Pharmacognostical study of certain plants belonging to Family Sterculiaceae

Abstract

Family Sterculiaceae is chiefly a tropical and subtropical family. consists of soft-wooded trees, shrubs, and a few herbaceous and climbing species. [t comprises about 60 genera and 700 species, many of them have economical, ornamental and nutritional values [Heywood 1993]. Of the economical plants, Theobroma cacao furnishes cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate. Cola acuminata furnishes cola nut which is an ingredient in mildly stimulating drinks [Baily 1953]. Of the ornamental plants, Genera of Dombeya, Firmiana, Fremontodendron and Sterculia [Zomlfer 1994]. In Egypt, Glossostemon bruguieri (moghat) ·is well known for its high nutritive value, and for its tonic. diuretic, demulcent effects [Fouad 1989].

Genus Pterospermum (Pterospores: plants having winged seed) [Jakson 1953] comprises about 40 species of scaly or tomentose trees or shrubs. They are distributed in tropical and temprate climates (south east of Asia, south of America) [Baily 1953].

Pterospermum acerifolium Willd. is an evergreen, large flowering and foliage tree. It is considered among the world's most spectacular tropical trees owing to its showy flowers [Macoboy 1982]. It is native to India and Indonesia where it is known as dinner plate tree, wing seed tree, or Kanikara [Quattrocchi 2000]. Also It grows in south of America [Baily 1953]. It is much favored as a shade flowering tree in open public spaces and it grows to a large size along riverbanks and damp valleys. Moreover, it is esteemed for its timber which ts hard, fine grained and considered similar to teak and oak [Barwick 2004].

Flowers of P. acerifolium Willd are traditionally used as tonic, laxative. anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and to cure abdominal pain, ascites, ulcers, leprosy. urinary discharge and tumors. Besides that, flowers and bark are charred and mixed with kamala and applied in suppurating smallpox [Chopra eta!., 1956 Mehrotra and Shome 1990]. However, no scientific report verifying these activities was found. In Bangladesh, leaves and bark are used traditionally as antidiabetic agents. lt is reported that leaves and bark have significant antihyperglycemic effects [Mamun et a!., 200 l]. Furthermore, a fraction of the ethanolic extract of the hark has antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects when tested in vivo [Murshed el a!., 2000]. In Egypt, P. acerifolium Willd. has been introduced as an ornamental tree in many gardens. There is no phytochemical nor pharmacological study on the Egyptian plant could be traced. So, it was deemed of interest to carry out this study to evaluate its medicinal values, isolate and identify its constituents.