Z Naturforsch [C]. 2001 May-Jun; 56(5-6): 357-62.

Seasonal variation of the chemical constituents from Croton species.

dos Santos Pereira A, Fernandes do Amaral AC, de Araujo Silva M, de Aquino Neto FR.

Instituto de QÃmica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The terpenes, sterols, alkaloid (glaucine) and alpha-tocopherol show seasonal variation for Croton hemiargyreus hemiargyreus and Croton echinocarpus. The amounts of triterpenes are higher during the tropical summer and in most samples the major sesquiterpene was characterized as caryophyllene. The seasonal variation of glaucine showed a maximum between June and October for C. hemiargyreus, and was present only in January and June in C. echinocarpus.