Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on Scorzonera alexandrina Boiss

The present study was designed to investigate secondary metabolite contents of Scorzonera alexandrina growing in the North-Western coast of Egypt. In addition hepatoprotective activity, reduction in blood sugar and ulcerative colitis were also evaluated. Chromatographic methods and spectroscopic analysis were used for isolation and identification of the compounds. In the hepatoprotective activity; twenty-four adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups of six animals each. Rats of the 1st (normal control) and 2nd (CCl4-intoxicated control) groups received the vehicle in a dose of 5 mL/kg. The 3rd and 4th groups were treated with the ethanol extract of S. alexandrina in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. In the ulcerative colitis study, the same extract was administered orally (200 and 400 mg/kg) to rats once a day for 5 consecutive days and the last dose was administered 2 h before induction of colitis by intra-rectal infusion of acetic acid. The obtained results revealed that S. alexandrina contains scopoletin, xanthotoxin, apigenin, luteolin, quercetin-7-O-rhaminoside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside, also it showed a significant decrease in blood glucose level, liver functions (ALT, AST, TP), also a significant anti-ulcer effect. (C) 2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.