Capparis Species Research Articles

Medico-socio-religious uses of Capparis zeylanica L.

In the present study, distribution, morphology, biological activity, nutritional value, and traditional usage of Capparis species in general and Capparis zeylanica L. in particular are described. Different plant species are utilized in various Ayurvedic medicine formulations. Ancient texts including Shushrut, Dhanwantri, Nighantu, Kshem Kutulhan, and Madanpal highlight the medicinal benefits of Capparis. The paper presents the morphological characteristics and biological activity of the underused climber Capparis zeylanica for ethnomedicinal and socio-religious purposes.

Capparis spinosa (Capparaceae); A Survey on Morpho-ecologic Variation for Different Populations of Iran

Capparis spinosa grows naturally from the Atlantic coast of the Canary Islands and Morocco to the Black Sea, in Crimea and Armenia, and to the east side of the Caspian Sea in Iran. Capparis species are valuable as a resource for medicine, food, improving soil fertility, stabilizing dunes, fuel, timber, and livestock feed. In this research, sixteen populations of Capparis spinosa were collected from different locations in Iran and quantitative and qualitative data of morphological characters were revised. A multivariable statistical analysis was performed for the morphological characters of Capparis populations. The populations were classified into two main groups using a Ward'shierarchicalclustering method. We showed some of the climatic conditions correlate with morphological characters. Data obtained were standardized (Mean= 0, variance= 1) and used to estimate Euclidean distance for clustering and ordination analyses. PCA (Principal components analysis) was used to identify the most variable morphological characters among the studied populations. The Redundancy Analysis (RDA) was applied to the dataset of nine explanatory environmental variables (annual precipitation and temperature, number of frost days, relative humidity, potential evapotranspiration, minimum and maximum absolute temperatures, minimum temperature of the coldest month of the year, and maximum temperature of the warmest month). In the Flora of Iran and Flora Iranica C. spinosa and C. sicula are considered as synonyms, which are improved by this study.

The Inhibitory Effect of Capparis Ovata Polysaccharides on Cultured Pterygium Fibroblasts.

Objectives:Pterygium recurrence after removal surgery is an important problem. Polysaccharides obtained from Capparis species have been shown to possess various biological properties, including anti-tumor activity. This study was an investigation of the effect of Capparis ovata polysaccharides on cultured pterygium fibroblasts and a comparison with the effects of mitomycin C (MMC).Methods:Pterygium tissue samples were obtained during excision surgery from 3 patients with primary pterygium, and fibroblasts were isolated. Pterygium fibroblast cultures and L929 cell cultures were treated with different concentrations of MMC and Capparis ovata polysaccharides. Cell proliferation and migration were evaluated.Results:An MTT assay revealed that cell viability decreased with increasing concentrations of Capparis ovata polysaccharides in both cell types. MMC also inhibited the proliferation of both cell types. A scratch-wound assay indicated that both Capparis ovata polysaccharides and MMC molecules reduced proliferation and migration in the pterygium fibroblasts and L929 cells.Conclusion:The in vitro Capparis ovata polysaccharide inhibition of proliferation and migration of pterygium fibroblasts was similar to that of MMC. The results of this study suggested that Capparis ovata polysaccharides may be a valuable candidate drug to treat pterygium.

Species delimitation in Capparis (Capparaceae): Morphological and molecular

Capparis spinosa L. (Capparidaceae) is the largest genus of the family Capparaceae, distributed in pantropical region. C. spinosa is known as a medicinal plant species. In Iran, different parts of caper bush plants are used as diuretics, tonics and in treatment of malaria and joint disease. Till present time, there has been no detailed information available on molecular phylogeny and genetic structure of these species in the country. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim to investigate species delimitation by both morphological and molecular data and to reveal genetic diversity and population structure in these five of Capparis species. For this study, 108 randomly collected plants from 20 geographical populations in of Capparis species were used. We encountered extensive within species genetic and morphological diversity. ISSR molecular markers could delimit the studied species. STRUCTURE analysis revealed the occurrence gene flow between these species. The Mantel test showed correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance of the populations studied. Phylogenetic tree was constructed based on ITS data set which separated out-groups from the studied species. Genetic affinity of the studied species have been discussed.

Phenolic compounds, biological activities and trace elements of Capparis ovata var. canescens

Introduction: Capparis species (Capparaceae), also called caper, grow naturally in various regions of the world. Caper is a plant with medicinal and aromatic properties. Flower buds, root bark, and fruits of the plant are used in folk medicine due to their analgesic, wound healing, cell regeneration, tonic, and diuretic effects. Objective: The aim of this research was to evaluate in vitro (anti-urease, antioxidant, anticholinesterase) and in vivo (anti-inflammatory) biological activities of caper (C. ovata var. canescens). In addition, we aimed to identify its major phenolic compounds using high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and confirmate them using quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-LC/MS). Also, we quantified the concentrations of several trace and major elements in plant samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Methods: The antioxidant, anti-urease and anticholinesterase activities of different plant extracts were evaluated using DPPH, FRAP, ABTS/TEAC, Indophenol and Ellman tests. The identification of phenolic compounds and trace element contents was performed using HPLC and Q-TOF-LC/MS and ICP-MS. Results: Soxhlet methanol extract exhibited the strongest anti-urease, antioxidant (ABTS/TEAC) and anticholinesterase activity. Soxhlet and maceration methanol extracts demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effect in the altered edema size after the second hour of carrageenan injection. The active phenolic compounds in Soxhlet methanol extract were identified as rutin, quercetin-hexoside-hexoside, quercetin-3-O-hexoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside. In addition, the average concentrations of vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, copper, nickel, arsenic, selenium, zinc and lead were within the permissible limits defined by WHO for medicinal plants. However, it was found that the concentrations of cadmium and iron were higher than the maximum permissible limits. Conclusion: Our results suggest that although caper has a strong biological activity, it should be consumed carefully due to the excess amount of cadmium and iron elements it contains.

<p><strong>Plastome data provide insights into intra and interspecific diversity and <em>ndh</em> gene loss in <em>Capparis</em> (Capparaceae)</strong></p>

The genus Capparis is well known for its medicinal properties and many species of the genus are widely used in crude drug preparation. The present study is an effort to understand the inter and intraspecific plastome variations within genus Capparis using two newly sequenced plastomes. Plastome representatives from four taxa of Capparis were compared to understand the gene composition and arrangements within the genus. The LSC and SSC regions exhibited high nucleotide variation in Capparis species. The loss of two ndh genes from C. spinosa var. herbacea is reported for the first time. Moreover, we also report pseudogenization of seven genes from the genome of Capparis spinosa var. herbacea. In addition, rpl32-ccsA, atpF-atpH, petA-psbJ, trnL-trnF, trnH-psbA spacer region and one gene ycf1 were identified as potential barcodes for the genus Capparis based on inter and intraspecific variations.

HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn profiling of polyphenolics in different parts of Capparis spinosa and Capparis decidua as function of harvesting seasons

HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn analysis of different parts such as stem bark, shoot, flower, fruit and root of Capparis spinosa (C. spinosa) and Capparis decidua (C. decidua), collected in rainy and dry seasons from the Cholistan desert of Pakistan, depicted the occurrence of a wide array of phenolics with quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol derivatives along with dicaffeoylquinic acid, caffeoylquinic acid and feruloylquinic acid as the main compounds. Kaempferol-3-glucoside (28.02-167.21 μg g-1dw) was found to be the principal component in all tested parts of both species while dicaffeoylquinic acid was detected only in the flowers and roots. The roots exhibited maximum contents of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. The harvesting period significantly (p<0.05) affected the concentration of phenolics wherein the samples collected in rainy season offered greater levels of phenolics than their counterpart. The roots and fruits of both species were found to be rich sources of phenolics. The findings of this research suggest the harvesting of the selected wild Capparis species in rainy season to maximize their antioxidant and nutraceutical benefits.

Characterization of phenolics in different parts of selected Capparis species harvested in low and high rainfall season

The stem bark, shoot, fruit, flower and root from Capparis spinosa and Capparis decidua, harvested in April and September (corresponding to low and high rainfall season, respectively), were investigated for variations in the contents of total phenols, flavonoids and individual phenolics. Aqueous methanol (80%) soluble extracts from different parts of the selected species, were evaluated colorimetrically for total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC) and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation. Relatively, a higher extract yield (5.57–42.43%), TPC (157.3–348.6 GAE mg/100 g), TFC (229.2–584.9 CE mg/100 g) for both the species were recorded for September samples. Among the parts tested of both the species, fruits offered higher content of total phenolics (235.1–455.3 GAE mg/100 g) whereas flowers contained greater amount of flavonoids (96.7–269.9 CE mg/100 g). A notably variable content of phenolic compounds (0.24–94.22 mg/100 g) such as gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and sinapic acid were detected by RP-HPLC in different parts of the selected species; however, sinapic acid was not detected in the flowers of both the species. It can be concluded from the findings of the present study that season has significant effect on the phenolics profiling of Capparis plants and thus collection of different parts of the selected species in an appropriate season can be beneficial towards maximizing their functional food and nutraceutical benefits.

