Ayapana triplinervis (aya-pana, water hemp) is a tropical American shrub in the family Asteraceae. This plant has long slender leaves which are often used in traditional medicine.[1] The flowers are pale pink and the thin, hairless stem is reddish in color.[1]

Ayapana triplinervis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Ayapana
Species:
A. triplinervis
Binomial name
Ayapana triplinervis
(M.Vahl) R.M.King & H.Rob.
Synonyms

Eupatorium ayapana Vent.[1]
Eupatorium triplinerve M.Vahl[1]

Description

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Ayapana triplinervis is an ascending, slender perennial. Its leaves are purple, subsessile, lanceolate, 3-nerved, acuminate, subentire, and glabrous. Inflorescence is a lax, few-headed corymb, heads pedicellate, about 20-flowered. Flowers are slaty blue.[contradictory]

Chemical constituents

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Ayapana triplinervis plantlings

Ayapana triplinervis is a source of several coumarin derivatives. The leaves contain a volatile essential oil, ayapana oil, 1.14%.[citation needed] This oil contains the coumarins ayapanin (herniarin) and ayapin, as well as other chemical compounds including stigmasterol, vitamin C, and carotene.[citation needed] The essential oil also contains thymohydroquinone dimethyl ether.[2]

The plant yields cineol, α-phellandrene, alpha-terneol, ayapanin, ayapin, borneol, coumarin, sabinene, and umbelliferone, among many others.[citation needed]

Phytochemical analysis of a methanolic extract yielded hexadecanoic acid (14.65%), 2,6,10-trimethyl,14-ethylene-14-pentadecane (9.84%), 7-butyl-bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane (2.38%), 8-methyldecanoic acid methyl ester (3.86%), 1-undecanol (7.82%), 1-hexyl-1-nitrocyclohexane (2.09%), 1,14-tetradecanediol (6.78%), and 2-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid 1,3-propanediyl ester.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Thomas Brendler (2003). Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Indian Ocean Islands. p. 135. ISBN 978-3-88763-094-2.
  2. ^ Anne Gauvin-Bialecki, Claude Marodon (November 2008). "Essential oil of Ayapana triplinervis from Reunion Island: A good natural source of thymohydroquinone dimethyl ether". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 36 (11): 853–858. doi:10.1016/j.bse.2008.09.006.