Indian Sarsaparilla

At a glance

Origin / distribution: India

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Alterative, Bacteriostat, Demulcent, Depurative

Science studied: ALPHA-AMYRIN, BETA-AMYRIN, BETA-AMYRIN-ACETATE, EO

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Asclepiadaceae

Scientific name: Hemidesmus indicus

Common names: Indian Sarsaparilla

POWO: 60443873-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, India.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Alterative
• Bacteriostat
• Demulcent
• Depurative
• Diuretic
• Inflammation
• Syphilis
• Tonic

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• India

Documented cultural uses

• Alterative
• Bacteriostat
• Demulcent
• Depurative
• Diuretic
• Inflammation
• Syphilis
• Tonic
• Urogenital
• Eye
• Refrigerant
• Tumor(Abdomen)

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Alterative · Elsewhere · "
• Alterative · India · "
• Bacteriostat · India · "
• Demulcent · Elsewhere · "
• Demulcent · India · "
• Depurative · India · "
• Diuretic · Elsewhere · "
• Inflammation · India · "
• Syphilis · India · "
• Tonic · India · "
• Urogenital · India · "
• Eye · India · "
• Refrigerant · India · "
• Tumor(Abdomen) · India · "
• Diaphoretic · India · "
• Diuretic · India · "
• Gravel · India · "
• Rheumatism · India · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Network predictions to cellular evidence: Exploring Hemidesmus indicus as a multi-target modulator in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. · 2026 source ↗
• Corrigendum to "Network predictions to cellular evidence: Exploring Hemidesmus indicus as a multi-target modulator in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma" [Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 2026, 102907]. · 2026 source ↗
• Green synthesis of silver nanoparticle using <i>Hemidesmus indicus</i> (L) R. Br. root extract and cytotoxicity assessment against ovarian cancer cell line (SKOV3). · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ALPHA-AMYRIN
• BETA-AMYRIN
• BETA-AMYRIN-ACETATE
• EO
• HEMIDESTEROL
• HEXATRIACONTANE
• ISOQUERCITIN
• LUPEOL
• P-METHOXY-SALICYLIC-ALDEHYDE
• RESIN
• SAPONINS
• LUPEOL-ACETATE
• RUTIN
• BETA-SITOSTEROL
• DESININE
• HEMIDESMOL

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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