Peganum harmala (Harmal / Syrian Rue)

Peganum harmala (Syrian Rue) is not consumed as a food ingredient but as a medicinal/ritual plant; thus conventional macronutrient profiling is not applicable at culinary doses. Bioactive alkaloids dominate its chemical profile. Key compounds include: beta-carboline alkaloids — harmine (0.44–5.6% dry seed weight), harmaline (0.25–4.8% dry seed weight), and harmalol (0.036–0.16% dry seed weight), which are the primary monoamine oxidase inhibiting (MAOI) constituents. Quinazoline alkaloids include vasicine (peganine) (~0.25% dry weight) and vasicinone, associated with bronchodilatory effects. Seeds contain approximately 15–17% fixed oils (fatty acids including linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids), 12–15% crude protein (amino acid composition not fully characterized), and 5–8% crude fiber. Minerals detected in seed extracts include potassium (~1,200 mg/100g estimated dry weight), calcium (~300 mg/100g), magnesium (~180 mg/100g), iron (~12 mg/100g), and zinc (~3 mg/100g), though bioavailability is considered low due to binding with alkaloids and tannins. Antioxidant phenolic compounds include rutin, quercetin derivatives, and gallic acid at trace levels (50–200 mg/100g total phenolics). Tannin content approximately 2–4% dry weight. Bioavailability note: alkaloid absorption is rapid orally but highly variable; harmine and harmaline cross the blood-brain barrier efficiently. Due to MAOI activity, concurrent consumption with tyramine-rich foods poses hypertensive crisis risk. Toxic threshold is low; medicinal doses typically involve <1g seed material.