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Isolation of ß -asarone, an antibacterial and anthelmintic compound, from Acorus calamus in South Africa
LJ McGaw, AK Jäger, J van Staden
Abstract
The aromatic rhizomes of Acorus calamus L. are used extensively in
traditional medicine worldwide. They reportedly relieve stomach cramps, dysentery
and asthma,
and are used as anthelmintics, insecticides, tonics and stimulants. Alcoholic
rhizome extracts of A. calamus growing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,
were previously found to have anthelmintic and antibacterial activity. Using
bioassay-guided
fractionation, the phenylpropanoid ß-asarone was isolated from the rhizome.
This compound was shown to possess anthelmintic and antibacterial activity.
It has previously been isolated from A. calamus, and a related species, A.
gramineus. Different varieties of A. calamus exhibit different
levels of ß-asarone, with the diploid variety containing none of the compound.
Mammalian toxicity
and carcinogenicity of asarones has been demonstrated by other researchers,
supporting the discouragement of the medicinal use of Acorus calamus by traditional
healers in South Africa.
South African Journal of Botany 2002, 68: 31–35
traditional medicine worldwide. They reportedly relieve stomach cramps, dysentery
and asthma,
and are used as anthelmintics, insecticides, tonics and stimulants. Alcoholic
rhizome extracts of A. calamus growing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,
were previously found to have anthelmintic and antibacterial activity. Using
bioassay-guided
fractionation, the phenylpropanoid ß-asarone was isolated from the rhizome.
This compound was shown to possess anthelmintic and antibacterial activity.
It has previously been isolated from A. calamus, and a related species, A.
gramineus. Different varieties of A. calamus exhibit different
levels of ß-asarone, with the diploid variety containing none of the compound.
Mammalian toxicity
and carcinogenicity of asarones has been demonstrated by other researchers,
supporting the discouragement of the medicinal use of Acorus calamus by traditional
healers in South Africa.
South African Journal of Botany 2002, 68: 31–35
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South African Journal of Botany. ISSN: 0254-6299