Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Agriculture Biochemistry

Leaves of fig, guava, olive and pomegranate and peels of ripe pomegranate fruits were mechanically pressed to obtain the crude juices. The resultant crude juices were subjected to the estimation of certain phytochemicals, i.e., total phenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins by HPLC. The assessment of their antioxidant activities were performed by three methods, i.e., DPPH, reducing power and metal chelating assays. The antibacterial and anticancer activities of the plant crude juices under study and their toxicological effects on normal cells were also evaluated. The results indicated that the amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins and anthocyanins in crude pomegranate peels juices were markedly higher than those of pomegranate leaves, fig leaves, guava leaves and olive leaves crude juices. The polyphenolic constituents in fig leaves, pomegranate leaves and peels, guava leaves and olive leaves were distinguished using HPLC. The major compounds found in all crude juices were gallic acid, ellagic acid, naringenin, ferulic acid and methyl gallate, respectively. Pomegranate peels crude juice exhibited the highest antioxidant activity assessed by the aforementioned methods in comparison with other medicinal plants crude juices. The crude juice of pomegranate peels possessed antibacterial activity against certain bacteria. Pomegranate peels crude juice decreased the viability of breast adenocarcinoma cells )MCF-7) and human colon cancer cells (HCT-116) but showed less IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration required to inhibit cell viability by 50 %) as compared to doxorubicin(anticancer drug). Fig leaves crude juice showed anticancer activity on human colon cancer (HCT-116) only while pomegranate leaves, guava leaves and olive leaves crude juices exhibited no anticancer effect on the cancer cell lines under study. Toxicological potential of pomegranate leaves and peels and leaves of fig, guava and olive crude juices revealed no toxic effects on normal human lung cell line (WI38)

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