Rue, Common rue or Herb-of-grace (Ruta graveolens)

DESCRIPTION:

Ruta graveolens, commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of Ruta grown as an ornamental plant and as an herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is now grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluish leaves, and sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil conditions. It is also cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.Rue does have a culinary use if used sparingly, but it is bitter and gastric discomfort may be experienced by some individuals. Although used more extensively in former times, it is not a herb that is typically found in modern cuisine, and is today largely unknown to the general public and most chefs, and unavailable in grocery stores. It is a component of berbere, the characteristic Ethiopian spice mixture, and as such is encountered in Ethiopian cuisine.

CULINARY USE:

It was used extensively in ancient Near Eastern and Roman cuisine (according to Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq and Apicius).

Rue leaves and berries are an important part of the cuisine of Ethiopia.Rue is used as a traditional flavouring in Greece and other Mediterranean countries.In Istria (a region in Croatia), and in Northern Italy, it is used to give a special flavour to grappa/raki and most of the time a little branch of the plant can be found in the bottle. This is called grappa alla ruta.Seeds can be used for porridge.

The bitter leaf can be added to eggs, cheese, fish, or mixed with damson plums and wine to produce a meat sauce.In Italy in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, the young branches of the plant are dipped in a batter, deep-fried in oil, and consumed with salt or sugar. They are also used on their own to aromatise a specific type of omelette.

Used in Old World beers as flavouring ingredient.

OTHER:

Rue is also grown as an ornamental plant, both as a low hedge and so the leaves can be used in nosegays.Most cats dislike the smell of it, and it can, therefore, be used as a deterrent to them (see also Plectranthus caninus).Caterpillars of some subspecies of the butterfly Papilio machaon feed on rue, as well as other plants. The caterpillars of Papilio xuthus also feed readily on it.In South India, rue is recommended for home gardens to repel snakes (however the effectiveness is unknown).Rue is also a common ingredient in witchcraft and spell making. During the Middle Ages it was a symbol of recognition between witches. The Catholic Church also used a branch of rue to sprinkle holy water on its followers during this time known as the "herb of grace."Ruler: Sun God Form: Faunus Medicinal: healing Magickal: protection Ritual: a God-form plant.

TOXILITY:

Rue extracts are mutagenic and hepatotoxic. Large doses can cause violent gastric pain, vomiting, systemic complications, and death.

Exposure to common rue, or herbal preparations derived from it, can cause severe phytophotodermatitis which results in burn-like listers on the skin.

CHEMISTRY:

A series of furanoacridones and two acridone alkaloids (arborinine and evoxanthine) have been isolated from R. graveolens. It also contains coumarins and limonoids.Cell cultures produce the coumarins umbelliferone, scopoletin, psoralen, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, rutamarin and rutacultin, and the alkaloids skimmianine, kokusaginine, 6-methoxydictamnine and edulinine.The ethyl acetate extract of R. graveolens leaves yields two furanocoumarins,, one quinoline alkaloid and four quinolone alkaloids.The chloroform extracts of the root, stem and leaf shows the isolation of the furanocoumarin chalepensin.The essential oil of R. graveolens contains two main constituents undecan-2-one (46.8%) and nonan-2-one (18.8%)

(Source Wikipedia)