A review article on species used as sariva in different regions of india: hemidesmus indicus, ichnocrpus frutescens, decalepis hamiltoni and cryptolepis buchanani

: India is enriched in diversity of flora since ages. The ancient professionals have kept records of their work related to the plants. These works are a source of research today. Sariva is a well known herb since it is most commonly used in Ayurveda for its various therapeutic uses. Later on controversies erupt as locals in different parts of India used different plant species are considered in the name Sariva across India. From the data available, four species are being used as sariva in different regions. Hemidesmus indicus is a botanical name of true sariva . Cryptolepis buchanani and Ichnocarpus are also collectively known as Sariva in ayurveda. In south India Decalepis hamiltonii is being used as true Sariva. Sariva is a widely used herbal drug in the management of cognitive disorders from the times of Aacharya Charaka till today. Hemidesmus indicus , also known in ancient Ayurvedic medicine as " Sugandi " or " Sariva ", has been revealed for its medicinal properties since nearly a thousand years. True Sariva traditionally used in various preparations. There is a greater chance of real material been adulterated or substituted by similar looking, cheaper material. Therefore present study is launched to carry out a complete pharmacognostic evaluation of Hemidesmus indicus and its possible adulterants or substitutes which are being used as true sariva in different regions of India. These diagnostic characters will be useful to screen out original crude drug material at the point purchasing.

India is enriched in diversity of flora since ages. The ancient professionals have kept records of their work related to the plants. These works are a source of research today. Sariva is a well known herb since it is most commonly used in Ayurveda for its various therapeutic uses. Later on controversies erupt as locals in different parts of India used different plant species are considered in the name Sariva across India. From the data available, four species are being used as sariva in different regions. Hemidesmus indicus is a botanical name of true sariva. Cryptolepis buchanani and Ichnocarpus are also collectively known as Sariva in ayurveda. In south India Decalepis hamiltonii is being used as true Sariva. Sariva is a widely used herbal drug in the management of cognitive disorders from the times of Aacharya Charaka till today. Hemidesmus indicus, also known in ancient Ayurvedic medicine as "Sugandi" or "Sariva", has been revealed for its medicinal properties since nearly a thousand years. True Sariva traditionally used in various preparations. There is a greater chance of real material been adulterated or substituted by similar looking, cheaper material. Therefore present study is launched to carry out a complete pharmacognostic evaluation of Hemidesmus indicus and its possible adulterants or substitutes which are being used as true sariva in different regions of India. These diagnostic characters will be useful to screen out original crude drug material at the point purchasing.

INTRODUCTION:
Recently there is a revival of interest in the traditional system of medicine Fruit: A narrowly cylindrical widely divergent follicle 10-20cm long and 0.5-0.6cm thick. Seeds: Many, flat, oblong having white silky coma. Roots: Woody and aromatic, very long, attain a length of 3.5m or more, hence the term 'Ananthamoola' and 0.5-1cm thickness.
Most often uniformly cylindrical though irregularly bent, curved/slightly twisted and woody, rigid. Flesh roots: brownish/purplish brown colour masked with irregular patches of dull green with a diameter of 0.5-1.5cm, brownish /purple in colour and aromatic odour. Very strong lateral roots and rootlets are prominent. Vanillin like Odour, sweet in taste, surface of older roots are transversely cracked and longitudinally fissured. Root bark: Easily separable from inner core, this is the aromatic part. Surface smooth in young roots but thicker in older roots, appears rough due to formation of lenticels. [4] Image no. 1 Hemidesmus indicus [ Traditional usage: 1. Used for rheumatism, asthma, cholera, and fever [18] 2. Root powder -with milk used as blood purifier [18,19] , in diarrhoea by the tribals of Madhya-Pradesh and Rajasthan [20], in diabetes and bladder stones, 3. Inflammatory diseases, headache and snake bite [21] Previous work-done: 1. Rakesh and others reported the presence of anti-diabetic properties in aqueous root extract of I. frutescens administered to streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. [22] 2. Pandurangan and others concluded the existence of strong anti-infiamatory and anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties, anti-tumor activity, and antipyretic effects in methanol extract of roots of I. frutescens. [23] 3. Local: dry and moist deciduous forests, most rocky habitat, crevices of big stones, terrestrial area, places of thick vegetation. [26] Morphology: [27] Morphologically and chemically the plant resembles African liana called Mondi white Skeels. Both have similar ethnobotanical uses and Phytochemicals. [26] Form: climbing shrub, with branchlets jointed. Latex: Milky Root: 5-10cm diameter and 4-10 roots arise from the root stock. A 2 year old plant produce 15-20kg of roots and 1 year old plant produces 1-2kg of roots. These are little bitter and then sweet. Vanillin like smell, the substance that is in vanilla planifolia Andr., an orchid used in icecreams, chocolates, drinks etc. Although vanilin has been synthesized since 1874 natural sources of this flavoring are still in demand and the roots of Decalepis can be used as substitute for vanillin. [ Phytochemistry: 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde an isomer of vanillin. [29] Essential oil: 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, omethylresorcylaaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and alpha altantone.
Traditional uses: 1. Roots are used to prepare refreshing drinks by Yanadi tribe of Andhra locally called as "Nannari Sharbat, sugandhapala or sarasaparilla". [26] . It cools the system, contains many calories, purifies blood, and increases appetite, boosts immunity. Also called poor man's drink of the state. [26] 2. Cures indigestion, deficient digestive power and chronic rheumatism, relieves flatulence. 3. Prevents cancers of various types. [25] 4. Chutney and pickle using lemon juice are prepared from roots by rural people in southern India and its taste like ginger pickle and Consumed by Yanadis along with food for indigestion, constipation and flatulence. [26] Previous work-done: 1. Anti-coagulant activity [30] 2. Essential oil from swallow-root exhibited for anti-microbial activity against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus roseus and Staphylococcus aureus. So may be considered as inexpensive source against food borne pathogens. [31] 3. Found to be good against bacterial infection including Salmonella typhi that causes typhoid and Helicobacter pylori that causes ulcers in the stomach and even cancers.
It's protects the liver and prevents formation of cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels.
[32] 5. Root extracts showed high anti-oxidant activity measured as scavenging of DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Both the aqueous and Ethanolic extracts inhibited microsomal lipid peroxidation and exhibited strong reducing power and metal chelating activity. The roots of Decalepis hamiltonii could serve as a new source of natural anti-oxidant or neutraceuticals with potential applications to reduce the level of oxidative stress. [33]

