Planta Med 2012; 78 - P_28
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307536

Chemical and Biological Investigations of the Red Sea Grass Thallasodendron ciliatum

AK Ibrahim 1, R Foad 1, MM Radwan 2, 3, S Ross 3, 4, H Hassanean 1, S Ahmed 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
  • 3National Center for Natural Products Research; and
  • 4Department of Pharmacognosy School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Five metabolites, a diglyceride ester (1), cholesterol (2), 24-methylene cholesterol (3) Δ5-3β-Hydroxy-7-ketosterol (4) and asebotin (5) were isolated for the first time from the Red Sea grass Thallasodendron ciliatum and characterized. GLC analysis of the unsaponifiable matter revealed that it contained a high percentage of hydrocarbons (59.47%) with n-hexacosane as a major component (10.98%). Furthermore, cholesterol (23.37%) was the major identified sterol. GLC analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters revealed that arachedic acid is the major fatty acid (63.78%). Crude extract showed antifungal activity against Candida krusei and C. krusei with percent growth inhibition of 85 and 77, respectively. Compounds 1 and 5 showed good anti-oxidant properties.

Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to Dr. Tarek Temraz, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University for taxnomical identification of the sea grass.