title: On the stability of sesquiterpene lactones in the officinal Arnica tincture of the German pharmacopoeia.
abstract: An investigation of sesquiterpene lactone content in Arnica tincture (German Pharmacopoeia) after storage for three years at different temperatures (+4, +25 and +30 degrees C) was carried out by GC and GC-MS analysis. A decrease (13, 32 and 37%, respectively) in the content of the main active compounds in this preparation, 11 alpha,13-dihydrohelenalin esters, correlating with storage temperature was found. This change was shown to be caused by addition of ethanol to the cyclopentenone structure of these molecules leading to 2-ethoxy-2,3,11,13-tetrahydrohelenalin derivatives.
authors: T J
authors: TJ
authors: Schmidt
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Matthiesen
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Willuhn
mesh_terms: D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D004355:Drug Stability; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007783:Lactones; D012717:Sesquiterpenes