The Mexican plant Heliopsis longipes (Asteraceae), has been used since ancient times as flavoring in cooking, and as analgesic-local
anesthetic drug to treat tooth ache in traditional medicine [1]. Chewing of a little
piece of the stem from this plant produces intense salivation and an immediate local
analgesic effect [2]. The analgesic activity of affinin [1], an alkamide present as
the major metabolite in the roots of the plant has been recently probed by means of
GABA release in mouse brain slices [2]. The aim of the present work is to establish
quality control standards of identity, purity and composition, with the results of
different tests, as the chromatographic identification and quantification of affinin
[1] as the reference compound in extracts, so as with purity determinations recommended
by the WHO for the quality control of vegetal raw materials. Parameters of a developed
and validated chromatographic method by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography
and the quantification of affinin in fresh and dried roots of Heliopsis longipes are included and will be used together with the efficacy test results [2] to prepare
a pharmacopoeia monograph under the WHO lineaments.
1
Acknowledgements: 1. Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico de la UNAM
IN211807 2. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, M. Rios.
References: 1. Correa, J. et al. (1971) Org. Magn. Res. 3:1–5.
2. Rios, M. Y. et al. (2007)J. Ethnopharmacol. 110:364–367.