Cryptolepis buchananii Roem. & Schult.
Synonyms: Cryptolepis dubia/reticulate, Periploca dubia [34] Taxonomy: Morphology: [3] Form: Glabrous woody, large, evergreen twinner Leaf: Opposite-decussate, simple, rounded/short cuneate of the base, suddenly narrowed into a short mucronate apex, shining above. Dried leaf with the mid rib proximally impressed, distally almost flat on the upper side, faintly raised above; lateral veins slightly rise on both surfaces and plain beneath. Stem: 30cm diameter Bark: smooth, copper-colored, peeling off in papery rolls in old stem. Flowers: pale yellow in lax dichotomous cymes Inflorescence: Shorter than leaves, peduncle equaling or exceeding the petiole. Fruit: A stout, paired follicle, pointed above, inflated at base, Seeds: Compressed, oblong-ovate, obovoid and flat with silky coma, white silky hairs. Latex: white Roots: length varies, 1-1.5cm thick, slender, cylindrical and dark brown or blackish exterior. Surface is very rough and fine, ridges and wrinkles present longitudinally. Older roots show few transverse cracks, fissures with remnants rootlets and a few lenticels. Flowering: May-July Fruiting: September-November

Image no. 4 Cryptolepis buchananii
Roem. & Schult. [5] Phytochemistry: Leaves and roots: 1) Glycosides: sarverogenin, isosarverogenin [35] 2) Cardenolides: Cryptosin [36] 3) Buchanin [37] 4) Pyridine alkaloid Buchananine [38] 5) Serine protease Cryptolepain. [39] Traditional usage: 1. Leaves: tonic, Root barks: used in rheumatism, internally in abdominal pain. 2. Root: demulcent, tonic, appetiser and useful in fever, skin diseases and leprosy. 3. Roots, stems and leaves: in bone fracture by tribal people in India, sores, body ache and snake-bite. 4. Anti-diarrheal, anti-bacterial, antiulcerative, anti-inflammatory, blood purifier and for lactation in women. [40] 5. Demulcent, diaphoretic, diuretic, cures paralysis [41] and rickets [42] Previous work-done: 1. Ethanolic extract of root and stem show hypotensive, central nervous system depressant and anti-amphetaminic activity [43,44] 2. Paste of Cryptolepis buchanani mixed with 5 ml mustard oil showed the effect in external fracture after local application and effective in internal fracture after oral administration with milk. [45] 3. Cryptolepis buchanani extract significantly reduced the acetic acidinduced writhing response in mice, inhibited the oedema formation in both Ethyl Phenylpropiolate induced rat ear edema and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. CBE significantly reduced the Sulfated glycosaminoglycan and Hyaluronan released from cartilage explants into the culture media while reserved the cartilage matrix molecules such as uronic acid and collagen. It also suppressed the Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 activity with no effect on cell viability. CBE therefore exhibits promising analgesic, anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects and useful in Osteoarthritis. [46] 4. Oral administration of Ethanol extract of Cryptolepis buchanani root showed significant stimulation of the delayed type hypersensitivity reaction and humoral antibody production in mice and rats. [ Therefore, it can't be used, at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery. Medications that slow blood clotting interact with Swallow-root and might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. [32] Sariva is commercially available tonic herb which can be adulterated due to its more use.

RESULTS:
Hemidesmus indicus can be used as true or Shweta sariva and other species are called for its possible substitutes. This review article has mentioned the brief pharmacognosy of sariva collected from various research works related to the species of sariva. Morphologically all four root parts are distinct in their appearance and H. indicus can be easily identified and differentiated from other root parts. Some common conspicuous characters explored for H. indicus root are small wood part, purplish color of the cut surface, wrinkled and easily peel able outer surface. These Sarivadi, Vidarigandhadi and Vallipanchamula gana of Aacharya Sushruta. [49] It was used as a healing herb as well as a magicalspiritual dream herb. In this way, present article is an attempt to review the