Peganum harmala
Peganum harmala, commonly called Syrian rue, harmel, espand, esfand, wild rue, African rue, or aspand, is a plant native to the eastern Iranian region west to India. It has also spread invasively throughout Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Washington.[1] The plant itself produces seeds which contain harmala alkaloids and is easily accessible and legal to purchase online.
| Peganum harmala | |
|---|---|
 P. harmala in the nature. |
|
| Taxonomical nomenclature | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Unranked | Angiosperms |
| Unranked | Eudicots |
| Unranked | Rosids |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Family | Nitrariaceae |
| Genus | Peganum |
| Species | P. harmala |
| Common nomenclature | |
| Common names | Espand, Esfand, Syrian rue |
| Constituents | |
| Active constituents | Harmala alkaloid |
Chemistry
Powdered syrian rue seeds act as a MAOI at doses of 2-5g. Syrian rue seeds contain several different harmala alkaloids at slightly varying percentages. Only some are monoamine oxidase A inhibitors. In one study, total harmala alkaloids were at least 5.9% of dried weight.[2][3]
- Harmane: 0.16%
- Harmine: 0.44%. Harmine is a nonselective MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitor. The coatings of the seeds are said to contain large amounts of harmine.
- Harmaline: 0.25%. Harmaline is a "reversible inhibitor of MAO-A (RIMA).[4]
- Harmalol: 0.6%
- Tetrahydroharmine: 0.1%
- Vasicine (peganine): 0.25%<
- Vasicinone: 0.0007%
Drug use in pregnancy
Peganum harmala is used traditionally as an abortifacient agent in Morocco, North Africa, and the Middle East.[5] It is believed that quinazoline alkaloids such as vasicine and vasicinone are responsible for the abortifacient activity of the plant.[6]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PEHA
- ↑ http://www.phcogrev.com/article.asp?issn=0973-7847;year=2013;volume=7;issue=14;spage=199;epage=212;aulast=Moloudizargari
- ↑ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15563650701323205
- ↑ Massaro, E. J. (2002). Handbook of Neurotoxicology. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press. p. 237. ISBN 0-89603-796-7.
- ↑ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/criem/2014/783236/
- ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/zygophyllaceae