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A pentacyclic triterpenoid, ursolic acid (1), two iridoid glucosides, verbenalin (2) and hastatoside (3), and a phenylpropanoid glycoside, verbascoside (4), were isolated from Verbena officinalisLinn. (Verbenaceae), a plant listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. A procedure for the optimised extraction of these constituents for quantitative estimations has been established. An HPTLC method was employed for the determination of 1 using Liebermann Burchard reagent. A reversed‐phase HPLC system with photodiode array detector was used to resolve compounds 2, 3 and 4 in the methanol extracts of different parts of the plant. Tender parts of the plant were rich in all of these constituents (0.24–0.34%, w/w) while the roots, which are not official in the Pharmacopoeias, contained a maximum amount (0.32%, w/w) of the bioactive verbascoside (4). The assay methods described are simple, rapid and accurate, and may form part of future drug authentication protocols. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatographic method with an optimised extraction procedure for the quantitative estimation of bergenin and (+)-afzelechin in different parts of the popular Indian herb Paashaanbhed (Bergenia ligulata Yeo) has been developed. The method is sensitive, precise and gives more than 99% recovery of the active constituents. The rhizomes of the plant were found to contain higher concentrations of bergenin (0.907%w/w) and (+)-afzelechin (0.168% w/w) than other parts of the plant. The presence of these constituents was also estimated in polyherbal formulations containing this plant. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In an attempt to locate the biologically active fraction(s) of the plant Verbena officinalisLinn. (Verbenaceae), a preliminary screening of successive petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of aerial parts for antiinflammatory activity using carrageenan paw oedema model was carried out. All three extracts were found to exhibit antiinflammatory activity with the chloroform extract being the most active. Chemical investigations of petroleum ether and chloroform extracts led to the isolation of β‐sitosterol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, 3‐epiursolic acid, 3‐epioleanolic acid, and minor triterpenoids of derivatives of ursolic acid and oleanolic acids. Chromatographic purification of the methanol extract yielded two iridoid glucosides, verbenalin and hastatoside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside, verbascoside and β‐sitosterol‐D‐glucoside. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Successive petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and water extracts, a saponin rich fraction (SRF) and bacoside A isolated from Bacopa monnieriwere tested for brine shrimp lethality. Successive ethanol extracts and SRF showed potent activity. Bacoside A showed the maximum activity with a LC50of 38.3 μg/mL. The results confirmed the previous reports of an anticancer effect of Bacopa monnieriand suggest bacoside A as the active constituent. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.