Tylophora

Recurrent allergic asthma where a short course of one leaf a day for a week is said to give relief that lasts for weeks, the old Indian regimen

Hay fever with sneezing and wheeze in a patient who will tolerate a bitter, nauseating herb in a very small dose for a few days

Overview. Tylophora is a slender twining perennial of the milkweed subfamily of the dogbane family, native to the plains and lower hills of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. The leaves, and less often the root, are the medicine. Its older name Tylophora asthmatica records its reputation as an Indian folk remedy for asthma and an ipecacuanha substitute; modern botany places it in Vincetoxicum. It contains phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids that are among the most cytotoxic plant compounds known, which is why it is used in very small doses for short periods.

Clinical Notes. The traditional regimen is simple: one fresh leaf, about thumb-sized, chewed and swallowed each morning on an empty stomach for six or seven days, then stopped. Dried leaf powder or a low-dose tincture can replace the fresh leaf.

Ayurvedic Profile. Rasa: tikta, katu (bitter, pungent). Virya: ushna (heating). Vipaka: katu (pungent). Dosha: reduces kapha and vata; aggravates pitta in excess. Karma: shvasahara, kasahara, vamaka (emetic in larger dose), kaphaghna, jvaraghna, krimighna.

Conservation. Wild populations are declining in parts of India from overcollection and habitat loss, and the plant is listed as vulnerable in some Indian states; cultivated material is preferred.