KJC Medicinal Garden

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Adda sarpa
Alstonia Venenata


Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Alstonia
Species: venenata
Common Names: Poison Devil Tree, Pen Jia Shu (chinese)
Native to Hills of Peninsular India and Western Ghats.

Other plants of the same genus with medicinal properties

    1. Alstonia angustifolia
    2. Alstonia undulifolia
    3. Alstonia schlorasis
Morphology:
  • Alstonia venenata is a plant of the family Apocynaceae.
  • It grows as a shrub or small tree in low to mid elevation deciduous forests of India.
  • The bark of the plant and, sometimes, the fruit, are used for medicinal purposes.
  • The stem is angular at apex.
  • The leaves are simple and arranged in whorls of three or four.
  • The petiole is 1-2 cm long.
  • The blade is narrowly elliptic, glossy above, glaucous beneath, 7 –20 cm × 2 –4.5 cm, coriaceous, acuminate at apex, acute at base and shows numerous pairs of secondary nerves which are conspicuous.
  • The inflorescence is a cyme of white flowers which is terminal and 5 cm long.
  • The calyx is minute, pubescent and develops five lobes which are broadly ovate. The corolla tube is 0.5 cm long and develops five lobes which are broadly ovate, pubescent, 0.3 –0.4 cm long and contortate.
  • The fruit consists of a pair of follicles which are showy and 18 –35 cm × 1 –1.5 cm. The seeds are 2 cm long, elliptic and ciliate at base and apex.

Uses in Tradition systems of medicine

  • Stem bark, root bark, fruits and leaves are used by many tribal communities and also used in Ayurveda.
  • Roots and fruits are believed to be useful for skin diseases, leprosy, cobra and other venomous bites, epilepsy, fatigue, fever, syphilis, insanity, helmenthiasis, as remedy for impure blood.
Nutritional Properties
  • Alkaloids
  • Polyphenols
  • Sterol Glu
  • Sterols

Suggested Medicinal Properties

  • In China, the plant is used to treat lung infections, coughs and asthma.

Active Phytochemicals

1. Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids including echitamine, echitamidine, alstogustine, N-(4)-methyl akuammicine, N -(4)-demethyl alstogustine, tubotawine, rhazimanine, 17-O-acetylechitamine, pseudoakuammigine, picrinine, nareline, stemmadenine,N-(4)-demethyl-12-methoxyalstogustine, 17-carboxyl-N-(4)-methylechitamidine chloride, 17-carboxyl-12-methoxy- N-(4)-methylechitamidine chloride, 12-methoxyechitamidine, N-(4)-demethylechitamine, akuammicine, 12-methoxytubotaiwine, 1,2 dehydroaspidospermidine, 6,7-seco-angustilobine B, undulifoline, panarine, 19,20-E-vallesamine and 19,20-Z-vallesamine114;

2. β-carboline alkaloids including rutaecarpine, evodiamine, dehydro evodiamine hydrochloride,1,2,3,4- tetrahydro-1-oxo-carboline.

3. Pyridine derivatives such as cantleyine, isocantleyine, venoterpine and 1-methyl-2-[(10Z)-10-pentadecanenyl]-4 (1 H)-quinolone.

4. Simple phenols like paeonol, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, 3, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid113; the iridoid loganin; the lignans sesamin and (–)-lyoniresinol, the triterpenes lupenone, lupenyl acetate, betulinic acid, amyrin acetate, ursolic acid, ptiloepoxide, amyrin and cycloeucalenol.

5. Series of monoterpenoid glycosides.

References

1.Kumar Pratyush, Chandra Sekhar Misra, Joel James, Lipin Dev M.S., Arun Kumarthaliyil veettil, Thankamani V. Ethnobotanical and Pharmacological study of Alstonia (Apocynaceae)- A review. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. 2011;3(8):1394-1403.

2. Kalaria Pankti, Gheewala Payal, Chakraborty Manodeep, Kamath Jagadish. A Phytopharmacological review on Alstonia scholaris: A panoramic herbal medicine. International Journal of Research and Ayurveda Pharmacy. 2012;3(3):367-371.