Sudapa

Sanskrit Name: Sudapa

Identificatio no: SDACH/HG/242

Botanical Name: Ruta graveolens L.

Family Name: Rutaceae

Vernacular Names

• Hindi: Sadab
• Marathi: Sadap
• Gujarati: Satab
• Tamil: Aruvadam
• Telugu: Nagadali
• Kannada: Nagadale
• Malayalam: Aruta
• English: Rue / Common Rue / Herb of Grace
• Bengali: Sadap

Habitat & Distribution

• Native to: Southern Europe
• Widely cultivated in: Mediterranean region, India (Himalayan regions, South India), North Africa, Latin America
• Habitat: Prefers dry, rocky, and sunny environments with well-drained soil

Morphology (As per API/CCRAS Standards)

• Habit: Small shrub up to 0.5–1 meter
• Stem: Woody at base, soft above, branched
• Leaves: Alternate, bluish-green, strongly aromatic, bipinnate or tripinnate
• Flowers: Small, yellowish-green, 4–5 petaled in corymbs
• Fruits: Capsule, deeply lobed with many seeds
• Odour: Strongly pungent, aromatic due to essential oils

Varieties

• Ruta graveolens (Common Rue – most used)
• Ruta chalepensis (Fringed Rue – similar properties)
• Ruta montana (less common)

Substitute / Adulterant

• Substitute: Ruta chalepensis (used interchangeably in folk practice)
• Adulterants: Other aromatic herbs like Vitex negundo, or non-therapeutic leafy plants with strong odour

Phytochemicals

• Alkaloids: Graveoline, Arborinine
• Essential oils: Methyl-nonyl-ketone, Undecanone, Limonene
• Flavonoids: Rutin, Quercetin
• Coumarins: Scoparone, Xanthotoxin
• Other: Psoralens (photosensitizing compounds), Furanocoumarins

Raspanchaka

• Rasa: Tikta, Katu
• Guna: Laghu, Tikshna, Ruksha
• Virya (Potency): Ushna (hot)
• Vipaka: Katu
• Prabhava: Krimighna, Vedanahara
• Dosha Shamakta: Kapha-Vata hara

Karma (Rogaghnata)

• Krimighna
• Shothahara
• Vedana sthapana
• Vishaghna
• Hridya
• Shirovirechaka

Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses

External

• Uses:
  • Local inflammation, joint pain
  • Used in fumigation (dhupan) for air purification and psychic cleansing
  • Essential oil used in ointments for muscle pain
• Applications:
  • Poultice from fresh leaves
  • Oil infusions for massage
  • Dhupan for Vastu and psychic cleansing

Internal

• Uses:
  • Useful in intestinal worms, spasms, hysteria
  • As a nervine tonic in small doses
  • Promotes menstruation (emmenagogue)
• Caution: Toxic in high doses; not advised during pregnancy or for children

Part Used

• Leaves
• Essential oil (carefully dosed)

Dose

• Powdered leaves: 250–500 mg
• Fresh juice: 5–10 ml (under supervision)
• Essential oil (external): 1–3% dilution in carrier oil

Yoga / Formulations

• Sadapa Taila – used in pain and swelling
• Krimighna Yoga – included in anti-parasitic proprietary formulations
• Used traditionally in Aromatherapy and Unani medicine

IUCN Status

• Least Concern (LC)

Research Updates

1. Antimicrobial Activity
   • 2021, BMC Complementary Medicine: Rue essential oil showed strong antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains including MRSA.
2. Neuroprotective Effect
   • 2020, Neurochemistry International: Extracts exhibited anxiolytic and sedative effects in mice, likely due to alkaloids and coumarins.
3. Anti-inflammatory & Analgesic
   • 2019, Journal of Ethnopharmacology: Significant reduction in inflammatory markers and pain behaviors in rodent models.