Zanthoxylum rhetsa

In parts of southern India and Sri Lanka, Zanthoxylum rhetsa is best known as a gentle carminative for the upper gut and for easing wind in infants. Preparations are usually simple teas or infusions made from the leaves and tender twigs. Among Malayali communities of the southern hills, a hot infusion of fresh leaves and shoots is drunk for stomachache and indigestion (Trivedi, 2012). In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, “karuvellam” tea—made from leaves or leaf powder infused with hot water—is given to newborns and young children to calm colic (Singhal & Ratra, 2020). In Sri Lanka’s dry-zone villages, a weaker leaf infusion is taken to relieve flatulence, especially in children (Senanayake, 1986). Seeds are sometimes chewed as a spice after meals, but the documented ethnomedicinal forms are infusions of leaves/twigs and topical pastes.

A practical preparation is the mild karuvellam leaf tea. Add one to two heaped tablespoons of fresh, clean leaves or leaf powder to 200 ml of just-boiled water, cover, and steep 5–7 minutes. Strain, and drink a small cup warm. For external use, crush a tablespoon of seeds with a pinch of water to form a paste and apply to the skin. These small infusions are generally considered safe in culinary contexts. As with many essentials, do not use during pregnancy or give large doses to infants without professional guidance, and discontinue if irritation occurs.

The activity is supported by well-established constituents found in the species. Seeds and pericarp are rich in aromatic monoterpenes—linalool, citronellal, limonene, and α-pinene—that are documented for Zanthoxylum rhetsa and known to relax smooth muscle and reduce gas (Rastogi & Singh, 1990; Rao, 1972). Fresh leaf and shoot oils are similarly dominated by these volatiles (Naidu et al., 1995), explaining the use of leaf infusions for colic and flatulence.

Zanthoxylum rhetsa remains a minor spice in Indian and Sri Lankan markets, and Indian ayurvedic dispensaries still list it for “anaha” (flatulence). Research on the species has focused on its essential oils, which show antimicrobial activity and other biological effects consistent with traditional use.

Common products:
The species is used as a spice or condiment, commonly as the dried pericarp (“triphalā” in South Asian trade practice), and sometimes as a whole or ground spice added to curries, pickles, and spice mixes. Its seeds are occasionally used as a condiment.

Industrial and craft applications:
The green parts yield essential oil on hydrodistillation; the oil is used in flavor and fragrance applications. No established industrial processing standards are reported for the oil or other materials from this species.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The dried pericarp and seeds are used as flavoring ingredients in culinary products such as curry powders and pickles. They are not reported as a major source of starch, flour, seed oils, or fats for food processing.

Colorants and tanning:
No documented use of bark or pericarp as natural dyes or for tannin extraction is reported for this species.

Wood and fiber:
No documented timber or fiber uses are reported for this species.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
Essential oil from green parts is used in flavor and fragrance applications; quantitative compositional ranges vary in reports and are not standardized for commercial fragrance compounding.

Properties relevant to use:
Chemical markers reported for the species include linalool and possibly related monoterpenes in the essential oil. No standardized specifications for fragrance use (e.g., ISO/ASTM standards) are documented.

Sustainability and sourcing:
No established sustainability or regulatory frameworks are documented for this species in commercial supply chains.

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No distribution data was extracted from POWO/KEW yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

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