Pharmaceutical from Urtica blossoms, esp. Urtica pilulifera - effective against hay fever and influenza

摘要

A new pharmacologically effective substance (I) is obtd. by (a) subjecting the blossom of plants of the urtica family to dry-fermentation with regulated air circulation at 36-42 degrees C, until a grey-white covering of fungus is formed on the dried plants; (b) forming an aq. slurry from the fungus-covered dried plants, and distilling under atmos. pressure and in the presence of metallic Cu until the pH of the distillate is ca. 7; (c) keeping the distillate in an airtight vessel at room temp. until the pressure which initially dropped readjusts and the pH is ca. 4.5, and then carrying out a second distillation and collecting the blue-green first fraction of pH ca. 10; and (d) either (i) concg. this fraction in vacuo until a ppte. forms which is then filtered off and dried, or (ii) heating the fraction to 95 degrees C, removing the pptd. impurities, by filtration and then concg. to crystallise out (I). The crystals obtd. in this step (d(ii)) are colourless, melt at 138-139 degrees C and solns. in water have pH 4.5. (I) is esp. effective against hay fever (rhinitis anaphylartica) and attendant phenomena e.g., bronchial asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, as well as against flu. When administered by i.m. injection, no side effects were observed. (I) can be used to immunise against hay fever of flu for periods of up to one year. When taken orally (I) increased oxygen absorption and muscular efficiency, and is effective against diabetes.