Everaldo G. Attard's Home Page

UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
Institute of Earth Systems
RTDI Research Project

Research Outcome

Some important medicinal plants investigated in this project include

Family	Latin Name
Acanthaceae	Acanthus mollis L.
Anacardiaceae	Pistacia lentiscus L. Schinus terebinthifolia L.
Apocynaceae	Nerium oleander L.
Araliaceae	Hedera helix L.
Asteraceae	Aster squamatus (Sprengel) Hieron. Calendula arvensis L. Calendula officinalis L. Calendula suffruticosa L. Carlina involucrata Poir. Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter Galactites tomentosa Moench Glebionis coronaria (L.) Tzvelev Lactuca virosa Leontodon tuberosus L. Palaeocyanus crassifolius (Bert.) Dost. Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth Sonchus oleraceus L.
Boraginaceae	Cynoglossum creticum Miller Borago officinalis L.
Cactaceae	Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.
Cruciferae	Diplotaxis erucoides (L.) DC. Diplotaxis tenuifolia
Cucurbitaceae	Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich.
Cyperaceae	Holoschoenus vulgaris
Ephedraceae	Fumaria capreolata Fumaria officinalis L.
Guttiferae	Hypericum aegypticum L.
Iridaceae	Gladiolus italicus Gaud.
Lamiaceae	Prasium majus L.
Lauraceae	Laurus nobilis L.
Liliaceae	Aloe vera L. Asparagus aphyllus L.
Malvaceae	Eucalyptus globulus
Oleaceae	Olea europaea L.
Oxaliaceae	Papaver rhoeas Papaver somniferum L. var setigerum
Pinaceae	Anagallis arvensis L.
Resedaceae	Reseda alba L.
Scrophulariaceae	Antirrhinum siculum Mil. Antirrhinum tortuosum L.
Solanaceae	Ferula communis Foeniculum vulgare Miller Smyrnium olusatrum L.
Urticaceae	Parietaria judaica
Verbenaceae	Verbena officinalis L.

Extraction Solvents: Water, Ethanol/Water, Ethanol, Chloroform, Petroleum Ether.

Phytochemical Tests for Proteins, Terpenoids, Alkaloids, Flavonoids.

Pharmacological Testing 01 - Brine Shrimp Test (BST)

Pharmacological Testing 02 - DNA intercalation Test

Pharmacological Testing 03 - Immunomodulatory activity

Treatments: (a) untreated; (b) PHA-treated; (c) C. arvensis petroleum ether extract; (d) E. fragilis aqueous extract

This project reveals the potential pharmacological activity of local wild and naturalised species. From the results obtained, these plants exhibited a diverse and rich constitution of natural compounds. These compounds contributed to extract activity in the BST, DNA intercalation test and the immunomodulatory assay.

Further research will be aimed at the fractionation of bioactive extracts and the final identification of single active compounds.

The project co-ordinators would like to thank the team at the Malta Council for Science and Technology for their constant support and assistance throughout the project period.

Aromatic & Medicinal Plants Page

Outcome

Research Team

Project Funded by the Malta Council for Science and Technology

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Last Update: 20th Deccember 2012

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