Vaccaria is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the pink family containing the single species Vaccaria hispanica. It is known by several common names including cowherb, cowcockle, and cow soapwort. Its subspecies were previously treated as separate species. It is used medicinally in Chinese medicine and acupuncture. It is native to Eurasia but can be found in many other regions as an introduced species and a common weed.
A new phenylpropanoid glycoside, named segetoside A, and a known compound, allantoin, have been isolated from the seeds of Vaccariasegetalis. Four novel triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the seeds of Vaccaria segetalis. Their structures were established as vaccaroside A, vaccaroside B, vaccaroside C, vaccaroside D by a combination of extensive NMR (DEPT, COSY, HOHAHA, HETCOR, HMBC and NOESY) studies and chemical degradation.