Chemical components of the Ephedra major from Iran.

Ephedra is a dioecious shrub that belongs to the Ephedraceae family of gymnosperms. Almost all commercial applications of Ephedra extracts are derived from the ephedrine alkaloids found in the evergreen stems. The purpose of this study was to compare chemical components (total alkaloid, ephedrine, total phenol, total flavonoid and tannin) of Ephedra major plants during May to October months.