Unlocking the potential of indigenous homoeopathic drugs – Rauwolfia, Bael, Neem and Tulsi

December 1, 2024 admin Homeopathic Materia Medica 0

Dr Rithi Mutum
Dr Riya Saxena

Abstract
Indigenous medicines had been used for centuries to treat various health concerns, yet their practical utility remain understudied. Those drugs which are found abundantly in India as well as proved by Indian provers are termed as Indigenous Homoeopathic drugs. This review aims to explore the practical utility of four Indigenous Homoeopathic Drugs: Rauwolfia(Rauwolfia Serpentina), Bael (Aegle Marmelos),Neem (Azadirachta Indica) and Tulsi (Ocimum Sanctum), in treating various health conditions and their therapeutic applications.

Keywords : Indigenous Homoeopathic drugs, Practical utility, Rauwolfia,Neem, Bael, Tulsi.

Introduction :

India is a rich country of flora and fauna in comparison to other developing countries. Since ancient time, ancestors were aware with vast knowledge of medicinal plants, herbs, and shrubs. However, due to lack of proving and scientific studies, the therapeutical effects and pharmacological action of indigenous plants are less familiar.

In Homoeopathic system of medicine, medicinal sources include plants, animals, minerals, sarcodes, nosodes, and imponderabilia. Among these sources of homoeopathic medicines, plants are the largest kingdom. Indigenous plants have been a pillar of traditional medicine for centuries, offering a wealth of therapeutic benefits that have been nurtured through generations of use.

Considerably,these plants had been used to treat a range of disease from digestive and skin to anxiety and stress. With their effectiveness in treatingnumerous diseases with minimal side effects, bael, neem, tulsi and rauwolfia are gold standard drugs in Homoeopathy.

RAUWOLFIA [1][2][4]
It is a popular drug used for the treatment of hypertension.In India, it has been used for centuries as a tranquillizer.It is also used in epilepsy, blindness. It acts as arelaxant by causing release of serotonin.It helps in reducing congestions. It acts as a sedative in cases of anxiety, restlessnessand sleeplessness[1].

This drug was introduced in homoeopathy in Europe by Dr. W. L Templeton.[1]

  1. Taxonomy –
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Order: Mentianales
  • Family: Apocynaceae
  • Genus: Rauwolfia
  • Species: serpentine
  1. Part used- Roots
  2. Chemical constituents- Alkaloids such as reserpine, ajmaline, serpentine. Glycosides such as rauwolfine, sarpagine. Tannins, saponins and phenolic acids.
  3. Pharmacological action – The alkaloidsare found to possess blood pressure lowering activity.
  4. Toxic effect-Nasal congestion, depression, tiredness, drowsiness and erectile dysfunction.[1]

Utility:

  1. Irritative condition of central nervous system with insanity and maniac symptoms.[2]
  2. High blood pressure without marked atheromatous changes in the vessels.[2]
  3. Snake bites – cobra bites.
  4. Fever, general weakness, intestinal diseases and liver problems.
  5. Child birth difficult cases – stimulate uterine contractions.[4]

Clinical conditions:Addison’s disease, Angina pectoris, Colitis, Parkinsonism, hypertension secondary to thyroid disorders and vasomotor complaints.[1]

BAEL[1][5][6][10]
Hindi mythology considered this tree as goddess of abundance, thus it is an emblem of richness and fertility[10].British Pharmacopoeia has included Aegle marmelos fruit because of its effectiveness in diarrhea and dysentery. “No drug has been longer and better known, nor more appreciated by the inhabitants of India than the Bael fruit”.[6]

  1. Taxonomy –
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Order: Sapindales
  • Family: Rutacaea
  • Genus: Aegle
  • Species: marmelos
  1. Part used – Fresh pulp of unripe or half ripe fruit.
  2. Chemical Contituents – Alkaloids such as aegeline, fragine, aegelenine. Coumarins such as marmin, marmelide, psoralen, Imperatonin. Terpenoids like cineol, caryophyllene.
  3. Pharmacological action – Hypoglycaemic and antiinflammatory effects. Aqueous extract possess property of cardiac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant and uterine stimulant while alcoholic extract possess property of cardiac depressant, smooth and uterine muscle relaxant.
  4. Toxic effect– Abortion, Sterility in women. In Celebes, bark is used as a fish poison. Barks are carcinogenic and anti-nutrient.[1]

Utility :

  1. Gastrointestinal system – chronic diarrhea, dysentery especially bloody dysentery and constipation.
  2. Intermittent fevers.[6]
  3. Respiratory problems – asthma, cough, bronchitis.
  4. Skin conditions – eczema, dermatitis and acne.
  5. Anti diabetic properties, regulates blood glucose level.
  6. In infections –antibacterial, anti protozoal and antifungal properties.[5]

Clinical conditions : Melanoma, Breast Cancer and Sterility in women, Headache of gastric origin. [1]

NEEM[1][2][3][7][8]
A medicinal plant, commonly named as Neem or Indian lilac, botanical nameAzadirachta Indica or Melia Azadirachta. The word Azadirachta comes from a Persian word “azaddhirakt” meaning “noble tree. Its part includesgum, root, bark, stem, leaves, fruits, and flowers having different curative powers.[7]

Introduced and proved by Dr. P.C Majumdar of Kolkata, along with his pupil, U.C. Bagchi.[1]

