Abstract |
- A species of Ephedra found in southeastern Oregon,
identified as Ephedra viridis Coville is reported of medicinal
value among the American Indian tribes and other
dwellers of that locality in various affections such as
venereal diseases, kidney and bladder disturbances, in
stomach ulcers and abdominal pains, in delayed menstruation,
as blood tonic, as an aid in the relief of rheumatic
pains; also in cases of diarrhea in children and for colds.
A preliminary phytochemical investigation of this
plant, Ephedra viridis Coville, has been undertaken in this
report, the purpose of which is to establish the characteristics
of the plant and determine its alkaloidal
content (ephedrine).
A general plant analysis of the drug samples yielded
the following results: Moisture, 5.5 to 7 per cent; total
ash, 6.5 to 7,9 per cent; water-soluble ash, 0.86 per cent;
alkalinity of water-soluble ash, 0.932 (mls. of 0.1 N HCl
per gram sample of the drug); water-insoluble ash, 7.12 per
cent; alkalinity of water-insoluble ash, 12.323 (mls. 0.1
N HCl per gram sample of the drug); acid-insoluble ash
varied from 0.075 to 0.24 per cent, volatile oil constituents
varied from 0.29 to 2.4 per cent, the crude fiber
content of the drug, 17.3 per cent. The determinations
of total extractives with different solvents gave the
following results: alcohol-soluble extractive, 33.2 per
cent, dilute-alcohol extractive, 17.4 to 23.53 per cent,
total ether extractive, 2.765 per cent, volatile-ether
soluble extractive portion, 0.32 to 0.34 per cent, nonvolatile-
ether soluble extractive, 2.5 per cent, petroleum
ether extractive, 1.7 to 2.2 per cent, and water-soluble
extractive, l6.3 per cent. The alkaloidal content of this sample of Ephedra
viridis Coville, determined according to the official assay
of bella donna leaf varied from 0.02 to 0.299 per cent.
Because of this insignificant alkaloidal content, the
therapeutic value (with regards to ephedrine) of this
plant by the Indian tribes appears questionable.
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