Family:- Fabaceae
Common Name:- Gonj, tup-bel(Hindi), Jewel vine(English)
Vernacular name:- Taam-Mapak(Nyishi)
General_Information
Derris scandens is a large climbing plant which are found in subtropical forest of Arunachal Pradesh. It has been used as active ingredient in Thai traditional medicine recipes for pain treatment. Dry stem powder and ethanolic extract also recommended in Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEMs) for musculoskeletal pain treatment as herbal medicine. However, no summarization of clinical effect and safety has been evaluated.
Derris scandens is an evergreen climbing shrub with branched stems up to 20 metres long growing from a taproot. The woody stems are 2 - 5cm in diameter, they scramble over the ground, climbing into nearby vegetation and supporting themselves by twining. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental in some Asian countries.
The plant contains rotenone and has been used traditionally as a fish poison by tribals of Arunachal Pradesh, the rotenone(insecticidal property) kills or stuns the fish making them easy to catch, but the fish remain perfectly edible for mammals. Rotenone is classified by the World Health Organization as moderately hazardous. It is mildly toxic to humans and other mammals, but extremely toxic to many insects (hence its use as an insecticide) and aquatic life, including fish. This higher toxicity in fish and insects is because the lipophilic rotenone is easily taken up through the gills or trachea, but not as easily through the skin or the gastrointestinal tract.
Medicinal_uses
The stems are diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant and laxative. They are used in the treatment of the common cold and backache. Both stems and roots are used in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The root is used to increase milk secretion after childbirth; it is crushed with or without water and the juice is given orally.
Note
I strongly advice against the eating & using of plant as medicine unless you know about it or know from the expert. All I have uploaded is not tested pharmaceutically.
Reference
