Hearty madder (lat. Rubia cordifolia) is a perennial herb from the Marenova family – Rubiaceae.
Stems up to 2 m tall, numerous, weak, clinging or lying, angular, with hook-shaped, bent spikes down.
Leaves 1.5-5 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, on short petioles, dense, 6-10 per whorl, lanceolate or ovate, long pointed at apex, less obtuse, rounded or slightly cordate at the base, on the surface , along the edges and below the main vein, rough from spike-like setae.
The inflorescence is long, paniculate, at the end of the stem and verves. Corollas pale yellow, wheel-shaped.
Fruits are drupesiform, immature reddish-brown, ripe – black, juicy.
It grows on steep southern rocky slopes, on islands in bushes, in elm and poplar forests.
Harvested roots – in the fall, grass – during the flowering period.
Chemical composition
Rhizomes and roots contain anthraquinones (alizarin, halioside, lucidin, munistin, purpurin, mollugin, pseudopurpurin, lucidin-3-O-primrovezide, rubiadin-3-O-primverozide, rubiadin, fiscion, quinizarin, 3,4-dihydromoprolinu etc.), triterpenoids (rubiarbonols A, B, C, D, E, F, rubiprazines A and B, rubicumaric and rubifolic acids). The aerial part contains iridoids, flavonoids and coumarins; scopoletin, fatty acids, sitosterol, daucosterol.
Useful action
The roots are taken as a tonic, restorative, accelerating blood circulation, hypotensive, accelerating puberty, stimulating menstruation, anti-allergic, regulating salt metabolism, analgesic, anticonvulsant, hemostatic, antipyretic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antitussive. When applied topically, it has a wound healing, antiseptic, antimicrobial and antitoxic effect.
An aqueous infusion of madder heart grass is used as a means to regulate the menstrual cycle, to accelerate the release of the placenta, with endometritis, gonorrhea, as an anticonvulsant. Sometimes the infusion and decoction of the herb is prescribed for diseases of the liver and gall bladder. Outwardly fresh grass or steamed dry grass is used for wounds, ulcers, boils, insect bites.
A decoction or infusion of the roots is recommended as a diuretic, with dropsy, as a hemostatic for various bleeding, as an antipyretic and expectorant for colds, with pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy, especially exudative, as an antiseptic, restorative and choleretic against diseases of the liver gall bladder, with convulsions and paralysis. Outwardly, a decoction of the roots or poultices is prescribed for joint tumors, boils, ulcers with purulent contents, swelling and swelling of the joints, with fractures and bruises.
In the past, the roots of hearty madder were used quite often for malignant tumors. They find application in Tibetan medicine.
It is part of Purin ultra.