Preparative method to obtain ursolic acid from clinopodium revolutum

A method to obtain ursolic acid (UA) in an easy, fast, and economical way was proposed, having as raw material the medicinal plant Clinopodium revolutum from Peru. This plant is known and marketed as flor de arena or té indio. The selective recrystallization technique used was efficient since UA crystals were obtained without the need for chromatographic purification methods or the use of toxic solvents. The purity determined by HPLC is greater than 95%. Thus, the flor de arena becomes an important biosource of this compound.