Advisory Services

Wild Rue

 

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Peganum harmala

FAMILY:

  • Rutacaea

SYNONYM(S):

  • Nill

URDU NAME:

  • Isphand

REGIONAL NAME:

  • Bengali: Isband
  • Persian: Isband, Ispand
  • Hindi: Ispand Lahouni
  • Pashto: Spailanai, Aspalnay
  • Sindhi: Hurmul
  • Arabic: Harmal
  • Punjabi: Hurmul, Ispand Lahouni

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Harmal

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Syrian Rue, Wild Rue

HABITAT:

  • It is wild spread in the desert areas of Sindh, Hyderabad. Also widely distributed throughout Baluchistan, Kurnam Valley, Chitral, Gilgat Swat and Punjab

DESCRIPTION:

  • A bushy herb 30-90 Cm in height
  • Leaves are rounded
  • Flowers white fragrant
  • Seeds are like rye, triangular, concavo convex and of dull earthy brown colour give a heavy narcotic odour when crushed

PART USED:

  • Seeds

TASTE:

  • Bitter

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Hot 3°, dry 2°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • Flowers mostly in April and may. Fruits from July to October

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • Almost dry capsules are collected. Seeds are shade dried and stoned

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Turpentine
  • Alkaloids
  • Glycosides
  • Resins
  • Fixed oils
  • Harmine
  • Harmaline
  • Harmalol
  • Peganine
  • Calcium
  • Copper
  • Potassium
  • Iron
  • Phosphate
  • Sulphate
  • Thiamine

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Seeds of sudab/Rue (ruta gnaveolens)
  • Ajwain/alowa seeds (canum copticum )
  • Muli/radish (raphanus sativus)

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Purgative
  • Anthelmintic
  • Alternative
  • Lactagogue
  • Emmenagogue
  • Aphrodisiac
  • Carminative
  • Diuretic
  • Blood purifier

Therapeutic uses:

  • Remedy for tapeworm
  • Fever
  • Asthma
  • Rheumatism
  • Neuralgia
  • Sciatica
  • Sexual debility

DOSES:

  • 5-9 g

CORRECTIVES:

  • Shikanjabin/vinegar sweet drink
  • Rubb-e-seb (jam of pynus malus)
  • Citrus fruits

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Zimad-e- kibreet
  • Majoon-e- ispand sokhtani
  • Majoon-e-reg mahi

ASTROLOGY:

  • Mars