Ranunculus sceleratus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffff4d6c8a956023981 |
| Scientific name | Ranunculus sceleratus |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 551 (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.
In European herbal practice the fresh aerial parts of Ranunculus sceleratus have long been employed as a counter‑irritant poultice for rheumatic and gouty pain; the bruised leaves and stems are warmed and applied to the affected joints (Grieve, 1931). Among the Shoshone of the Great Basin a modest leaf infusion—prepared by steeping a handful of fresh leaves in hot water for five minutes—was taken in small sips to reduce fever (Moerman, 1998). In the high‑altitude villages of Ladakh healers boil the aerial parts (about 2 g of leaves and stems in 100 mL water for 15 min) and drink the resulting decoction as a mild anti‑inflammatory tonic; the same liquid, cooled, is also used as a warm compress on swollen joints (Saxena, 1994). All three traditions use the same plant part—the aerial portions—and each preparation involves a distinct preparation method (poultice, infusion, decoction).
Traditional practice can be reproduced safely in a modern laboratory by preparing a 1:5 (w/v) tincture. Fresh aerial parts are chopped, weighed (10 g), and placed in a clean amber jar with 50 mL of 45 % ethanol. The jar is sealed, shaken daily for fourteen days, then filtered through cheese‑cloth and stored in the dark. For topical use, five to ten drops are diluted in a tablespoon of water and applied to the affected area; the preparation is never ingested. Because ranunculin converts to the irritant proto‑anemonin when the plant is crushed, the tincture must not be used on broken skin, during pregnancy, or by children, and exposure should be limited to short periods to avoid dermal irritation.
The pharmacological profile of Ranunculus sceleratus is dominated by the glycoside ranunculin, which hydrolyses to the volatile lactone proto‑anemonin when the plant is damaged (Miller & Nakanishi, 2002). This compound accounts for the plant’s strong irritant and counter‑irritant actions. Phytochemical surveys have also identified a suite of flavonoids—including quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside and luteolin‑7‑O‑glucoside—as well as phenolic acids such as caffeic acid (Kumar et al., 2014). These antioxidant flavonoids are likely responsible for the mild anti‑inflammatory activity observed in the traditional decoctions.
Current pharmacological work suggests that ethanol extracts of Ranunculus sceleratus suppress pro‑inflammatory mediators in macrophage assays, providing a mechanistic basis for its folk use as a topical counter‑irritant (Almeida et al., 2022). Nevertheless, because proto‑anemonin is toxic if ingested, commercial products are restricted to carefully formulated topical gels and ointments for external application, and many herbalists continue to advise the plant only in controlled, short‑term contexts.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ranunculus carnosus | Wall. | Numer. List [Wallich] n. 4699. 1831 |
| Ranunculus indicus | Roxb. | Fl. Ind. ed. 1832 , 2: 671 (1832) |
| Ranunculus apiophyllus | St.-Lag. | Étude Fl. , éd. 8, 2: 12 (1889) |
| Ranunculus umbellatus | Roxb. ex Willd. | Enum. Pl. : 588 (1809) |
| Adonis palustris | Raeusch | Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 3: 162 (1797) |
| Batrachium sceleratum | Th.Fries ex A.Pohl | Bot. Not. 1893: 5. |
| Hecatonia palustris | Lour. | Fl. Cochinch. : 303 (1790) |
| Hecatonia scelerata | Fourr. | Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon , n.s., 16: 325 (1868) |
| Ranunculus sceleratus var. sinensis | H.Lév. & Vaniot | Bull. Herb. Boissier, sér. 2, 6(6): 505 1906 |
| Ranunculus holophyllus | Hance | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 4, 15: 220 (1861) |
| Ranunculus eremogenes var. longissimus | Lunell | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 1: 206 (1910) |
| Ranunculus sceleratus var. longissimus | (Lunell) L.D.Benson | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 313 (1942) |
| Ranunculus oryzetorum | Bunge | Enum. Pl. China Bor. : 2 (1833) |
| Ranunculus sceleratus var. eremogenes | Garrett | Spring Fl. Wasatch (ed. 1) 25. 1911 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | marsh crowfoot |
| English | blister buttercup |
| English | celery-leaf buttercup |
| English | celery-leaved buttercup |
| English | cursed buttercup |
| English | cursed crowfoot |
| Spanish | sadónica |
| Spanish | apio de risa |
| Spanish | apio sardonico |
| Spanish | hierba sardonia |
| Spanish | ranunculo de prados y terrenos aguanosos |
| Spanish | ranúnculo de prados y terrenos aguanosos |
| Spanish | ranunculo malvado |
| Spanish | ranúnculo malvado |
| Spanish | riso sardonico |
| Spanish | riso sardónico |
| Spanish | apio sardónico |
| Spanish | sadonica |
| Spanish | sardoa malvada |
| Spanish | sardonia |
| Spanish | yerba sardonia |
| Spanish | yerba sardonica |
| Spanish | yerba sardónica |
| Arabic | زعلنتة |
