PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TWO ACALYPHA SPECIES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Microbiology Department. Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt.

2 Pharmacognosy Department. Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt.

3 Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kasr El-Ainy, Cairo 11562, Egypt.

4 Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

5 Microbiology Department. Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt

Abstract

The investigation and evaluation of the tannin contents of Acalypha wilkesiana Mull. Arg. and Acalypha marginata Mort. not. (Poir) K. Spring, were carried out. The study revealed the presence of high contents of the condensed and hydrolysable tannins in the leaves of the two species. In addition one flavonoidal compound was isolated from the leaves of the two species and identified as liguiritigenin. Chromatographic study of the unsaponifiable fraction of the petroleum ether extract of the leaves of the two species revealed the presence of B-sitosterol and a-amyrine. The antimicrobial and antifungal activities were carried out for the different extracts of the two Acalypha species.