Holarrhena Antidysenterica is a very significant herbal drug in Unani system of medicine and Ayurvedic system of medicine. This meticulous herb was used to treat a variety of infectious diseases especially in Staphylococcus aureus, Entamoeba histolytica and Escherichia coli. It is a large tree of 30 to 40 feet in height grows widely on the mountains. A large number of pharmacological studies have been done on the bark and seed of the tree.Keywords: Holarrhena Antidysenterica, Conessine, amoebic dysenter

Ahmad, Ashfaq

Ahmed, Khalil

Akhtar, Naveed

Akram, M.

Asif, H. M.

Rehman, Riazur

shah, S.M. Ali

Shaheen, Ghazala

shamim, Tahira

Sumreen, Laila

Usmanghani, Khan

English

International Journal of Phytomedicine

International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 345-348 
http://www.arjournals.org/ijop.html 
 
Review 
                                                            
ISSN: 0975-0185 
Monograph of Holarrhena antidysenterica (linn.) Wall 
 
S.M.Ali shah1,  Khan Usmanghani2, Naveed Akhtar1,H.M.Asif1, M.Akram2, Khalil Ahmed1, Ghazala Shaheen1, 
Tahira shamim1, Riazur Rehman1, Ashfaq Ahmad1, Laila Sumreen1 
 
*Corresponding author: 
Syed Muhammad Ali Shah  
 
1University College of Conventional 
Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy and 
Alternative Medicine, The Islamia 
University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan 
email: smalishah(at)hotmail.com 
2Faculty of Eastern Medicine, 
Hamdard University Karachi, 
Pakistan 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract 
Holarrhena Antidysenterica is a very significant herbal drug in 
Unani system of medicine and Ayurvedic system of medicine. This 
meticulous herb was used to treat a variety of infectious diseases 
especially in Staphylococcus aureus, Entamoeba histolytica and 
Escherichia coli. It is a large tree of 30 to 40 feet in height grows 
widely on the mountains. A large number of pharmacological studies 
have been done on the bark and seed of the tree.   
Keywords: Holarrhena Antidysenterica, Conessine, amoebic 
dysentery 
 
Introduction 
Botanical Name: Holarrhena Antidysenterica 
Family Name: Apocynaceae 
Common Name: Bitter Oleander, Connessi 
Bark, Kurchi Bark, Dysentery Rose Bay, 
Tellicherry Bark 
Part Used: Bark, Root, Seeds 
History  
The Connessi tree is popular for its numerous 
medicinal properties considered to be most 
popular valuable medicinal product of India. The 
seed and bark of tree has been used in British 
Materia Medica for a long time. The tree forms a 
part of several indigenous system of medicine, 
where has been used in the treatment of dysentery 
and diarrhea. Several Indian tribes have been 
used the plant in different diseases like anemia, 
epilepsy and cholera. In Ayurvedic and Unani 
system of medicine it is used in antihilmintic, 
diarrhea and skin diseases.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fig 1. Holarrhena Antidysenterica leaves 
 
 
 
 doi:10.5138/ijpm.2010.0975.0185.02048 
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Shah et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 345-348 
 
 346 
Habitat 
It throughout the India up to the altitude of 4000 
ft. It is especially abundant in the sub Himalayan 
tract.  
                                    
 
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fig 2. Holarrhena Antidysenterica bark 
 
Description  
It is a large tree of 30 to 40 feet in height. Its 
flowers color white and fruits of half inch in size. 
A large to small sized deciduous tree, yielding 
milky latex. The stem bark is grayish-brown and 
rough. The stem is white and soft. The leaves are 
simple, large, arranged opposite to each other, 
oval shaped, papery, and smooth or hairy. The 
flowers are white, small and arranged in a cluster 
which looks like flattened top. The petals are 
salver shaped and overlap towards right side. The 
fruits are long follicles, which look like two 
slender pencils arising from a node. The follicles 
have white warty spots on the surface. Dried 
fruits break open releasing numerous flat seeds 
with brown hairs. The hairs are short lived [1]. 
 
 
Chemical Composition 
Around 30 alkaloids have been isolated from the 
plant, mostly from the bark. These include 
conessine, kurchine, kurchicine, holarrhimine, 
conarrhimine, conaine, conessimine, iso-
conessimine, conimine, holacetin and conkurchin 
[2]. 
The bark contains the alkaloids, regholarrhenine-
A, -B, -C, -D, -E and -F; pubescine, 
norholadiene, pubescimine, kurchinin, 
kurchinine, kurchinidine, holarrifine, holadiene, 
kurchilidine, kurchamide, kurcholessine, 
kurchessine, conessine and isoconessimine, and 
the steroidal compounds kurchinicin and 
holadyson. The alkaloid conessine is used as a 
therapeutic drug for the treatment of dysentery 
and helminthic disorders. Conessine and 
conimine inhibited the growth of Shigella sonnei, 
S. flexneri and Salmonella enteritidis strains in 
vitro. In chronic amoebiasis, Bi-iodide compound 
of total alkaloids, given orally, compare 
favourably with emetine Bi-iodide. The plant 
possesses potent immunostimulant property [3]. 
Steroidal alkaloid from the seeds of 
Holarrhena antidysenterica 
A new steroidal alkaloid, named 
antidysentericine, has been isolated from the 
seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica and 
characterized as 3 beta-dimethylaminocon-5-
enin-18-ones [4]. 
 
