Harmal Medicinal uses

Peganum harmala is used as an analgesic and antiinflammatory agent.
In Yemen it was used to treat depression, and it has been established in the laboratory that harmaline, an active ingredient in Peganum harmala, is a central nervous system stimulant and a "reversible inhibitor of MAO-A (RIMA)," a category of antidepressant.
Smoke from the seeds kills algae, bacteria, intestinal parasites and molds. Peganum harmala has "antibacterial activity," including antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria.
The "root is applied to kill lice" and when burned, the seeds kill insects. It also inhibits the reproduction of the Tribolium castaneum beetle.
It is also used as an anthelmintic (to expel parasitic worms). Reportedly the ancient Greeks used powdered Peganum harmala seeds to get rid of tapeworms and to treat recurring fevers (possibly malaria).
Peganum harmala is an abortifacient, and, in large quantities, it can reduce spermatogenesis and male fertility in rats.

Antiprotozoal
Harmine, a compound present in Peganum harmala, fluoresces under ultraviolet light
It is fairly effective against protozoa including malaria. There is evidence that it may be effective against drug-resistant protozoa. It is given in a decoction for laryngitis.
One of the compounds found in Peganum harmala, vasicine (peganine) has been found to be safe and effective against Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite that can cause potentially "fatal visceral leishmaniasis." "Peganine hydrochloride dihydrate, besides being safe, was found to induce apoptosis in both the stages of L. donovani via loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential."
Another alkaloid harmine found in Peganum harmala, ". . .because of its appreciable efficacy in destroying intracellular parasites as well as non-hepatotoxic and non-nephrotoxic nature, harmine, in the vesicular forms, may be considered for clinical application in humans."
One study using the medicinal plant Peganum harmala showed it to have a lifesaving effect on cattle infected with the protozoal East Coast fever, which can be 100% fatal and killed 1.1 million cattle in Africa in 1991.

Anticancer
"The beta-carboline alkaloids present in medicinal plants, such as Peganum harmala and Eurycoma longifolia, have recently drawn attention due to their antitumor activities. Further mechanistic studies indicate that beta-carboline derivatives inhibit DNA topoisomerases and interfere with DNA synthesis."
Peganum harmala has antioxidant and antimutagenic properties.
Peganum harmala as well as harmine exhibit cytotoxicity with regards to HL60 and K562 leukemia cell lines. Ground Peganum harmala seeds have been used occasionally to treat skin cancer and subcutaneous cancers traditionally in Morocco. Seed extracts also show effectiveness against various tumor cell lines both in vitro and in vivo.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmal
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