According to Wichtl (2004) the most important constituents of the plant are:
−About 2.5-6% mostly bidesmosidic triterpene saponins with hederagenin, oleanolic acid and bayogenin (= 2ß-hydroxyhederagenin) as aglycones and acylglycosidic sugar chains at C-28 of the carboxyl group

−Small amounts of monodesmosides such as α-hederin and hederagenin-3-O-ß-D-glucoside, which can develop during the drying process from the bisdesmoside in the fresh leaves by hydrolytic cleavage of the sugar chain at C-28

−The main saponin is the hederasaponin C (hederacoside C) with other hederasaponins (B, D, E, F, G, H and I) present as well. Hederasaponin A, described in an earlier publication could no longer be found in subsequent studies. The content ratios of the hederasaponins (C : B : D : E : F : G : H : I) are about 1000 : 70 : 45 : 10 : 40 : 15 : 6 : 5

−Flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol including their 3-O-rutinosides and 3-O-glucosides (= isoquercitrin and astragalin)

−Caffeic acid derivates and other phenolics such as caffeic acid and dihydroxy-benzoic acid

−Coumarin glycoside scopolin and the polyacetylenes falcarinone, falcarinol and 11, 12-dihydrofalcarinol

−Phytosterols as stigmasterol, sitosterol, cholesterol, campesterol, α-spinasterol

−The volatile oil (in the fresh leaves 0.1-0.3%) consists of methyl-ethyl ketone, methylisobutyl ketone, trans-hexanal, germacrene D, ß-caryophyllene, sabinene, α- and ß-pinene

−Hamamiletol

−Free amino acids

−The occurrence of the alkaloid emetine could not be confirmed in recent studies (Czygan, 1990). From four varieties grown in Egypt the alkaloid emetine was isolated (Mahran et al., 1975). Convincing studies are missing (HagerROM, 2006)