Variation of ursolic acid content in eight Ocimum species from northeastern Brazil

M Goretti V Silva; Icaro G P Vieira; Francisca N P Mendes; Irineu L Albuquerque; Rogério N dos Santos; Fábio O Silva; Selene M Morais

doi:10.3390/molecules13102482

Variation of ursolic acid content in eight Ocimum species from northeastern Brazil

Molecules. 2008 Oct 14;13(10):2482-7. doi: 10.3390/molecules13102482.

Authors

M Goretti V Silva¹, Icaro G P Vieira, Francisca N P Mendes, Irineu L Albuquerque, Rogério N dos Santos, Fábio O Silva, Selene M Morais

Affiliation

¹ Departamento de Química Analítica e Fisico-Química, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60.455-970, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. mgvsilva@ufc.br

Abstract

Ursolic acid is a very important compound due to its biological potential as an anti-inflammatory, trypanocidal, antirheumatic, antiviral, antioxidant and antitumoral agent. This study presents the HPLC analysis of ursolic acid (UA) content in eight different Ocimum species: O. americanum L., O. basilicum L, O. basilicum var purpurascens Benth, O. basilicum var. minimum L, O. gratissimum L, O. micranthum Willd, O. selloi Benth. and O. tenuiflorum L. grown in Northeastern Brazil. In these Ocimum species, UA was detected in different yields, with O. tenuiflorum showing the highest content (2.02%). This yield is very significant when compared with other sources of UA.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brazil
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Ocimum / chemistry*
Triterpenes / analysis*
Ursolic Acid

Substances

Triterpenes