Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacognosy

A pharmacognostical study of Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa) family Fabaceae was carried out. Literature survey on several Medicago species was reviewed. A botanical study of the root, stem and leaf was carried out. The composition of lipoidal matter was identified by GC/MS technique. The nutritive values of the roots were determined. Chemical analysis of the roots of Medicago sativa L. resulted into isolation and identification of Ü-amyrin, oleanolic acid, gallic acid, apigenin, isoquercitrin and rutin for the first time from the roots of the plant, beside stigmasterol, Ý-sitosterol and kaempferol, which were detected before in Medicago sativa L. Furthermore, Secondary metabolites of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the roots of Medicago sativa L. were analyzed via high resolution UPLC- MS/MS. This showed twenty chromatographic peaks belonging to various classes. Biological study showed that the methanolic and aqueous extracts of the roots of the plant gave a significant hypoglycemic activity. They restored glutathione level, improve lipid profile, liver and kidney enzymes. Silver nano-particles prepared from the aqueous extract of the roots of Medicago sativa L. showed reduction of material by 50% to obtain almost the same effect of the standard antihyperglycemic drug (metformine). They restored glutathione level nearly as vitamin E. This encourages propagation of plant in Egypt

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