Rubia cordifolia herb health benefit and use by Chinese herbal medicine

The medicinal plant Rubia cordifolia has been used widely in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for its antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Rubia cordifolia and cancer
Rubia cordifolia herb has several anti cancer compounds including epoxymollugin.

Role of Rubia cordifolia Linn. in radiation protection.
Indian J Exp Biol. 2007 July. Tripathi YB, Singh AV. Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, India.
The radioprotective potential of alcoholic extract of root of Rubia cordifolia, was studied by survival, hemopoietic cell protection and micronucleus assay. The LD50 value for the alcoholic root extract was found to be 1200 mg/kg body weight at 72 hr post irradiation. A significant radiation protection (67%) as assessed by increased animal survival was observed when Rubia cordifolia extract was administered intraperitoneally, 90 min. before the radiation exposure. Besides, the extract also inhibited radiation induced lipid peroxidation measured by the inhibition of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance. Our results indicate that the alcoholic root extract of Rubia cordifolia provides significant protection against radiation induced lipid peroxidation, hemopoietic injury and genotoxicity. The mechanism of action of Rubia cordifolia extract appears to be through its anti-oxidant, metal chelation and anti-inflammatory property.

Composition
Rubiacordone A: a new anthraquinone glycoside from the roots of Rubia cordifolia.
Molecules. 2009 Jan 23; College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, PR China. drxiang@hotmail.com
A new anthraquinone, Rubiacordone A (6-acetoxy-1-hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside), was isolated together with the known anthraquinone, 1-acetoxy-6-hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone-3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside], from the dried roots of Rubia cordifolia. Rubiacordone showed considerable antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

Rubia species
Rubia tinctorum

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