Research

Manjistha or Rubia cordifolia is astringent, bitter and sweet in taste. It is a good pacifier of pitta and kapha. Besides the glucosides, which are known as purpurine and manjisthin, the chemical composition of this herb consists of a range of other components including lime salts, coloring agents and resins.

Traditionally, the herb is recommended for various diseases such as gouty arthritis, elevated uric acid level, recurrent skin infections, glandular swellings, leucoderma and skin pigmentation anomalies. It is included in different formulations for dysentery, chronic fever, urinary and uterine infections and diarrhea. Manjishtha is an excellent herb for skincare.

Research has revealed that manjistha can works as a muscle relaxant, antioxidant, anti-anxiety and anti-seizure agent. Also, studies have shown that manjistha is an effective immune stimulant. Manjistha is known to be a wonderful tonic for the lymphatic system. From ancient times, it has been used for issues associated with the lymphatic system.

The herb is known to be one of the best blood detoxifiers and it was traditionally used as kidney and liver detoxifier. It is also known for its positive effects on anxiety because of its capability to elevate the levels of dopamine. In ancient times, it was recommended for broken bones and tumors. Studies have revealed the antimicrobial properties of manjistha along with antioxidant and antitumor activity too.

Several Research teams have also suggested that Manjistha has anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, antistress, antihyperglycermic, hepatoprotective effects and nootropic activity. It represses mast cells activation as well.

According to the studies conducted by the Institute of Medical Sciences of Banaras Hindu University, India, majistha was observed to have radioprotective capabilities, which concluded that it had a positive effect in providing protection against lipid peroxidation, geno-toxicity and hemopoietic injury induced by radiation. This action of manjistha was because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and metal chelation qualities.

Divakar K Pawar of Department of Pharmacology and B.M. Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India studied the hydro alcoholic extracts of manjistha. The results indicated that the herb has the property of providing protection against the development of kidney stones. This entire process seems to have been facilitated by the antioxidant property, which protects the nephrons.

The dried roots of the herb contain rubiacordone A, which is an anthraquinone glycoside. When this new Rubiacordone A was combined with a familiar anthraquinone, it was noticed that the metabolites rubiacordone showed effective antimicrobial reaction against bacteria, which were gram positive.