Answer: (3) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
Rauwolfia serpentina (sarpagandha) was traditionally used by native Indians for snake bites and as a tranquilizer for mental disorders, while Taxol from Taxus brevifolia treats cancers like ovarian and breast, not leprosy.
Statement Analysis
Statement I – Correct
Rauwolfia serpentina roots, used since 1000 BCE in Ayurvedic texts, treat snake/insect bites, insanity, hypertension, and dysentery via alkaloids like reserpine, which calm nerves and lower blood pressure.
Statement II – Incorrect
Taxol (paclitaxel), isolated from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) bark, stabilizes microtubules to inhibit cancer cell division; it revolutionized chemotherapy for breast, ovarian, and lung cancers since 1992 FDA approval, unrelated to leprosy (caused by Mycobacterium leprae).
Option Explanations
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(1) Wrong: Statement II false.
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(2) Wrong: Statement I true.
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(3) Correct: I true, II false.
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(4) Wrong: I true.
Rauwolfia serpentina Taxol Taxus brevifolia statement analysis clarifies Statement I correct (snake bite, mental disorders) while debunking Statement II (Taxol not for leprosy, but cancer).
Traditional vs Modern Uses
India’s biodiversity yields Rauwolfia serpentina for tranquilizing via reserpine (50+ alkaloids), sustainable now via tissue culture amid overharvesting. Taxol, from endangered Taxus brevifolia, shifted to semi-synthesis; annual demand exceeds 500 kg for oncology, not bacterial infections like leprosy.
| Plant/Drug |
Source |
Correct Use |
Incorrect Claim |
| Rauwolfia serpentina |
Roots |
Snake bite, tranquilizer |
– |
| Taxol (paclitaxel) |
Taxus brevifolia bark |
Cancer treatment |
Leprosy |
Exam Insights
Crucial for NEET Botany/GATE Life Sciences: Memorize Rauwolfia (Ayurveda, reserpine) vs Taxol (anticancer); aids bioprospecting in Rajasthan’s herbal zones.
