Pharmacological and therapeutic properties of Peganum harmala L. (Syrian rue)
Kumar Ravindra
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research June 24, 2026 DOI: 10.5897/jmpr2023.7330 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Peganum harmala Biological activity Drug Immunopharmacology Traditional medicine Plant-derived bioactive compounds |
| Key findings | Peganum harmala contains bioactive alkaloids with numerous pharmacological activities, supporting its potential for therapeutic applications and drug discovery. |
Abstract
Peganum harmala, commonly known as Syrian rue, African rue, wild rue, harmel, or esfand, is a medicinal plant highly valued for its rich composition of bioactive phyto-constituents. It is particularly abundant in naturally occurring alkaloids such as β-carboline, harmalol, harmaline, and harmine, with harmine being the most extensively studied. This plant exhibits a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypothermic, analgesic, abortifacient, anthelmintic, cytotoxic, and hallucinogenic effects. Such diverse pharmacological properties make P. harmala a significant plant of interest for therapeutic applications and further drug discovery. Key words: Peganum harmala; alkaloids, pharmacological properties; medicinal and traditional uses.