
Other plants of this genus are also used medicinally, both in conventional western medicine and in
AyurvedaAyurveda is a system of traditional medicine native to India and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, the word Ayurveda consists of the words , meaning 'life', and , meaning 'related to knowledge' or 'science'...
,
UnaniUnani or Yunani means "Greek", and has its origins in the Greek word Ἰωνία or Ἰωνίη , a placename given to a Greek populated coastal region of Anatolia....
, and folk medicine. Alkaloids in the plants reduce blood pressure, depress activity of central nervous system and act as hypnotics.
Threat Status
The natural reserves of this plant are declining as a result of over-harvesting. IUCN has kept this plant under endangered status, and it is listed in CITES Appendix II.
Precautions
Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or plan pregnancy in the near future should not ingest
Rauwolfia plants or preparations made from them. They may also be harmful for people with any chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, such as stomach or duodenal ulcers, esophageal reflux (reflux esophagitis), ulcerative colitis, spastic colitis, and diverticulosis. No "safe" dosage has been established.
Selected species
- Rauvolfia caffra
- Rauvolfia canescens
- Rauvolfia micrantha
- Rauvolfia sachetiae
Rauvolfia sachetiae is a species of plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is endemic to French Polynesia.-Source:* Florence, J. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
FosbergFrancis Raymond "Ray" Fosberg was an American botanist. A prolific collector and author, he played a significant role in the development of coral reef and island studies.- History :...
(French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
)
- Rauvolfia sandwicensis A.DC. - Hao (Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
)
- Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth.
George Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
ex KurzWilhelm Sulpiz Kurz was a German botanist and garden director in Bogor, West Java and Kolkatta.He worked in India, Indonesia, Burma, Malaysia and Singapore. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Kurz...
- Snakeroot
- Rauvolfia tetraphylla
- Rauvolfia vomitoria
General references
- Lewis, W.H. and M.P.F. Elvin-Lewis. (2003). Medical Botany. Hoboken: Wiley. pg 286