CHENNAI : Vitality is described as the state of a man being healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Physical vitality means having energy to do the day-to-day work; mental vitality is essential for creative thinking; ultimately, emotional vitality is to enjoy life with peace and joy. The term vitality for life is mentioned in our ancient literatures including medical manuscripts. One such vital plant drug group is Jivaniya gana that includes the leafy vegetable of Jivanti herbs. The mention of Jivanti drug is found in Charaka, Bhavaprakash, and in Atharva Veda.
Holostemma ada-kodien Schultz. (Asclepiadaceae) is one of the Jivanti herbs that is used extensively. It is a handsome twiner. All parts of the plant exude milky latex when injured. Stems are smooth but crack at maturity.Leaves are heartshaped. Flowers are about 2 cm across, white and purplish-pink within, smooth, mildly fragrant; lobes thick, bent in the middle, twisted to the right. Corona single, staminal reduced as 5-gonous rim. Fruits are paired follicles; mericarps up to 8 x 4 cm, ovoid, stout, smooth, tapering towards apices. Seeds many, about 8 x 4 mm, ovate with white, silky coma. In India, this species is distributed in Peninsular Indian states, tropical Himalayas, occasionally in the tropical thorn forests and foot hills over the hedges and in open forests especially on lower slopes of hills.
Chiefly, the roots and the whole plant are used for medicinal purposes. External application of this herb can be used for various skin diseases. The roots and fruits can be used to treat fever, cough, diarrhoea, eye
diseases, chest pain, stomachache, and ulcers. The root is also considered as a rejuvenating agent. Threat status of this species has been assessed as vulnerable for Karnataka, endangered for Kerala and lower risk for Tamil Nadu due the heavy trade of its roots that involve the uprooting of whole plants. The names in different languages are: Jivanthi, Shitala in Sanskrit; Chhirvel in Hindi, Jeeva haale balli in Kannada, Ada-kodien in Malayalam, Shidodi in Marati, Dudipala tiga in Telugu.