Planta Med 2008; 74 - PB85
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084430

Flavonoids of Retama raetam Webb. from Algeria

S Djeddi 1, 2, A Karioti 1, H Skaltsa 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy & Chemistry of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
  • 2Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Badji Mokhtar University, 12 Annaba, Algeria

Retama raetam Webb. (Arabic common name R'tem) is a spontaneous plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. In Algeria, it is located in the Atlas regions and the Sahara [1] and it is used in folk medicine to reduce blood glucose [2]. The material of the species (aerial parts) used in this study was collected from the region of Bechar city (950km south-east of Algiers) in May 2005. The whole aerial plant material afforded genistein, 6-hydroxygenistein, biochanin A, pratensein, 3'methylorobol, genistin, luteolin, 6-hydroxyapigenin, kaempferol and 5, 4'-dihydroxy-(3'',4''-dihydro-3'',4''-dihydroxy)- 2'',2''-dimethylpyrano-(5'',6'':7,8)-flavone.

The isolated compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis spectra, 1D, 2D-NMR) [3].

References: 1. Quezel P., Santa S (1962) Nouvelle flore de l'Algérie et des régions désertiques méridionales. Edition du centre national de la recherche scientifique. Alger.

2. Baba Aissa, F. (1999) Encyclopédie des plantes utiles. Edas. Alger.

3. Mabry, T. G., Markham, K. R et al. (1970) The systematic identification of flavonoïdes. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.