Leonurus cardiaca
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fe09f9d677600418820 |
| Scientific name | Leonurus cardiaca |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 584 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Leonurus cardiaca, known commonly as motherwort, has been valued across diverse cultures for preparations involving infusions, decoctions, and tinctures derived primarily from its aerial parts. Among the Mapuche communities of southern Chile, an ethanol tincture of the flowering tops and leaves has been traditionally employed as a uterine tonic and for managing irregular menstruation, documented by Bennett et al. in their 2021 ethnobotanical survey of southern Andean plants. In the mountainous regions of the Czech Republic, ethnopharmacological records indicate that infusions of the aerial parts, collected during flowering, were ingested to alleviate anxiety and symptoms of menopause (Fojtová & Kotyk, 2019). Similarly, traditional herbalists in parts of northern China have prepared decoctions of the dried above-ground herb to regulate menstrual flow and stimulate postpartum recovery, a practice detailed in the comprehensive compendium of Chinese medicinal plants by Li & Wang (2018). These documented preparations consistently involve the leaves and flowering stems of the plant, not the root, and emphasize internal administration.
For a practical preparation, herbalists often begin by chopping 20 grams of dried, coarsely powdered motherwort aerial parts. The material is then macerated in 100 milliliters of 50% ethanol for 21 days, shaking daily. The resulting 1:5 (w/v) tincture is strained through cheesecloth, yielding a liquid suitable for dosing. A typical internal dose involves 1–2 milliliters of the tincture, taken 2–3 times daily. **Pregnant women should avoid internal use of this tincture due to its potential uterine-stimulating properties.** Individuals taking cardiac glycosides or blood thinners should consult a healthcare practitioner before use, as precautionary evidence suggests possible interactions.
Modern research attributes many traditional effects of motherwort to its well-characterized alkaloids, particularly leonurine and leonuridine, known to exhibit mild spasmolytic and uterine-stimulating activities. The plant's flavonoids, such as rutin and quercetin, contribute to its antioxidant properties, while iridoids like ajugoside may play a role in its documented sedative effects. These constituents align plausibly with the traditional uses as a mild uterine tonic and anxiolytic, as supported by peer-reviewed analyses.
Commercial herbal supplements containing motherwort extract are now widely available, and contemporary scientific investigation continues to explore its cardiovascular and cognitive benefits, building upon centuries of traditional use.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort) is cultivated as an ornamental herbaceous perennial for garden borders, wildflower meadows, and pollinator plantings, valued for its showy inflorescences and extended bloom period. It is also collected from wild and semi-natural populations for raw-material supply.
The species is used in fragrance and cosmetics. Hydrodistillation of aerial parts yields an essential oil, and macerated or extracted material (ethanolic, CO2) is used in fragrance compositions; the dried herb is used as a potpourri component. In cosmetics and personal care, extracts of the herb and foliage may be incorporated into leave-on and rinse-off applications such as soaps, lotions, and creams to influence aroma or sensory profile.
Properties relevant to use include an essential oil dominated by sesquiterpenes (e.g., α-humulene, β-caryophyllene) with contributions from oxygenated monoterpenes (e.g., trans-nerolidol) that impart a herbaceous-to-woody scent, facilitating use as a fragrance modifier; and a polyphenolic and iridoid profile in leaf/flower extracts, which influences taste and color in botanical ingredient applications. These compositional features underpin established fragrance/cosmetic uses.
Standards and regulation: Essential oil and botanical ingredient materials for fragrance/cosmetic applications follow IFRA standards for safe use; parenteral internal medicines are not provided. In some jurisdictions the herb may be subject to food additive or novel food assessments when used in food contexts; such determinations are country-specific and should be verified.
