Tibetan Rhubarb
Rheum officinale · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (478 studies) · ★★★★★
Tibetan Rhubarb, scientifically known as Rheum officinale, is a potent medicinal herb cherished in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Renowned for its powerful purgative properties, its dried roots are primarily utilized to treat gastrointestinal issues, promote digestion, and alleviate constipation, making it a cornerstone in ancient herbal pharmacopeia.
- Family
- Polygonaceae
- Native range
- Europe
- Parts used
- Rhizome
- Common names
- Tibetan Rhubarb · Chinese Rhubarb
- Scientific synonyms
- Rheum Pichonii · Rheum Baillonii
Names
Common Names
- Tibetan Rhubarb
- Chinese rhubarb
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- ruibarbo de la China
- Ruibarbo turco
German:
- chinesischer Rhabarber
- gebräuchlicher Rhabarber
- südchinesischer Rhabarber
French:
- rhubarbe officinale
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Rheum officinaleSynonyms
- Rheum pichonii
- Rheum baillonii
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically classified within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. As a member of the order Caryophyllales and the family Polygonaceae, it is categorized under the genus Rheum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Caryophyllales | WCVP |
| Family | Polygonaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Rheum | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several continents and diverse climates. In Northern Europe, its presence is specifically noted within Great Britain. Moving into Middle Europe, the species can be found throughout the regions of Czechia and Slovakia. Its range extends significantly into China, where it inhabits the South-Central areas. Additionally, the plant is distributed across the North-Central and Southeast portions of China.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Laos | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Rheum officinale, is highly valued in traditional medicine primarily for its therapeutic rhizome. This underground stem serves as the main storage organ for the plant's active medicinal compounds. Most notably, the rhizome is a rich source of polysaccharide content, which plays a significant role in its pharmacological activities, such as supporting immune function and aiding digestive health.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| rhizome | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Rheum officinale has 81 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anthraquinones, Rhein, Chrysophanol, Gallic acid, emodin.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Anthraquinones | 8 supporting sources | ★★★★☆ |
| Rhein | 4 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Chrysophanol | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Gallic acid | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| emodin | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| ANTHRAQUINONE | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CATECHIN | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| D-Catechin | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoid | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Anthraquinones
- Dr. Duke
- Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
- Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
View 3 additional sources
- Planta
- Frontiers in plant science
- Plant communications
Rhein
- Dr. Duke
- Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Frontiers in plant science
Chrysophanol
- Dr. Duke
- Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
- Chemistry & biodiversity
Gallic acid
- Dr. Duke
- Genes
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
emodin
- Dr. Duke
- Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
- Zhonghua yi xue za zhi
ANTHRAQUINONE
- Genes
- Scientific reports
CATECHIN
- Genes
- Frontiers in plant science
D-Catechin
- Dr. Duke
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
Flavonoid
- Frontiers in chemistry
- Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Flavonoids
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Planta
Activities
Rheum officinale has 314 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Laxative, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antimutagenic, Antitumor.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Laxative | Dr. Duke (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimutagenic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-HT-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Rheum officinale has 12 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include HIV, chronic renal failure, Alzheimer's disease, acute pancreatitis, apoptosis.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| HIV | Current HIV research (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chronic renal failure | Clinical nephrology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | Frontiers in chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| acute pancreatitis | Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| apoptosis | Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| central nervous system disorders | Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chronic kidney disease | Journal of chromatography. A (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetic nephropathy | Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi = Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| herpes simplex virus | The American journal of Chinese medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| herpes simplex virus type 1 | Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Methanol extracts | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Rheum officinale extract | Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aqueous-methanolic extract (1:1; v/v) | Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dry matter | Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ethanolic extract | The American journal of Chinese medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Fish physiology and biochemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hot glycerin extracts | Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| original samples | Applied spectroscopy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| water and ethanol extracts | Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |