Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology - Global Science Books

Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology
Abbreviation: Func. Plant Sci. Biotech. (FPSB)
Print: ISSN 1749-0472
Frequency and Peer status: Biannual, Peer reviewed
Scope and target readership: Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology is an International journal open to papers of merit dealing
with both basic and applied aspects and mechanisms underlying plant biology, particularly molecular and cell biology, structural biology,
biochemistry, metabolism (photosynthesis and respiration), growth, morphogenesis, ecological and environmental physiology,
biotechnology, and plant-microorganism interactions. Papers reporting research at all levels of plant organization are invited (i.e.,
molecular, subcellular, cellular, whole plant, canopy, ecosystem and global levels). We welcome manuscripts reporting question-based
research using hormonal, physiological, environmental, genetic, biophysical, developmental or molecular approaches to the study of plant
growth regulation, and productivity. Plant function should thus be analysed by either biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, cell or
whole plant physiology, physiological ecology, together with structural, genetic, pathological and even meteorological aspects.
To network the different organizational levels of plant biology, Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology welcomes papers on aspects
of experimental plant biology ranging from molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics, to ecophysiology from the
molecular to the community level, including, inter alia:
1) Ageing and cell death;
2) Biochemistry and metabolism;
3) Ecophysiology;
4) Photobiology;
5) Uptake, transport and assimilation.
Editor-in-Chief
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva, Kagawa University, Japan
Technical Editor
Kasumi Shima, Japan
Statistics Advisor
Marcin Kozak, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
Editorial Board and Advisory Panels (Listed alphabetically)
Emil Alexov, Clemson University, USA
Anne J. Anderson, Utah State University, USA
Christian P. Andersen, US Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Mohammad Anis, Aligarh Muslim University, India
Naser Aziz Anjum, Aligarh Muslim University, India
Ahmet Balkaya, University of Ondokuz Mayis, Turkey
Chhandak Basu, University of Northern Colorado, USA
Saikat Kumar Basu, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Maristela Sanches Bertasso Borges, Centro Universitário de Rio
Preto, Brazil
Dimitris L. Bouranis, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
Pankaj Kumar Bhowmik, Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Juan Francisco Jiménez Bremont, Institute for Scientific and
Technological Research of San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Christophe Brunet, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy
Santa Olga Cacciola, University of Catania, Italy
Eva Casanova, University of Barcelona, Spain
Vittoria Catara, University of Catania, Italy
Humberto Fabio Causin, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Emilio Cervantes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
(IRNASA-CSIC), Spain
Jer-Chia Chang, PingTung University of Science and Technology,
Taiwan
Suriyan Cha-um, National Center for Genetic Engineering and
Biotechnology, Thailand
Abdolkarim Chehregani, Bu Ali Sina University, Iran
Jin-Gui Chen, University of British Columbia, Canada
Prem S. Chourey, USDA-ARS, USA
Pio Colepicolo, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
Tracey Cuin, University of Tasmania, Australia
Anath Bandhu Das, Regional Plant Resource Centre, India
Anjali Dash, Banaras Hindu University, India
James F. Dat, Université de Franche-Comté – INRA, France
Antonio Dell’Aquila, Italy
Samir C. Debnath, Atlantic Cool Climate Crop Research Centre,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Luis A. del Rio, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, CSIC, Spain
Alberto Dias, Universidade do Minho, Portugal
Judit Dobránszki, University of Debrecen, Hungary
Jaroslav Ďurkovič, Technical University, Slovak Republic
Florent Engelmann, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement,
France
David E. Evans, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Mohd. Faisal, Aligarh Muslim University, India
Esmaeil Fallahi, University of Idaho, USA
Attila Fehér, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian
Academy of Sciences, Hungary
Patricia Dias Fernandes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
Manuel Fernandes-Ferreira, Universidade do Minho, Portugal
Danilo D. Fernando, State University of New York, USA
Harzallah-Skhiri Fethia, Higher Biotechnology Institute of
Monastir, University of Monastir, Tunisia
Jorge Fonseca, The University of Arizona, USA
Chakali Gahdab, National Institute of Agronomy, Algeria
Jeroni Galmés, Universitat de les Iles Balears, Spain
Abed Gera, The Volcani Center, Israel
Jürg Gertsch, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
Ashoke Kumar Ghosh, Bengal School of Technology, India
Jai Gopal, Central Potato Research Institute, India
C. Gopi, K. S. Rangasamy College of Technology, India
Stefano Grego, Università della Tuscia, Italy
Mazuru Gundidza, University of Zimbabwe/University of Fort
Hare, Zimbabwe/South Africa
Wenwu Guo, Huazhong Agricultural University, China

S. Dutta Gupta, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
Geoff Gurr, Charles Sturt University, Australia
Armin Hallmann, University of Bielefeld, Germany
Faouzi Haouala, Institut Supérieur Agronomique de Chott Mariem,
Tunisia
Pranab Hazra, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India
Xinhua He, University of California, Davis, USA
Kathleen Hefferon, Cornell University, USA
Luke Hendrickson, Australian National University, Australia
Hossein Hokmabadi, Pistacchio Research Institute, Iran
Jarmo Holopainen, University of Kuopio, Finland
Hashem Hussein, Cairo University, Egypt
Domingo J. Iglesias, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones
Agrarias, Spain
Abdelbagi M. Ismail, International Rice Research Institute,
Philippines
Sladjana Jevremovic, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša
Stanković", Serbia
PR Jeyaramraja, Hamelmalo College of Agriculture, The State of
Eritrea
Liwen Jiang, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
Shuangxia Jin, Huazhong Agricultural University, China
Puthiyaparambil JoseKutty, SCION, New Zealand
Nirmal Joshee, Fort Valley State University, USA
Roya Karamian, Bu Ali Sina University, Iran
Natchimuthu Karmegam, VMKV Engineering College/Vinayaka
Missions University, India
Aisha Saleem Khan, Kinnaird College for Women, Pakistan
Muhammad Azim Khan, NWFP Agricultural University, Pakistan
Ara Kirakosyan, The University of Michigan, USA
Zbigniew J. Koltowski, Research Institute of Pomology and
Floriculture, Poland
Robert W. Korn, Bellarmine University, USA
Igor Kovalchuk, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Marcin Kozak, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
Jana Krajnakova, University of Udine, Italy
Vladimir V. Kuznetsov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Carlos A. Labate, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz,
Brazil
Christophe Laloi, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Maurizio Lambardi, Istituto per la Valorizzazione del Legno e
delle Specie Arboree, Italy
Gérard Jean-Paul Ledoigt, Blaise Pascal University, France
Luiz Fernando Carvalho Leite, EMBRAPA, Brazil
Shao-ping Li, University of Macau, China
Xinxian Li, Aohata Corp., Japan
Ji-Hong Liu, Huazhong Agricultural University, China
Albino Maggio, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Moahammad J. Malakouti, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran
Ezaz A. Mamun, University of Sydney, Australia
Bikash Mandal, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, India
Giovanni P. Martelli, Universitá degli Studi/Centro di Studio del
CNR sui Virus e le Virosi delle Colture Mediterranee, Italy
Pavol Mártonfi, P. J. Šafárik University, Slovakia
Ákos Máthé, Szent István University, Hungary
Sean Mayes, University of Nottingham, UK
Sisir Mitra, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, India
Reda Moghaieb, Cairo University, Egypt
Norimoto Murai, Louisiana State University, USA
Adele M. Muscolo, Mediterranea University, Italy
P.K. Nagar, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, India
Madhugiri Nageswara Rao, University of Florida, IFAS, USA
Sanjib Nandy, Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Paraskev T. Nedialkov, Medical University-Sofia, Bulgaria
Gustavo Nolasco, Universidade do Algarve, Portugal
Takuhito Nozoe, National Agriculture Research Center, Japan
Christopher Ochieng Ojiewo, The World Vegetable Centre,
Tanzania
Mary M. Peet, North Carolina State University, USA
Suprasanna Penna, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India
Edouard Pesquet, John Innes Centre, UK
S. Reza Pezeshki, University of Memphis, USA
Gopi K. Podila, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA
Valentin Popa, Technical Universitry of Iasi, Romania
Majeti Narashima Vara Prasad, University of Hyderabad, India
Ksenija Radotić, Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Serbia
Aluri Jacob Solomon Raju, Andhra University, India
Moshe Reuveni, The Volcani Center, Israel
Salehi Jouzani Gholam Reza, Agricultural Biotechnology
Research Institute of Iran, Iran
Nedeljka Rosic, University of Queensland, Australia
Shyamal K. Roy, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
Youssef G. Rouphael, Lebanese University, Lebanon
Hossein Sabouri, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences &
Natural Resources, Iran
Mohammad Jamal Saharkhiz, Shiraz University, Iran
Ivan Yu. Sakharov, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Ivan Salamon, Presov University, Slovak Republic
Blanca San Segundo, Centre for Research in Agricultural
Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB, Spain
Sanjai Saxena, Thapar University, India
Shigeru Satoh, Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan
Sergey Shabala, University of Tasmania, Australia
Junjie Shan, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology,
China
M. Mehdi Sharifani, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences
& Natural Resources, Iran
Pradeep Sharma, Tohoku University, Japan
Nathan Sharon, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Neeta Shrivastava, B. V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and
Research Development (PERD) Centre, India
Zamin Shaheed Siddiqui, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Luke Simon, The Queen's University of Belfast, UK
Harminder Pal Singh, Panjab University, India
Rudra P. Singh, Potato Research Centre, Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Zora Singh, Curtin University of Technology, Australia
Iryna Smetanska, Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops,
Germany
Alan Smith, University of Minnesota, USA
Christine Stone, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia
Angelina Subotić, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša
Stanković", Serbia
Sivaramakrishnan Sudhakaran, AIMST University, Malaysia
James T. Tambong, Agric & Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Karen Tanino, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Judith Thomas, North Carolina State University, USA
Lining Tian, Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Kin-Ying To, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Ilias S. Travlos, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Greece
Leena Tripathi, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
Uganda
Rong Tsao, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Canada
David Twell, Leicester University, UK
Ernő Tyihák, Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, Hungary
Jaap M. van Tuyl, Wageningen University and Research Center,
The Netherlands
Rajeev K. Varshney, International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics, India
Boris B. Vartapetian, Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Selvakumar Veluchamy, North Carolina State University, USA
Sher Singh Verma, Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural
University, India
Aiming Wang, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada/The University
of Western Ontario, Canada
Anand K. Yadav, Fort Valley State University, USA
Teferi Yeshitela, OMNIA FERTILIZER Pty., LTD, South Africa
Adnan Younis, University of Agriculture, Pakistan
Hao Yu, National University of Singapore, Singapore
David Zlesak, University of Minnesota, USA

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Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology ©2011 Global Science Books, Ltd.
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Guest Editor
Dr. Ashraf A. Khalil
Mubarak City for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Egypt
Cover photos/figures: Top left plate: Micropropagation of Capparis spinosa from mature plant (Musallam et al., pp 17-21).
Top right late: Early dying symptoms observed 60 days post-inoculation on potato ‘Spunta’ plants inoculated with two V.
dahliae isolates (A and B), V. albo-atrum (C) and V. tricorpus compared with non-inoculated control (NIC) plants (Daami-
Remadi et al., pp 1-8). Bottom right: Agarose gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR products obtained by using cryI (Aa)-
specific primers tested on Bacillus thuringiensis isolates (Azzam et al., pp 52-56). Bottom left structures: Flavones isolated
from Varthemia iphionoides, with specifically selina-4, 11(13)-dien-on-12-oic acid (Al-Dabbas et al., pp 69-72).
Disclaimers: All comments, conclusions, opinions, and recommendations are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the publisher, or the Editor(s). GSB does not specifically endorse any product mentioned in any
manuscript, and accepts product descriptions and details to be an integral part of the scientific content.
Printed in Japan on acid-free paper.
Published: January, 2011.

The Guest Editor
Dr. Ashraf A. Khalil
Dr. Ashraf A. Khalil holds a position of associate professor at Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (GEBRI),
Mubarak City for Science and Technology (MuCSAT). In 2000, he obtained his PhD degree from Cairo University in
Microbial Biotechnology in cooperation with Lund University, Sweden. Afterwards, he got postdoc trainings at Dept of
Biotechnology, Dept of Developmental Biology, Dept of Protein Chemistry and Dept of Neurosurgery. All were at Lund
University, Sweden. In 2004, he carried out his 2 nd Master study in Biomedicine at the University of Lund’s Faculty of
Medicine in order to gain a strong foundation in the techniques of clinical proteomics. That was one of the major milestones
in Khalil's research career in which he discovered novel brain cancer biomarkers using the-state-of-the-art technology. In
2007, he came back Egypt and built his own team in GEBRI and supervised many biotechnological-oriented studies,
including environmental biomarkers, animal modeling, natural products and bioactive proteins. Khalil is a fellow of
European Organization for Molecular Biology (EMBO) and American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). He is a
member of the editorial board of some peer-reviewed journals such as World Journal of Clinical Oncology. Along his career
he published more than 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Khalil has intensive and wide hands-on experience on
isolation and handling of microbial pathogens, 2D electrophoresis, western blot, immunoprecipitation, gel documentation,
protein purification protocols. And also has good experience with bioinformatics such as sequence databases & analysis,
graphical visualization of 3D structure, protein structure prediction, protein homology modeling, protein fold recognition,
expression analysis, 2D image analysis. Khalil is most proud of his graduate students, whom continue to bring excellence to
his laboratory and the institute. According to Khalil, working with graduate students is the most gratifying part of his job.
“There is no greater experience than working with talented young people and being part of their accomplishments.”.

Foreword
Ashraf A. Khalil
Biotechnologist
Mubarak City for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Egypt
E-mail: Ashraf_khalil@msn.com, egyprot@yahoo.com, bionat01@gmail.com
Dear friends, colleagues, and BioNat's participants
I am very glad to write the "foreword" for the proceedings of our successful conference *Plant Natural Products: from
Biodiversity to Bioindustry* (BioNat-1) held in Cairo, Egypt December 8-10, 2009.
First, let me tell you something, from an early age, I have been fascinated by the ways in which the different
civilizations could be interacted and integrated. I had a belief that the processes of reason and the passions of emotion define
the human experience. And that was "1 st " driving sources to manage this conference. I was very interested to meet different
scientists from different countries. So what was the "2 nd " driving source? The thing that driven the whole development of
the bioscience industry is this: quality of life. We want to live forever with a good quality of life. Unfortunately, seriously,
there are some horrible diseases: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and neurological diseases. It gets awful,
30,000 different diseases affect the human being. To date, we do not have all the answers. The pharmaceutical industry has
only targeted over 500 biological targets in the body and we have probably developed several thousand drugs for just about
2,500 diseases. So, there’s a long way to go.
The biotech community started about 30 years ago in a very small way and is still a growing sector. Over 350 million
lives have been saved by the biotechnology industry already; over 800 drugs are on the market from biotechnology
companies; 2000 drugs are in the clinic. But there’s still a long, long way to go until we develop medicines to try and tackle
the dreaded 30,000 human disorders. Nevertheless, despite the power and promise of modern medicine, large segments of
the world’s population cannot or do not obtain benefits of modern medicine. More than 80 percent of people in developing
countries cannot afford the most basic medical procedures, drugs, and vaccines. Among wealthier populations in both
developed and developing countries, alternative or traditional medicine is popular although proof of their safety and
effectiveness is modest.
Alternative medicine is different from what is known as scientific medicine approaches that emerged primarily in
industrialized countries during the past two centuries. Most alternative medicine evolved with indigenous peoples and
spread through migration. According to the WHO, alternative medicine approaches vary widely between and within
countries. In developing countries, alternative medicine is the main source of health care for the majority of people. In
developed countries, people selectively use these approaches: up to 60 percent of French, German, and British use
homeopathic or herbal products, whereas only 10 percent of Americans use herbals.
Despite widespread use, slight scientific evidence confirms the safety or effectiveness of most complementary or
alternative approaches. For example, in America, herbals are regulated by the FDA as “dietary supplements,” rather than as
a “food or drug.” Because of this labeling, they are regulated by less strict standards. Herbals are highly variable in quality
and composition and may contain unintended contaminants, such as heavy metals.
Fortunately, our event, BioNat-1, presented some answers to the points that I have highlighted. This international event
gave its attendants, especially young scientists, the opportunities for developing a network in the field of natural products
and alternative medicine. Up to my knowledge, this is the first time in Euro-Mediterranean area to have such international
meeting focusing on plant natural products. Collaborative research projects parallel to strengthening own scientific

competency will drive Euro-Mediterranean area to the right way, a way of partnership and association. On the other hand, I
do believe that "young scientists" will help Egypt to get into the world of advanced technology, which is the essence of
advanced nations and a necessity national security. Is this a wild dream or a realistic vision? The facts on the ground point to
the latter. Young scientists armed with ambition, holding a solid hope and supervised with "well-trained" supervisors is set
to hand over a new success story in the advanced sciences.
BioNat's themes were biodiversity, protection, conservation & chemical ecology; biological actions of medicinal plants
and their extracts; biosynthesis, molecular, structure elucidation and medical aspects; abiotic and biotic stresses and its
influence on secondary metabolites; plant biotechnology, plant toxins and drug discovery; and plant natural products as
health promoters and food additives. Is it pleasurable to state that our conference attracted 10 invited speakers, 40 oral
presentations, 85 posters and more than 250 attendees? The answer, for sure, YES IT IS.
We, BioNat-1 team, extend our gratitude to "you", whatsoever, sponsor, speaker, poster presenter or attendee. Special
thanks are to Dr. Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Global Science Books Ltd., UK Editor-in-Chief), and Kasumi Shima for their
professional, technical, and editorial assistance throughout preparing this proceedings.
Thanks for all BioNat-1 attendees and looking forward to seeing you in BioNat-2.
January, 2011

Foreword
Prof. Ahmad R. Bassiouny
Molecular Therapeutics, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt
Medicinal plants find application in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural and food industry. The use of the medicinal herbs
for curing disease has been documented in history of all civilizations. Man in the pre-historic era was probably not aware
about the health hazards associated with irrational therapy. With the onset of research in medicine, man was completely
dependent on medicinal herbs for prevention and treatment of diseases. With introduction of scientific procedures the
researchers, were able to understand about toxic principles present in the green flora.
The efficacy of some herbal products is beyond doubt, the most recent examples being Silybum marianum (silymarin),
Artemisia annua (artemesinin) and Taxus baccata (taxol).
Diabetes mellitus is an area where a lot of research is going on. Ajuga reptens (the active principle is said to potentiate
effects of insulin), Galagea officinalis (galagine), Bougainvillea spectabilis (pinitol), Momordica charantia (chirantin),
Gymnema sylvestre (gymnemic acid) are some medicinal herbs that have shown effectiveness in non-insulin dependent
diabetes.
In Egypt The Medicinal Plants Conservation Project (MPCP) is a national project that aims at examining and
eliminating the root causes to the loss in biodiversity and addressing the threats to the conservation and sustainable use of
medicinal plants in Egypt through a number of interventions, while at the same time empowering the Bedouin community to
use and manage its resources in a sustainable manner.
Saint Katherine in Egypt is one of world's most amazing areas, not only for its natural landscape, but also for its
medicinal plant diversity that is attracting national and global interest. With its high mountains and deep valleys in the
southern Sinai Peninsula and its relatively unexplored desert ecosystem of flora and fauna, the St. Katherine Protectorate is
a truly amazing, unique and important area.
The global significance of species found in the St. Katherine’s Protectorate is not only related to the uniqueness of flora
and habitat, but also due to use value. At least 47% have medicinal, aromatic, cosmetic or culinary uses, in addition to being
used as fodder or fuel.
Most known Egyptian medicinal plants:
1. Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle): Diuretic and choleretic effects, decreasing the viscosity of the blood, reducing
blood pressure and stimulating intestinal peristalsis.
2. Majoranum hortensis (Marjoram): stimulant, carminative, emmenagogue.
3. Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil): Cure for nervous headaches and insecticidal potent
4. Matricaria recutita (Camomile): treat sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, and as a gentle sleep aid
5. Lawsonia inermis (Henna): Anti toe fungus, anti high pressure especially in head, preservative for leather and
cloth.
6. family Lamiaceae (Sage or mint): treat stomach ache and chest pains, anti-itch drugs.
7. Tamarindus indica (Tamarind): used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, icecreams
and all manner of snack. It is also consumed as a natural laxative.
8. Glossostemon bruguieri (Moghat): treatment of gout and spasms, and as a tonic and nutritive agent.
9. Salvadora persica (Arak): contain an antibiotic which suppress growth of bacteria and the formation of plaque in
the mouth.
10. Calotropis procera: treatment for elephantiasis and leprosy, and is efficacious in cases of chronic eczema, also for

diarrhea and dysentery.
11. family Lilliaceae (Urgina maritime): heal neurological pains, skin problems, deep wounds and eye afflictions.
The objective of the 1 st Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Plant Natural Products was beautifully achieved. It was to
promote further collaborations between chemists, biologists and human health related disciplines and to focus on expanded
possibilities of polyphenols for their application in human health, nutrition, and the food industry. This meeting provided an
opportunity for the members of the “Herb family” to discuss ideas with experts on herbal medicines and natural product
chemistry and an exciting venue for GA participants to exchange scientific information. During the conference Italian and
Egyptian pioneers discussed novel approaches to improve the production and delivery of plant health-promoting compounds
through encapsulations into nano/micro-carriers. They presented data on application of certain plants products and their
importance in treatment of cancer, GI tract disturbances and diabetes such as camphor, garlic and green tea products. They
also discussed the concepts of medicinal plant metabolites.
January, 2011

SPECIAL ISSUE: CONTENTS
Mejda Daami-Remadi, Hayfa Jabnoun-Khiareddine, Fakher Ayed, Mohamed El Mahjoub (Tunisia) Comparative
Aggressiveness of Verticillium dahliae, V. albo-atrum and V. tricorpus on Potato as Measured by their Effects on Wilt Severity,
Plant Growth and Subsequent Yield Loss
Ashwani Sharma, Ranga Rao Ambati, Dayananda Chandrappa, Sarada Ravi, Ravishankar Gokare Aswathanarayana
(India) Botryococcus braunii, a New Elicitor for Secondary Metabolite Production in Capsicum frutescens
Anu Annamma Mammen, Joyce Sudandara Priya, Cordilea Hannah (India) Genotoxic Effect of Furazolidone, an
Anti-diarrhoeal Drug on the Root Meristem of Allium cepa L.
1
9
14
Proceedings papers
Iyad Musallam, Mahmud Duwayri, Rida A. Shibli (Jordan) Micropropagation of Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) from Wild
Plants
Abdoallah A. Sharaf, Ahmed Bahieldin, Samir A. Ibrahim, Aly Z. Abdelsalam, Ashraf A. Khalil (Egypt) Biochemical and
Genetic Characterization of 12 Silybum marianum Accessions Collected from Borg El-Arab, an Egyptian Habitat
Nesreen M. El-Said, Ashraf I. Nagib, Zeinab A. Rahman, Sahar F. Deraz (Egypt) Prickly Pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.)
Mill] Peels: Chemical Composition, Nutritional Value and Protective Effects on Liver and Kidney Functions and Cholesterol in
Rats
Hashim A. Abdel-Rahman, Abdel-Moty H. M. Hassanein, Nabawy A. I. Elkattan, Eman H. Ismail (Egypt) Evaluation of
Twenty Botanical Extracts and Products as Sources of Repellents, Toxicants and Protectants for Stored Grains against the
Almond Moth, Cadra cautella
Saadya M. Elbermawy, Nabawy A. I. Elkattan, Khalafalla S. Ahmed, Rabab M. Abdel-Gawad (Egypt) Screening for
Bioactive Plant Materials against House Fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae)
Marwa Azzam, Khaled Soliman, Fatma Talkhan (Egypt), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Atef Abdel-Razek, Hosni
Aboassy, Aly Abdelsalam (Egypt) Identification of Some Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates by PCR and their Potential against the
Cotton Leaf Worm
Tarek A. Elbashiti, Abdelraouf A. Elmanama, Atef A. Masad (Palestine) The Antibacterial and Synergistic Effects of Some
Palestinian Plant Extracts on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus
Mohamed El Sayed, Doaa A. Ghareeb, Eman M. Sarhan, Ashraf A. Khalil (Egypt) Therapeutic Bio-screening of the
Bioactive Ingredients of Berberis vulgaris
Maher M. Al-Dabbas, Ruba Abu-Taleb, Khalid Al-Ismail (Jordan) Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Extracts
and Compounds Isolated from Varthemia (Varthemia iphionoides Bloiss)
Joy I. Odimegwu, Steve O. Ogbonnia, Olukemi A. Odukoya (Nigeria) Evaluation of Anti-diabetic Synergism of Two African
Plants (Treculia africana and Bryophyllum pinnatum) using STZ-diabetic Models
Galila Yacout, Doaa A. Ghareeb, Nihal M. Elguindy, Alshimaa A. Abd Elmoneam (Egypt) Phytochemical Constituents and
Bioscreening Activities of Alexandria Mediterranean Sea Green and Red Algae
Enas N. Danial, Ashraf A. Khalil, Waill A. El Khateeb, Ghada E. A. Awad (Egypt) Assessment of Phenolic Content, Free
Radical-Scavenging Capacity and Antimicrobial Activities of 28 Marine Filamentous Fungi
Ruckmani Kandasamy (India), Saravanan Karumbayaram (USA), Nilani Packianathan, Duraisamy Basuviah,
Dhamodaran Perumalsami Reddy, Elango Kannan (India) Hypertrophic Scar Management with a Flavonoid Fraction of
Cyphomandra betacea
Sameh AbouZid (Egypt) Evaluation of Usefulness of Wild Plants Growing in Beni-Sueif Region, Upper Egypt
Nilani Packianathan, Ruckmani Kandasamy (India) Skin Care with Herbal Exfoliants
17
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Mejda Daami-Remadi, Hayfa Jabnoun-Khiareddine, Fakher Ayed, Mohamed El Mahjoub (Tunisia) Comparative
Aggressiveness of Verticillium dahliae, V. albo-atrum and V. tricorpus on Potato as Measured by their Effects on Wilt Severity,
Plant Growth and Subsequent Yield Loss (pp 1-8)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Verticillium wilt is among the most serious diseases of potato in Tunisia. Three Verticillium species
are involved in potato vascular wilt symptoms. The present study evaluated the pathogenic abilities of different Verticillium spp.
isolates on the basis of their effects on wilt severity, plant growth and subsequent yield loss. Artificial inoculation of potato cv.
‘Spunta’ plants showed, 60 days post-inoculation (DPI), that all the Verticillium spp. isolates adversely affected the inoculated
plants compared to the uninoculated control. A high degree of pathogenic variability among Verticillium spp. isolates, and
especially those of V. dahliae was detected, according to their differential ability to cause wilt and browning of the vascular
system together with a reduction in plant height, aerial part weight and tuber yield. Although, V. dahliae isolates were the most
aggressive on potato plants, some V. albo-atrum and V. tricorpus isolates were found to be as aggressive as some V. dahliae
isolates, according to our experiment conditions. All three Verticillium spp. seem to contribute, to variable degrees, to the potato
Verticillium wilt complex in Tunisia. To our knowledge this is the first report of V. albo-atrum and V. tricorpus with comparable
aggressiveness as some V. dahliae isolates on potato in Tunisia.
Ashwani Sharma, Ranga Rao Ambati, Dayananda Chandrappa, Sarada Ravi, Ravishankar Gokare Aswathanarayana
(India) Botryococcus braunii, a New Elicitor for Secondary Metabolite Production in Capsicum frutescens (pp 9-13)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Botryococcus braunii is a green colonial microalga which is mainly used for the production of
hydrocarbons, exopolysaccharides and carotenoids. The present study revealed that some of the bioactive principles that are
present in the algal extracts of B. braunii influence growth parameters, pigment and secondary metabolites production in
Capsicum frutescens at different levels (1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/l). Upon treatment with different B. braunii extracts seed germination,
root length, shoot length and leaf length were enhanced in both light and dark conditions. A two-fold increase in germination
occurred when 8 mg/l of B. braunii extract was applied, both in the light and in the dark. Similarly, a 1-1.5-fold increased in shoot
and leaf length was observed with 8 mg/l of B. braunii extract, a 2-3-fold increase in chlorophyll and a 2-fold increase in
carotenoid content after exposure of C. frutescens to 8 mg/l of B. braunii extract. Vanillylamine was enhanced by 1-1.5-fold,
capsaicin by 2-2.5-fold and 2-fold compared to the control after 15 days of incubation with the maximum concentration of B.
braunii.
Anu Annamma Mammen, Joyce Sudandara Priya, Cordilea Hannah (India) Genotoxic Effect of Furazolidone, an
Anti-diarrhoeal Drug on the Root Meristem of Allium cepa L. (pp 14-16)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: The present work was conducted to study the genotoxic effect of Furazolidone, an anti-diarrhoeal drug. Onion
root meristems were cultured and analyzed after exposure to different time periods to the drug. There was a time-dependent
decrease in mitotic indices and an increase in chromosomal anomalies compared to the control. Cell division was completely
arrested after 24 hours of incubation with 0.05% Furazolidone. This study proves the genotoxic effect of Furazolidone and
emphasizes the prevention of the use of this drug in medicine.
Proceedings papers
Iyad Musallam, Mahmud Duwayri, Rida A. Shibli (Jordan) Micropropagation of Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) from Wild Plants
(pp 17-21)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Caper bush is grown commercially to obtain unopened flower buds (capers) used as a condiment in
salads and sauces and in the manufacture of cosmetics and medicines. Capers play an important role in the food industry and
have become a costly and a commercially valuable product. The effect of various treatments on the behavior of in vitro
consecutive micropropagation stages of Capparis spinosa was studied and a micropropagation protocol was developed. Many
media were tested; Murashige and Skoog (MS) at different basal salt strengths, modified MS (½MSD) and woody plant medium

(WPM) for the establishment stage. WPM was found to be the best medium for establishment of mother plants. Multiple shoots
were obtained on WPM medium supplemented with 0.8 mgL -1 kinetin in combination with 0.05 mgL -1 indole-3-butyric acid and
0.1 mgL -1 gibberellic acid. High frequency (80%) of rooting was obtained on ½MS medium supplemented with 5 mgL -1
indole-3-acetic acid. Regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized with 63% survival.
Abdoallah A. Sharaf, Ahmed Bahieldin, Samir A. Ibrahim, Aly Z. Abdelsalam, Ashraf A. Khalil (Egypt) Biochemical and
Genetic Characterization of 12 Silybum marianum Accessions Collected from Borg El-Arab, an Egyptian Habitat (pp 22-29)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Silybum marianum, known as milk thistle (MT), a plant that grows throughout the Mediterranean,
southern Europe and parts of the US, has been used for some 2000 years as both food and medicine. The aims of this study
were to determine the morphological, biochemical (protein profile and isozyme) and molecular (RAPD- and ISSR-PCR)
characteristics of MT and to identify and quantify its active ingredients. Twelve accessions of MT collected from Borg El-Arab,
an Egyptian habitat located at the north/west coast, were tested. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis indicated that two accessions
cultivated in location 3 had specific bands. Data analysis of isozyme banding patterns showed different migration rates for four
isozymes (α- and β-esterase, peroxidase and acid phosphatase). These isozymes, belonging to different Silybum accessions
found in the locations, may represent a degree of genetic variation. RAPD-PCR fingerprinting resulted in 83 amplicons (DNA
bands), 33 of which were polymorphic. Furthermore, 10 accessions proved to have specific molecular markers. ISSR-PCR
fingerprinting resulted in 40 amplicons, 16 of which were polymorphic. Six accessions-specific markers were found for MT
accessions. The estimation of genetic distance based on SDS-PAGE, isozymes, RAPD-PCR and ISSR-PCR ranged from 85 to
95%.
Nesreen M. El-Said, Ashraf I. Nagib, Zeinab A. Rahman, Sahar F. Deraz (Egypt) Prickly Pear [Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill]
Peels: Chemical Composition, Nutritional Value and Protective Effects on Liver and Kidney Functions and Cholesterol in Rats
(pp 30-35)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Extract of prickly pear peels (PPPs) were evaluated for its chemical and nutritional composition and
toxicity on liver and kidney function, as well as low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol level on Sprague-Dawley rats. The
proximate composition based on the dried weight (DW) of PPPs were: 18.50% moisture; 7% ether extract; 4.5% protein; 8%
total ash; 4.9% crude fiber; 81.5% total solid, followed by both 12.8 and 288.7 mg/100 g carotenoids and ascorbic acid,
respectively. Mineral analysis showed a high amount of Mg, Ca and Na: 987.2, 951.5 and 925.0 mg/100 g, respectively,
followed by K (320.0 mg/100 g). Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu contents were lower 129.0, 90.8, 90.0 and 47.8, respectively. Sucrose and
galacturonic acid were the main sugars. Linolenic acid (29%) was the main fatty acid followed by both palmitic (23.7%) and
oleic acids (19.7%). The polyunsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid (18:2 and 18:3) and oleic acid were also detected in higher
amounts than saturated fatty acids (2: 1). In addition, kidney functions (blood urea and serum creatinine) of the treated group as
well as the activity of liver enzymes viz aspartate tansaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were not significantly
altered. However, the LDL-cholesterol level in the treated group was significantly decreased compared to the control. In
conclusion, PPPs have no toxic effect on liver and kidney of rats and have significant nutritional value. Information provided by
our work is valuable for further investigation on PPPs and its utilization as a raw material of functional foods industry.
Hashim A. Abdel-Rahman, Abdel-Moty H. M. Hassanein, Nabawy A. I. Elkattan, Eman H. Ismail (Egypt) Evaluation of
Twenty Botanical Extracts and Products as Sources of Repellents, Toxicants and Protectants for Stored Grains against the
Almond Moth, Cadra cautella (pp 36-44)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Management of stored product pests using substances of natural origin is nowadays the subject of
much research. The effectiveness of 20 botanical extracts and products was evaluated for protecting stored corn meal against
Cadra cautella Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) infestation. Toxicity of the botanical materials was evaluated through screening
of the tested botanicals on adults’ oviposition preference and the mortality of eggs and larvae. Besides, the repellency effect of
the tested plant materials was evaluated against C. cautella larvae (20-days old). Repellency tests were carried out through
food and area preference tests. Results showed that cedar wood oil, clove buds powder and orange oil were the most
promising materials in protecting stored corn meal against C. cautella infestation.

Saadya M. Elbermawy, Nabawy A. I. Elkattan, Khalafalla S. Ahmed, Rabab M. Abdel-Gawad (Egypt) Screening for
Bioactive Plant Materials against House Fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) (pp 45-51)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Ground parts of various plants viz Cupressus sempervirens, Cupressus macrocarpa, Euphorbia
pereskiifolia, Pelargonium zonale, Plumeria rubra (leaves), Lantana camara (leaves and flowers); Cyperus rotundus (whole
plant); Acacia nilotica (seeds); Simmondsia chinensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Amygdalus communis, Citrus maxima, C.
sempervirens (essential oils, EOs) were evaluated for their repellent potential, antifeedant activity and larvicidal activity towards
Musca domestica larvae. In filter paper repellency tests, A. communis EO produced a repellent activity of class II, P. rubra and
C. rotundus powders showed no repellent activity (class 0), and the remaining plant materials produced repellent activity of
class I. In food preference tests, antifeedant activity, P. zonale and E. globulus were the most effective repellents while C.
macrocarpa powder came in second followed by C. rotundus and A. nilotica. During preliminary screening, the tested plants
showed high larvicidal effects. The most outstanding possible plant candidates for controlling M. domestica were L. camara, P.
zonale, A. nilotica, C. rotundus, C. macrocarpa and C. sempervirens with LC 50s of 1.37, 1.24, 3.78, 3.24, 12.16 and 20.59 g/100
g, respectively. The LC 50s of A. communis and S. chinensis were 1.274 and 1.67 mL/100 g, respectively.
Marwa Azzam, Khaled Soliman, Fatma Talkhan (Egypt), Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva (Japan), Atef Abdel-Razek, Hosni
Aboassy, Aly Abdelsalam (Egypt) Identification of Some Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates by PCR and their Potential against the
Cotton Leaf Worm (pp 52-56)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Bacillus thuringiensis produces unique crystalline cytoplasmic inclusion bodies during the process
of sporulation. Both spores and inclusion bodies are released upon lysis of the parent bacterium at the end of sporulation and if
ingested these spores and crystals act as poisons for certain insects. Therefore, B. thuringiensis is referred to as a stomach
poison. Twenty five isolates of B. thuringiensis were tested for the presence of both crystal protein by a microscopic
examination and the cryI (Aa) gene using PCR. The microscopic examination revealed that nine of the 25 isolates had the
bipyramodial shaped crystal protein, a distinguishing feature of B. thuringiensis, and which is active against insects of the order
Lepidoptera. Detection of the cryI (Aa) gene with PCR, using specific primers CJI-1 and CJI-2, revealed that all nine isolates
which have crystal protein, also had the cryI (Aa) gene. Screening of these isolates with the cotton leaf worm (Spodoptera
littoralis, order Lepidoptera) showed that M 5, ATCF and M 8 isolates were the most toxic.
Tarek A. Elbashiti, Abdelraouf A. Elmanama, Atef A. Masad (Palestine) The Antibacterial and Synergistic Effects of Some
Palestinian Plant Extracts on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (pp 57-62)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: The antimicrobial activity and synergistic effect of some local plant extracts were evaluated against
Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Seven crude extracts from five plants obtained through four different extraction
methods were screened and tested against E. coli and S. aureus. Extracts from Cakile maritima (roots and shoots), Cakile
maritima (seeds), Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (whole plant), Atriplex halimus (leaves), Withania somnifera (leaves),
Marrubium vulgare (stem and leaves) were tested. There was no antibacterial activity in any plant extracts against E. coli except
for C. maritima (seeds) when extracted by ethanol with an inhibition zone = 13 mm. However, antibacterial potentials were
observed against S. aureus when treated with extracts of W. somnifera (leaves) with an inhibition zone = 25 mm, M. vulgare
(stems) with an inhibition zone = 15 mm and M. vulgare (leaves) with an inhibition zone = 13 mm, all of which were extracted by
ethanol. The synergistic effect of plant extracts and antibiotics showed promising results against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The results obtained with E. coli were particularly interesting since it was inhibited by antibiotics combined with C. maritima
(roots, shoots and seeds), M. crystallinum (whole plant), M. vulgare (stem and leaves) extracts at least in one extraction method
(ethanol for 8 h). This inhibition was not observed with the individual plant extracts alone but when they were used with the
ineffective antibiotics. Some of the extracts showed a synergistic activity when tested against S. aureus. However, when A.
halimus (leaves) were extracted by water reflux and C. maritima (seeds), W. somnifera (leaves) and M. vulgare (stem) were
extracted by methanol for 5 days, they showed no synergistic effect. Overall, the highest synergistic effect was observed when
the plant extracts were treated with tetracycline and minocycline against both E. coli and S. aureus.

Mohamed El Sayed, Doaa A. Ghareeb, Eman M. Sarhan, Ashraf A. Khalil (Egypt) Therapeutic Bio-screening of the
Bioactive Ingredients of Berberis vulgaris (pp 63-68)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.; family Berberidaceae) is a well known plant with traditional herbal
medical history. The objectives of the present study were to explore the phytochemical constituents of barberry and to bioscreen
its crude extracted bioactive ingredients. The effect of barberry’s ingredients on lipid peroxidation in chicken liver and human
semen acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-gulcosidase activities were spectrophotometrically determined. Our results showed
that barberry contains a 71% total phenolic content, including alkaloids (2.6%), flavonoids (4.9%) and saponin (0.3%). Barberry
extract showed potent antioxidative capacity through a decrease in thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) in liver
homogenate, human seminal plasma and spermatozoa by 62.5, 72.6 and 96.5%, respectively. Hepatic α-glucosidase activity
was enhanced by 51.4% while AChE activity was inhibited by 71%. This work demonstrates the potential of the bioactive
ingredients of barberry on suppressing lipid peroxidation, suggesting a promising use in the treatment of hepatic oxidative
stress, Alzheimer and idiopathic male factor infertility.
Maher M. Al-Dabbas, Ruba Abu-Taleb, Khalid Al-Ismail (Jordan) Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Extracts and
Compounds Isolated from Varthemia (Varthemia iphionoides Bloiss) (pp 69-72)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and antiproliferation activity
against human leukemia (HL-60) cells in vitro for hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous extracts of aerial parts of
Varthemia iphionoides. The ethyl acetate extract showed a pronounced antibacterial activity against four bacterial and three
candidal species. Hexane and ethanol extracts showed a pronounced antiproliferation effect on human leukemia (HL-60) cells
(P < 0.05), with a 89.0 and 62.3 inhibition percentage, respectively at 200 μg/mL. Fractionation of ethyl acetate and ethanol
extracts and further purification by columns chromatography afforded sesquiterpene, selina-4, 11(13)-dien-3-on-12-oic acid (1)
from ethyl acetate extract and three 3-O-methylated flavones; 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,6-dimethoxyflavone (2),
5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3,5'-dimethoxyflavone (3) and 5,4'-dihydroxy-3,7,5'-trimethoxy-flavone (4) from ethanol extract. Compound (1)
showed a pronounced antibacterial activity against studied microorganisms except Listeria monocytogenes and showed almost
no inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HL-60 cells. Compound (4) exhibited the highest anticandidal activity and great
antiproliferative activity against leukemia (HL-60) cells with inhibition percentage of 66.7 at 200 μg/mL. Compounds 2 and 3
inhibited completely the proliferation of human leukemia (HL-60) cells at 200 μg/mL and showed low antimicrobial activities.
Joy I. Odimegwu, Steve O. Ogbonnia, Olukemi A. Odukoya (Nigeria) Evaluation of Anti-diabetic Synergism of Two African
Plants (Treculia africana and Bryophyllum pinnatum) using STZ-diabetic Models (pp 73-78)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Diabetics’ mortality is mostly attributed to hyperglycaemia and its attendant vascular diseases and is
conventionally managed with medicines functioning as hypoglycaemic agents, insulin production-modulators, and
lipoprotein-lowering agents singly or in combinations. Some of these agents have adverse side effects hence alternatives are
highly sought for the management of disease conditions. Bioactive compounds from plants are sought-after candidates for drug
development since they provide lead structures for new or existing drug targets. Treculia africana and Bryophyllum pinnatum
are ethnobotanically used in Africa for the management of diabetes. Effects of aqueous ethanol (80%) extracts of T. africana
leaves and B. pinnatum plants singly and in (1:1) mixture on plasma glucose level (PGL), total triglycerides (TT), high density
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol (TC), aspartate aminotransferase
(AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and plasma creatinine levels (PCL) in Streptozotocin (STZ)–induced diabetic rats was
checked. A 1:1 T. africana and B. pinnatum mixture lowered the postprandial blood glucose level from 101.4 ± 2.2 mg/dl to 93.5
± 1.1 mg/dl in two hrs. Significant reduction (P ≤ 0.05) in STZ-induced diabetic rats’ blood glucose levels, TT levels, and an
increase in HDL were also observed. Our results suggest a rapid synergistic hypoglycaemic effect of a combined therapy of T.
africana and B. pinnatum in the management of hyperglycaemia. It provides a very promising lead for a rapid-acting oral
hypoglycaemic drug.
Galila Yacout, Doaa A. Ghareeb, Nihal M. Elguindy, Alshimaa A. Abd Elmoneam (Egypt) Phytochemical Constituents and
Bioscreening Activities of Alexandria Mediterranean Sea Green and Red Algae (pp 79-82)

ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Seaweeds, besides having many nutrients, also manifest potentially beneficial properties for the
treatment of various diseases. This study was carried out to investigate the bioactivities of green algae (Ulva lactuca) and red
algae (Jania rupin and Pterocladia capillacea) that were collected from Abu Kir beach, Alexandria coast. The bioactivity of these
algaes’ methanolic extracts were evaluated, including cell oxidants status, α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE)
activities. In addition, the coagulatory effect was assessed by measuring prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial
thromboplastin time (APTT). Our results showed that the green algae, and the two red algae extracts contained flavonoids (8.4,
17.4 and 16.75%), and phenolics (total phenolic content = 1.028, 1.23 and 1.11%, respectively). All the algal extracts showed a
significant antioxidant capacity, where they decreased the level of TBARS in liver homogenate or in human seminal plasma and
spermatozoa. Furthermore, J. rupin extract only inhibited hepatic α-glucosidase activity, while the other two algal extracts acted
as enzyme activators. Moreover, these algal extracts showed a potent inhibitory effect toward AChE activity. Finally, they all
showed anticoagulation properties by increasing PT and APTT. In conclusion, all three examined algae extracts could be used
for the treatment of some cardiovascular diseases. The methanolic extract of green algae is recommended for the treatment of
idiopathic male infertility and Alzheimer’s disease compared to the methanolic extracts of red algae. In addition, the methanolic
extracts of red algae have a potent hepatoprotective action compared to the green algae.
Enas N. Danial, Ashraf A. Khalil, Waill A. El Khateeb, Ghada E. A. Awad (Egypt) Assessment of Phenolic Content, Free
Radical-Scavenging Capacity and Antimicrobial Activities of 28 Marine Filamentous Fungi (pp 83-87)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Phenolic contents, free radical scavenging capacity, linoliec acid peroxidation and antimicrobial
activities were examined for a total of 28 fungus species isolated along the Red Sea coast of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to
determine their potential as a source of natural antioxidants. Total phenolic content were evaluated according to the
Folin-Ciocalteu procedure while the free radical scavenging activity was measured by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazy (DPPH)
method. Most of fungal extracts exhibited strong antioxidant properties. The linoliec acid peroxidation (I %) of fungal extracts
tested ranged from 44 to 98%. Aspergillus terrus EG15 and Aspergillus terrus EG14 exhibited the strongest radical scavenging
activity with DPPH inhibition of 98 and 93%, respectively. Total phenolic constituents of extracts tested ranged from 1.99 to
26.69 mg/g wet weight. Extracts were also found to possess antimicrobial activity against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria. The
results suggest that fungal extracts of some isolates exhibits a potential for use as natural antioxidant. Various factors such as
genus, species, cultivation conditions, extraction methods, among others, might be responsible for the observed differences.
Ruckmani Kandasamy (India), Saravanan Karumbayaram (USA), Nilani Packianathan, Duraisamy Basuviah,
Dhamodaran Perumalsami Reddy, Elango Kannan (India) Hypertrophic Scar Management with a Flavonoid Fraction of
Cyphomandra betacea (pp 88-90)
ABSTRACT
Short Communication: Cyphomandra betacea (Solanaceae) grows wild in India. The ethanolic fraction of the fruits of C.
betacea has a rich content of the bioflavonoid quercetin, which has antihistaminic and antiproliferative activities. A study was
carried out to evaluate the preventive and curative properties of a flavonoid fraction of C. betacea containing 3.47% quercetin
on an animal model of hypertrophic scarring. Four circular excisional wounds were produced on each ear of 10 rabbits. Sample
cream containing the flavonoid fraction of the ripe fruits of C. betacea was applied to one wound immediately and then three
times a day thereafter for four weeks as a preventive treatment and three times a day for eight weeks on one hypertrophic scar
as a curative treatment. Placebo cream was used on two of the other wounds and one wound was left untreated. Hypertrophic
scars developed in all untreated and placebo-treated wounds after four weeks and 60% of sample-treated wounds healed with
hypertrophic scars. The level of histamine and hydroxyproline increased significantly in placebo-treated wounds in the
preventive group and their levels in sample-treated wounds decreased significantly. In the curative group all the hypertrophic
scars were flattened after eight weeks’ treatment with sample and the histamine level was decreased significantly in
sample-treated scars with a slight decrease in hydroxyproline level compared to placebo-treated scars. Due to its antihistamine
activity, this flavonoid fraction could be used as a preventive or adjuvant curative treatment for hypertrophic scars.
Sameh AbouZid (Egypt) Evaluation of Usefulness of Wild Plants Growing in Beni-Sueif Region, Upper Egypt (pp 91-93)

ABSTRACT
Research Note: Extracts prepared from 20 commonly occurring wild plants growing in Beni-Sueif governorate, Upper Egypt
were tested for the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardenolides/bufadenolides, saponins, flavonoids and tannins. In
vitro antioxidant activity was tested only for plant extracts rich in flavonoids and/or tannins, 10 in total: Alhagi maurorum, Bidens
pilosa, Conyza dioscoridis, Dolichos lablab, Kochia indica, Phragmites communis, Polygonum salcifolium, Solanum nigrum,
Tamarix nilotica and Zygophyllum coccenium. In vitro antioxidant activity was tested using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl
(DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Extracts of B. pilosa and T. nilotica possessed good antioxidant activity having IC 50 values of
16.47 and 16.26 µg/mL, respectively.
Nilani Packianathan, Ruckmani Kandasamy (India) Skin Care with Herbal Exfoliants (pp 94-97)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: Exfoliation is the process of removal of removing the old, dead skin cells that cling to the skin’s outermost
surface. The two types of exfoliation are mechanical and chemical. People’s opportunities for seeking dermatological
assistance for a myriad of conditions, including acne, rosacea, striae, photodamage, and skin cancers have increased in recent
years. Chronological aging is a process of intrinsic or normal aging of the skin. Chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light leads to
photodamage of the skin, which is the leading cause of extrinsic aging, or alteration of the skin due to environmental exposure.
Management options for photodamaged skin include alpha-hydroxy acids, antioxidants, antiandrogens, moisturizers and
exfoliants. Many treatments are available to reverse the damage, but their efficacy remains to be proven and they may also
produce unwanted side effects. Herbal Exfoliant is a cleansing formula and treatment mask that detoxifies the skin and
stimulates its metabolism. It enhances absorption and retention of moisturizing agents and restores the skin’s own natural
moisture factor. Skin exfoliation improves the quality and tone of skin by assisting in the removal of dead skin cells from the
surface. Herbal Exfoliant produces soft, supple, re-energized skin and prevents premature skin aging.