By means of a bioassay-oriented fractionation of the CO2 extract of Calendula flowers, the triterpenoids are shown as the most important anti-inflammatory principles of the drug. Among them, the faradiol monoester appears to be the most relevant principle for the activity of the drug, due to its quantitative prevalence. The unesterified faradiol, not present in the extract, is the most active of the tested compounds and equals indomethacin in activity, whereas the monools psi-taraxasterol, lupeol, taraxasterol, and beta-amyrin are less active than the free diol. The anti-inflammatory activity of different CO2 extracts is proportional to their content of faradiol monoester, which can be taken as a suitable parameter for the quality control of Calendula preparations.

Chamomile extracts are used therapeutically for their antiinflammatory effect and also for their spasmolytic activity.

Chamomile extracts are mainly used because of their antiinflammatory action.Well-known are the antiphlogistic properties of chamazulene and (-)-alpha-bisabolol. So far the effects exerted by bisabolol oxides and by the synthetic racemic compound of bisa-bolo1 have been unclear. Therefore, it was not possible t o determine the relevance of these substances in connection with the standardization of chamomile extracts and preparations.Experiments conducted in rat paw edema (carrageenin) have shown that the antiphlogistic effect exerted by (-)-alpha-bisabolol is considerably more marked than that of the bisabolol oxides A and By and even more pronounced than that of bisabolon oxide and both (+)-alpha-bisabolol and ( + )-alpha-bisabolol.Moreover, that antiphlogistic effect of (-)-alpha-bisabolol could be confirmed in a number of further experimental models, e. g. in adjuvant arthritis of the rat, in UV-erythema of the guinea pig and in yeast fever of the rat. In addition, (-)-alpha-bisabolol reduces the production of mucopolysaccharides in the cell cultures.As was evidenced in the experiments, the content of (-)-alpha-bisabolol is of relevance when assessing the antiphlo-Heruntergeladen von: University of Illinois. Urheberrechtlich geschützt. Literatur Adresse: Dr. 0. Isaac, DaimlerstraJe 25, 0-6000 FrankfurtlM.

The thin-layer-chromatographic behaviour of flavones. in chamomile is characterized.As additional flavone derivative an apigenin-glucoside-acetate could be isolated from the ethereal-extract of the methanolic percolate. EinleitungDie Kamille, Matricaria chamomilla L., wird therapeutisch wegen ihrer antiphlogistischen, spasmolytischen und karminativen Wirkung verwendet [I]. Die spasmolytische Wirkung wird vor allem auf die in der Kamille enthaltenen Flavonoide zuriickgefiihrt [2-41. Bisher konnten 18 Flavonderivate in der Kamiile nachgewiesen werden (Tabelle I). Ergebnisse

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