Indian snakeroot (Rauvolfia serpentina) is a plant belonging to the Apocynaceae or dogbane family of plants. Other names for the plant include devil pepper. The plant is found on the Indian subcontinent and East Asia. The plant has been traditionally used as a treatment for snakebite, hence its name. However, the plant also possesses sedative properties, likely as a result of the alkaloids it contains. This may explain the observation that it is used to treat anxiety in certain part of India. It is the root of the plant that is used for its sedative properties. Indian snakeroot contains over 200 alkaloids which belong to the indole alkaloid family. Some of the alkaloids in the plant include reserpine, ajmaline, ajmalicine, ajmalimine, deserpidine, indobine, indobinine, reserpiline, rescinnamine, rescinnamidine, serpentine, serpentine and yohimbine. However the effects of these alkaloids are not fully understood and some reports suggest that Indian snakeroot may cause depression is some individuals.
Indian snakeroot (Rauvolfia serpentina) is a herb that is used to treat anxiety, schizophrenia and hypertension in parts of India. In this capacity it is a herb used in traditional ayurvedic medicine. However, studies on the effects of Indian snakeroot are not expensive, and the effects are not fully known. It appears that the large numbers of alkaloids within the plant may have beneficial medicinal effects, but the plant may need significant care associated with its use. Certainly the phytochemicals in the plant appear to affect the central nervous system, but in some individuals this may induce negative effects such as changes to mood and psychosis. There are other far safer and more effective herbs that should be considered ahead of any use of Indian snakeroot. Image is Indian snakeroot. Image from : By आशीष भटनागर at English Wikipedia – Own work, Public Domain, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/ w/ index.php?curid=17271159
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