Peganum harmala, also known as Syrian Rue, originates from Central Asia and the Mediterranean coasts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It became established in the United States in the 1920s and has since been classified as a noxious weed due to its bitter taste, which deters grazing animals. You can purchase Peganum harmala ‘Syrian Rue’ seeds online, known for their high quality and GMO-free status. This highly branched perennial shrub typically grows 30 to 60 cm tall, featuring narrow leaves arranged alternately on fleshy, bright green stiff stems. Its solitary flowers are small, white (or pale yellow), and 5-petaled, while its fruit capsule starts green and turns orange-brown when mature, containing small black-brown triangular seeds.
Historically, Dioscorides (ca. 40 to 90 AD), Galen (ca. 129 to 217 AD), and Avicenna (ca. 980 to 1037 AD) recognized Peganum harmala as a psychoactive drug. The ancient Greeks used powdered seeds to treat recurring fevers and tapeworms. In Turkey, dried capsules served as talismans against the “evil-eye,” and smoking seeds treated mental illnesses. In Iran, Iraq, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, it functioned as a hallucinogen in ceremonies and in modern recreational use, including as an abortifacient. Red dye from seeds colored Middle Eastern carpets.
Chemically, all parts of the plant are used, but the roots and seeds contain more active alkaloids than stems and leaves. The most studied and pharmacologically active constituents are the beta-carboline alkaloids harmine, isoharmine, and harmaline, which are reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A. Other constituents include harmalol, harman, harmalidine, ruine, and tetrahydroharmine, along with quinazolidine alkaloids such as vasicine (peganine), vasicinone, vascinol, peganol, peganidine, and deoxypeganine. The plant also contains flavonoids, steroidal compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and minerals. Analytical methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and ultraviolet spectroscopy have been employed to study its chemical composition.
Specifications:
– Common Name: Syrian Rue, Harmal Peganum
– Family: Zygophyllaceae
– USDA Hardiness: Zones 7-10
– Environment: Sunny
– Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.