Marsdenia tenacissima Health Dictionary

Wight & Arn.

Family: Asclepiadaceae.

Habitat: Himalayas from Kumaon to Assam, up to 1,500 m, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Deccan Peninsula.

English: White Turpeth.

Ayurvedic: Muurvaa, Atirasaa, Madhurasaa, Gokarni, Morataa, Madhulikaa, Suvaa, Devi, Tejani, Tiktavalli.

Siddha/Tamil: Perunkurinjan.

Folk: Maruaa-bel.

Action: Root—purgative, antispas- modic, mild CNS depressant; used in colic.

Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the bark in lipid disorders, also in polyuria and haemorrha- gic diseases.

Roots and seeds are rich in pregnane glycosides of 2-deoxysugars, which on hydrolysis gave genins and sugars. Stem yielded tenacissosides A to E. In folk medicine, the root is known as White Turpeth (Safed Nishoth). Op- erculina turpethum (Linn.) Silva Manso synonym Ipomoea turpethum R. Br. is the source of Turpeth (Nishoth) in Indian medicine.

Dosage: Root—2-6 g powder, 1020 g for decoction. (API, Vol.II.)