CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY OF PHENOLICS ISOLATED FROM Ammannia auriculata (LYTHRACEAE)

Abstract

In accordance with the recent world-wide interest in plant phenolics which emerge from their broad range of biological activities, particular emphasis has been focused, in the present thesis, on the constitutive phenolics of the extract of a phenolic rich plant, namely, Ammannia auriculata (Lythraceae).

The present study was divided into two parts: Part I: Isolation and identification of the phenolic constituents from the aqueous ethanolic flowering whole plant extract of Ammannia auriculata which has not been subjected previously to a comprehensive phytochemical study.

Part II: Investigation of the antioxidant, cytotoxic activities and cell cycle analysis of the aqueous/ethanolic flowering whole plant extract of Ammannia auriculata, different fractions and some of the isolated pure compounds.

Part I: Phytochemical investigation of Ammannia auriculata flowering whole plant extract: The phytochemical study of Ammannia auriculata included successive column chromatographic investigation of the aqueous/ethanolic flowering whole plant extract, separation of individual phenolics, repeated purification of these individuals and establishment of their homogeneity by paper chromatography.

For the structure elucidation of the isolated phenolics, the required structural information was obtained through chromatographic analysis, application of chemical degradation methods and conventional spectroscopic techniques of analysis as well.

However, the recent advances in mass spectrometric and nuclear