ACTEOSIDE AS THE ANALGESIC PRINCIPLE OF CEDRON (LIPPIA-TRIPHYLLA), A PERUVIAN MEDICINAL PLANT

Acteoside (verbascoside) was isolated as an analgesic principle from C edron (leaves and stem of Lippia triphylla (L'HER) O. KUNTZE; Verbenac eae), a Peruvian medicinal plant, by activity-guided separation. The c ompound exhibited analgesia on acetic acid-induced writhing and on tai l pressure gain in mice by the oral administration of 300 mg/kg and 10 0 mg/kg, respectively. Acteoside also caused weak sedation by its effe ct on the prolongation of pentobarbital-induced anesthesia and on the depression of locomotion enhanced by methamphetamine. An intravenous i njection of acteoside reduced the effective dose to 2 mg/kg by the wri thing method. Thirteen related compounds were tested for the activity by intravenous and oral administration to obtain information on the ac tive structure.