PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Hoja.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Utilizada para irritación de garganta y también para lavar heridas, úlceras y llagas.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Apresentam grande apelo comercial devido à presença de alcalóides derivados da fenilalanina, principalmente (+)-pseudoefedrina (isoefedrina ou catina), (+)- metilpseudoefedrina, (+)-norpseudonorefedrina, (-)- norefedrina, (-)-metilefedrina e (-)-efedrina, sendo este último presente em maiores quantidades (Schaneberg et al., 2003; Barbosa-Filho et al., 2006).

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Uruguay. 

DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

Sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region 1 and the chloroplast-encoded genes maturase K and ribulose-1,5 biphosphate carboxylase large subunit were obtained from species of Ephedra (Ephedraceae) representing the geog. range and morphol. diversity of the genus.  Phylogenetic analyses of the DNA data indicate that relationships within the genus are better predicted by geog. region of origin than by ovulate cone characters.  The sampled species with dry, winged (vs. fleshy) ovulate cone bracts or single-seeded cones do not form monophyletic groups and therefore the previous classification systems of Ephedra based on these aspects of bract morphol. appear to be largely unnatural.  Three groups were identified among the Old World species studied, one comprising European and Mediterranean species and two including only Asian species.  The sequence data suggest a possible early divergence of a New World clade of Ephedra from among the Old World groups.  The South American species form a distinct clade apparently related to one of two groups of North American species, which accords with a frequent floristic pattern of close relationships between species groups in western South America and southwestern North America.  

1) GONZALEZ, Matías ; LOMBARDO, Atilio ; VALLARINO, Aida. Plantas de la medicina vulgar del Uruguay. Montevideo : Talleres Gráficos,1937, pp.103-104

2) BOFF, Bruna de S., et al. Investigation of the presence of ephedrines in Ephedra tweediana Fisch & C.A. Meyer and E. triandra Tul. (Ephedraceae) collected in Porto Alegre/RS. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2008, vol.18, nº3, p.394-401.
 
3) HUANG, Jinling; GIANNASI, David E.; PRICE, Robert A. Phylogenetic relationships in  Ephedra  (Ephedraceae) inferred from chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2005, vol.35, nº1, p.48-59.