Ageratum houstonianum

Ageratum houstonianum (Floss Flower) is not a food ingredient and has no conventional nutritional profile in terms of macronutrients or dietary micronutrients. It is used as a botanical/cosmetic or phytochemical ingredient. Key bioactive compounds identified include: (1) Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) — notably lycopsamine and its derivatives, present at concentrations reported in the range of 0.01–0.1% dry weight; these are the primary pharmacologically active and toxicologically relevant compounds. (2) Chromene derivatives — precocene I (6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchromene) and precocene II (6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromene), which are anti-juvenile hormone compounds found in leaf and aerial parts, typically at 0.05–0.3% dry weight. (3) Flavonoids — including quercetin, kaempferol, and their glycosides, present in leaf extracts at approximately 0.5–2.0 mg/g dry weight. (4) Phenolic acids — chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid derivatives detected in ethanol/aqueous extracts. (5) Essential oil constituents — including β-caryophyllene, ageratochromene, and demethoxyprecocene, comprising 60–85% of the essential oil fraction depending on chemotype. (6) Terpenoids — sesquiterpene lactones have been tentatively identified. No meaningful dietary fiber, protein, fat, or micronutrient (vitamins/minerals) data exists as this plant is not consumed as food. Bioavailability of active compounds is primarily studied in topical/in vitro contexts; systemic bioavailability data in humans is absent. The pyrrolizidine alkaloid content raises hepatotoxicity concerns, limiting internal use.