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BONESET
Source:Eupatorium perfoliatumL. (Family
Compositae or Asteraceae).
Common/vernacular names: Agueweed,
bonest, common bonest, Eupatorium, fever-
wort, thoroughwort.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Perennial herb with opposite sessile clasping
leaves; up to about 1.5 m high; native to
eastern and central North America, from
Quebec south to Florida, Alabama, and
Louisiana, and west to Texas and the Dakotas.
Parts used are the dried leaves and flowering
tops collected in late summer.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
The chemical information on variousEupa-
toriumspecies is considerable (KARRER).1–8
E.perfoliatumis reported to contain flavo-
noids, including quercetin, kaempferol,
quercetin-3-b-galactoside (hyperoside), kae-
mpferol-3-b-glucoside (astragalin), querce-
tin-3-rutinoside (rutin), kaempferol-3-rutino-
side, and eupatorin (MERCK);^1 terpenoids, in-
cluding chromenes, sesquiterpenes, sesquiter-
pene lactones (euperfolin, euperfolitin, eufo-
liatin, and euperfolide, among others), and
diterpenes (dendroidinic acid and hebeclino-
lide);2–4triterpenes (e.g.,a-amyrin); sterols
(sitosterol and stigmasterol); dotriacontane;^5 a
volatile oil; a polysaccharide (4-O-methylglu-
curonoxylan);9,10and resin, among others.
PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES
Boneset is reported to have stimulant and
diaphoretic properties; in large doses it is both
emetic and cathartic (CLAUS).
An ethanol extract of the leaves showed
cytotoxicity to mammalian cellsin vitroand
weakin vitroantibacterial activity against
Gram-positive and Gram-negative organ-
isms.^11 Numerous sesquiterpene lactones
(e.g., eupatilin, eupafolin, eupatorin acetate,
and eupaformosanin) and flavones (especially
eupatorin) isolated fromEupatoriumspecies
have shown cytotoxic and/or antineoplastic
activities.6–8,12
An ethanol extract of the whole plant
after treatment with petroleum ether exhib-
ited weak anti-inflammatory activity in
rats.^13
The polysaccharide has shown immunos-
timulating activities following i.v. adminis-
tration in mice andin vitro(chemolumines-
cence, carbon clearance, and granulocyte
tests).9,10 Preliminary screening also indi-
cates that eufoliatin has immunostimulating
activity.^14
TOXICOLOGY
Use discouraged due to potential presence of
hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids ubiqui-
tous inEupatoriumspecies (NEWALL).^15 Abor-
tion in cattle grazing on the plant is attributed
to a high content of nitrate.^16 Toxic principles
are believed to include eupatorin (cytotoxic,
emetic), bitter components (gastrointestinal
irritants), and lactones (skin sensitizers)
(BRINKER).
Boneset 109
