Anantmoola /Hemidesmus Indicus

Benefits of Anantmoola (Hemidesmus Indicus), Medicinal Uses, Dosage, and side effect

Anantmoola means ‘Eternal root’ and it is also called sariva or Indian Sarsaparilla. This herb has been used in Ayurveda for many ages to treat various conditions like dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery, leukoderma, chronic fever, asthma, etc.

As per Ayurveda, it is used both externally and internally in various skin disorders like eczema, thrush, ringworm, etc. The application of its root paste helps to get rid of ringworm and various bacterial infections due to its antibacterial activity. It has high medicinal as well as cosmetic value like its juice is useful in weight loss.

Latin Name: Hemidesmus indicus

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Hemidesmus Indicus Names in different languages:

English name- Indian Sarsaparilla
Hindi name- Kauri (sell of root resembles Kapoor (camphor), Anantamul
Gujarati name– Upalasri, Kapuri, Madhuri
Malayalam name– Naruninti
Kannada name– Sogade beru
Telugu name- Muttavapylagamu, Sungandhiphala
Marathi name-Uparsal, Upalsari
Tamil Name- Nannari

—–Shloka—–

According to this shloka, sariva (anantmoola) is sweet in taste, oily, increases sperm count, heavy, and treats digestive diseases, loss of appetite, asthma, cough, and ama (harmful toxins), poison, balances three doshas, menorrhagia, fever, and diarrhea.

(Reference- Bhavaprakash Nighantu- Page no-411; Shloka no-238)

Synonyms in the Sanskrit language:

Gopi, Canadana, Anantamula, Utpala, Asphota, Gopakanya, Ananta, Gopavalli, Sariva, Krsodari, Shayama, and Gopangi

Categorization according to classical books:

According to-

Acharya Charaka-

Pureesha sangahaniya- Herbs that increase or improves bulk feces
Madhura skanda- Group of herbs having a sweet taste
Stanya shodhana- herbs that detoxify and cleanse milk
Daha Prashamana- herbs that relieve the burning sensation
Jvarahara- Herbs that help to treat fever

Acharya Sushruta-

Valli panchamoola gana
Vidarigandhadi
Sarivadi

Acharya Vagbhatta-

Sarivadi gana

Morphological characteristics of Anantmoola

Anantmoola is a climber whose leaves are 2.5 inches in length and arranged in pairs alternatively. The upper part of them is oval-shaped and is very soft. The stem is cylindrical with thick nodes. Its roots are woody, underground, and are aromatic. Flowers are in a cluster with a greenish-yellow color. Its fruits are divergent with long follicles of 2 to 4-inch length. It is used as a remedy for various disorders. Both leaves and roots have medicinal properties.

It is cultivated in all parts of India but is mainly found in North Western parts of the Himalayas and also in Punjab.

Varieties

There are two types of sariva explained in Ayurveda books-

Krishna sariva- black variety- Ichnocarpus frutescens
Shveta Sariva- white variety- Hemidesmus indicus

Both of these varieties have similar actions.

Chemical constituents

Rutin, B-sitosterol, Hemidesmin-1, Hemidesmin-2, Desinine, H. Indicus-hyperoside, hemidesminine, and Hexatriacontance

Medicinal properties:

Rasa (Taste)- Tikta (Bitter) and Madhura (Sweet)
Guna (Quality)- Snigdha (Oily, Unctuous) and Guru (Heavy)
Veerya (Potency)- Sheeta (Cool)
Vipaka (Undergoes taste conversion after digestion)- Madhura (Sweet)
Karma (Effect on tridosha)- Tridoshashamaka (Balances all the three doshas)

Medicinal Activities

Antioxidant, Antithrombotic, Antimicrobial, Hepato-protective, Antiacne, Antihyperlipidemic, Wound healing, Anti-venom, Anti-inflammatory, Antinociceptive, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-venom, Reno-protective, Saliuretic and natriuretic, Anti-carcinogenic, etc.

Medicinal uses according to Ayurveda

Kanduhara- Treats pruritus and itching
Vishapaha- Works as an anti-toxic
Pradaranut- Treats menorrhagia
Kushtahara- Helpful to treat skin diseases
Jvarahara- Treats fever
Shukrala- Improves sperm quantity and quality
Agnisada- Used in low digestive strength
Mehanashana- Treats urinary tract disorders and diabetes mellitus
Atisarahara- Used to treat dysentery and diarrhea
Shvasa and kasahara- Treats various respiratory conditions like asthma, cough, and cold
Durgandha nashana- Treats bad odor
Pradaranut- Helpful in menorrhagia
Amahara- Relieves or expels Ama (harmful toxins)

The black variety of Sariva also shows similar actions to that of the white variety. Some of its uses are:

Trishna- Used in excessive thirst
Shishira- Coolant action
Sangrahi- Works as absorbent and useful in diarrhea
Aruchi- Treats anorexia
Raktapittahara- Treats various bleeding disorders like menorrhagia, nasal bleeding, etc
Kaphavatajit- Balances kapha as well as vata dosha

Therapeutic uses of Anantmoola

Blood purifier:

Anantmool works as a natural blood purifier that purifies the blood by eliminating harmful toxins. This herb is also useful in scorpion bites, snake bites, and various poisonous insect cases. It neutralizes the poisonous content and prevents it from spreading to the whole body.

Reproductive system disorders:

Anantmoola acts as a detoxifier that helps to clear infections, clears the blockage in the reproductive system of males and females, and also treats various microbial infections due to anti-microbial activity like leucorrhea, gonorrhea, etc.

Digestive disorders:

Its coolant action on the body helps to stabilize or cools the body which hence, neutralizes the abnormal acid secretion in the gut like in case of gastritis, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers. It also stops bleeding which is caused due to ulceration.

Fever:

Being an analgesic, it helps to bring down a high fever by balancing the pitta dosha. As a pain killer, this herb works by blocking chemical messengers which indicate that there is pain in the body.

Brain and speech disorders:

Anantmool is a natural brain tonic that is given to children who have an issue related to speech, autism, etc. People who are facing conditions like psychiatric disorders can also use this herb because it provides cooling and relaxing activities in the brain.

Arthritis:

In Arthritis, it works as an anti-inflammatory that treats inflammation, and an analgesic that treats pain, swelling, redness, etc. Its paste when applied externally helps to treat joint pain in case of arthritis. It pacifies the Vata and Kapha dosha which is the main cause of arthritis.

Other uses

It is useful in treating anemia and can be taken through an oral route for the same

This herb works as a body tonic and when it is taken with milk and black pepper it improves the overall health of an individual.

Part used:

Root

Dosage of Anantmoola

Water decoction- 50 to 100 ml

Root paste- 5 grams

Root powder- 1 to 3 grams

Conclusion

From this article, it is concluded that Sariva has various medicinal uses and there are no known side effects but during pregnancy, use it on doctor’s advice. It is safe to use during the lactation period and in children. People who are suffering from asthma are exposed to sariva root dust and which can cause a runny nose and various symptoms associated with asthma. Most of the researchers have stated that sariva may worsen kidney diseases.

Note: Our purpose is to serve useful information related to Anantmoola ‘s benefits, dosage, and other properties. It is advised to the patients not to consume it on the basis of this information. Before taking this as a medicine it is better to have an expert opinion because dosage and treatment vary from patient to patient depending on their symptoms and medical history.

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