Rubia cordifolia
Indian madder
Rubia cordifolia, commonly known as Manjistha in Ayurveda, is a perennial climbing shrub highly valued in traditional medicine. Renowned for its potent blood-purifying and anti-inflammatory properties, its roots contain vibrant red pigments. It is widely utilized to support skin health, detoxify the body, and promote overall lymphatic circulation.
- Scientific name: Rubia cordifolia
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianales, it is situated in the Rubiaceae family. Finally, it is identified by the genus Rubia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Rubiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Rubia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Rubia cordifolia, is recognized by various common names across different linguistic and regional contexts. In Chinese, it is referred to as 茜草 in both Simplified (zh-hans), Traditional (zh-hant), and Hong Kong (zh-hk) scripts. In Malayalam, the plant is called മഞ്ചട്ടി (ml), while in Kinyarwanda, it is known as Ikararambwe (rw).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 茜草 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 茜草 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 茜草 | Wikidata |
| ml | മഞ്ചട്ടി | Wikidata |
| rw | Ikararambwe | Wikidata |
| te | మంజిష్ఠ | Wikidata |
| zh | 披针叶茜草 | Wikidata |
| pa | ਮਜੀਠ | Wikidata |
| kn | ರುಬಿಯಾ ಕಾರ್ಡಿಫೋಲಿಯಾ | Wikidata |
| sa | रुबिअ कोर्दिफ़्ओलिअ | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution that spans across multiple continents and diverse climates. In Southeastern Europe, it can be found growing in the country of Greece. Its presence extends significantly into West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically within Burundi, Rwanda, and the DR Congo. Additionally, the species is located in the Northeast Tropical Africa region, specifically in Ethiopia. Through these varied locations, the plant demonstrates a wide range of ecological adaptability.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Europe | Greece | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Somalia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Sudan-South Sudan | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known commonly as Manjistha, is primarily valued for its medicinal properties derived from its underground structures. While botanical descriptions focus on the therapeutic potency of the roots, specifically the dried root mass which contains the active coloring agents, the plant's growth habit involves a thickened, creeping rhizome that helps it spread through the soil. These underground parts are harvested and processed to create various traditional remedies used in Ayurvedic medicine.- Total parts
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 10
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| roots | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| root | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| rhizome | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Rubia cordifolia has 36 reported phytochemicals identified across 51 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, alizarin, anthraquinones, mollugin, rubiadin.
- Total chemicals
- 36
- Scientific sources
- 51
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| alizarin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| anthraquinones | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| mollugin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| rubiadin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| RA-V | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Rubiadin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| purpurin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5'-nucleotidase | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Rubia cordifolia has 22 reported activities identified across 43 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antifungal.
- Total activities
- 22
- Scientific sources
- 43
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 10 | ★★★★★ |
| Antibacterial | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiinflammatory | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidepressant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Rubia cordifolia has 39 reported medicinal uses identified across 47 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, antioxidant, acne, inflammation, kidney stones.
- Total uses
- 39
- Scientific sources
- 47
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| acne | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kidney stones | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida parapsilosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| MRSA | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| allergic purpura | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |