Isolation and structural elucidation of abietic acid as the main adulterant in an herbal drug for the treatment of psoriasis

Yi He; Yumei Zhang; Jing Lu; Ruichao Lin

doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2012.03.007

Isolation and structural elucidation of abietic acid as the main adulterant in an herbal drug for the treatment of psoriasis

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2012 Jul:66:345-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2012.03.007. Epub 2012 Mar 23.

Authors

Yi He¹, Yumei Zhang, Jing Lu, Ruichao Lin

Affiliation

¹ National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili 2, Beijing 100050, China.

PMID: 22482903
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2012.03.007

Abstract

An herbal drug for the treatment of psoriasis showed severe clinical adverse reactions. The main component of adulterant was isolated from the drug and its chemical structure was elucidated as abietic acid using NMR, HR-MS, and HPLC-DAD-MS. Although abietic acid had ever been used in clinical study for the treatment of psoriasis, it is not an approved drug. Its adulteration is very dangerous for the patients.

MeSH terms

Abietanes / isolation & purification*
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Dermatologic Agents / adverse effects
Dermatologic Agents / analysis*
Dermatologic Agents / standards
Drug Contamination
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
Mass Spectrometry / methods
Plant Extracts / adverse effects
Plant Extracts / analysis*
Plant Extracts / standards
Psoriasis / drug therapy

Substances

Abietanes
Dermatologic Agents
Plant Extracts
abietic acid