Phytochemical Analysis of Cultivated and Wild Salvia Palaestina using GC-MS: Acomparative study

The leaves of cultivated populations of Salvia palaestina (Lamiaceae) were collected from seven different governorates in Palestine to compare their phytochemical profiles to wild populations. Twenty volatile and semivolatile components were separated and identified by GC-MS. The major components in all the cultivated S. palaestina leaves were eucalyptol and camphor excluding one sample that was collected from Jericho. This sample revealed camphor as the predominant component (30.65%) while in the rest of the cultivated samples, camphor did not exceed 9.2% level. Moreover, thujone derivatives in Jericho's sample were abundant at high concentrations (28.9%) in comparison to other populations which did not exceed more than 2%. The wild S. palaestina leaves, showed eucalyptol as a major component in all samples from different locations with higher concentration than the cultivated leaves, while the later had a higher amount of camphor.We would like to thank the Central Public Health Laboratory CPHL staff, Ministry of Health in Ramallah for providing the GC-MS instrument for the analysis. Special thanks to Dr. Asad Ramlawi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health for his continuous support. Thanks are extended to Mr. Ibrahim Salem for facilitating this research at the Ministry of Health in Ramallah

Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Wild Scolymus maculatus L.

The wild population of spotted golden thistle, Scolymus maculatus, which belongs to the Compositae family, is believed to be one of the multi-curative wild plants mentioned in Flora Palaestina. This study aims to disclose the phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial activity of wild S. maculatus collected from the farms of Kabul, a village in northwest Galilee, for the first time. Methods: The phytochemical components of crude S. maculatus extracts from methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane solvents were separated and identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the electron impact (EI) mode. The free radical scavenging of the plant extracts was measured by DPPH assay. The microdilution test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of di erent S. maculatus extracts and to evaluate their antimicrobial activities. Results: Thirty-two phytochemicals were found in S. maculatus extracts including stigmasterol, -sitosterol, lupeol, lupeol acetate, and -amyrin. Phytochemicals, such as 2-linoleoylglycerol, -sitosterol, -amyrin, lupeol, (3 )-12-oleanen-3-yl acetate, and lupenyl acetate, were found to dominate the methanol extract. Most of these compounds were also observed in ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts, but at di erent levels, in addition to some other minor compounds. The various extracts were investigated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The ethanolic and the methanolic extracts were shown to exhibit the highest free radical scavenging by DPPH assay with a half-maximally e ective concentration (EC50) of 0.37 and 0.65 mg/mL respectively, while the other three extracts (aqueous, ethyl acetate and n-hexane) were less active and their EC50 (e ective concentration at which DPPH radical was scavenged by 50%) were above 1.0 mg/mL. Moreover, MICs were determined to be e ective against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Candida albicans microorganisms. Ethyl acetate and the ethanolic extracts are active against the three types of microorganisms at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5 mg/mL, while aqueous and the n-hexane extracts are inactive against Salmonella typhimurium. Conclusions: The results show that S. maculatus extracts are a rich source of compounds that can play an important role in human health, and in a broader context, in the treatment of various diseases, such antimicrobial and antioxidant-related ailments.Funding: Al-Qasemi Research and Development Authority as well as the Ministry of Science, Technology and Space. Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the Central Public Health Laboratory in Ramallah for facilitating the use of the GC-MS instrument

Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Wild <i>Scolymus maculatus</i> L.

Background: The wild population of spotted golden thistle, Scolymus maculatus, which belongs to the Compositae family, is believed to be one of the multi-curative wild plants mentioned in Flora Palaestina. This study aims to disclose the phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial activity of wild S. maculatus collected from the farms of Kabul, a village in northwest Galilee, for the first time. Methods: The phytochemical components of crude S. maculatus extracts from methanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane solvents were separated and identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the electron impact (EI) mode. The free radical scavenging of the plant extracts was measured by DPPH assay. The microdilution test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of different S. maculatus extracts and to evaluate their antimicrobial activities. Results: Thirty-two phytochemicals were found in S. maculatus extracts including stigmasterol, &#947;-sitosterol, lupeol, lupeol acetate, and &#946;-amyrin. Phytochemicals, such as 2-linoleoylglycerol, &#947;-sitosterol, &#946;-amyrin, lupeol, (3&#945;)-12-oleanen-3-yl acetate, and lupenyl acetate, were found to dominate the methanol extract. Most of these compounds were also observed in ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts, but at different levels, in addition to some other minor compounds. The various extracts were investigated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The ethanolic and the methanolic extracts were shown to exhibit the highest free radical scavenging by DPPH assay with a half-maximally effective concentration (EC50) of 0.37 and 0.65 mg/mL respectively, while the other three extracts (aqueous, ethyl acetate and n-hexane) were less active and their EC50 (effective concentration at which DPPH radical was scavenged by 50%) were above 1.0 mg/mL. Moreover, MICs were determined to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, and Candida albicans microorganisms. Ethyl acetate and the ethanolic extracts are active against the three types of microorganisms at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5 mg/mL, while aqueous and the n-hexane extracts are inactive against Salmonella typhimurium. Conclusions: The results show that S. maculatus extracts are a rich source of compounds that can play an important role in human health, and in a broader context, in the treatment of various diseases, such antimicrobial and antioxidant-related ailments