Ericaceae family

The best known species is Laurus nob ills, a Mediterranean shrub used by the ancient Greeks to decorate the head of victors in the Pythian games, which led to modem phrases such as poet laureate and Nobel laureate. Additional well-known species include avocado, California laurel, sassafras, and cinnamon tree. American gardeners often refer to Kalmia latifolia as mountain laurel, and to Rhododendron maximum as great laurel, despite the fact that both of these shrubs are in the Ericaceae family, and are unrelated to the true laurels of the Lauraceae. 

The major quinolizidine alkaloids are sparteine found Sarothamnus scoparius (Scotch broom) and greater celandine (Cheli-donium majus), and cytisine from lupins. Myrine comes from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in the Ericaceae family. 

Bilberry consists of the dried ripe Ifuit of Vaccinium myrtillus, a dwarf shrub of the Ericaceae family. Dried bilberries contain 1-5% catechins, approximately 30% invert sugar, and small amounts of flavonol glycosides (e.g., astragalin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside), phenolic acids (e.g., caffeic and chlorogenic acids), and anthocyanins, particularly glycosides ofmalvidin, cyanidin, and delphinidin [30]. 

Quinolizidine alkaloids (lupine alkaloids) occur in the family Leguminosae, especially the subfamily Papilionaceae. They are also found in some species of other families such as Chenopodiaceae, Berberidaceae, Papaveraceae, Nymphaeaceae, Ranunculaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Compositae, Rubiaceae, Monimiaceae, Ericaceae, and Adociidae. 

A curious but perhaps significant observation is that,a 1 though several plant families retain the ability to biosynthesise different types of complex polyphenol,rarely are both biosynthetic capabilities displayed maximally. More often one particular species specialises in one particular mode. Thus in the Ericaceae many plants are rich sources of proanthocyanid ns but Arcto-staphylos uva-ursi has only a minimal proanthocyanid in biosynthetic capacity but combines with this a very high level of gallic acid metabolism. 

The genera in the family of Ericaceae (Table 1) include heather, huckleberry, and rhododendron. 

Representative Chemicals Azalea Rhododendron Synonyms Rhododendron catabiense, Ericaceae (heath) family Catawba rhododendron-. Mountain rosebay Purple laurel Rhodora Rosa Laurel Rosebay... 

Canthin-6-one (1) has been isolated from 25 of the 36 species of plants in Table I and from cell cultures of Ailanthus altissima (13-16). Canthin-6-one is one of the most widely distributed alkaloids in plants. It has been reported (77) that 1 is contained in 9 of 33 species in the genus Rhododendron of the family Ericaceae of China. Readers are referred to Volume 8 (p. 249) of this treatise for its structure (5). 

BILBERRY, Myrtilli fructus Bilberry is the fruit of Vaccinium myrtillus, L., family Ericaceae, and contains 5-10% tannins of the catechin-type, anthocyanins, flavone glycosides and organic acids. The tannins in bilberry and in other tannin-containing drugs precipitate proteins in the epithelium of the intestine. In this way the absorption of toxic substances and secretion is diminished. This is the mode of action in the treatment of diarrhoea. 

The plants of the family Ericaceae are used therapeutically. The active principle is hydroquinone, which is the hydrolytic product in alkaline urine of the glycosides arbutin and methylarbutin (both inactive), which occur in the two Ericaceae drugs ... 

UVA URSI, Bearberry Leaf, Uvae ursi folium, Arctostaphylos uva ursi (L.) Spreng, family Ericaceae. The dried leaves constitute the drug. Besides arbutin (not less than 8%) and methylarbutin, the leaves also contain tannins. 1.5-4.0g dried leaves given by infusion three times daily gives an antiseptic effect (by hydrolysis to hydroquinone) in the urinary tract, when the urine is kept alkaline. The maximal antibacterial effect is reached about 3 hours after administration. 

BILBERRIES Myrtilli fructus, are the fruits of Vaccinium myrtillus L., family Ericaceae, There are preparations containing antho-cyanosides (25%) from bilberries. Studies indicate positive benefits in patients with diabetic and senile retinopathies and other degenerative conditions of the eye for which it is claimed that they accelerate the accommodation of the eye to darkness. In Italian investigations a dose of 480 mg/day was used. 

Natunriss. 48, 304 (1961) Kraus, Pharmazie 19, 41 (1964). Synthesis from acetobromglucose and hydroquinone Man-nich, Arch. Pharm. 250, 547 (1912) from d-D-glucose penta-acetate + hydroquinone monobenzyl ether in the presence ol POClj Jarrett, U.S. pot. 3,201,385 (1965 to Polaroid). Frequently occurs together with methylarbutin in plants, particularly those of the family Ericaceae. 

Tanaka, Y., and A. Iwamoto. 2002. Skin care preparation/Skin external preparation comprising extract of plant belonging to genus Epigaea of family Ericaceae for whitening skin. Japan Matsumoto Trading Co. 

A group of tetracyclic diterpenoids, the grayanotoxins, extracted from the leaves of plants of the family Ericaceae have similar actions to BTX. The general structure is given in Figure 1.11 [129—132]. Again, these toxins act when applied to the inner or the outer surface of excitable membranes, are antagonised by low sodium or TTX, but differ from BTX in that they are reversible and can be washed out of the tissue [133]. 

Among the iridoid-containing families of the Ericanae are the Ericales (Actinidiaceae, Epacridaceae, Ericaceae, Monotropaceae, and Pyrolaceae), the Stylidiales (Stylidiaceae), Sarraceniales (Sarraceniaceae), and Fouquieriales (Fouquieriaceae) (Jensen, 1991). 

D 3.2.1, several families of Angiospermae) and toxic compounds, such as andromedotoxins (D 6.3, Ericaceae), quinolizidine alkaloids (D 18, Sophora microphylla) and arbutin (D 22.2.5, Arbutus unedo) may be present — pollen may contain pigments, such as carotenes (D 6.5) and flavonoids (D 22.3.3), cinnamic acid derivatives (D 22.2) and cell wall constituents such as carbohydrates (D 1.4.1) and sporopollenins (D 6.5). 

There is, on the present recorded evidence, a very close association of this form of metabolism of gallic acid with the Rhoideae tribe in the Anacardiaceae. This ability to metabolize depsides of gallic acid may be used quite successfully as a taxonomic marker and hence as a guide to interrelationships in particular plant families. It has been used successfully in this way in the Aceraceae, Ericaceae, Geraniaceae and Hamamelidaceae (36, 47). 

The fruit of an ornamental shrub of the family Ericaceae which grows in North America, Mexico, Europe, and Africa. 

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