I/,-taraxasterol

Among five triterpenoids isolated from Calendula officinalis flowers, P-amyrin (119), faradiol (232), i /-taraxasterol (238), taraxasterol (239), and lupeol (238), the diol 232 was the most active. It showed a dose-dependent effect with a potency that equals that of indomethacin (5) in the topical anti-inflammatory assay with croton oil [33]. Esterification at C-3 of 232 with a fatty acid reduced the activity by more than 50% [33] consistent with our observation in the TPA-induced assay described above. The anti-inflammatory properties, as determined by croton oil-induced edema of mouse ear, of faradiol-3-O-myristate (233) and its 3-O-palmitate (234), the main components of lipophilic extracts of C. officinalis flowers, were shown to be contribute significantly to the pronounced antiphlogistic activity of the lipophilic extracts of C. officinalis flowers [34]. 

Fig. 3.44. Gas chromatographic separation of the triterpene alcohol fraction from coberine (A), cocoa butter (B) and cocoa butter +5% coberine (C) (according to Gegiou and Staphylakis, 1985). 7, lanos-terol 2, p-amyrine 3, butyrospermol 4, 24-methylene lanostenol 5, parkeol 6, cycloartenol 7, a-amyrine 8, lup-20(29)-en-3p-ol 9, 24-methylene cycloartenol 10, i// -taraxasterol 11, taraxasterol 12, cyclobranol...

Inula britannica L. I. japonica Thunb. I. linariaefolia Turcz. I. linariaefolia Turcz. f. simplex Kom. I. salsoloides (Turcz.) Ostenfeld Xuan Fu Hua (Elecampane) (aerial part, including flower head) Inusterol A, taraxasterol, inusterol B, inulicin, flavone, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin, quercetin, taraxasteryl palmitate, bigelovin, dihydrobigelovin.48-50 260 Discutient, vulnerary, antiemetic, carminative, diuretic, deobstruent, treat ascites, bronchitis, cancer, chest congestion. 

Taraxasterol acetate from the Ayurvedic drug Echinops echinatus (Asteraceae) reached 63% inhibition after 4 h, but at a high dose regime (200 mg/kg, p.o.), and this activity was not much improved when this product was given i.p. (68% inhibition) [64]. 

Apart from the acute anti-inflammatory activity described in the preceding section, taraxasterol acetate was also tested for chronic activity in the model of Freund s adjuvant-induced rat arthritis. When 80 mg/kg of this compound were administered i.p., a 57% decrease with respect to the control value for the injected limb was observed at 18 h. After 21 days, the secondary reaction, which is measured on the non-injected limb, was reduced by 78%. Given the fact that in this condition the injected limb suffered a comparable reduction of 67%, it seems that taraxasterol acetate did not act by modifying immune mechanisms [64]. Duwiejua et al. [66] also reported appreciable anti-arthritic activity for glutin-3-one 44% and 74% reductions in the ipsilateral and contralateral paw swelling, respectively, after 10 days. 

Petrovic, S.D. Gorunovic, M.S. Wray, V. Merfort, I. A taraxasterol derivative and phenohc compounds from Hieracium gymnocephalum. Phytochemistry 1999, 50, 293-296. 

Ames, T. R., J. L. Beton, A. Bowers, T, G. Halsall, and E. R. H. Jones The Chemistry of the Triterpenes and Related Compounds. Part XXIII. The Structure of Taraxasterol, T -Taraxasterol (Heterolupeol), and Lupenol-I. J. Chem. Soc. 1954, 1905, and references cited therein. 

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