CHOLERETIC PRINCIPLES OF ARTEMISIA SCOPARIA Ⅰ. WATER SOLUBLE FRACTION OF ITS EXTRACT

Dried young herbs of Artemisia scoparia Waldst et Kit. is one of the four commer- cial varieties of Ing-chen-hao, a drug used in Chinese Medicine for the treatment of jaundice. Chlorogenic acid, a choleretic principle, has been isolated from the water soluble fraction of its extract, which upon alkaline hydrolysis produced caffeic acid in yields around 0.4% of the crude drug. Besides, choline was identified and isolated from this fraction. Caffeic acid also possesses choleretic activity. It has also been obtained from other varieties of the drug including A. capillaris Thunb. However, yields varied widely from a bare trace to 0.85%. Although 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin occurred in flower buds in 0.5%, yet it was absent from the young herbs of Artemisia scoparia.