 
 
Fig 3:Conessine (3 beta-dimethylaminocon-5-enin-18-ones)   
 
Therapeutic Uses 
 
The bark is used as an astringent, anthelmintic, 
antidontalgic,stomachic, febrifuge, antidropsical, 
diuretic, in piles, colic, dyspepsia, chest 
affections and as a remedy in diseases of the skin 
and spleen. It is a well known drug for amoebic 
dysentery and other gastric disorders. It is also 
Shah et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 345-348 
 
indicated in diarrhoea, indigestion, flatulence and 
colic [5]. 
Root and bark is used in amoebic dysentery. Bark 
is astringent, anthelmintic, amoebicidal, diuretic. 
Used in colic, dyspepsia, piles, diseases of the 
skin and spleen. Seed is antibilious. Used for 
promoting conception, also for toning up vaginal 
tissues after delivery [3]. 
 
Pharmacological Activity 
Conessine from the bark killed free living 
amoebae and also kills entamoeba histolytica in 
the dysenteric stools of experimentally infected 
kittens.It is markedly lethal to the flagellate 
protozoon [6]. 
 
α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of Mangifera 
indica bark 
The ethanolic extracts of Lawsonia 
inermis leaves, Holarrhena antidysenterica  
bark, Swertia chirata whole plant and Mangifera 
indica bark were tested (in-vitro) for α-
glucosidase inhibitory activity. M. indica extract 
was found to be the most potent, with an 
IC50 value of 314 μg/ml [7]. 
 
Anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus 
aureus (MRSA) activity  
Anti-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus 
aureus (MRSA) activity of ethanolic 
extracts of Holarrhena 
antidysenterica (bark) were detected with 
inhibition zone size ranged from 11 to 44 
mm and minimum inhibitory concentration 
(MIC) varied from 0.32 to 3.25 mg/mL [8]. 
 
Management of diabetes 
Aqueous extract of Holarrhena antidysenterica 
plant part has both anti-diabetic and 
antihyperlipidemic activities [9]. 
Inhibition of entero-
pathogenic Escherichia coli adhesion 
Inhibition of enteropathogenic Escherichia 
coli adhesion on host epithelial cells 
by Holarrhena antidysenterica [10]. 
 
Holarrhena antidysenterica in gut motility 
disorders 
The gut stimulant and relaxant activities 
of Holarrhena antidysenterica are mediated 
possibly through activation of histamine receptors 
and Ca++ channel blockade, respectively and this 
study provides sound mechanistic background for 
its usefulness in gut motility disorders such as 
constipation, colic, and possibly diarrhea [11]. 
 
Anti-diabetic Activity  
The result of this experiment demonstrated that 
the extracts of the Holarrhena antidysenterica 
plant part possess a promising anti-diabetic 
efficacy [12]. 
  
Anti-amoebiasis activity  
Various fraction of Holarrhena Antidysenterica 
showed promising activity against the 
experimental amoebiasis in rats and hamsters 
[14]. The fruit extract showed anti-protozoal 
effect against human Entamoeba histolytica stain 
STA, Trypanosoma evansi, anticancer effect 
against human epidrmoid carcinoma of 
nasopharynx in tissue culture and hypoglycemic 
activity in rats [15]. 
 
Toxicity 
Use of conissne must however be closely 
supervised as in some cases it can produce 
neurological disorders like vertigo, insomnia, 
agitation, anxiety and delirium [13].  
 
References 
1. Dictionary of Indian Medicinal Plants, CIMAP, 
Lucknow (1992). 
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B: Org. Chem. 1981; 20B, 210 
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3. Khare CP. Indian Medicinal plants An 
Illustrated Dictionary, 2007 Springer Science 
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4. Kumar A, Ali M.  A new steroidal alkaloid 
from the seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica. 
Fitoterapia. 2000;71:101-4. 
5. Singh, KP. Clinical studies of Amoebiasis and 
Giardiasis evaluating the efficacy of Kutaja 
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histotylica cyst passes. Ancient Science of 
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Padmaja R α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity 
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:686-688. 
8. Farrukh A, Iqbal A, Mohd O. Evaluation of 
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bioactive plant extracts. Biotechnology Journal 
2006;1:1093–1102  
9. Ali KM, Chatterjee K, De D, Bera TK, Ghosh 
D. Efficacy of aqueous extract of seed of 
Holarrhena antidysenterica for the 
management of diabetes in experimental model 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 rat: A correlative study with 
antihyperlipidemic activity. International 
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Products. 2009;2:13-21. 
10. Kavitha D, Niranjali S. Inhibition of 
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11. Anwarul HG, Aslam K, Arif-ullah K, Samra 
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Pharmacological basis for the medicinal use 
of Holarrhena antidysenterica in gut motility 
disorders.  Pharmaceutical Biology. 2010;48: 
1240-1246 
12. Kazi MA, Tushar KB, Suvra M, Bikash RB, 
Debidas G. Attenuation of  diabetic disorders in 
experimentally induced diabetic rat by 
methanol extract of seed of Holarrhena 
antidysenterica.  International Journal of Pharm 
Tech Research. 2010;1:1205-1211. 
13. Oliver BB. Medicinal Plant in Tropical West 
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Monograph of Holarrhena antidysenterica (linn.) Wall

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