A shrub and tree of Rauvolfia vomitoria grow to be between 0.5 and 20 meters in height, however, specimens as tall as 40 meters have been documented. The bole has a diameter of up to 80 cm. The tree is collected in the wild for use as a medicine and a source of materials in the local community. It is widely collected in the field and transported to countries like Europe as a source of ingredients, particularly reserpine for the pharmaceutical sector.

The major source of reserpine was the Indian species Rauvolfia serpentina. With the passage of time, Rauvolfia vomitoria largely replaced Indian species. The plant is commonly used as a shade tree and hedge in farms, and it is also planted as a decorative and avenue tree in different tropics and subtropics regions. 

Till now the species of Rouvlfia has not yet been evaluated for inclusion in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (2013). Despite its widespread distribution and widespread use, it is likely threatened in numerous countries, due to overharvesting including Ghana¹. 

 

Uses 

Use in Psychiatry

In Nigeria, Rauwolfia vomitoria is a popular plant used for mental treatment. Its extracts contain anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-diabetic, and anti-cancer properties (mainly due to alstonine, and  β-carboline alkaloid).

With an LD50 of 17.5 g/kg, R. vomitoria have been found to be generally safe. The biologically active indole alkaloids with a yohimbine skeleton, namely yohimbine, reserpine, rescinnamine, raucaffricine, ajmaline, and ajmalicine, were identified using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) on normal- and reverse-phase Armsor. 

 

Hypertension 

Conditions like high blood pressure and mental disorders like schizophrenia can be treated with reserpine, which is one of the Rauwolfia species' alkaloids. It is also considered to help people with Huntington's disease. Its usage was terminated due to extrapyramidal side effects such as orofacial dyskinesia and tremor².

Previously published research on the effects of Rauwolfia vomitoria root bark extract on cardiac enzyme activity explains how this plant extract impacts cognitive performance in mice. Other researchers have utilized Rauwolfia vomitoria root bark extract extensively, and it has been linked to health issues like mental depression that can last for months, early morning sleeplessness, and impotence. The mechanism through which Rauwolfia vomitoria causes these health issues is a popular topic of investigation³.

 

Sexual Function

In a few clinical trials, yohimbine helped erectile dysfunction, encouraging researchers to investigate the same for rauwolscine. Rauwolscine enhanced the amount of ejaculate and the erectile response to stimulation in dogs at modest dosages. High dosages, on the other hand, had the reverse effect, preventing erection and sexual activity.

 

Anti-Cancer Potential

In Africa, the extract of the Rauwolfia vomitoria plant is traditionally used in anti-cancer therapy, as it is a rich source of rauwolscine. The injections of rauwolscine restrict the growth of breast cancer cells and cause the shrinking of tumors. Moreover, tumor growth is unaffected by the yohimbine.

 

Other uses 

In India and Africa, Rauwolfia vomitoria have been used for decades to cure a number of ailments, such as snake bites, insect bites and stings, sleeplessness, and maniac symptoms, but its safety and usefulness in pregnancy has yet to be determined. To examine skeletal development, this study looked into the teratogenic influence of crude ethanolic root bark and leaf extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria on the histology of growing femur bone⁴.

 

Are Rauvolfia vomitoria safe as a workout supplement?

It is probably not safe to use. The compounds like reserpine and yohimbine which are prescription medicines are found in Rauvolfia vomitoria (also known as Rauwolfia vomitoria). Some people may experience significant adverse effects such as a slow or irregular heartbeat, high or low blood pressure, heart attack, seizures, or depression as a result of these substances. Even though these compounds are found in low concentrations in the Rauvolfia vomitoria plant, how much of them wind up in Rauvolfia vomitoria supplements is generally unknown.

Some extracts, such as Tokkyo Nutrition's Diesel Fuel Stim and Logan Carter's Amp-Stim, are standardized to contain at least 90% yohimbine. Side effects like tremors, shakiness, and other movements can happen in some persons due to Rauvolfia vomitoria root powder that is similar to Parkinson's disease. Rauvolfia vomitoria is still a part of certain fitness and fat-burning products sold in the United States, regardless of the drawbacks. Health professionals must educate patients that there is no strong scientific proof that Rauwolfia vomitoria help with weight reduction or exercise performance and that it might be dangerous⁵. 

 

Rauwolscine Dosage

Consult your doctor to see if rauwolscine could be helpful in your condition and what dosage you should take. There is no official recommended dose of rauwolscine, although it is approved by the FDA. Depending on the trial and error, manufacturers and users of supplements prepare unofficial doses. 

Just like yohimbine, it may be more suitable for fat loss when taken as a pre-workout in a fasting state. Agmatine supplementation may diminish the efficacy of rauwolscine. Forskolin's effectiveness may be hampered by rauwolscine⁶.

 

References

 

1. Rauvolfia vomitoria. [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Rauvolfia+vomitoria
2. Comparative effects of Rauwolfia vomitoria and chlorpromazine on social behaviour and pain. [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3336935/
3. Vitamin E Supplementation with Rauwolfia Vomitoria Root Bark Extract Improves Hematological Indices. [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296325/
4. Teratogenic Effects of Crude Ethanolic Root Bark and Leaf Extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria (Apocynaceae) on the Femur of Albino Wistar Rat Fetuses. [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jh/2013/363857/
5. Workout supplements: is Rauvolfia vomitoria safe? [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/news/news-items/2018/march/workout-supplements-is-rauvolfia-vomitoria-safe.aspx
6. 5 Rauwolscine Benefits (incl. Fat Burning) + Side Effects. [Internet]. [Cited 2021 July 01]; Available from https://selfhacked.com/blog/rauwolscine/

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