Catechins and other phenolic compounds in herb of eight < em > Ephedra < /em > species in comparison to < em > Camellia sinensis < /em >

Nat Prod Res. 2022 Nov 23:1-6. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2149517. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTUsing HPLC-DAD the presence of catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, kaempferol and protocatehuic acid was analysed in herb extracts of eight Ephedra species (Ephedra sinica, Ephedra major, Ephedra chilensis, Ephedra ciliata, Ephedra foeminea, Ephedra equisetina, Ephedra gerardiana and Ephedra distachya). For comparison purposes, the same phenolics were determined in Camellia sinensis herb, which is a common source of catechins and a medicinal plant with valuable antioxidant properties. The catechin content in Ephedra spp. ranged between 0.83 mg/g d.w.- 8.77 mg/g d.w., while the epicatechin content was between 0.11 mg/g d.w.- 3.38 mg/g d.w. In comparison to black tea, Ephedra major, Ephedra distachya and Ephedra equisetina had a higher catechin content. The selected Ephedra spp. are rich in catechins and the obtained results serve as the chemical rationale for the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities of Ephedra that are currently being investigated.PMID:36416500 | DOI:10.1080/14786419.2022.2149517
Source: Natural Product Research - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Source Type: research