PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDY OF LOBULARIA LIBYCA (VIV) C.F.W. MEISSN. FAMILY BRASSICACEAE

Abstract

Lobularia libyca (Viv.) C.F.W. Meissn. . is a herb belongs to family Brassicaceae and known in Arabic as Khurm-El-ibra. It is an annual shrub, grows in coastal lands, native to North Africa from Canary Islands to Iran. The present study includes the following: Part 1: Botanical study and DNA fingerprint of L. libyca. Part 2: Phytochemical study of L. libyca. Part 3: Biological study of the different extractives from the whole plant and seeds of L. libyca. Part 1: Botanical study and DNA fingerprint of Lobularia libyca (Viv.) C.F.W. Meissn. Chapter 1: Macromorphology I- The root The root is bright yellow to yellowish brown in color. The surface is usually rough showing numerous wrinkles and longitudinal fissures. The fracture of the root is fibrous on in the inner part and smooth on the outer part. II- The young stem The young stem is erect, herbaceous and cylindrical. It is green in color, sometimes with violet tinge. The surface is rough and covered with appressed whitish hairs. III- The old stem The old stem is greenish purple in colour, hard, rough with sympodial branching. It is also covered with appressed whitish hairs. It breaks with a fibrous fracture. There is no cork. P a g e | 202 General Summary IV- The leaf Leaves are alternate, sessile and exstipulate. The lamina is simple, linear oblong in shape with obtuse sometimes acute apex. The leaves are dark green to grayish green. The surface is rough and covered with longitudinally appressed whitish hairs. The midrib is prominent on the lower surface. The leaf has a slightly fleshy texture. V- The flower Flower is very small, bisexual, actinomorphic and hypogenous. The calyx composed of four sepals, while the corolla has four free white petals. The androecium has six tetradynamous stamens, while the gynaecium shows superior ovary of two united carpels, short style and capitate stigma. The inflorescence is raceme type. VI- The fruit The fruit is true, simple, dry and dehiscent siliqula which opens with 2 flat or convex valves. The surface of the fruit is rough and covered with closely appressed fine whitish hairs. The pericarp is pale green to green, sometimes with a violet tinge. It is derived from superior bicarpellary bilocular ovary and contains 4-5 seeds. VII- The seed The seed is circular in shape, flattened, winged with a transparent membranous wing. The testa is thin and brittle. The seed is albuminous, derived from anatropus ovule, with an accumbent embryo. Chapter II: Micromorphology I- The old root A transverse section of the old root is more or less circular in outline. The cork cells are tangentially elongated tabular cells with cellulosic walls. The cortex consists of several rows of somewhat tangentially elongated cells P a g e | 203 General Summary with thickened cellulosic walls showing few scattered myrosin cells. The endodermis is indistinct. The phloem is formed of continuous band of several rows of delicate elements traversed by narrow, non-lignified medullary rays. The cambium is distinct and formed of 2-3rows of thin walled radially arranged cambiform cells. The xylem is wide, constituting the main part of the root. It consists of lignified radially arranged elements. The vessels are mostly pitted. Also there are few tracheids that are fusiform, having blunt apices and pitted walls. II- The young stem A transverse section in the young stem is more or less circular in outline, showing 6-8 ridges. It is formed of an epidermis which is composed of one row of polygonal cells with straight beaded anticlinal walls and covered with thick smooth cuticle. Hairs are abundant, non-glandular branched unicellular. The cortex is formed of chlorenchymatous tissue followed by 2-4 layers of parenchymatous cells showing few scattered myrosin cells. The pericycle is parenchymatous interrupted by few groups of fibers. The vascular tissue is relatively wide forming a ring traversed by lignified medullary rays. The phloem consists of thin-walled phloem parenchyma, sieve tubes, and companion cells. The xylem is formed of spiral and pitted lignified vessels accompanied by wood fibers and wood parenchyma. The pith is wide and parenchymatous. III- The old stem