Abstract

Rauvolfia serpentina has long being used in India for the treatment of snakebites, hypertension, high blood pressure and mental illness. The present review deals with the extensive amount of work undertaken in recent years at different parts of the Indian subcontinent to explore the use of this plant in the treatment of different ailments by the tribals or the aboriginals as a part of their ethnomedical system. Different ethnic groups use this plant to treat snake, insect and animal bite, mental illness, schizophrenia, hypertension, blood pressure, gastrointestinal diseases, circulatory disorders, pneumonia, fever, malaria, asthma, skin diseases, scabies, eye diseases, spleen diseases, AIDS, rheumatism, body pain, veterinary diseases etc. This plant is also being used to prepare fermented food products.

Key words: Rauvolfia serpentina, sarpagandha, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, review.