Rubén Víctor Daniel Rondina

Survey of Argentine Medicinal Plants -Folklore and Phytochemical - Screening. II

Argentina has around 500 native medicinal plants, according to the folklore use, plus nearly 200 toxic species. So there are 700 indigenous species suitable to be used in pharmacognostical-pharmacological studies with a high probability of getting active compounds from them. As the Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia y Bromatologia was interested in the medicinal flora to be studied we considered that a catalog of Argentine species with their uses and chemical composition would help in promoting research on them. Nevertheless, as there have been few species exhaustively investigated we screened them for different constituents ( 1,2) (Table I) while surveying the literature for chemical composition and folklore data for medicinal use up to 1972 (Table II)2.

Screening of Argentine plants for aliphatic nitro compounds: Hiptagin from Heteropteris angustifolia

Abstract Plants of 46 families encompassing 98 genera and 124 species were screened for the presence of aliphatic nitro compounds. A single species, Heteropteris angustifolia Gris. (Malpighiaceae) proved positive and was found to contain hiptagin (1,2,4,6-tetra-3-nitropropanoyl-β- d -glucopyranoside) as the major nitro constituent. In addition, Argentine herbarium specimen of Astragalus (Leguminosae) were screened and three [ A. arnottianus (Gill.) Reiche, A. bellus (O.K.) Fries and A. diminutivus Johnst.] gave positive tests.

Alkaloidal content of argentine Argemone

Abstract The alkaloid content of different Argentine Argemone has been determined. Two varieties of A. subfusiformis subsp. subfusiformis Ownb. and A. subfusiformis subsp. subinermis Ownb. yielded a similar ratio and content of the following alkaloids: protopine, allocrytopine, berberine, sanguinarine, and chelerythrine. The A. subfusiformis taxa showed a markedly high sanguinarine content in roots as opposed to aerial parts. A. polyanthemos (Fedde) Ownb. showed a different ratio between alkaloids but a qualitative similar result. N -Norchelerythrine was isolated from A. polyanthemos . The chemotaxonomic value of the alkaloid analyses is discussed.

Alkaloids of Argemone subfusiformis

by carrying out TLC and GLC using synthetic triacontyl hexadecanoate as a reference compound. Ethanolysis of the wax esters was also carried out and the mixture of the ethyl esters was analysed by GLC. The major constituent of the wax ester was thus found to be hexacosyl eicosanoate. The acids and alcohols composing the esters are given in Table 2. The free n-aliphatic acids were analysed by GLC as methyl esters and the principal component was shown to be octacosanoic acid (Table 1). Sitosterol was identified by m.p., m.m.p., IR and analyses of the sterol and its acetate.

Chemical composition and potential activity of Argentine marihuana

The occurrence and amount of Δ1‐tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and cannabinol in Argentine marihuana have been investigated, and its potential activity assessed. The analytical method was applied to thirteen different samples obtained from the Argentine Police or from domestic cultivations of Cannabis sativa L. The Δ1‐tetrahydrocannabinol content including decarboxylated precursors ranged from 0.1 to 8.3 g per 100 g of the dried drug according to the source.