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GENTIAN
Source:GentianGentiana luteaL.;Stemless
gentian Gentiana acaulis L. (Family
Gentianaceae).
Common/vernacular names:Yellow gentian,
bitter root (G. lutea).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Gentian (G. lutea) is a perennial herb with
large tap root simple erect stems up to 1 m tall;
leaves large and deeply veined, in basal rosette
until flowering; flowers in terminal and axil-
lary clusters yellow, each cluster with a large
leaf below it; corolla deeply divided; native to
mountains of central and southern Europe and
western Asia. Parts used are the dried rhizome
and roots.
Stem less gentian (G.acaulis) is a small
variable taxonomic complex of perennial
herbs with basal rosettes; leaves lance shaped;
up to about 10 cm high; native to Europe (Alps
and Pyrenees). Part used is the whole herb.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Gentian contains iridoid bitter principles
(mainly amarogentin, also gentiopicroside
or gentiopicrin, loganic acid, trifloroside,
sweroside, and swertiamarin);1–4 alkaloids
(mainly gentianine and gentialutine);5,6
xanthones (gentisein, gentisin, isogentisin,
1,3,7-trimethoxyxanthone, 1-hydroxy-3,7-
dimethoxyxanthone, 2,3^0 ,4,6tetrahydroxy-
benzophenone, etc.);7,8 triterpenes (lupeol,
b-amyrin, ursenediol, seco-oxoursenoic acid,
seco-oxooleanenoic acid, and betulin);9–11
gentianose (glucosyl gluconyl fructose), gen-
tiobiose, and common sugars;3,12and traces of
volatile oil (KARRER;LIST AND Ho ̈RHAMMER).^3
It has been reported that content of gentio-
picroside does not vary significantly on drying
or at various stages of vegetative growth.^13
However, another study found that amarogen-
tin and gentiopicroside content were highest
in spring, with concurrent decreased levels of
sugar accumulation in the roots.^14
It has been observed that cultivated plants
are much richer in amarogentin than wild
ones.^13
G. luteaecotypes have been found to retain
morphological and chemical characteristics,
with amarogentin content ranging from 0.05%
to 0.33% in 3-year-old ecotypes, with varying
differences in total sugar and essential oil
composition.^3 Wild plants harvested at lower
altitudes in Italy were found to have higher
levels of bitter principles.^15
Stemless gentian contains gentiacauloside
(a xanthone glycoside) and gentisin. It proba-
bly also contains similar constituents as gen-
tian (LIST AND HO€RHAMMER).^16
Amarogentin is one of the most bitter gly-
cosides known (STAHL). Amarogentin and gen-
tiopicrin are the main compounds responsible
for the bitter taste (TYLER1).PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIESGentian extracts have been reported to exhibit
cholereticactivities in animals. Gentianine also
exhibited strong anti-inflammatory properties
in laboratory animals (FARNSWORTH1).5,17,18316 Gentian