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

Genus Melilotus holds commercially medicinal sorts, among which is the well-known species; Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. It is considered as a prescription drug used in anti-bacterial, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and astringent treatments.Therefore, one of the objectives of the current study is to find alternative medicinal species that could have mutually common compounds with those in the conspicuous drug. Melilotus messanensis (L.) All and Melilotus indicus (L.) All. are two closely related species growing in Egypt as weeds of cultivation, which provoked our interest to be subject of present study, due to its abundance in Egypt and wealthiness with phytoconstituents as illustrated by previous studies. Both species seem to be similar before flowering and fruiting stages, whereas, they share the same vegetative characters. M. messanensis and M. indicus distinctively have different pods. M. messanensis pod is obliquely-ovoid, valves with looping, tapering at ends and a long sharp beak and concentric striations, pale brown when ripe. On the other hand, M. indicus pod is ovoid to subglobular, papery, clearly flexuous with wrinkled reticulate surface sculpture, finally pitted, with rounded apex or sometimes mucronulate, pale brown or olive green when ripe. Both plants were extracted individually by 70% methanol to give the total aqueous methanol extract (AME) which was defatted with petroleum ether to give petroleum ether extract (PEE) and defatted AME (DAME). PEE was analyzed by GC/MS assay, which led to the detection of 44 and 35 non polar compounds (fatty acids methyl esters and unsaponifiable compounds) in M. messanensis and M. indicus, respectively

Issued also as CD