Intercomparative investigation of the total phenols, total flavonoids, In vitro and In vivo antioxidant activities of capparis Cartilaginea (Decne.) maire and weiller and Capparis Ovata Desf. from Jordan

Background: Plant-derived antioxidants have been products of choice in therapeutic formulations for their potent free radical scavenging activity and mitigating and curing illnesses and diseases associated with oxidative stress. Capparis L. includes species with unprecedented nutritional and medicinal values, and hence offers a diverse pool of phytochemicals implicated in antioxidant activity. Objective: The current study was designed to assess the chemical variation, total phenols content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of different extracts obtained from Capparis cartilaginea and Capparis ovata from Jordan. Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract from each species was partitioned in different solvents and the TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity for each extract was examined. The in vitro antioxidant activities were tested by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino–bis (3-ethylbenzoline-6-sulfonic acid diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging methods in addition to the metal ion chelating effect (MCE) and hydroxyl radical assay methods. The butanol extract was investigated for its in vivo effect on the activities of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in mice (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally for 12 days). Results: The butanol fraction of both plants had a dose-dependent in vitro antioxidant activity. The treatment of mice with the butanol extract of both species for 12 days significantly increased the activities of serum SOD and GPX. Principal component analysis indicated that DPPH, TFC, hydroxyl radical had major variability in the antioxidant activities of the two investigated Capparis species. Results of this study underscores enrichment of the two studied Capparis species with phenolics and flavonoids that could account for much of their antioxidant activities. Abbreviations used: C. cartilaginea: Capparis cartilaginea ; C. ovata: Capparis ovata; TPC: Total phenols content; TFC: Total flavonoids content; DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; ABTS: 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid; MC: Metal Chelating effect; Hydroxy: Hydroxyl radical assay; SOD: Serum superoxide dismutase; GPX: Glutathione Peroxidase ;PC: Principal Component.

Molecular phylogeny and genetic diversity of genus Capparis (Capparaceae) based on plastid DNA sequences and ISSR markers

Capparis (Capparaceae) has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient time. Capparis species were divided into Old World and New World taxa as described by the sectional division of Capparis. However, plastid DNA sequence data of Indian Capparis species were not analyzed in previous phylogenetic studies. Here, we have added Indian Capparis data in previous phylogeny and analyzed the relationship of Indian Capparis with Old World and New World taxa. The plastid phylogeny presented here includes Capparis taxa from its major distribution areas, New World and African capparoids. The presented phylogeny is used for the determination of biogeographic history of Capparis and recently segregated genera. Phylogenetic analyses of the combined plastid data revealed that the Indian Capparis are more closely related to Old World taxa and have connections with African, Australian and Eastern Asian species. Sectional classification of Old World and Indian Capparis considered in this study is reflected from the presented plastid phylogeny. The ancestral area reconstruction using Bayesian Binary Markov Chain Monte Carlo method strongly supports for the Africa as the ancestral region for both Old World and New World Capparis. Molecular marker-based genetic diversity studies on Indian Capparis are scarce. This work also includes the genetic diversity study of Indian Capparis species. Utility and efficacy of ISSR markers to study inter- and intraspecies variation in Capparis is evident from the AMOVA results.

Genetic diversity and population structure of six species of Capparis in Tunisia using AFLP markers

In order to study the genetic diversity, the phylogeographic pattern and hybridization between six Tunisian Capparis species, 213 accessions of Caper were genotyped with three primer combinations of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Out of 750 fragments generated, 636 were polymorphic and 407 of them were restricted to a single species. STRUCTURE and PCoA analyses clearly separated morphologically different populations into six distinct genetic ones. The UPGMA analysis grouped the species into three main clusters: G1 grouped C. spinosa subsp. spinosa var. spinosa and C. sicula subsp. sicula; G2 grouped C. ovata subsp. ovata and C. orientalis and G3 clustered C. zoharyi and C. aegyptia. Populations from G1, G2 and G3 were mainly distributed in arid, subhumid, and semi-arid bioclimates, respectively. Additional genetic studies on Capparis could help to identify genes underlying speciation events and local adaptation to geographic areas leading to the development of breeding programs.

Metabolomic study of wild and cultivated caper (Capparis spinosa L.) from different areas of Sardinia and their comparative evaluation.

Capparis spinosa L. (Capparidaceae), also known as caper, is widely known for its very aromatic flower buds (capers),that are largely employed as a flavouring in cooking. Capparis species are regarded as a potential source of important bioactive compounds, in fact, due to their botanical relationship with Brassica species; they contain glucosinolates, secondary plant metabolites, that have been studied for their potential anticarcinogenic properties. In addition, the presence of other numerous beneficial compounds such as polyphenols, alkaloids, lipids, vitamins and minerals have been reported. The aim of this study was to individuate and determinate the principal bioactive compounds occurring in different part (leaves, buds and flowers) of wild and cultivated C. spinosa collected from different area of Sardinia (Italy). Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole/linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry methods were used for identification and simultaneous determination of 27 bioactive molecules. Analysis of different samples revealed qualitative and quantitative differences in the content of flavonoids, glucosinolates, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. In particular, glucocapparin resulted the most abundant with values ranging from 112 to 364 mg/100 g Fresh Weight (FW); followed by rutin with highest value of 126 mg/100 g FW, 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin with highest value of 42 mg/100 g FW and isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside with highest value of 24 mg/100 g FW. Based on this metabolomic targeted approach, quantitative results were treated by principal component analysis to explore and visualise correlation and discrimination among collections of C. spinosa samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Capparis ovata treatment suppresses inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorates experimental allergic encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis in C57BL/6 mice

Since ancient times, Capparis species have been widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. Our recent investigations have suggested Capparis ovata's potential anti-neuroinflammatory application for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study was designed to precisely determine the underlying mechanism of its anti-neuroinflammatory effect in a mouse model of MS. C. ovata water extract (COWE) was prepared using the plant's fruit, buds, and flower parts (Turkish Patent Institute, PT 2012/04,093). We immunized female C57BL/6J mice with MOG35–55/CFA. COWE was administered at a daily dose of 500mg/kg by oral gavage either from the day of immunization (T1) or at disease onset (T2) for 21days. Gene expression analysis was performed using a Mouse Multiple Sclerosis RT² Profiler PCR Array, and further determinations and validations of the identified genes were performed using qPCR. Whole-genome transcriptome profiling was analyzed using Agilent SurePrint G3 Mouse GE 8X60K microarrays. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to brain sections of the control and treated mice to examine the degree of degeneration. COWE was further fractionated and analyzed phytochemically using the Zivak Tandem Gold Triple Quadrupole LC/MS–MS system. COWE remarkably suppressed the development of EAE in T1, and the disease activity was completely inhibited. In the T2 group, the maximal score was significantly reduced compared with that of the parallel EAE group. The COWE suppression of EAE was associated with a significantly decreased expression of genes that are important in inflammatory signaling, such as TNFα, IL6, NF-κB, CCL5, CXCL9, and CXCK10. On the other hand, the expression of genes involved in myelination/remyelination was significantly increased. Immunohistochemical analysis further supported these effects, showing that the number of infiltrating immune cells was decreased in the brains of COWE-treated animals. In addition, differential expression profiling of the transcriptome revealed that COWE treatment caused the down regulation of a group of genes involved in the immune response, inflammatory response, antigen processing and presentation, B-cell-mediated immunity and innate immune response. Collectively, these results suggest anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms by which COWE treatment delayed and suppressed the development of EAE and ameliorated the disease in mice with persistent clinical signs.

Inhibitory Effect on Lipid Absorption and Variability of Chemical Constituents from Capparis sicula subsp. sicula and Capparis orientalis.

In continuation of our research program on Mediterranean dietary plants, a bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts from several accessions of Capparis sicula subsp. sicula and Capparis orientalis aerial parts was carried out. Antilipidemic activity of samples was assayed using inhibition of pancreatic lipase. To study the metabolic variability in Capparis species, HPTLC analyses were performed in order to characterize the species through the detection, isolation, and quantitative evaluation of rutin taken as significant chemical marker. The best activity was exerted by C. orientalis accession no. C10 and C. sicula subsp. sicula accession no. C6. The bioactivity evaluation of specific chemical markers, rutin and glucocapparin, led to the identification of a potent antilipidemic compound rutin. The HPTLC analysis showed large variation among the different analyzed samples with respect to rutin concentration. The chemical investigation showed a different composition between the species and between the collection zones. The variations showed by the studied accessions of caper could be attributed to exogenous factors. Capparis species contained predominantly quercetin rutinoside (rutin), accompanied by other constituents such as the glucosinolate glucocapparin. These rutin-rich extracts exhibited pronounced dose-dependent enzyme inhibitory activities toward pancreatic lipase.

Genetic Diversity of Some Capparis L. Species Growing in Syria

This work investigated the genetic diversity and relationships among Capparis species growing in Syria using IRAP and ISSR techniques. Forty-seven samples of three Capparis species genotypes were collected from 21 different locations in Syria. The genotypes were morphologically identified based on the descriptions available in the literature. When IRAP technique was used, an average of 71.5% of the amplified fragments were polymorphic compared to 82.04% in ISSR. Morphological characterization along with the cluster and PCoA analyses of the data divided the studied genotypes into three groups. The groups included genotypes identified as Capparis spinosa L, C. sicula Duh., and C. aegyptia Lam. Based on the morphological description, molecular studies and statistical analyses of this study, C. aegyptia could be suggested as a separate species and not a varietal rank of C. spinosa (C. spinosa var. aegyptia (Lam.). Two samples (Alep1 and Idl) were not placed in any of the three distinctive groups, despite their closeness morphologically to C. spinosa. In PCoA analysis, sample Alep1 came between C. sicula and C. spinosa and Idl was placed between C. sicula and C. aegyptia. Although hybridization between Capparis species could occur, it was not clear from the present study if these two genotypes were hybrids.

Physicochemical properties of seeds of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey

While Capparis spinosa var. herbaceace (2009) seeds collected from the Mardin-midyat region contains the highest protein (22.25%), C. spinosa var. spinosa seeds (2009) collected from the Muğla-Milas region contained the lowest protein (18.25%). In addition, oil contents of C. spinosa and Capparis ovata seeds changed between 27.74 to 31.09 and 28.66 to 31.40%, respectively. Crude cellulose contents of C. spinosa and C. ovata seeds were found as 28.24 and 29.67%, respectively. It was found that ash content of C. spinosa and C. ovata seeds were found between 2.13 and 2.23%, respectively. Phenolic matter content of C. spinosa and C. ovata were found between 1.98 mg (GAE) and 1.76 mg (GAE), respectively. Radical activity values of C. spinosa and C. ovata were determined as 83.432 and 83.718%, respectively.

Mineral contents of seed and seed oils of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey

The mineral contents of seed and seed oils of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey were established by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Capparis spinosa var. spinosa (2010) and Capparis ovata var. canescens variety (2009) were determined to be rich in terms of mineral matter as 19,514.60 and 16,995.92ppm as a total, respectively. C. spinosa var. spinosa collected from Muğla-Milas region (2009) had the highest amount of Ca with 1,010.67ppm in C. spinosa species and in C. ovata species. C. ovata var. canescens collected from Ankara-Beypazarı (2010) region had the highest amount of Ca with 833.92ppm Ca amount in C. spinosa var. spinosa, inermis, herbaceae seeds decreased in 2010. C. spinosa var. inermis collected from Antalya-Serik (2010) in C. spinosa species had rich amount of Ca with 123.78ppm and C. ovata var. palaestina seed oils collected from Mardin-Savur region (2009) had rich amount of Ca with 253.71ppm in C. ovata species. The oil of C. spinosa var. herbaceae variety collected from Mardin-Midyat region (2010) was determined to have the highest major mineral matter (Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P) with 1,424.37ppm in C. spinosa species. It was also determined that as a result, caper seed and oils were found to be important sources of nutrients and essential elements.

