Agropyrene

The essential oil of couch grass root consists almost exclusively (about 95%) of an aromatic polyyne, agropyrene. Agropyrene or capillene is a substance extracted from the rootstock of Graminis rhizoma (couch grass root), among others. The substance "Capillene" has been detected in different concentrations from essential oils of Artemisa species. Capillen is identical with agropyrene. The substance has a broad antibiotic effect and in this property is efficacy-determining for Graminis rhizoma.

1. Cha JD et al (2005) Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Artemisia scoparia and A. capillaris. Planta Med 71:186 190.
2. Joshi RK et al (2010) Phenyl alkynes rich essential oil of Artemisia capillaris. Nat Prod Commun 5:815-816.
3. Sharopov FS et al. (2011) The essential oil of Artemisia scoparia from tajikistan is dominated by phenyldiacetylenes. Nat Prod Commun 6:119-122
4. Solovev VN det al (1965) antibacterial activity of sysnthetic capillene (agropyrene) and capilline derivatives. Antibiotics 10:156-159.