Rubia Cordifolia

English: Indian Madder, dyer's madder
Hindi: Manjit, majeeth
Sanskrit: Manjista, chitravalli

Madder has been used in many Asian countries as a dye, for imparting shades of red, scarlet, brown and mauve to cotton and woollen fabrics. In India and neighbouring countries, madder also has a long history in skin care and treatment and it has been used internally in disorders of the urinary tract.

Habitat

A perennial climber, growing throughout India, where it is common throughout the lower hills of the Indian Himalayas in the north and the Western Ghats in the South, and]apan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka in moist temperate and tropical forests, up to an altitude of 3500 m.

Botanical description

A prickly climber, usually growing over other bushes or trees. The rootstocks are perennial, the roots very long, twisted and cylindrical with a thin, red-coloured bark. The stem is quadrangular, leaves cordate to ovate-lanceolate, in whorls of 2-8 but more usually four. Flowers small, white or greenish in terminal panicles or cymes. Fruits globose, dark purplish or black.

Parts used

Dried roots and stem.

Traditional and modem use

The root is widely used as a tonic and also credited with astringent, deobstruent and antiinflammatory properties. A decoction is used in paralysis, jaundice, dropsy and infections or obstructions of the urinary passage and the plant is given in inflammatory conditions of the chest and in rheumatism. It has been used in tuberculosis and intestinal ulcer and is recommended by Ayurvedic physicians as a blood purifier for skin diseases and to improve the complexion.

Ethnoveterinary usage

Rubia cordifolia is used in the treatment of liver fluke, dysentery, maggots, wounds and intestinal worms in animals.

Major chemical constituents

Quinones

These are mainly anthraquinone glycosides and include I-hydroxy 2-methoxy anthraquinone, 1 A-dihydroxy- 2-methyl-5­methoxy anthraquinone, 1,3-dimethoxy 2-carboxy anthraquinone and rubiadin.

lridoids

6-Methoxygeniposidic acid is found along with manjistin, garancin and alizarin.

Triterpenoids

Oleananes such as rubiprasin A, Band C along with arborane triterpenoids including rubiarbonol A, B, C, D, E and F have been isolated.

Medicinal and pharmacological activities

Antioxidant activity: The antioxidant properties have been well established. The herb significantly inhibited FeS04-induced lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion...7 The activity was ascribed to the quinone rubiadin.

Antiinflammatory activity: Rubia cordifolia inhibited the lip oxygenase enzyme pathway" and the production of cumene hydroperoxides. The lip oxygenase pathway catalyses the production ofvarious inflammatory mediators such as the leukotrienes which are involved in asthma, arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.

Antiplatelet activity: Platelet -activating factor (PAF) is a phospholipid involved in thrombosis, allergy and nervous disorders. Rubia cordifolia extract inhibited the aggregation of rabbit platelets in a dose­dependent manner, measured in a binding assay using 3H-labelled PAF.

Anticancer activity: The cyclic hexapeptidel and quinones of Rubia exhibited a significant anticancer activity against various proliferating cells. The hexapeptides showed potent antitumour activity by binding to eukaryotic 80S ribosomes, resulting in inhibition of aminoacyl-tRNA binding and peptidyl-tRNA translocation, thus leading to the stoppage of protein synthesis.
Hepatoprotective activity: Protection against different liver toxins has been established. It has been found to be effective against acute and chronic hepatitis caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBY) by interfering with the secretion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in human hepatoma cells (Hep3B). The quinone derivatives are thought to be the active components.

Others: The plant has activity against allergies,t8 bacterial infection,t9 excessive bleeding20 and diabetic ulcer.

Safety profile

No adverse effects have been reported at recommended doses and the herb is usually categorised as GRAS (generally recognisedas safe).

Dosage

• Powdered root: 1-3 g Decoction: 56-112 ml

Ayurvedic properties

• Rasa: Kashaya (astringent), tikta (bitter), madhur (sweet)
• Guna: Guru (heavy), ruksha (dry)
• Veerya: Ushna (hot)
• Vipaka: Katu (pungent)
• Dosha: Pacifies kapha and pitta