KJC Medicinal Garden

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Kodasige
Holarrhena pubescens


Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Holarrhena
Species: H. pubescens
Common Names: Indrajao, Indra’s seed
Native to Central and southern Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, and parts of China.

Other plants of the same genus with medicinal properties

    H. congolensis
    H. curtisii
    H. floribunda
    H. mitis
    H. pubescens
Morphology:
  • Shrub (9–18) m tall, with abundant white latex in all parts, bark in young trees nearly smooth, later corky, longitudinally fissured.
  • Leaves: Opposite, simple and entire, petiole up to 1 cm long, shortly hairy, ovate or elliptical, 1.5–20 cm × 1.5–11 cm.
  • Branchlets shortly hairy.
  • Flowers: bisexual, regular, fragrant, sepals elliptical to linear, white.
  • Fruit composed of 2 long and slender follicles 20–38 cm × 2–9 mm, pale grey to dark brown, many-seeded.
  • Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons 2–3 mm long.

Uses in Tradition systems of medicine

  • Used in treatment of amoebic dysentery.
  • The pounded leaves in water are consumed to cure stomach-ache.
  • An infusion of the powdered root is taken to treat constipation, asthma, abdominal pains and infertility.
  • The root boiled in milk is applied against snakebites and it is also used in the treatment of venereal diseases.
  • A decoction of the stem bark is used as a gargle to treat toothache.
  • Juice from the fruit is taken to treat cough.
  • The bark and leaves are externally applied to cure scabies, boils, ulcers and haemorrhoids.
  • A powder prepared from the roots and leaves is given to stop haemorrhages after childbirth and nose bleeding.
Nutritional Properties
  • Holarosine and holacurtine, the steroidal part of the molecule is a cardenolide.
  • Vitamin: C
  • Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Zinc
  • Protein-1.2g/5g
  • Carbohydrates-3.4g/5g

Suggested Medicinal Properties

  • Anti-diabetic
  • Anti-diarrhoeal
  • Anti-haemorrhoidal
  • Antipyretic
  • Analgesic
  • Antibacterial
  • Antifungal
  • Anti-amoebic
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Antispasmodic

Active Phytochemicals

1. Conarrhimine

2. Conessine
3. Holantosines a, b, c, d, e and f

4. Holarrhessimine
5. Holarrhidine
6. Holarrhine
7. Holonamine
8. Hydroxyconessine
9. Kurchiline
10. Kurchine
11. Kurchiphylline
12. Norconessine

References

Maroyi, A., 2006. Holarrhena pubescens Wall. ex G. Don. In: Schmelzer, G.H. & Gurib-Fakim, A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Holarrhena_pubescens_(PROTA)

Sinha, Snehadri & Sharma, Aishwarya & Reddy, P. & Rathi, Brijesh & Prasad, N.V.S.R.K. & Vashishtha, Amit (2013). Evaluation of phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of Holarrhena (Wall.): A comprehensive review. Journal of Pharmacy Research. 6. 488–492. 10.1016/j.jopr.2013.04.004.

Zahara, Kulsoom, Sujogya K. Panda, Shasank S. Swain, and Walter Luyten. 2020. "Metabolic Diversity and Therapeutic Potential of Holarrhena pubescens: An Important Ethnomedicinal Plant" Biomolecules 10, no. 9: 1341. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10091341