Botanical Name

Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight & Arn.

Family

Apocynaceae/Asclepiadaceae.

Regional Name

English : Jiwanti, Cork Swallow-wort, Hindi : Dodi Shak, Jivanti, Sanskrit : Arkapushpi, caksusya, jivaniya, jivanti, Bengali : Jiwanti, Gujrati : Dodee, Malyalam : Atapatiyan, Marathi : Kheerakhodee, Kannada : Bugudi hoovina gedde, Hirandhodi, Tamil : Palalkkodi, Telugu : Palatige, Mukkutummudu.

Part Used

Roots

Description

Jivanti is globally distributed in Mauritius, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Malesia. Jivanti is a much branched twining shrub found in the Sub-Himalayan tracts of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and throughout Deccan peninsula in India up to an altitude of 900 m. Roots cylindrical, 5 to 7 cm in length and 1 to 3 cm in thickness, surface light brown to greyish brown with longitudinal wrinkles; fracture, tough; fractured surface creamish and horny; odour and taste indistinct.  Phytoconstituents The main chemical constituents of jivanti are Hentriacontanol, α- and β-amyrin, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, tocopherols and leptadeno. It is also contains flavonoids-diosmetin, rutin and luteolin.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Kasaya, Guna : Laghu, Snigdha, Vipika : Madhura, Virya : Sita, Karma : Balya, Brmhana, Caksusya, Grahi, Rasayana, Stanyajanana, Tridosahara, Vrsya, Visaghna.

Ayurvedic Applications

Atisara, Daha, Jvara, Ksaya , Kasa, Sosa, Mukharoga, Naktandhya, Netraroga, Raktapitta, Trsna, Urhksata and Vrana.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in Diarrhoea, Burning sensation, Pthisis, Cachexia, Disease of mouth, sore  throat, Night blindness, Eye Diseases, ear problems, nasal disorder, ringworm infection, wounds, Bleeding disorder, Thirst, Pulmonary cavitation, Ulcer, seminal debility, sexual diseases, general weakness, dyspnoea, fever, asthma, cough, constipation and gonorrhoea. It promotes health and vigour, improves voice, hematemesis and emaciation.