Identification of glucosinolates in capers by LC‐ESI‐hybrid linear ion trap with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐LTQ‐FTICR MS) and infrared multiphoton dissociation

An liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method using electrospray ionization in negative ion mode coupled with a hybrid quadrupole linear ion trap and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer was applied to characterize of intact glucosinolates (GLSs) in crude sample extracts of wild bud flowers of Capparis spinosa (Capparis species, family Capparaceae). Structural information of GLSs was obtained upon precursor ions' isolation within the FTICR trapping cell and subsequent fragmentation induced by infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD). Such a fragmentation was found very useful in terms of chemical identification of all precursor ions [M-H](-) including sulfur-rich GLSs reported here for the first time. Along with most common GLSs already found in capers such as glucocapparin, isopropyl/n-propyl-GLS, mercapto-glucocapparin, and two indolic GLS, i.e., 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin and glucobrassicin, the occurrence of the uncommon glycinyl-glucocapparin as well as two sulfur-rich GLSs is reported. IRMPD showed an increased selectivity towards disulfide bond cleavages with thiol migration, suggesting the side chain structure of non-targeted compounds, i.e., disulfanyl-glucocapparin and trisulfanyl-glucocapparin. Glucocapparin [2.05 ± 0.25 mg/g, dry weight (dw)] was the most abundant GLS, followed by glucobrassicin (232 ± 18 µg/g, dw) and 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin (89 ± 12 µg/g, dw). All other compounds were present at very low content ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 µg/g dw.

Systematics of Capparaceae and Cleomaceae: an evaluation of the generic delimitations of Capparis and Cleome using plastid DNA sequence dataThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Systematics Research.

The phylogenetic relationships in Capparaceae and Cleomaceae were examined using two plastid genes, ndhF and matK, to address outstanding systematic questions in the two families. Specifically, the monophyly of the two type genera, Capparis and Cleome , has recently been questioned. Capparaceae and Cleomaceae were broadly sampled to assess the generic circumscriptions of both genera, which house the majority of species for each family. Phylogenetic reconstructions using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods strongly contradict monophyly for both type genera. Within Capparaceae, Capparis is diphyletic: the sampled species belong to two of the five major lineages recovered in the family, which corresponds with their geographic distribution. One lineage contains all sampled New World Capparis and four other genera ( Atamisquea , Belencita , Morisonia , and Steriphoma ) that are distributed exclusively in the New World. The other lineage contains Capparis species from the Old World and Australasia, as well as the Australian genus, Apophyllum . Species of Cleome are scattered across each of four major lineages identified within Cleomaceae: (i) Cleome in part, Dactylaena , Dipterygium , Gynandropsis , Podandrogyne , and Polanisia ; (ii) Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del.; (iii) Cleome arabica L., and Cleome ornithopodioides L.; and (iv) Cleome in part, Cleomella , Isomeris , Oxystylis , and Wislizenia . Resolution within and among these major clades of Cleomaceae is limited, and there is no clear correspondence of clades with geographic distribution. Within each family, morphological support and taxonomic implications of the molecular-based clades are discussed.

Chemical investigation of some Capparis species growing in Egypt and their antioxidant activity

The family Capparaceae comprises 39 genera and 650 species distributed through warm regions. The genus Capparis comprises 250 species including shrubs, trees and woody climbers. This genus is represented in Egypt by six species. Dioscurides recommended the use of the leaves and roots of Capparis spinosa L. to reduce swelling and calm the pain of teeth. Capparis cartilaginea and C. deserti growing in Egypt were investigated for their glucosiolates and rutin content. From Capparis cartilaginea four isothiocynates were isolated and identified using GC and EI/MS techniques. These compounds were butyl isothiocyanate (1), 6-methylsulphonylhexyl isothiocyanate (2), 7-methylsulphonylheptyl isothiocyanate (3) and 5-benzylsulphonyl-4-pentenyl isothiocyanate (4). In addition to compounds 1 and 2, two other compounds were isolated and identified from Capparis deserti. These compounds are 3-methylthiopropyl isothiocyanate (5) and [11-(2-butenylthio) 6-undecenyl isothiocyanate] (6). Compounds 1, 2, 5 and 6 are reported in this study for the first time from Capparis deserti. The main flavonoid component in the studied species was isolated and identified as rutin by comparing the data with those reported. Also, quantitative evaluation of rutin in the two species was carried out by TLC-densitometric analysis. The antioxidant activity different fractions of both species was determined using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. The butanol fraction from C. cartilaginea and C. deserti showed the highest antioxidant properties.