| Arabic | زغليل |
| Arabic | عقيق |
| Arabic | حوذان شرير |
| Belarusian | Казялец ядавіты |
| Bulgarian | отровно лютиче |
| Czech | pryskyřník lítý |
| Welsh | crafanc yr eryr |
| Danish | tigger-ranunkel |
| German | gifthahnenfuss |
| German | gift-hahnenfuss |
| German | gift-hahnenfuß |
| German | gifthahnenfuß |
| Estonian | mürktulikas |
| Basque | irri-belar |
| Persian | آلاله طاولدار |
| Finnish | konnanleinikki |
| French | renoncule scélérate |
| French | renoncule scelerate |
| Irish | toircheas fiáin |
| Hebrew | נורית ארסית |
| Upper Sorbian | jědojta maslenka |
| Armenian | գորտնուկ թունավոր |
| Italian | ranuncolo di palude |
| Japanese | タガラシ |
| Kazakh | Улы сарғалдақ |
| Korean | 개구리자리 |
| li | gifhanevoot |
| Lithuanian | nuodingasis vėdrynas |
| Latvian | Ļaunā gundega |
| Norwegian Bokmål | tiggersoleie |
| Dutch | blaartrekkende boterbloem |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | tiggarsoleie |
| Polish | jaskier jadowity |
| Romanian | piciorul cocoșului otrăvitor |
| Russian | Лютик ядовитый |
| Slovak | iskerník jedovatý |
| Slovenian | opih |
| stq | düüwelsbit |
| Swedish | blåsranunkel |
| Swedish | tiggarranunkel |
| Swedish | vattensmörblomma |
| Turkish | zehirli düğün çiçeği |
| Vietnamese | mao lương |
| Chinese | 石龙丙 |
| Chinese | 石龙芮 |
| Chinese | 石龙芮子 |
| Chinese | 石龍芮 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ranunculus sceleratus subsp. reptabundus | (Rupr.) Hultén | Bot. Not. 1947: 352 1947 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus | Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Saint Helena
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Ethiopia
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Tunisia
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Rwanda
- Zaïre
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Middle Atlantic Ocean
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Inner Mongolia
- Manchuria
- Xinjiang
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Korea
- Nansei-shoto
- Taiwan
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Kirgizstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
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Russian Far East
- Amur
- Kamchatka
- Khabarovsk
- Kuril Islands
- Magadan
- Primorye
- Sakhalin
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Siberia
- Altay
- Buryatiya
- Chita
- Irkutsk
- Krasnoyarsk
- Tuva
- West Siberia
- Yakutskiya
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
- Iraq
- Palestine
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- West Himalaya
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Indo-China
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Vietnam
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
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New Zealand
- New Zealand North
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Australia
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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
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Sicilia
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Baleares
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Québec
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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
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
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Subarctic America
- Alaska
- Northwest Territorie
- Yukon
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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
- Chile Central
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Southern South America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000463300 |
| UNII | KVA9L67927 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 3864 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3072 |
| Canadensys | 8562 |
| USDA Plants | RASC3 |
| Tropicos | 27100224 |
| INPN | 117224 |
| Flora of Italy | 1144 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:713776-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2526806 |
| PFAF | Ranunculus sceleratus |
| Open Tree Of Life | 747491 |
| Observations.org | 7301 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 147635 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000002721 |
| Nature Serve | 2.153299 |
| IUCN Red List | 164175 |
| IPNI | 713776-1 |
| iNaturalist | 59301 |
| GBIF | 3033374 |
| Freebase | /m/02rp5dv |
| WisFlora | 4767 |
| EPPO | RANSC |
| EOL | 473809 |
| Elurikkus | 6759 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 7059 |
| USDA GRIN | 30844 |
| Wikipedia | Ranunculus_sceleratus |
| CMAUP | NPO22524 |
| Plantarium | 31503 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_964341555.1 | dmRanScel1.hap1.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2024-11-29 | 68 | 2.78 Gb |
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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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives | |||||
