INDIAN SARASAPARILLA Hemidesmus indicus
Asclepiadaceae
San: Anantamulah, Sariba; Hin: Anantamul, Magrabu; Ben: Anantamul; Mal: Nannari,
Naruninti, Narunanti; Tam: Nannari, Saribam; Tel: Sugandipala; Kan: Namadaballi
Importance
Indian Sarasaparilla or Country Sarasaparilla is a climbing slender plant with
twining woody stems and a rust-coloured bark. The roots are useful in vitiated conditions of
pitta, burning sensation, leucoderma, leprosy, skin diseases, pruritus, asthma, bronchitis,
hyperdipsia, opthalmopathy, hemicrania, epileptic fits, dyspepsia, helminthiasis, diarrhoea,
dysentery, haemorrhoids, strangury, leucorrhoea, syphilis, abcess, arthralgia, fever and
general debility. The leaves are useful in vomiting, wounds and leucoderma. The stems are
bitter, diaphoretic and laxative and are useful in inflammations, cerebropathy, hepatopathy,
nephropathy, syphilis, metropathy, leucoderma, odontalgia, cough and asthma. The latex is
good for conjunctivitis (Warrier et al, 1995). The important formulations using the drug are
Saribadyasava, Pindataila, Vidaryadi lehya, Draksadi kasaya, Jatyadi ghrita, etc.
(Sivarajan et al, 1994). The Hemidesmus root powdered and mixed with cow’s milk is
given with much benefit in the case of strangury. In the form of syrup, it has demulcent and
diuretic proportions. The root, roasted in plantain leaves, then beaten into a mass with cumin
and sugar and mixed with ghee is a household remedy in genito-urinary diseases. The hot
infusion of the root-bark with milk and sugar is a good alterative tonic especially for
children in cases of chronic cough and diarrhoea (Nadkarni, 1998). It has been successfully
used in the cure of venereal diseases where American Sarasaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis
Linn.) has failed. Native doctors utilize it in nephritic complaints and for sore mouths of
children (Grieve and Leyel, 1992).
Distribution
Hemidesmus is distributed throughout India, the Moluccas and Sri Lanka.
Botany
Hemidesmus indicus (Linn.) R. Br. syn. Periploca indica Linn. belongs to the family
Asclepiadaceae. It is a perennial, slender, laticiferous, twining or prostrate, wiry shrub with
woody rootstock and numerous slender, terete stems having thickened nodes. Leaves are
simple, opposite, very variable from elliptic-oblong to linear-lanceolate, variegated with
white above and silvery white and pubescent beneath. Flowers are greenish purple crowded
in sub-sessile cymes in the opposite leaf-axils. Fruits are slender follicles, cylindrical, 10cm
long, tapering to a point at the apex. Seeds are flattened, black, ovate-oblong and coma
silvery white. The tuberous root is dark-brown, coma silvery white, tortuous with
transversely cracked and longitudinally fissured bark. It has a strong central vasculature and
a pleasant smell and taste (Warrier et al, 1995).
The Ayurvedic texts mention two varieties, viz. a krsna or black variety and a sveta
or white variety (Aiyer, 1951) which together constitute the pair, Saribadvayam. The drug is
known as Sariba. Svetasariba is H. indicus. Two plants, namely, Ichnocarpus fructescens
(Apocynaceae) known as pal-valli in vernacular and Cryptolepis buchanani
(Asclepidaceae) known as Katupalvalli (Rheeds, 1689) are equated with black variety or
Krsnasariba (Chunekar, 1982; Sharma, 1983).