M. Herr.) Also contraindicated in pregnancy, since it has both teratogenic and abortifacient potential. (Francis Brinker.)
The root and root bark are rich in alkaloids, the most important being reserpine, others, around 30, which include ajmaline, ajmalicine (raubasine), ajmalicine, yohimbine, coryanthine, iso-ajmaline, neo-ajmaline, papaverin raubasine, rauwolscine, rescinnamine, reserpine, sarpagine, serpentine, serpentinine, serpinine and deserpidine.
Reserpine is hypotensive and tranquilizer, used for certain forms of mental disorders. Ajmalicine (raubasine) and rescinnamine are also hypotensive and tranquilizer. Deserpidine is sedative, as well as hypotensive. Ajmaline exhibits antiarrhythmic activity.
A number of Rauvolfia species are found in India: R. beddomei Hook. f; R. densflora Benth ex Hook. f. (Himalayas, Khasi and Aka Hills; Western and Eastern Ghats); R. micra nt/ia Hook. f; known as Malabar Rauvolfia, (Kerala, up to an altitude of 300 m)
The roots of R. beddomei contain ajmalicine, sarpagine and serpentine, but no reserpine. R. densijiora yielded 0.51% of total alkaloids (reserpine 0.01%). R. micrantha gave ajmalicine, raunamine, reserpiine, sarpagine, neosarpagine, in addition to reserpine.
(In classical Ayurvedic texts, Nakuli and Gandha-naakuli were included in compound formulations for mental diseases.)
Rauvolfia tetraphylla Linn.
Synonym R. canescens L.
Family Apocynaceae.
Habitat Abundant in moist and warm regions of West Bengal, particularly in 24 Parganas and Howrah, and Kerala (as a weed).
Folk Badaa Chaand.
Action Root—sedative, hypotensive. Plant juice, mixed with castor oil, is applied to skin diseases and to destroy parasites.
The plant contains a number of alkaloids, including rauvolscine, aj malicine, canescine, reserpine, pseudoyohimbine; yohimbine, corynanthene, raunescine, iso-raunescine and recanescine.
The major alkaloid is rauwolscine (alpha-yohimbine), present in the root bark (0.1%), stem bark (0.2%) and leaves (0.5%).
The roots are often used as a substitute or adulterant of those of R. serpentina, though the reserpine content of the dried root was found to be comparatively low (0.03—0.05%).
