Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacognosy

Phyllanthus emblica L. fruits and Ficus benghalensis aerial roots have long been used in Ayurvedic medicine for their many health benefits. This study attempts to justify biochemically the traditional use of the aforementioned plants in treatment of female reproductive disorders in relation to their secondary metabolite profile. The effect of the total ethanol extract and successive fractions of these plants on the female reproductive system was evaluated by assessing their estrogenic and gonadotropic activities. Results revealed that the non-polar petroleum ether and chloroform fractions of P. emblica exhibited the strongest estrogenic activity besides gonadotropic activity, while n-butanol fraction exhibited a significant follicle stimulating hormone-like [FSH] activity and luteinizing hormone-like [LH] activity. Regarding F. benghalensis, only non-polar petroleum ether and chloroform fraction exhibited moderate estrogenic and FSH-like activity with no LH-like activity. To pinpoint active agents in these fractions, metabolite profiling was attempted via UPLC-MS and GC-MS. UPLC-MS annotated 92 and 84 metabolites in P. emblica fruit and F. benghalensis aerial root, respectively. Secondary metabolites annotated in P. emblica included ellagitannins, gallic acid derivatives, terpenoids, sterols, phthalates and fatty acids.The active non-polar fractions of F.benghalensis revealed similar metabolites profile being composed of isoflavonoids, triterpenes, sterols, fatty acids and cyclic peptides; likely to mediate for its effects. GC-MS analysis of the non-polar bioactive fractions was further employed revealing the enrichment of non-polar fractions of both plants in fatty acids/fatty acyl esters, terpenes and phenolic compounds

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