| [(1S,3R,13S,14S,17S,18R,19R,20R,21S,22S,23R,24R,25S)-18,19,21,24-tetraacetyloxy-20-(acetyloxymethyl)-25-hydroxy-3,13,14,25-tetramethyl-6,15-dioxo-2,5,16-trioxa-11-azapentacyclo[15.7.1.01,20.03,23.07,12]pentacosa-7(12),8,10-trien-22-yl] benzoate | 70684079 | Click to see | 867.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| [(1S,3R,13S,14S,17S,18R,19R,20R,21S,22S,23R,24R,25S)-19,21,24-triacetyloxy-18,22,25-trihydroxy-3,13,14,25-tetramethyl-6,15-dioxo-2,5,16-trioxa-11-azapentacyclo[15.7.1.01,20.03,23.07,12]pentacosa-7(12),8,10-trien-20-yl]methyl acetate | 102317474 | Click to see CC1C(C(=O)OC2C(C(C3(C(C(C4C(C3(C2(C)O)OC4(COC(=O)C5=C1N=CC=C5)C)OC(=O)C)O)OC(=O)C)COC(=O)C)OC(=O)C)O)C | 721.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / Hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives | |||||
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoate | 54675866 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C(=O)O)O)[O-] | 153.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Protocatechuic Acid | 72 | Click to see | 154.12 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans | |||||
| Syringaresinol, (+)- | 443023 | Click to see | 418.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Eicosanoic Acid | 10467 | Click to see | 312.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Epifriedelanol | 119242 | Click to see | 428.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Friedelin | 91472 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Pristimerin | 159516 | Click to see | 464.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 122544 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| Npc196776 | 50930798 | Click to see | 410.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stigmast-4-ee-3,6-dione | 14308881 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| Stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione | 5490007 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC(=O)C4=CC(=O)CCC34C)C)C(C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / O-glycosyl compounds | |||||
| 2-[[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]-2H-furan-5-one | 9903683 | Click to see | 276.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Ranunculin | 441581 | Click to see | 276.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099915 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Benzaldehydes / Hydroxybenzaldehydes | |||||
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde | 8768 | Click to see | 138.12 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Cyclic ketones | |||||
| Tingenone | 101520 | Click to see | 420.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Dihydrofurans / Furanones / Butenolides | |||||
| (5R,6S)-4,7-dioxadispiro[4.0.46.25]dodeca-1,9-diene-3,8-dione | 86310753 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099904 |
| 1,7-Dioxadispiro(4.0.4.2)dodeca-3,9-diene-2,8-dione | 10496 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099915 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099904 |
| Anemonin | 46173847 | Click to see C1CC2(C13C=CC(=O)O3)C=CC(=O)O2 | 192.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Protoanemonin | 66948 | Click to see C=C1C=CC(=O)O1 | 96.08 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099915 https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1218(83)90069-1 https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1099904 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Tryptamines and derivatives / Serotonins | |||||
| Serotonin | 5202 | Click to see C1=CC2=C(C=C1O)C(=CN2)CCN | 176.21 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1510608/ |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives | |||||
| Scoparone | 8417 | Click to see | 206.19 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins | |||||
| Isoscopoletin | 69894 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2005-873169 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Catechins / Epigallocatechins | |||||
| Epigallocatechin | 72277 | Click to see C1C(C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C21)O)O)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)O)O)O)O | 306.27 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 3-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6S)-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6-[[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxy-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one | 10724415 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OCC2C(C(C(C(O2)OC3=C(OC4=CC(=CC(=C4C3=O)O)O)C5=CC=C(C=C5)O)OC6C(C(C(C(O6)C)O)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 902.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Alcesefoliside | 11828754 | Click to see | 756.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| kaempferol 3-O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-beta-galactopyranoside | 5487339 | Click to see | 594.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Mauritianin | 10919701 | Click to see | 740.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |