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

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is well known medicinal plant in worldwide market of herbal supplements and it is known for its popular antidepressant activity. The broad spectrum of pharmacological uses and applications of H. perforatum has been expanded due to its metabolites content potentiality. The popularity of H. perforatum forces scientific community to study other species endemic to certain regions and countries as the genera of the Hypericaceae is distributed almost all part of Earth. H. sinaicum is one of Hypericum species endemic to Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and it is considered one of endangered plant species in Saint Catherine protectorate, Egypt.Thus, the aim of the work is to investigate phytoconstituents of H. sinaicum growing widely and finding out a reproducible in vitro technique to be used as alternative source of plant valuable constituents. H. sinaicum was found to be good source of naringenin and xanthones derivatives as it contained two xanthone derivatives in aerial parts. H. sinaicum exhibited wound healing activity in excision model with 96% closure rate of wounds in 8 days supporting its traditional use. Endophytic fungus (Aspergillus foetidus var. pallidus) was isolated from stems of H. sinaicum and the fungal extract considered as reliable source of furohyperforin and naphthodianthrones derivatives. Suggesting using endophytic fungus (Aspergillus foetidus var. pallidus) as in vitro technique for producing potential phyto-constituents was cost effective; having easier optimization conditions and faster growth with lesser contamination rates than other in vitro methods

Issued also as CD