Indian gemidesmus – Hemidésmus índicus (Willd.) Schultes (from the Greek hemi – for the floor and desme – dressing).

Other names: Indian sarsaparilla (sarsaparilla), Sugandi – Sugandi.

A small perennial herb with white latex, an herbaceous plant from the Gustows family – Asclepiadaceae.

The stem is thin, rising, rhizome oblique, with a diameter of 6-8 mm.

Leaves are opposite, lanceolate or oblong.

Medicinal raw materials are rhizomes with roots (roots) and the entire aerial part. Roots are included in the Indian Pharmacopoeia and Indian Pharmaceutical Codex. Raw materials for sale are cut into pieces of 20-30 cm.

Fresh or freshly dried roots have a rather pleasant smell, due to the presence of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, the smell weakens during storage, the taste is sweetish.

Chemical composition

The whole plant contains steroids, essential oil and coumarins. The essential oil contains up to 80% of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde and ketones. In addition, saponins, tannins, and resins were found in the rhizomes.

The healing properties of Gemideszmusa Indian:

• as a natural tonic for the whole organism, it tidies up, normalizes the functions of its organs;
• to cleanse the body, especially blood;
• antiseptic, treats skin diseases;
• as a choleretic agent, removes toxins from the body;
• to stimulate metabolism, treats eating disorders;
• as a strong diuretic (increases outflow by 3-4 times), treats diseases of the bladder;
• to relieve inflammation;
• as a diaphoretic;
• with sexually transmitted diseases, in particular syphilis;
• with chronic rheumatism.

The plant is approved for use in some European countries.

It is part of Purin ultra, Сухасини Suhasini ultra.