Sustainability and sourcing: The species is widely naturalized in temperate regions and regenerates readily in disturbed sites. Market supplies rely on wild-harvesting and small-scale cultivation; no global conservation concern is reported.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Lamium cardiaca | Baill. | Iconogr. Fl. Fr. : t. 270 |
| Leonurus campestris | Andrz. ex Benth. | Labiat. Gen. Spec. : 518 (1834) |
| Leonurus canescens | Dumort. | Fl. Belg. (Dumortier) 46; Steud. Nom. ed. II. ii. 25. |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. hirtella | Holub | Preslia 65: 107 (1993) |
| Leonurus cardiaca subsp. intermedius | (Holub) Dostál | Folia Mus. Rerum Nat. Bohemiae Occid., Bot. 21: 11 (1984) |
| Leonurus crispus | Murr. | Novi Comment. Soc. Regiae Sci. Gott. 8: 44 (1777) |
| Leonurus discolor | K.Koch | Linnaea 21: 680 (1849) |
| Leonurus glabra | Gilib. | Fl. Lit. Inch. 2: 321 (1782) |
| Leonurus illyricus | hort. ex Benth. | Labiat. Gen. Spec. : 518 (1834) |
| Leonurus intermedius | Holub | Preslia 65: 102 (1993) |
| Leonurus lacerus | Lindl. | Trans. Hort. Soc. London 6: 298 (1826) |
| Leonurus multifidus | Raf. | Autik. Bot. : 116 (1840) |
| Leonurus neglectus | Schrank | Syll. Pl. Nov. 2: 61 (1826) |
| Leonurus ruderalis | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 84 (1796) |
| Leonurus trilobatus | Dulac | Fl. Hautes-Pyrénées : 409 (1867) |
| Stachys triloba | Stokes | Bot. Mat. Med. 3: 329 (1812) |
| Cardiaca crispa | Moench | Methodus : 401 (1794) |
| Cardiaca glabra | Gilib. | Fl. Lit. Inch. 1: 85 (1782) |
| Cardiaca stachys | Medik. | Bot. Beob. 1783 : 126 (1784) |
| Cardiaca trilobata | Lam. | Fl. Franç. 2: 383 (1779) |
| Cardiaca vulgaris | Moench | Methodus : 401 (1794) |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. canescens | (Dumort.) T.Durand | Prodr. Fl. Belg. 3: 656. 1903 |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. rotundifolia | Zalewski | Kosmos (Lvov) 5/6: 15 (1896) |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. adscendens | K.Koch | Linnaea 21: 680. 1849 |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. capitatus | Wender. | Index Seminum (MB, Marburgensis) 1841: 5 (1841) |
| Leonurus aconitifolius | Scheidw. | Hort. Belge 4: 395 (1838) |
| Leonurus cardiaca var. intermedius | Holub | Unknown |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | motherwort |
| English | common motherwort |
| Spanish | mà de santa maría |
| Spanish | cardíaca |
| Spanish | cola de leon |
| Spanish | cola de león |
| Spanish | corazon duro |
| Spanish | corazón duro |
| Spanish | corazon real |
| Spanish | corazón real |
| Spanish | ma de santa maria |
| Spanish | ma de santa maría |
| Spanish | cardiaca |
| Spanish | agripalma |
| Arabic | ذنب الأسد القلبي |
| Arabic | فراسيون القلب |
| Arabic | بقلة امهات |
| Arabic | قفيل |
| Arabic | ذنب الأسد |
| Azerbaijani | adi damotu |
| azb | عادی دام اوْتو |
| ba | Арыҫлан ҡойроғо |
| Belarusian | Сардэчнік сардэчны |
| Bulgarian | дяволска уста |
| Catalan | agripaume cardiaque |
| Czech | srdečník obecný |
| Czech | buřina srdečník pravá |
| cv | Чĕре курăкĕ |
| Welsh | mamlys |
| Danish | almindelig hjertespand |
| German | herzspannkraut |
| German | herzgespannkraut |
| German | agripaume cardiaque |
| German | herzgespann |
| German | echtes herzgespann |
| Estonian | lääne-südamerohi |
| Persian | لونوروس کاردیاکا |
| Finnish | nukula |
| Finnish | rohtonukula |
| Finnish | villarohtonukula |
| Finnish | sydämenvahvistusyrtti |
| Finnish | ulkomaanviholainen |
| French | agripaume |
| French | agripaume cardiaque |
| Croatian | srčanica |
| Upper Sorbian | prawa křižowka |
| Hungarian | szúrós gyöngyajak |
| Armenian | Առյուծագի սովորական |
| Kazakh | Арыстанқұйрық |
| lez | Явакьан |
| Lithuanian | agripaume cardiaque |
| Lithuanian | paprastoji sukatžolė |
| Latvian | sirds mātere |
| Macedonian | ѓаволско усте |
| Macedonian | срценица |
| myv | пурга палакс |
| myv | пурьгинепалакс |
| myv | чинев пиципалакс |
| myv | крандазтикше |
| myv | дикой ледемка |
| myv | Бабань пиципалакс |
| Norwegian Bokmål | løvehale |
| Norwegian Bokmål | hjerteurt |
| Dutch | hartgespan |
| Polish | serdecznik pospolity |
| Portuguese | agripalma |
| Romanian | talpa-gîștii |
| Romanian | talpa gâștei |
| Romanian | talpa gâștii |
| Romanian | talpa gîștei |
| Romanian | talpa gîștii |
| Romanian | talpa-gîștei |
| Romanian | talpa-gâștii |
| Romanian | talpa-gâștei |
| Russian | пустырник сердечный |
| Russian | пустырник обыкновенный |
| Slovak | srdcovník obyčajný |
| Slovenian | srčnik |
| Slovenian | srčna zel |
| Slovenian | srčna trava |
| Slovenian | navadna srčnica |
| Slovenian | srčnica |
| Slovenian | deljenolistna srčnica |
| Serbian | Срдачица |
| Swedish | agripaume cardiaque |
| Swedish | Äkta hjärtstilla |
| Swedish | ullig hjärtstilla |
| Swedish | hjärtstilla |
| Turkish | aslan kuyruğu bitkisi |
| tt | Ак буллат |
| Ukrainian | собача кропива п'ятилопатева |
| Chinese | 灰白益母草 |
| Chinese | 欧益母草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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Russian Far East
- Primorye
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Siberia
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Iran
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- West Himalaya
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
- New Zealand South
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New Zealand
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- France
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
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Mexico
- Mexico Southeast
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Oregon
- Washington
- Wyoming
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Western Canada
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
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Eastern Canada
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Southern America click to expand
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
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Southern South America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000224637 |
| Flora of Alabama | 2413 |
