Allergic reaction to rue herb?
DTDerekson
A curiosity question if there s anyone on this board who has herb
experience. I have friends who have worked with rue (ruta graveolenas
(sp?)) for a number of years now. I say worked with it because they raise
butterflies and it s a great foodplant for various swallowtails. It also
seems to have medicinal properties that prevents mold and fungus from
developing in the rearing containers. Anyway, these folks have handled
this plant extensively for several years. They have a number of rue
plants, all planted as very small plants. The plants are now rather
bush-like.
This year, oddly and unfortunately enough, both of them got severe
blistering rashes from the rue. We found some references to a rash in some
books, but it seems very odd that they should only have this problem this
year. Why not in previous years. I also have handled the plant, though not
extensively and not gotten a rash.
Is it possible the caustic substances the plant generates only comes from
mature plants? Or has anyone else some clues as to why this happened?
Also, what should they do now, when they need to pick caterpillar fodder?
Is it like poison ivy and there are oils that are dangerous, or is it only
the inner juice of the plant that causes the problem?
Any insights are appreciated. Thanks!
(Cross posted, rec.gardens, sci.bio.entomology)
Pat Kiewicz
In article <52moi2$e...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, dtder...@aol.com says...
>
<test deleted>
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>This year, oddly and unfortunately enough, both of them got severe
>blistering rashes from the rue. We found some references to a rash in some
>books, but it seems very odd that they should only have this problem this
>year. Why not in previous years. I also have handled the plant, though not
>extensively and not gotten a rash.
>
>Is it possible the caustic substances the plant generates only comes from
>mature plants? Or has anyone else some clues as to why this happened?
>Also, what should they do now, when they need to pick caterpillar fodder?
>Is it like poison ivy and there are oils that are dangerous, or is it only
>the inner juice of the plant that causes the problem?
>
irritations." Another reference says "[s]ome people reportedly develope a
skin rash when working around rue." (I infer from this that the rash
requires only contact with the leaves, rather than the sap.)
Allergic reactions require time and repeated exposure to develop, which
might explain why it has taken so much time to become a problem. I myself
developed an allergic reaction to four-o'clocks which only became apparent
the second year I was growing them. (It might also be the case that the
more mature plants produce more of the irritating chemicals.)
Pat in Plymouth MI
Hazel Seaba
There is an informative monograph on rue (Ruta graveolens) in The
Lawrence Review of Natural Products. The Lawrence Review can be found in
most medical libraries. Rue contains a volatile oil, furocoumarins.
Furocoumarins are reported to cause photosensitization (rubbing rue on
the skin [insect replellent] and then exposing the skin to sunlight will
cause blisters). Contact Dermatitis 9:278,1983. Could the "allergy"
actually be photosensitization? How about using gloves and covering the
skin when handling the plant?
The rue plant is considered to have significant antibacterial and
antifungal activity.
Hazel S, Iowa
Bob Kirk
Snipped from longer post...
>This year, oddly and unfortunately enough, both of them got severe
>blistering rashes from the rue. We found some references to a rash in some
>books, but it seems very odd that they should only have this problem this
>year. Why not in previous years. I also have handled the plant, though not
>extensively and not gotten a rash.
As far as I remember, it's a photosensitizing process, but couldn't say
any longer (without looking it up) exactly how that works (or what other
plants - there are several - cause similar afflictions). That's why you
would expect the reaction to be delayed, but from one year to the next????
The sensitization is cumulative, but this would seem to be an extreme case.
Kay Klier
In article <Pine.A32.3.91.961001...@black.weeg.uiowa.edu>, Hazel Seaba wrote:
>There is an informative monograph on rue (Ruta graveolens) in The
>Lawrence Review of Natural Products.
Ruta can also be a cause of straight allergic responses, not just
photosensitization. I've a friend who gets a "poison ivy type" rash
within minutes of handling Ruta, whether or not she's in strong light
or total darkness. Lots of Benedryl and topical corticosteroids are
required to settle her allergic response down.
--
Kay Klier kl...@fern.com