Vincetoxicum indicum (Burm.f.) Mabb.

Vincetoxicum indicum, known as Indian ipecac, is a climbing plant that has become endangered due to overexploitation across Africa, Asia, and Australia. Its stem produces fine, strong fiber, while in the Ayurveda and Siddha medicine systems this plant has long been used and was even officially recorded in the 1884 Bengal Pharmacopoeia to address asthma, tuberculosis, and various inflammations.

Indian ipecac is generally found growing along coastlines in sandy soil, especially in stabilized sand dunes and sandy coconut plantations, from sea level up to elevations of 900 m asl. Also distributed in flat areas, hilly slopes, moist forests, and narrow valleys in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Oceanic Islands, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula, and Kalimantan. Indian ipecac can also thrive in areas with annual rainfall of about 1,000-1,500 mm at elevations of 900 m asl up to 1,260 m asl in the sub-Himalayan belt and optimum temperatures of 5-25°C. Grows well in sunny areas with full sun or partial shade and prefers organic-rich, well-drained soil.

• Roots a long, fleshy nodular cluster, with light brown cork bark.
• Stem much-branched, long-haired, growing climbing and twining with the help of tendrils, with yellowish sap.
• Leaves arranged opposite, dark green, glossy, blade ovate-oblong to elliptic-oblong, with a narrow tip, heart-shaped or rounded at the base, thin, velvety below when young, smooth above. Petiole up to 1.2 cm long.
• Flowers small at the tip of hairy stalks in the leaf axils, arranged in umbellate cymes. Flowers bisexual, corolla 5-lobed, fused at the base, oblong-pointed shaped, hairy and greenish purple or greenish yellow. Sepal tube divided almost to the base, densely hairy outside. Sepals spear-shaped or narrowly triangular, tip pointed. Anthers with a small membranous appendage at the tip.
• Fruit a fusiform follicle, 5-8.5 cm long, branching, oblong-lanceolate, tapering at the tip, and hairless (glabrous).
• Seeds numerous, oval shaped (0.6-0.8 × 0.3-0.4 cm), with a white coma of hairs.

• Plant propagation through seed and in vitro propagation techniques.
• Seed germination begins within 10 days and can be transplanted to a permanent field after 90 days. Transplanting gives the best results when done during the rainy season.

Alkaloids (tylophorinine, tylophorine, 6-desmethyltylophorine, tylophorinidine, 5-hydroxy-O-methyltylophorinidine, tyloindicine A, tyloindicine-B, 14-hydroxyisotylocrebrine, 4,6-desdimethylisotylocrebrine, tyloindicine A-J, the indolizidine alkaloid septicine, and isotylocrebrine), saponins, tannins, terpenoids, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, tetratriacontanol, octacosanyl octacosanoate, quercetin, α- and β-amyrins, phytosterol.

Heals asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, cough, colds, inflammation, jaundice, snake bites, gout, diarrhea, dysentery, rheumatism, syphilis, addresses headache, reduces fever. Is a blood purifier, laxative, stimulant, emetic, diaphoretic. Has antibacterial, antipsoriatic, antimicrobial, antiulcer, anxiolytic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antitumor, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, antirheumatic, antineuroinflammatory, and diuretic activity.

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