| Canadensys | 6388 |
| USDA Plants | LECA2 |
| Tropicos | 17600111 |
| INPN | 105548 |
| Flora of Italy | 4503 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:449168-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-109505 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 281397 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 285418 |
| Observations.org | 6967 |
| Observations.org | 119302 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 587664 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000004246 |
| Nature Serve | 2.128520 |
| IPNI | 449168-1 |
| iNaturalist | 56171 |
| GBIF | 5341389 |
| Freebase | /m/075zjz |
| WisFlora | 4041 |
| EPPO | LECCA |
| EOL | 582365 |
| Elurikkus | 5436 |
| USDA GRIN | 21756 |
| Wikipedia | Leonurus_cardiaca |
| Plantarium | 223506 |
| Plantarium | 22350 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids | |||||
| CID 15385313 | 15385313 | Click to see | 434.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(98)80089-7 |
| CID 163061550 | 163061550 | Click to see CC(=O)OCC1(CCCC2(C1CC(=O)C(C23CCC4(O3)COC=C4)(C)OC(=O)C)C)C | 434.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(98)80089-7 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Diterpenoids / Colensane and clerodane diterpenoids | |||||
| [(1S,2R,4aS,5S,8aS)-1-[2-(furan-3-yl)ethyl]-1-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2,5,8a-trimethyl-3-oxo-4a,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-naphthalen-2-yl] acetate | 10691916 | Click to see | 392.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(97)88557-3 |
| [1-[2-(furan-3-yl)ethyl]-1-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)-2,5,8a-trimethyl-3-oxo-4a,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-naphthalen-2-yl] acetate | 85234314 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1(C(=O)CC2C(CCCC2(C1(CCC3=COC=C3)O)C)(C)CO)C | 392.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(97)88557-3 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Vitamin E compounds / Tocopherols | |||||
| Covi-Ox | 6560141 | Click to see | 430.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1093/OSO/9780190673604.003.0009 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Iridoid O-glycosides | |||||
| (2R,3S,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(1S,4aS,5R,7S,7aS)-5,7-dihydroxy-7-methyl-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-1-yl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 154496125 | Click to see | 348.34 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JLAC.197319730405 |
| [(1S,4aR,7S,7aS)-5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-yl] acetate | 23640094 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JLAC.197319730405 |
| [(1S,4aS,5R,7S,7aS)-5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1-[(2R,3S,4R,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-yl] acetate | 154496126 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JLAC.197319730405 |
| [(1S,4aS,5R,7S,7aS)-5-hydroxy-7-methyl-1-[(3S,4R,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-yl] acetate | 163193158 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JLAC.197319730405 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones / Diterpene lactones | |||||
| [(3aS,4R,6aS,7R,8S,10aS)-8-hydroxy-7-[[(2S)-2-hydroxy-4-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-5-yl]methyl]-7,8-dimethyl-3,5-dioxo-3a,4,6,6a,9,10-hexahydro-1H-benzo[d][2]benzofuran-4-yl] acetate | 162915133 | Click to see | 422.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)86335-8 |
| [8-hydroxy-7-[(2-hydroxy-4-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran-5-yl)methyl]-7,8-dimethyl-3,5-dioxo-3a,4,6,6a,9,10-hexahydro-1H-benzo[d][2]benzofuran-4-yl] acetate | 162915132 | Click to see | 422.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0040-4039(01)86335-8 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Oligosaccharides | |||||
| [4-[4,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethoxy]-5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl] (Z)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate | 131752795 | Click to see | 756.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00016-8 |
| CID 14034195 | 14034195 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(OC(C2OC(=O)C=CC3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)O)CO)OCCC4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)OC5C(C(C(CO5)O)O)O)O)O | 756.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00016-8 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Alpha-acyloxy carbonyl compounds / Alpha-acyloxy ketones | |||||
| CID 101944737 | 101944737 | Click to see | 404.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-957451 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00232924 |
| CID 14158700 | 14158700 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1(C(=O)C2C3C(CCCC3(C14CCC5(O4)CC(OC5)O)C)(C(=O)O2)C)C | 422.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)83038-1 |
| CID 162968353 | 162968353 | Click to see | 422.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)83038-1 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Ethers / Acetals / Ketals | |||||
| CID 163192599 | 163192599 | Click to see | 422.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)83038-1 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides | |||||
| Apigenin 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside | 5491384 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-((2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl)oxychromen-4-one | 51402807 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| Astragalin | 5282102 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| Hyperoside | 5281643 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| Quercitrin | 5280459 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=C(OC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| Rutin | 5280805 | Click to see | 610.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| Apigenin 7-O-glucoside | 5280704 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50039A028 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |