Trilobuladas and indented leaves, flowers of violet blue color regrouped in clusters, case coiled in helix form, that contains shining seeds and ligneous roots and with knots. The alfalfa a typical example of the sorts of the subfamily of the Lotoideas (Faboideas).
Origin
The alfalfa (that does not have to be confused with Stipa tenacissima L., Poacea) is a natural, spontaneous tetraploide in Europe (to the south of parallel 42). It can be hibridar easily with other species of the sort, for example, with falcata M. (M. x Pers average).
Chemical composition
The study of the geninas has demonstrated that oleaneno derivatives of (soyasapo-genoles[2 ]) or acid is neutral (acid medicagénico, hederagenina[3 ], acid oleanólico[4 ]). The heterósidos ones are in all the organs, as well as in species next such as M.s media[5 ]. The use of complex structural methods, has allowed to show that heterósidos by the roots of the variety "lutecia" is heterósidos in 3 of osídicos esters in 28 of medicagénico acid and the hederagenina. They can take to six molecules of osas[6 ]. The aerial parts of the North American varieties have similar structures containing, in their osídica part, a urónico acid: soyasaponina I, azuquisaponinas[7 ].
Other components are known whose presence is important: proteins (20%), canavanina, benzo and naftoquinonas (for example, vitamin K), polioles, glicero-glucolípidos, quaternary cumarinas (cumestrol), amino acids). The leaves infested by fungi elaborate numerous 8 cumestanos [ and ref mentioned ]. Also the presence of isoflavonas and acids has been shown fenoles, as well as numerous mineral salts: calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, receive, selenium, silica.
Farmacológicos data
Administered in great doses to the rumiantes, the saponósidos ones of the alfalfa reveal toxics [ 1 ]. In the animals of cold blood, they are fungistáticos, some are hemolíticos and seem to interfere with the activity of some enzymes. Their estrogénicas properties have been related to isoflavonas. Cumestrol, cumarina of the leaf whose 13 molecular structures [ ] are related to those of estradiol, also has estrogénicas properties. The addition of alfalfa to the nutritional regime of the rabbit prevents hipercolesterolemia and the aterosclerosis. The same it happens in the monkey, in which the effects of saponósidos on the absorption and the excreción of the cholesterol have studied meticulously, lipidemia and the excreción of 9 biliary acids [ ].
A test made during a long period of time in rabbits submissive a rich regime in cholesterol, sample that the saponósidos seeds of 10 alfalfa and diminish hipercolesterolemia [ ]. In the mouse, an increase of the cholesterol and fecales lipids is observed. These effects are due to the property of many saponósidos to form insoluble combinations with the cholesterol (also is used like method of isolation of these 5 molecules [ ]): verified in vitro in 11 rat [ and ref mentioned ]. Not yet its activity in the man has been demonstrated.
Use
the drug is of restricted use, at least in western Europe. Although in some species animals effects have been observed on the growth, sensitivity varies among them. A study in rat, tends to demonstrate the absence of toxicity of the saponósidos ones administered during a long period of time [ 12 ]. The wealth of the plant in vitamins and calcium, as well as the presence of fitoestrógenos causes that the aerial part is used in the treatment of the osteoporosis.
The drug
The alfalfa stems are angular and ramosos. The foliolas, alternating and almost lineares, are indented in their superior part and finish in a small end. It presents/displays estípulas oval-lanceoladas, dentated in his base and acuminadas. The inflorescencias group of five to forty flowers of short foot. The fruit is a case of variable form: straight line, in arc, spiral of 1 to 3 returns, never thorny. Different espectrofotométricas or chromatographic techniques have been developed (particularly the chromatography in gaseous phase and the chromatography in fine layer) to make the evaluation of saponósidos present in the 14 drug [ and ref mentioned ].
Bibliography
[ 1 ] And BIRK and I. PERI
Saponins. In: Toxic constituent of plant foodstuff, I.E. LIENER, ed., New York, Academic Press, p. 161-182, 1980.
[ 2 ] I. KITAGAWA, M. YOSHIKAWA, H.K. WANG, M. SAITO, V. TOSIRISUK, T. FUJIWARA and KI. TOMITA.
Revised structures of soyasapogenols To, B and E, oleanene-sapogenols from soybean. Structure of soyasaponins I, II and III.
Chem. to phar. Bull., 30, 2294-2297, 1982; to also see I. KITAGAWA ET al., ibid., 36, 153-161, 1988.
[ 3 ] S. SHANY, B. GESTETNER, And BIRK, To BONDI and I. KIRSON.
Isolation of hederagenin and its saponin from alfalfa (sativa Medicago) Isr. J. Chem., 10, 881-884, 1972; to also see B. GESTETNER, Phytochemistry, 10, 2221 2223, 1971.
[ 4 ] L.G. WEST.
Identification of oleanolic acid from sapogenins present in lucerne (alfalfa) root.
J. Sci. Food Agric., 30, 540-542, 1979.
[ 5 ] W. OLESZEK and M. JURZYSTA.
Isolation, biological chemical characterization and activity of alfalfa (Medicago average Pers.) root saponins.
Act Soc. Bot. Pol., 55, 22-23, 1986.
[ 6 ] G. MASSIOT, C. LAVAUD, L. HIM MEN-OLIVIER, G. GOES BINST, S.P.F. MILLER and H.M. FALES.
Structural elucidation of nuclear alfalfa root saponins by mass spectrometry and magnetic renonance analysis.
J. Chem. Soc., The Beijing I, 3071-3079, 1988.
[ 7 ] I. KITAGAWA, T. TANIYAMA, T. MURAKAMI, M. YOSHIHARA and M. YOSHIKAWA.
Saponin and sapogenol. XLVI. On the constituents in aereal part of american alfalfa, sativa Medicago L.
The Structure of dehidrosoyasoponin I.
Yakygaku Zasshi, 108, 547-554, 1988.
[ 8 ] R.W. MILLER, G.F. SPENCER and A.R. SPENCER.
(- they)-5´-methoxisativan, to new isoflavan from alfalfa
J. Nat. Prod., 52, 634-636, 1989; to also see P.M. DEWICK, Isoflavonoids, in: The flavonoides: advances in research, J.B. HARBORNE and T.J. MABRY, eds., London, Chapman and Hall, p. 535-640, 1982.
[ 9 ] R. MALINOW, W.E. CONNOR, P. McLAUGHLIN, C. STAFFORD, D.S. LIN, A.L. LIVINGSTON, G.O. KOHLER and W.P. McNULTY.
Cholesterol and bile acid balance in Maraca fascicularis. Effects of alfalfa saponins.
[ 10 ] M.R. MALINOW, P. McLAUGHLIN, C.STAFFORD, A.L. LIVINGSTON and G.O. KOHLER.
Alfalfa saponins and alfalfa seeds. Dietary effects in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
Atherosclerosis 37. 433-438, 1980.
[ 11 ] J A. STORY, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY LEPAGE, M.S. PETRO, L.G. WEST, M.M. CASSIDY, F.G. LIGHTFOOT and G.V. VAHOUNY.
Interactions of Alfalfa plant and sprout saponins with choleterol in vitro and in cholesterol-fed rat.
A.m.. J. Clin. Nutr., 39, 917-929, 1984.
[ 12 ] M.R. MALINOW, W.P. McNULTY, P. McLAUGHLIN, C. STAFFORD, A.K. BURNS, A.L. LIVINGSTON and G.O. KOHLER.
The toxicity of alfalfa saponins in rats.
Fd. Cosmet. Toxicol., 19, 443-445, 1981.
[ 13 ] M. MOHSIN and A.K. the PAL.
Indian J. Exp. Biol., 7, 15-76, 1977.
[ 14 ] D. RAO and G. BORIES
Simple for gas chromatographic method the determination of medicagenic acid in alfalfa (sativa Medicago)
J. Chromatogr., (410), 169-175, to also 1987;ver:
W. OLESZEK, Solid-phase extraction-fractionation of alfalfa saponins, J. Sci. Food Agric., 44, 43-49, 1988.
Diseases in whose treatment this plant is adapted
Espasmos Nervous
Menopause
Artrosis
Osteoporosis
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