YERBASANTA

Chemical properties

Yerba santa is an evergreen, herbaceous plant growing mainly in California, Mexico and Brazil. It is an erect, muchbranched, native evergreen shrub from 0.6 to 2.4 m (2 to 8 ft) in height. The branches are glutinous or resinous; lanceolate leaves are glutinous on top. The flowers are white to lavender. The root system is shallow, with multibranching rhizomes. Most of the main roots are confined to the top 3 in. (7.6 cm) of soil. The fruit is a small capsule, 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 in.) long, containing two to eight small seeds. The only part used is the leaves. Yerba santa has a tonic, aromatic odor. Taste, balsamic and sweetish, afterwards acrid, but not bitter, recalls Dulcamara and creates a flow of saliva.

Occurrence

Yerba santa is an evergreen found in the southwestern region of the United States.

The Uses of YERBASANTA

Yerba santa traditionally has been used by Native Americans to decrease bruise and muscle inflammation. It has also been used to treat colds, asthma, congestion, allergies, arthritis, and rheumatism. The leaves are smoked or chewed to treat asthma.

Composition

Yerba santa is reported to contain flavone derivatives, eriodictyol, eriodictyonone, tannins, resin and a small amount of volatile oil (Burdock, 1997). The chief constituents are five phenolic bodies, eriodictyol, homoeriodictyol, chrysocriol, zanthoeridol and eridonel. Other constituents include free formic and other acids, glycerides of fatty acids, a yellow volatile oil, a phytosterol, a quantity of resin and some glucose. Activity-based fractionation of E. californicum resulted in the isolation of 12 flavonoids. One was identified as a new flavanone, 3?-methyl-4?-isobutyryleriodictyol, on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and alkaline hydrolysis. The seven other active flavanones were identified as eriodictyol, homoeriodictyol, 5,4?-dihydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavanone, pinocembrin, sakuranetin, 5,7,4?-trihydroxy-6,3?-dimethoxy-flavanone and naringenin 4?-methyl ether. Four active flavones were also isolated: cirsimaritin, chrysoeriol, hispidulin and chrysin.*