Botanical Name - Rubia cordifolia Category - Cosmetic/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Stem, Roots General Information - ubia cordifolia (Indian Madder) is growing most often near streams and rivers along the upper Ghats in evergreen forests up to 3750m above sea level. It is a perennial, prickly or scabrous, climbing herb belongs to rubiaceae. Leaves variable, arranged four in a whorl, cordate-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, base slightly cordate, petioles are quadrangular, sometimes prickly on the angles, glabrous and shining. Stipules are absent. Stems is slender, rough, four angled with sharp recurved prickles on the ridges, which are often many yards long, becoming slightly woody at the base. Flowers are in cymes, greenish white. Fruits are didymous or globose, smooth, shining and purplish black when ripe. In ancient world, manjistha is reputed as an efficient blood purifier and hence is extensively used against blood, skin and urinary diseases. The root is sweet, bitter, acrid, astringent, thermogenic, antidysenteric, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, anodyne, anthelmintic, antiseptic, constipating, diuretic, galacto-purifier, febrifuge, rejuvenating and tonic. It is useful in vitiated conditions of kapha, the body fluid principles relates to mucus and pitta, an energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion. In modern pharmacopoeia, the plant has been used to treat variety of ailments. The root extract has wide range of pharmacological properties thus used against ailments such as arthralgia, arthritis, cephalalgia, cough, diabetes, discolouration of the skin, dysmenorrhoea, emmenagogue, general debility, hemorrhoids, hepatopathy, intermittent fevers, jaundice, leucorrhoea, neuralgia, pectoral diseases, pharyngitis, ophthalmopathy, otopathy, splenopathy, strangury, slow healing of broken bones, tubercular conditions of the skin and mucous tissue, tuberculosis and urethrorrhoea. Besides, the roots are used for laxative, analgesic, rheumatism, dropsy, paralysis and intestinal ulcers. The dried stem is used in blood, skin and urinogenital disorders, dysentery, piles, ulcers, inflammations, erysipelas, skin diseases and rheumatism. The roots were used in Ayurvedic (traditional Indian system of medicine) medicine as a coloring agent in medicated oils. Root derived powder has been used in many Asian countries as a natural dye, for imparting shades of red, scarlet, brown and mauve to cotton and other fabrics.