Tibetan Rhubarb

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Tibetan Rhubarb
• Chinese rhubarb

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Rheum pichonii
• Rheum baillonii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Rheum officinale is characterized by its adaptation to high-altitude montane environments, where it occupies a distinct vertical niche within mountain ecosystems. This species thrives across a significant altitudinal gradient, demonstrating a broad tolerance for varying atmospheric pressures and temperatures. Its distribution begins at a minimum elevation of 1200 m AMSL and extends upward to a maximum of 4000 m AMSL, with the species most frequently occurring at a mean elevation of 2600 m AMSL. This elevation profile suggests that the plant is well-suited to the cool, moist, and often rocky habitats typical of subalpine and alpine zones, where it must withstand the specific climatic stressors associated with these mid-to-high mountain ranges.

Elevational range max:

4000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1200 m AMSL

Morphology

The morphology of Rheum officinale is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It is a terrestrial plant, existing neither as an aquatic nor a semiaquatic species, and it functions as an independent organism without being a parasite. The plant is self-supporting rather than acting as a climber, liana, or vine, and it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, maintaining a strictly terrestrial existence. In terms of stature, it reaches a maximum height of 2 m, with a minimum height of 1.5 m and a mean plant height of approximately 1.75 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

1.75 m

Plant height min:

1.5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Rheum officinale culminates in the development of small, distinct fruits characterized by specific morphological dimensions. The fruits exhibit a modest size range, with the length varying from a minimum of 0.8 cm to a maximum of 1 cm, resulting in an average fruit length of approximately 0.9 cm. Similarly, the width of the fruit is relatively narrow, ranging from a minimum of 0.7 cm to a maximum of 0.9 cm, with a mean width of 0.8 cm. These quantitative traits define the typical fruiting structure produced during the plant's reproductive cycle.

Fruit length max:

1 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.9 cm

Fruit length min:

0.8 cm

Fruit width max:

0.9 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.8 cm

Fruit width min:

0.7 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Rheum officinale has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome.

Rhizome

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

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.

Anthraquinones

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
5. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Rhein

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Frontiers in plant science

Chrysophanol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
3. Chemistry & biodiversity

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Genes
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

emodin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry
3. Zhonghua yi xue za zhi

ANTHRAQUINONE

1. Genes
2. Scientific reports

CATECHIN

1. Genes
2. Frontiers in plant science

D-Catechin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Flavonoid

1. Frontiers in chemistry
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Flavonoids

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. 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.

Laxative

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Scientific reports
4. Frontiers in plant science

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Frontiers in plant science

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Rheum officinale has 12 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include HIV, chronic renal failure, Alzheimer's disease, acute pancreatitis, apoptosis.

Hiv

1. Current HIV research
2. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology

Chronic renal failure

1. Clinical nephrology
2. Zhonghua yi xue za zhi

Alzheimer's disease

1. Frontiers in chemistry

Acute pancreatitis

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Apoptosis

1. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry

Central nervous system disorders

1. Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Chronic kidney disease

1. Journal of chromatography. A

Diabetic nephropathy

1. Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi = Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine

Herpes simplex virus

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Herpes simplex virus type 1

1. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy

Preparations

Rheum officinale has 9 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Methanol extracts, Rheum officinale extract, aqueous-methanolic extract (1:1; v/v), dry matter, ethanolic extract.

Methanol extracts

1. Journal of natural products

Rheum officinale extract

1. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry

Aqueous-methanolic extract (1:1; v/v)

1. Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Dry matter

1. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Ethanolic extract

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Extracts

1. Fish physiology and biochemistry

Hot glycerin extracts

1. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy

Original samples

1. Applied spectroscopy

Water and ethanol extracts

1. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry