Rubia wallichiana
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643feb51371e3341839637 |
| Scientific name | Rubia wallichiana |
| Authority | Decne. |
| First published in | Mém. Couronnés Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles (4to) 12: 61 (1837) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Dried roots of Rubia wallichiana (Himalayan madder) are processed into a natural anthraquinone dye used to colour wool, silk and cotton.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Small‑scale textile workshops use the root extract, mordanted with alum or iron, to produce red shades on protein fibers.
- The anthraquinone‑rich paste is combined with gum arabic to make red ink for calligraphy, block printing and watercolor pigments.
- Leather tanners incorporate the extract to impart a red hue and improve colourfastness of finished hides.
Colorants and tanning:
- The main chromophores are alizarin and purpurin; they form metal‑ion complexes that give stable red colour on protein fibers.
- The extract also acts as a mild natural tannin, enhancing dye adhesion.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Cosmetic formulators use the purified anthraquinone fraction as a natural red colorant in soaps, shampoos and lip balms; no fragrance value is reported.
Properties relevant to use:
- Analyses report alizarin at 0.3–0.5 % dry weight and purpurin at 0.1–0.3 % (Sharma et al., 2018). The compounds are soluble in alkaline solutions and chelate with aluminium or iron, yielding orange‑red to deep crimson shades.
- Lightfastness of dyed wool after alum mordant (ISO 105‑B02) is rated 5–6, indicating good durability.
Standards and regulation:
- In the EU, anthraquinone colourants from madder require REACH registration (EC 1907/2006).
- Textile dyeing with natural dyes must meet ISO 3668 (textile colour fastness). No food‑additive approval has been documented for R. wallichiana.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Wild Himalayan populations are under localized harvesting pressure; sustainable practices such as root‑cutting rotation and cultivation trials have been proposed (Giri et al., 2016). The species is not listed by CITES, though regional conservation may limit collection.
Scientific/model use:
- The complete chloroplast genome of R. wallichiana has been sequenced (GenBank NC_060568; Kumar et al., 2022), serving as a Rubiaceae reference.
- Transcriptomic data for anthraquinone biosynthetic genes are deposited in public repositories, supporting comparative genomics of dye biosynthesis.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Rubia asperrima | Decne. | Mém. Couronnés Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles (4to) 12: 61 (1837) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 多花茜草 |
| Chinese | 多花茜草(光垄茜草) |
| Chinese | 小红藤 |
| Chinese | 茜草 |
| Chinese | 三爪龙 |
| Chinese | 红丝线 |
| Chinese | 光垄茜草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Hainan
-
China
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- East Himalaya
- Nepal
- West Himalaya
-
Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000298664 |
| Tropicos | 100252738 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:765383-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-180449 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 3872642 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1905583 |
| IPNI | 765383-1 |
| GBIF | 2892342 |
| EOL | 1108068 |
| CMAUP | NPO3011 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes / Anthracenecarboxylic acids and derivatives / Anthracenecarboxylic acids | |||||
| 2-Anthracenecarboxylic acid, 9,10-dihydro-1,3-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxo-, methyl ester | 149791 | Click to see COC(=O)C1=C(C=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)O | 298.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 3-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-9,10-dioxoanthracene-2-carboxylic acid | 101939212 | Click to see | 298.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Methyl 1-hydroxy-9,10-dioxoanthracene-2-carboxylate | 2870897 | Click to see | 282.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes / Anthraquinones | |||||
| 1-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[[(2R,3R,4R,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxyanthracene-9,10-dione | 162962165 | Click to see | 564.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-methoxyanthracene-9,10-dione | 10085264 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[[(2S,3S,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxyanthracene-9,10-dione | 162920856 | Click to see | 548.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-2-methyl-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxyanthracene-9,10-dione | 53463989 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)COC5C(C(C(CO5)O)O)O)O)O)O | 548.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone | 160817 | Click to see | 238.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-2,6-dimethoxyanthracene-9,10-dione | 85951330 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 10611938 | Click to see | 268.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-9,10-anthracenedione | 13412786 | Click to see | 254.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-5-methoxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 13970503 | Click to see CC1=C(C2=C(C=C1)C(=O)C3=C(C2=O)C=CC=C3OC)O | 268.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1-Hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 10945434 | Click to see | 268.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,8-Dihydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone | 11253808 | Click to see | 254.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Alizarin 2-methyl ether | 80103 | Click to see | 254.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Digiferruginol | 32209 | Click to see C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C(=O)C3=C(C2=O)C(=C(C=C3)CO)O | 254.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Lucidin 3-primeveroside | 21917783 | Click to see | 564.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Lucidin primeveroside | 160180 | Click to see C1C(C(C(C(O1)OCC2C(C(C(C(O2)OC3=C(C(=C4C(=C3)C(=O)C5=CC=CC=C5C4=O)O)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O | 564.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| Rubiadinprimeveroside | 213463 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)COC5C(C(C(CO5)O)O)O)O)O)O | 548.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes / Anthraquinones / Hydroxyanthraquinones | |||||
| [6-(4,7-Dihydroxy-3-methyl-9,10-dioxoanthracen-2-yl)oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]methyl acetate | 14539982 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=C(C(=C4C(=C3)C(=O)C5=C(C4=O)C=CC(=C5)O)O)C)COC(=O)C)O)O)O)O)O | 620.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methoxy-4-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 163192670 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| 1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone | 429241 | Click to see CC1=CC2=C(C(=C1O)O)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O | 254.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| 1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone | 196978 | Click to see | 240.21 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,3-Dimethoxy-2-hydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone | 15118825 | Click to see COC1=C(C(=C2C(=C1)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)OC)O | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,3,6-trihydroxy-2-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone-3-O-(6'-O-acetyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside | 70698136 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=C(C(=C4C(=C3)C(=O)C5=C(C4=O)C=CC(=C5)O)O)C)COC(=O)C)O)O)O)O)O | 620.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,3,6-trihydroxy-2-methyl-9,10-anthraquinone-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside | 57335470 | Click to see | 578.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 1,3,6-Trihydroxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 5319801 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C3=C(C2=O)C=C(C=C3)O)O | 270.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP2002918 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 3-[4,5-Dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-1,6-dihydroxy-2-methylanthracene-9,10-dione | 14539977 | Click to see | 578.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Alizarin 1-methyl ether | 80309 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC2=C1C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)O | 254.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Lucidin | 10163 | Click to see | 270.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| Lucidin omega-methyl ether | 149782 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Nordamnacanthal | 160712 | Click to see | 268.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Purpurin anthraquinone | 6683 | Click to see | 256.21 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| Rubiadin | 124062 | Click to see CC1=C(C=C2C(=C1O)C(=O)C3=CC=CC=C3C2=O)O | 254.24 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JPHOTOBIOL.2010.09.009 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Aminobenzoic acids and derivatives / Aminobenzoic acids | |||||
| 2-[(Carboxymethyl)amino]-4-chlorobenzoic acid | 11107141 | Click to see | 229.62 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Benzoic acid esters | |||||
| 1,2-Benzenedi(carboxylic-14C)acid, dibutyl ester | 171810 | Click to see CCCCOC(=O)C1=CC=CC=C1C(=O)OCCCC | 282.33 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans | |||||
| 4-[3-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,3a,4,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,4-c]furan-6-yl]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol | 4546425 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C2C3COC(C3CO2)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)OC | 388.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Medioresinol, (+)- | 181681 | Click to see | 388.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Medium-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Lauric Acid | 3893 | Click to see | 200.32 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Very long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Behenic Acid | 8215 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 340.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| (+)-Ursolic Acid | 64945 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| (10R)-10-hydroxy-1,2,6a,6b,9,9,12a-heptamethyl-2,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,10,11,12,13,14b-tetradecahydro-1H-picene-4a-carboxylic acid | 45358157 | Click to see CC1CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C2C1C)C)C(=O)O | 456.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Urs-12-en-28-oic acid, 3-hydroxy-, (3beta)- | 220774 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-17-[(E,2R,5S)-5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl]-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 101689889 | Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 574.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-17-[(E,2S,5S)-5-Ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl]-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 12314479 | Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 122544 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP020038K |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
| Npc196776 | 50930798 | Click to see | 410.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Sitogluside | 5742590 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 576.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP020038K |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyrans / Pyranones and derivatives | |||||
| Maltol | 8369 | Click to see | 126.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives | |||||
| Scoparone | 8417 | Click to see | 206.19 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins | |||||
| 7-Hydroxy-6-methoxy-8-(3-methylbut-1-enyl)chromen-2-one | 162876382 | Click to see | 260.28 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| Scopoletin | 5280460 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 https://doi.org/10.1002/CHIN.200403232 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / 8-prenylated flavans / 8-prenylated flavanones | |||||
| [(4S,12R,15S,16S)-14,14-dimethyl-6-oxo-4-phenyl-3,11,13-trioxatetracyclo[8.6.0.02,7.012,16]hexadeca-1(10),2(7),8-trien-15-yl] acetate | 42607797 | Click to see | 394.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-7-olate luteolin-7-olate(1-) | 25201972 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)[O-] | 285.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Apigenin-7-olate | 25200950 | Click to see | 269.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Hydroxyflavonoids / 7-hydroxyflavonoids | |||||
| (2S,3S)-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene-5,7-diol | 44445800 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflavonoid O-glycosides | |||||
| 5-Hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-8-methoxy-7-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 13965469 | Click to see | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.51.948 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |