Establishment of callus and cell suspension cultures of cassia bicapsularis L.

Callus cultures were initiated from leaf of Cassia bicapsularis L. on solid Murashige and Skoog [MS] basal medium supplemented with different growth regulators. Excellent growth of callus was obtained in medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2, 4-D] and grown in the dark. The obtained callus was subcultured every 4 weeks in the dark at 25°C. The Callus was compact, yellowish brown in color and used for establishment of cell suspension cultures. Maximum growth of suspension cultures was achieved in medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 2, 4-D and 0.1 mg/l kinetin. The growth rate of cells was initially slow but as the cultures proceeded, the growth increased significantly over a period of 22 days then the growth of cells was stable for 35 days

Antioxidant, hepatoprotective and antimicrobial activities of the aerial parts of polygonum bellardii all

The methanolic extract of Polygonum bellardii All [flowering aerial parts] and its fractions in addition to the isolated compounds [1-6] showed significant antioxidant potential by DPPH scavenging activity technique. It also showed hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride [CC[4] induced hepatic injury in albino rats. The fractions exhibited antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in addition to antifungal activity. The total methanolic extract of Polygonum bellardii All did not show signs oftoxicity and mortality up to 4 g/kg dose. Determination of total flavonoid content with respect to quercetin spectrophotometrically indicated the presence of 185. 2 +/- 1.03 mg/g dried extract

Lipids and triterpenes from Maerua crassifolia growing in Egypt

The hexane fraction obtained from the total alcohol extract of the aerial parts of Maerua crassifolia Forssk grown in Egypt upon repeated column chromatography afforded one new compound identified as 1, 23 dimethoxy tricosa-6-one [1], along with six known compounds identified as long chain hydrocarbon [triacontane] [2], ceryl alcohol [3], lupeol palmitate [4], beta-sitosterol palmitate [5], lupeol acetate [6], and alpha-amyrin [7]. The identification of the isolated compounds was carried out using different physical, chemical and spectral methods and co-chromatography with authentic samples

Segma-pyrone derivatives from Crotalaria thebaica

From the aerial parts of Crotalaria thebaica [Del] DC [Fabaceae] three segma pyrones [1-3] together with an isoflavone [tecreroginin] [4] were isolated. The structures of the isolated compounds were characterized by using different methods of spectral analysis including, IR, UV, NMR and MS.