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.