Rhubarb root has been utilized in Chinese medicine for thousands of years and comprises approximately 60 species, primarily native to China. The medicinal parts are the dried rhizomes and roots, known for their anthraquinone glycosides and various therapeutic properties including antithrombotic and antidiabetic effects. Rhubarb is cultivated in several regions and is also employed as a flavoring agent in food.

1. Harsh Kumar
Baranwal

2.  Rhubarb root has been used for medical
purposes by the chinese for thousand of
years.
 Rhubarb plays an important role in chinese
therapy .
 Approximately 60 species of rehum have
been found of which 40 are chinese .

3.  Kingdom :- Plantae .
 Order :- Caryophyllales .
 Genus :- Rheum .
 Species :- R. rhabarbarum .

4.  Rehum .
 Garden rhubarb .
 Chinese rhubarb etc.
 BIOLOGICAL SOURCE
 Dried underground parts (rhizome and root
) of Rehum Officinale and Rehum Palmatum
or hybrid of both are used for medicinal
purposes .
 FAMILY
 Polygonaceae

5.  Rehum officinale or rehum palmatum are
grown in CHINA.
 Whereas the other species rehum emodi or
rehum webbianum are native to INDIA ,
Pakistan or Nepal .
 It is also cultivated in green houses in UK,
Ireland , Russia etc.

6.  C0L0UR :- Yellow.
 ODOUR :- Characterstics .
 TASTE :- Bitter.
 SHAPE :- Longitudnal and Cylindrical .
 SIZE :- 7 to 10 cm .

7.  Calcium oxalate crystals are found in the leaf
blades .
 Starch grains are also present .
 The anthraquinones derivatives present in
medullary ray cells with treated with
ammonia turn reddish pink .

9.  ROOTS :- cylinderical and longitudnal .
 FLOWERS :- rose red infloroscenses .
 PETIOLES :- red in color .
 LEAVES :- posionous .

10.  Anthraquinone glycosides to be first isolated
and to be found in nearly all species .
 Emodin .
 Aloe – amodin .
 Chrysophamol .
 Rhenin .
 Physcion .

11.  Rhubarb shows red color with the addition
of alkalies due to the presence of
anthraquinone glycosides .
 Rhubarb powder + 10 ml ferric chloride
solution + 5 ml HCL is heated on a water
bath for 10 minutes . It is then filtered and
extracted with 10 ml CCl4. the extracted
organic layer separated and mixed with 5ml
H2O and treated with 5 ml dil. NH3 solution .
ROSE PINK TO CHERRY RED COLOR IS
OBTAINED .

12.  In temperature climates , rhubarb is
harvested in late springs and the season for
field grown plants until september .
 COLLECTION
 The drugs is mostly obtained from wild
rhubarbs.
 High altitude is a requisite for growth of
rhubarb . (more than 3000 meters )
 In India , it is collected from Kashmir , kulu
and manali regions

13.  RHAPTONIC RHUBARB is one type of rhubarb
which does not contain anthraquinone
derivatives .
 USES OF RHAPONTICIN :-
 Antithrombotic .
 Antiallergic .
 Antidiabetic .

14.  Used primarily digestive complaints .
 Used as cathartic and stomachic .
 Also help in diarrhea .
 Antifungal .
 Antibacterial .
 Treats neonatal jaundice .
 IN FOOD
 Rhubarb is also used as flavoring agent .