  1. Taxonomy –
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Spermatophyta
  • Class: Dictyledonae
  • Order: Rutales
  • Family: Meliaceae
  • Genus: Azadirachta
  • Species:indica
  1. Part use–Bark
  2. Chemical constituents – Azadirachtin, catechin, nimbin, quercetin, nimbolicin, salanin, sisterol, vallasin, gallic acid, gedunin, meliacin, tignic acid in seeds.[7]
  3. Pharmacological action – Antiinflammatory property. It is useful as a mosquito repellent, antioxidant, wound-healing, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, nephroprotective, immunomodulatory effect, anti-fertility, antidiabetic effect, antimicrobial, anticancerous, antifungal.[8]
  4. Toxic effect- Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, acidosis and toxic encephalopathy.[1]

Utility :

  1. Bronchial asthma, cough.
  2. Constipation, diarrhoea, bad effects of quinine.
  3. Intermittent fever,chronic fever, especially in chronic malarial fever.
  4. In skin affections – pemphigus, scabies, leprosy. [3]

Boericke’s materia materia, clearly mentioned that it is a tonic,it an astrigent having antiseptic property.[2]

Clinical conditions : Glossitis, Ozaena, Opthalmia, Gonorrhoea.[1]

 TULSI[1][3][9]
Tulsi, holy plant, with botanical name is Ocimum sanctum known for its pharmaceutical effect, the “Queen of herb”.The word tulsi comes from Sanskrit which means “matchless one”.It is found throughout India, Himalayas, Andaman and Nicobar islands.It is also known as “the elixir of life” because of its capability in promoting life longevity.[1][9]

Prover : Dr. N. C. Ghose, Pramod Prasanna Biswas, N. Sinha and Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi.[1]

  1. Taxonomy –
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Order: Lamiales
  • Family: Lamiaceae
  • Genus: Ocimum
  • Species: sanctum
  1. Part use –Whole plant excluding roots.[3]
  2. Chemical constituents– Apigenin, circimaritin, circilineol, isothymusin,rosameric acid. Tulsi oil contains carvacrol and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon caryophyllene.[9]
  3. Pharmacological action –Anticancer, antimicrobial,chemoprotective, radioprotective, antioxidant, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, CNS depressant, antifertility, antipyretic,antidiabetic, antiulcer, antiarthritic,antistress, anticoagulant, anticataract.[9]
  4. Toxic effect –Male infertility. In females, increases uterine contractions, produces difficulty in labor and menstruation after pregnancy. [1]

Utility :

  1. Acute conditions – asthma, common cold, cough, coryza, earache, influenza, headaches.
  2. Fever -malarial fever, remittent fever in childrens, in adults, remittent fever associated with diarrhoea, cough, cold or worm affections.
  3. Antidote in snake bite and scorpion sting.
  4. Recommended inmouth ulcers.
  5. Immune booster, as the leaves are a good source for nerve action.
  6. Nephrological conditins – nephritis, cystitis and urethritis.

In Homoeopathic Materia Medica of Indian drugs published by CCRH, New Delhi, India, it is mentioned as “Whenever maggot formation is present in putrid ulcer, think for Ocimum sanctum first”.[1]

Clinical conditions : Opthalmia neonatorum, Typhoid, Tonsillitis andPleurisy. [1]

Conclusion :
In this article, detailed and sufficient literature regarding indigenous Homoeopathic drugs are highlighted. There is no doubt that these four drug plays a crucial role in day to day life of a homoeopathic practitioner. So, necessarily, simple and precise knowledge of the mentioned drugs is very essential. However, many research, studies and articles are published but more usage of its utility can be explored with further experimentation. Ultimately, the practical utility of these indigenous drugs serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving our botanical wealth and integrating the wisdom of traditional knowledge in search for balance and harmony.

References :

  1. Homoeopathic materia medica of Indian drugs. New Delhi: Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy; 2014.
  2. ‌Boericke W. Boericke’s new manual of homoeopathic materia medica with repertory: including Indian drugs, nosodes, uncommon rare remedies, mother tinctures, relationships, sides of the body, drug affinities, & list of abbreviations. New Delhi: B. Jain Publishers; 2007.
  3. ‌Verma PN, Vaid I. Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia. B Jain Pub Pvt Ltd; 2007.
  4. Malviya *Anshu, Sason R. THE PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SARPAGANDHA: RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA. Ayushdhara [Internet]. 2016Jul.13 [cited 2024Aug.14];1(1). Available from: https://ayushdhara.in/index.php/ayushdhara/article/view/104
  5. Monika S, Thirumal M, Kumar PR. Phytochemical and biological review of Aegle marmelos Linn. Future Sci OA. 2023 Mar 23;9(3):FSO849. doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2022-0068. PMID: 37026028; PMCID: PMC10072075.
  6. Dutta, Abhijit & Lal, Neeta & Naaz, Musarrat & Ghosh, Abhijeet & Verma, Rupa. (2014). Ethnological and Ethno-medicinal Importance of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr (Bael) Among Indigenous People of India. American Journal of Ethnomedicine. 1. 290-312.
  7. Rahmani A, Almatroudi A, Alrumaihi F, Khan A. Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of neem (Azadirachta indica). Pharmacognosy Reviews. 2018 ;12(24):250.
  8. Muhammad Faisal, Umar & Saifi, Muhammad & Kaish, Md & Ibrahim, Maryamu &., Shiwani & Suleiman Kwakuri, Said & Arif, Dr. Muhammad. (2023). Azadirachta indica (neem): An important medicinal plant: A literature review of its chemistry, biological activities, role in COVID-19 management and economic importance. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry12(6):59-65.
  9. ‌Verma S. Chemical constituents and pharmacological action of Ocimum sanctum (Indian holy basil-Tulsi). The Journal of Phytopharmacology. 2016 Oct 17;5(5):205–7.
  10. Gopi KS. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Used in Homeopathy. 2000.

Dr Rithi Mutum 
Dr Riya Saxena
PG Scholars
Bakson Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital
Email – dr.saxenariya@gmail.com

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