What Is Beta Ecdysterone? Beta-Ecdysterone, also called 20-hydroxyecdysone, is the active principle in several plants, including Rhaponticum carthamoides, or Maral root, Suma, Cyanotis vaga, and Cyanotis arachnoidea, which is also referred to as hydroxyecdysone. Ecdysterone is derived from Cyanotis Arachnoidea, a Chinese native plant that is abundant in phytoecdysteroids, which are thought to be a possible catalyst for the synthesis …