title: Profiling of alkaloids and eremophilanes in miracle tea (Packera candidissima and P. bellidifolia) products.
abstract: Commercial preparations of the Mexican herbal drug known as "miracle tea" (Packera candidissima and P. bellidifolia) have been profiled qualitatively by HPLC and GC-MS. Eremophilanes (3-7) were the major components found in the hexane-soluble fraction, while pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) were identified in the alkaloid extracts. The content of free PAs and their N-oxides was determined for a total of 22 samples, and the results showed that the amount of these hepatotoxic compounds (0.0005-0.94% free PAs; 0.0004-0.55% N-oxides), through the presence of retrorsine (1) and senesionine (2) as the main constituents, may reach toxic levels. Hexane-soluble extracts from commercial presentations (dried whole plants) of both species afforded neoadenostylone (3), 6-(2-methylbutanoyloxy)-9-oxo-1-(10)-furanoeremophilene (4), and epineoadenostylone (5), in addition to methyl-4-hydroxyphenylacetate (8) and methyl-2-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexyl)acetate (9). Also, epicacalone (6) and the new compound 2β-hydroxyneoadenostylone (7) were isolated from P. bellidifolia.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química,  Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City, 04510 DF, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mabel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fragoso-Serrano
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Figueroa-González
authors.forename: Erick
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castro-Carranza
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernández-Solis
authors.forename: Edelmira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bye
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pereda-Miranda
mesh_terms: D019659:Asteraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008800:Mexico; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000032:analysis*; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009281:Naphthalenes; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D011763:Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D013662:Tea; C018286:eremophilane compounds; C573974:senesionine; C003300:retrorsine