STUDIES ON CHINESE MISTLETOE(Ⅰ)THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF PEI-CHI-SHENG(VISCUM ALBUM L.SUBSP.COLORATUM KOM.)

A species of the Chinese Mistletoe called Pei-chi-Sheng(Viscum album L.subsp. coloratum Kom.) belonging to the Family of Loranthacea is cultivated in the north- ern and northeastern parts of China.It is a well known drug in this country, being used for thousands of years for ite growth-promoting action.We were at- tracted by the reports that the European species(Viscum album L.) contains two principles:one has the action of lowering blood pressure and the oher possesses definite cardiac action.(Enders,Fluchtinger and Janssen:Arch..Exptl.path.pharmakol. 196,290-310,1940).The purpose of the present experiments was to ascertain whether or not the same principles are present in Chinese Mistletoe.It has been definitely esablished in our experiments(using dogs with artificially produced hyper- tension) that the squeous fraction of the alcoholiC extract exhibited definite effects in lowering blood pressure. Seven distinct crystalline substances have been isolated from the etherel and alcoholic exacts of the stem and leaves of the Chinese plant in our laboratory. (Ⅰ)From the ethereal extract Two crystalline substances were obtained,and they both belonged to the triter- pene series.One of them was identified as oleanoliC acid,being colourless needles sintering at 305° and melting at 310°.Its melting point showed no depression when mixed with an authentic sample specially prepared from Swertia chinensis Franch.The other crystalline substanse was identified as β-amyrin,being colourless needles melting at 201-202°.Its melting point also showed no depression after being mixed wigh an authentic sample.Both of these components were known to be present in certain European and Japanese species. (Ⅱ)From alcoholic extract Five distinct crystalline substances were isolated from the alcoholic extract. Among them,one was identified as meso-inositol.The crystal melted at 220-221°. The yield was rather high,amounted to 1.5 per cent.Neither the meso-inositol nor its hexa-acetyl derivative showed depression in melting points When mixed with their respective authentic samples.The presence of meso-inositol gave a good explanation of the growth-promoting action of Chinese Mistletoe as recorded in Pen-tso.The remaining four crystalline substances isolated were flavonoids and all in form of pale yellow needles.The physical and chemical properties are shown in Table I. TABLE I FLAVONOIDS The presence of these flavonoids in European and oher species of Mistletoe so far has not been reported in the lierature.therefore,further studies on these flavo- noids are continued in this laboratory.