Chinese Medicine Tribulus Flavonoids

Tribulus terrestris L. is variously used in herbal formulas to treat headaches, eye problems, pain relief, enhancement of the immune system, improved mood and sense of well-being, cholesterol reduction, and sexual behaviour increasing. The constituents in water extractives of the herbs of Tribulus terrestris L have strong pharmacological action on cardiac and cerebral vessels. Many researches proved that the steroidal saponins is one of the active parts of Tribulus terrestris Linn. But the pharmacological active researches of flavonoids are not reported. We proved that the flavonoids are also the active parts of Tribulus terrestris Linn.An HPLC method was established for determination of total flavonoids extraction of Tribulus terrestris L. The method was simple and accurate, It could be used for the quality control of total flavonoids extraction of Tribulus terrestris L.We research constituents of total flavonoids extraction of Tribulus terrestris L by using silica column chromatography, polyamide, thin layer chromatography and gel column chromatography. Their structures were identified by physico-chemical propert, ies and spectra analysis(¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR).Eight compounds were isolated from Tribulus terrestris L. Their structures were identified as quercetin, kaempferol, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside; quercetin-3-O-gentiobioside; kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside; kaempferol-3-O-gentiobioside; tigngenin-3-O-β-D-xylopyransyl(1-2)-[β-D-xylopyrans yl(1-3)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1-4)-[α-rhamnopyranosyl(1-2)]-β-D-mannosyl, daucosterol.