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

Phytochemical studies of the successive extracts of the aerial parts of Cressa cretica and Cuscuta campestris revealed the presence of sterols and/or triterpenes, carbohydrates and/or glycosides, flavonoids, coumarins and tannins. Nutritive values including total protein, amino acids and mineral were calculated. GC/ MS analysis of the lipid contents of petroleum ether extracts was done. Estimation of total phenolics and total flavonoids as well as HPLC analysis of the ethyl acetate and 70% ethanol extracts were carried out. Eight phenolic compounds were isolated and identified from ethyl acetate extract of each plant and confirmed by their spectral data; quercetin, quercetrin, apigenin, rutin, P-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, methyl gallate, S-naringenin, catechin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. LC-MS/MS analysis for the same extracts resulted in identification of 25 and 31 compounds in both plants, respectively. Biological studies showed antimicrobial activity against gram positive, gram negative and fungi, significant cytotoxic activity against Hep G2 cell line. Acute toxicity test revealed the safety of the successive extracts; petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and 70% ethanol extracts up to 3 g/kg. Significant hepatoprotective activity was observed in CCl4-intoxicated rats for ethyl acetate and 70% ethanol extract of both plants. PCR based DNA fingerprint techniques; RAPD, ISSR and SCoT were used to distinguish between the two genera cressa and cuscuta. SCoT technique was the most potent one

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