Rheum emodi, commonly known as Himalayan rhubarb, is a medicinal herb used in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

. It belongs to the family Polygonaceae

Polygonaceae

Polygonaceae is a family of flowering plants known informally as the "knotweed family" or "smartweed family"— "buckwheat family" in the United States. The name is based on the genus Polygonum and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 in his book, Genera Plantarum. The name refers...

. The plant is found in the sub-alpine and alpine Himalayas at an altitude of 4000 meters.

Names

Sanskrit - Amlaparni, Revatchini;
Bengali - Rheuchini, Banglarevanchini;
Gujarati - Gamnirevanchini;
Hindi - Revand chini.

Chemical constituents

Hydroxyanthracene derivatives are mainly emodin

Emodin

Emodin is a purgative resin, 6-methyl-1,3,8-trihydroxyanthraquinone, from rhubarb, the buckthorn and Japanese Knotweed...

, chrysophanol and their glycosides. Other hydroxyanthracene derivatives are rhein, aloe emodin and physcion and their glycosides.