Phytochemical Screening on Deverra tortuosa (Desf.)DC. Collected from Different Habitats in Egypt

Abstract

Deverra tortuosa is one of the dominant woody perennial shrubs (family Apiaceae). It spreads in arid regions characterized by strong climatic changes that affecting the production of bioactive natural products. In Egypt, it is widespread in the North-Western Coast and Western and Eastern deserts. It is used in folk medicine and as a fuel wood by local inhabitants. In the present study, qualitative and quantitative tests were performed to investigate the main chemical constituents (primary and secondary metabolites) of D. tortuosa collected from seventeen different locations represent six different habitats. It also aims to clarify the effect of several environmental conditions on the main biochemical components of the plant. In present study D. tortuosa grew in adverse environments particularly in summer, which improving the production and accumulation of some antioxidant compounds, including tannins alkaloids, cardiac glycosides flavonoids, saponins, phenols, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. D. tortuosa produces a high content of total carbohydrates (32.18% in salt marshes which recorded the highest EC= 0.54 mS/cm), crude protein (19.88% in sand flat), total alkaloids (111.5mg/g in road sides, which recorded lowest content of organic carbon = 0.16%), total tannins and total flavonoids (17.76 and 73.56mg/g respectively in fig fields, which characterized by high p H = 7.8). Consequently, D. tortuosa shrubs preferring the arid environment considered a new source of several and different metabolites contribute in drug improvement and investigate for unusual strategies to increase the efficiency of wild plants.