State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research, Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources, Sichuan Province and Ministry of Science and Technology, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan, China.
Molecules. 2013 Jan 14;18(1):963-73. doi: 10.3390/molecules18010963.
The herb and fruits of Leonurus japonicus Houtt., named "Yimucao" and "Chongweizi", respectively, in Chinese, have been widely used in China as gynecological medicines. The components of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were investigated by GC-MS. The antibacterial activity of the essential oils was determined by micro-dilution assay. The results showed large variations in the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the oils. The oil of "Yimucao" showed antibacterial activity against various Gram-positive bacteria and consisted mainly of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes, with phytone, phytol, caryophyllene oxide and β-caryophyllene being the most significant constituents, whereas the oil of "Chongweizi", mainly made up of bornyl acetate and aliphatic hydrocarbons, was inactive in the antibacterial assay. Further study of the main compounds in "Yimucao oil" showed that β-caryophyllene had wide-spectrum activity against Gram-positive bacteria.
益母草和茺蔚子的草药和果实，分别在中国被称为“益母草”和“茺蔚子”，被广泛用于妇科药物。通过 GC-MS 研究了水蒸气蒸馏得到的精油的成分。通过微量稀释法测定了精油的抗菌活性。结果表明，油的化学成分和抗菌活性有很大的差异。“益母草”油对各种革兰氏阳性菌具有抗菌活性，主要由倍半萜和二萜组成，其中石竹烯、叶绿醇、菖蒲酮和 β-石竹烯是最主要的成分，而“茺蔚子”油主要由乙酸龙脑酯和脂肪烃组成，在抗菌试验中没有活性。对“益母草油”中主要化合物的进一步研究表明，β-石竹烯对革兰氏阳性菌具有广谱活性。
