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Planta Med 1978; 34(7): 291-293
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1097453
Research Articles

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Maokonine, Hypertensive Principle of Ephedra Roots1

Mitsuru Tamada, Katsuya Endo, Hiroshi Hikino
  • Pharmaceutical Institute, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
1 Studies on the Constituents of Ephedra. II. This paper also forms Part 4 in the series on the validity of the Oriental medicines. (Part 3: Planta Medica 31, 2/4 (1977).
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Publication History

Publication Date:
13 January 2009 (online)

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ANTIINFLAMMATORY PRINCIPLES OF CAESALPINIA SAPPAN WOOD AND OF HAEMATOXYLON CAMPECHIANUM WOOD1Planta Med 1977; 31(03): 214-220
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1097516

Abstract

From an Oriental medicine „mao–kon”, Ephedra roots, which has been said to possess the opposite therapeutic effects as compared with its aerial counterpart „mao”, Ephedra herb, has been isolated L–tyrosine betaine. Since tyrosine betaine is the first time to be isolated from natural sources, it is designated as maokonine. It may be worthy to note that maokonine showed the hypertensive activity comparable with the action of ephedrine, the main alkaloid of the crude drug „mao”, but contrary to the effect of the original crude drug „mao–kon”.

Key Word Index

Ephedra Roots - Ephedraceae - L–Tyrosine Betaine - Hypertensive Activity