A PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE FRUITS OF CERTAIN CASSIA SPECIES CULTIVATED IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

Abstract

The fruits of Cassia javanica Linn., C. siamea Lam., C. fistula L. and C. didymobotrya Fres. are subjected to a phytochemical screening followed by isolation and identification of their constituents. The study revealed the presence of flavonoids, anthraquinones, chromones, alkaloids, sterols and/or triterpenes together with hydrocarbons and alcohols in the different fruit pericarps.
The physical as well as chemical characteristics of the fixed oil of the seeds are determined. In addition the fatty acids of each individual seed oil are identified by gas-liquid chromatography.