This study investigated the metabolic content and biological activities of Hyphaene thebaica leaves, male parts and fruits methanolic extracts. The phytochemical constituents were determined, and multivariate data analysis discriminated the evaluated three parts into three groups according to the content of phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, saponins, anthocyanins and tannins. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profiling of polyphenols revealed the dominance of catechins, rutin and apigenin-7-glucosides in leaves, protocatechuin, p-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, vanillic, rosmarinic, p-coumaric acids and chrysin in male parts, and chlorogenic acid in fruits. Leaves and male parts showed stronger free radical scavenging activity than the fruits. Positive correlations between total antioxidant capacity and carbohydrates, phenolics and flavonols were observed. The three extracts exhibited potent anti-cancer activity against liver and lung carcinoma cell lines. All extracts exhibited antibacterial activity, while only fruits showed antifungal efficacy. In conclusion, H. thebaica leaves, male parts and fruits contain a variety of phytochemicals with antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial activities.
30 September 2019 in Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia
The present study was undertaken to survey the floristic composition in the islands and shorelines in Aswan Reservoir, south of the River Nile at Aswan Governorate, Egypt. Four elements of vegetation were analyzed: floristic composition, lifespan, life form, and phytogeographical affinities. A total of 165 species were recorded belonging to 134 genera in 45 families of vascular plants, of which six species were new to the flora of Aswan and Nubia (Amaranthus spinosus, Doellia bovei, Eleocharis parvula, Haematoxylum campechianum, Polygonum aviculare, and Pithecellobium dulce). The most represented families are Leguminosae, Poaceae, and Compositae. Species richness is highest in low-lying areas (shorelines) liable to flooding, compared to those of the islands in the river. The recorded flora consists of 50.91% perennials and 49.09% annuals. Therophytes and phanerophytes were the predominant life forms. Phytogeographical analysis revealed the prevalence of the pantropical (28.48%), palaeotropical (17.57%), and cosmopolitan (16.36%) plant species. Monoregional chorotype was represented by 29 species (17.58%) of the recorded flora with the Sudano-Zambezian species (11.52%) being the highest chorotype, while pure Mediterranean species were very poorly represented (3.63%). Biregional chorotype was represented by 25 species (15.15%), while the pluriregional chorotype was accounted for 2.43% of recorded species.
The present study analyses plant diversity and evaluates the relationship between edaphic variables and the distribution and grouping of plant species in the Aswan Reservoir area, South Egypt. The dominant families were Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae, forming 38.82% of the total flora recorded. The main bulk of the flora recorded (50.59%) belonged to the cosmopolitan, neotropical, pantropical, and palaeotropical chorotypes. A TWINSPAN analysis produced 10 vegetation clusters. Inundation levels showed a high correlation with species richness. The seasonally inundated area in Bute El-Hasaya and Maezana Belal (cluster V) had the highest species richness (36.50), while the lowest species richness (4.50) was in the shoreline of Philae, Awad, and Heisa islands (cluster IX). The DCA ordination depicted the environmental gradient expressed by the cluster analysis, and the resulting vegetation groups represented a distinct microhabitat. The CCA ordination indicates that the separation of vegetation group (A) along the axis was affected by the concentration of K, Mg, and CO3, and the vegetation group (B) was significantly associated with the total dissolved salts and the concentration of Cl. Moreover, the vegetation group (C) correlated significantly with pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, and SO3, HCO3, PO4, Na, and Ca concentrations.
The present study aims at analysing the vegetation of six riverian islands at Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt. 160 taxa of angiosperms and one pteridophyte species were recorded in six sedimentary islands located throughout the Nile stream at Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt. Of these, Hibiscus diversifolius (Malvaceae) recorded as a new record to the flora of Egypt. Therophytes represent 51.6% of the life form spectrum. Pantropical, Palaeotropical and Cosmopolitan elements (31.1%, 18.6% and 21.7%, respectively) were the dominant floristical categories among the total number of species. Vegetation analysis using TWINSPAN technique classified the 103 stands surveyed in the studied islands into ten vegetation clusters were obtained and categorised into 4 distinct groups according to soil moisture and chemical characteristics (TDS, EC, sodium and phosphate concentrations) appeared to be important attributes in characterising the vegetation clusters
1 October 2009 in Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C
In continuation of our interest in phytochemical screening of the Egyptian flora for potential drugs, the reinvestigation of the methanolic extract of the roots of Solanum diphyllum, which grows naturally in the south of Egypt and is recorded as new to the Egyptian flora, afforded an interesting, highly cytotoxic compound, named 3-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl) etioline [(25S)-22,26-epimino-3beta-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy) cholesta-5,22(N)-dien-16alpha-ol]. The chemical structure of this compound was determined by comprehensive NMR studies, including DEPT, COSY, HMQC, and MS. The compound exhibited high cytotoxic effects against the cervical cancer cell line, Hela cells, with an IC50 value of 150 microg/mL.
A taxonomic revision of Hibiscus trionum from Egypt was undertaken using morphological and cytological studies of field collections and herbarium specimens. The data indicate that all specimens so far collected in Egypt belong to H. tridactylites, rather than H. trionum. This paper includes a comprehensive description of H. tridactylites, its occurrence, a comparison with other species in the H. trionum complex, and comments on habitat, along with images for easy identification. In addition, chromosome counts for this species from Egypt have been determined for the first time, which add to existing information on chromosome counts for the species from different regions of the world.