Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
PFAFFIA GLOMERATA
(SPRENG) PEDERSEN
(=
GOMPHRENA STENOPHYLLA
)
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliophyceae
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Common name: Brazilian ginseng
Distribution: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil
Habitat: Rivers
Description: This species grows to a maximum height of 2 m and has hairy leaves.
Compounds and activities: The oleanone-type triterpenes isolated from this
species include oleanolic acid, (23 Z)-feruloyl hederagenin, (23 E)-feruloyl
hederagenin, β-amyrin acetate, and β-amyrin palmitate. The root extract
of this species showed cytotoxicity, and the IC
50
value was found to be
>2,000 µg/ml (Gosmann et al., 2003). The compound β-ecdysone isolated
from the roots of this species possesses antidiabetic and aphrodisiac prop-
erties. While the methanolic extract of this species possesses free radical
scavenging activity and has cytotoxic activity, its butanolic root extract,
which has 20-hydroxy ecdysone, possesses free radical scavenging activity.
The hydroalcoholic extract of this species was found to be relatively active
against
Leishmania braziliensis
.
H
3
CCH
3
H
OH
CH
3
H
O
CH
3
CH
3
HO
H
H
3
CCH
3
oleanolic acid
