Influence of genetic factors on the ephedrine alkaloid composition ratio of Ephedra plants.

We investigated the ephedrine alkaloid [(-)-ephedrine and (+)-pseudoephedrine] composition ratio of a crude Chinese herbal drug described in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia 'Ephedra herb (Chinese name: Mahuang)'. There were marked changes in the alkaloid composition ratio of wild plants in areas where both male and female clusters coexisted. However, in genetically homogeneous areas with the growth of male or female clusters alone, all of the coefficients of the regression lines were positive, but each gradient varied.