Pharmacognostical study of dillenia indica linn. growing in Egypt

ABSTRACT

The macro- and micromorphology of the flower, fruit and seed of Dillenia indica Linn. [Dilleniaceae] growing in Egypt were described and illustrated for their identification in both entire and powdered forms. Various medicinal properties were attributed to this plant [1-4]. The fruit of Dillenia indica Linn. was reported as antipyretic to relieve fatigue and stop abdominal pains. The fruit juice was used as a cooling beverage in fever and expectorant in cough [2-3], probably due to its high content of mucilage [5]. It is slightly laxative and induces diarrhea in large doses. The acid fruit is edible when fresh and is used in certain curries and jellies [4, 6]. More recent studies have revealed that the alcoholic extract of the seed exhibited antimicrobial activity against vibro cholera, Salmonella typhi and Bacillus anthracis [7, 8] which is attributed to the Oleanene triterpenoids [8]. The plant is also highly prized as an ornamental tree due to its large fragrant flower [1]. Family Dilleniaceae is chemically characterized by the presence of triterpenes [9, 10] and flavonoids [11]. Therefore, the macro- and micromorphological studies of the leaf, stem, bark were carried out [12] and this report concerns the flower, fruit and seed