ipecacuanha | antidysentrics drug | antidysentrics agent

            

            IPECACUANHA

   antidysentrics drug -: 

            The drug which used against dysenteric are known as antidysentrics drug 

antidysentrics-ipecacuanha

 Synonyms -: Ipecac, Radix Ipecacuanha.

Source -: Ipecac consists of dried root or rhizome of -

1. Cephalis ipecacunha (Brot) A. Rich

2. Cephalis acuminata Karsten

   Family –: Rubiaceae

Geographical occurrence -: The plants are low straggling shrubs growing to a height of 30 cm They grow in Brazil, Burma, Malaysia Singapore and India.

Collection and preparation:

1. The soil around the plant is dug and the roots are removed. The plant is replaced so that it produces further crops.

2. Soil adhering to the roots are shaken off and dried rapidly in sun for 2 to 3 days.

Characters -:

1. The ipecac roots are cylindrical, tortuous and are brick red to brown in colour.

2. The surface is closely annulated. The annulations are rounded and completely encircle the root.

 3. The fracture is short and splintery. The fractured surface has a small dense wood and no pith.

4.It has a slight odour but a bitter and acid taste

Constituents -:

1. Alkaloids - emetine, cephaline, psychotrine.

2. Glucosidal tannin - Ipecacuanhin

3. Glycoside - Ipecoside

4. Others - starch and calcium oxalate

Identification test -:

 A mixture of 0.2 g of the drug and 10 ml hydrochloric acid is heated and filtered. To the filtrate, a crystal of potassium chlorate is added. A yellow colour is produced which changes to red this is due to emetin.

Uses:

Ipecac is an expectorant and emetic.

2. Emetine is an antiamoebic.