Herbal Remedies of the Maritime Indians: Sterols and Triterpenes of Achillea millefolium L. (Yarrow)

As part of ongoing studies of the medicinal aspects of Maritime flora, particularly the herbal remedies of the Micmac and Malecite Indians, the sterols and triterpenes of Achillea millefolium L. (Com-positae), a widely used herbal remedy known commonly as yarrow, were determined. Using modern techni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pharmaceutical sciences 1982-06, Vol.71 (6), p.690-693
Main Authors: Chandler, R.F., Hooper, S.N., Hooper, D.L., Jamieson, W.D., Flinn, C.G., Safe, L.M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achillea millefolium L.-herbal remedies
Achillea millefolium L.—herbal remedies, extraction of triterpenes and sterols
Canada
Chemical Phenomena
Chemistry
Chromatography, Gas
Chromatography, Thin Layer
extraction of triterpenes and sterols
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
herbal remedies
Hydrogenation
Indians, North American
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Plants, Medicinal - analysis
sterols
Sterols - analysis
Sterols-extraction from Achillea millefolium L
Sterols—extraction from Achillea millefolium L., herbal remedies, triterpenes
triterpenes
Triterpenes - analysis
Triterpenes-extraction from Achillea millefolium L
Triterpenes—extraction from Achillea millefolium L., herbal remedies, sterols
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Summary:As part of ongoing studies of the medicinal aspects of Maritime flora, particularly the herbal remedies of the Micmac and Malecite Indians, the sterols and triterpenes of Achillea millefolium L. (Com-positae), a widely used herbal remedy known commonly as yarrow, were determined. Using modern techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and combined GC-mass spectrometry, β-sitosterol was identified as the major sterol and α-amyrin as the major triterpene of this plant. The sterols stigmasterol, campesterol, and cholesterol and the triterpenes β-amyrin, taraxasterol, and pseudotaraxasterol were also identified. Successful therapeutic application of yarrow may be partly due to the presence of one or more of these compounds since many sterols and triterpenes exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. This is the first reported occurrence of cholesterol, campesterol, and the four triterpenes in yarrow.
ISSN:0022-3549
1520-6017
DOI:10.1002/jps.2600710621