The species Mikania cordifolia is distributed across America and widely found throughout Brazilian territory, where is popularly used against snake bites. Methanolic and dichloromethanic extracts prepared from M. cordifolia Robinson collected from four different locations in Brazil were submitted to liquid-liquid extraction and the hexanic phase and residues obtained from this step were analyzed for triterpenoids by gas chromatography. The specimens from Ribeirão Preto-SP and São Carlos-SP showed similar triterpenoid composition: alpha-amyrin, lupeol, lupenone, alpha-amyrin acetate, beta-amyrin acetate, lupeol acetate, taraxasterol acetate, campesterol and beta-sitosterol. Besides these triterpenoids, the specimen from Campos de Jordão-SP presented 11-oxours-12-ene, 11-oxoolean-12-ene and taraxerol acetate, and from Monte Verde, epitaraxerol e taraxerol acetate. The triterpene friedelin could be found in specimens from Ribeirão Preto and São Carlos.
Asteraceae; Mikania; Triterpenoids
