Zizyphus Spina-christi Research Articles

Ephedra alte(Joint Pine): An Invasive, Problematic Weedy Species in Forestry and Fruit Tree Orchards in Jordan

A field survey was carried out to record plant species climbed by Ephedra alte in certain parts of Jordan during 2008–2010. Forty species of shrubs, ornamental, fruit, and forest trees belonging to 24 plant families suffered from the climbing habit of E. alte. Growth of host plants was adversely affected by E. alte growth that extended over their vegetation. In addition to its possible competition for water and nutrients, the extensive growth it forms over host species prevents photosynthesis, smothers growth and makes plants die underneath the extensive cover. However, E. alte did not climb all plant species, indicating a host preference range. Damaged fruit trees included Amygdalus communis, Citrus aurantifolia, Ficus carica, Olea europaea, Opuntia ficus-indica, and Punica granatum. Forestry species that were adversely affected included Acacia cyanophylla, Ceratonia siliqua, Crataegus azarolus, Cupressus sempervirens, Pinus halepensis, Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia palaestina, Quercus coccifera, Quercus infectoria, Retama raetam, Rhamnus palaestina, Rhus tripartita, and Zizyphus spina-christi. Woody ornamentals attacked were Ailanthus altissima, Hedera helix, Jasminum fruticans, Jasminum grandiflorum, Nerium oleander, and Pyracantha coccinea. Results indicated that E. alte is a strong competitive for light and can completely smother plants supporting its growth. A. communis, F. carica, R. palaestina, and C. azarolus were most frequently attacked.

Applicability Test of New Surfactant Produced from Zizyphus Spina-Christi Leaves for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs

After the primary production period, water flooding is usually performed to recover more oil from reservoirs. However, water flooding recoveries are low from naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs, due in part to these reservoirs being mixed to oil-wet. Most of Iranian reservoirs are naturally fractured. Chemical process and especially surfactant flooding is an interested method because of its effect on interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and wettability alteration. Different surfactants are used for chemical flooding in the world but these chemical have high price and some detrimental effect on the environment. In this paper a new nonionic biosurfactant which is produced from the leaves of special tree called Zizyphus Spina-Christi is introduced. There is a hypothesis that this surfactant can be used in chemical flooding of fractured reservoirs because of very low cost and availability in Middle-East and Africa compared to other currently used surfactants. For this purpose surfactant is extracted from the leaves by spray dryer method. The pendant drop method is used to measure interfacial tension and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values. In order to investigate the effect of this surfactant on oil recovery two series of imbibition experiments are conducted on water-wet and oil-wet samples. It is observed that oil recovery is about ∼16 % OOIP (original oil-in-place) for oil-wet cores by using this surfactant. In the same test, no oil is produced with water due to high oil wettability. After adding surfactant to the water, the oil recovery about ∼7 % OOIP is obtained. Other test is done on water-wet cores which shows that addition of surfactant reduce the ultimate recovery from ∼35 % OOIP to ∼12.5 % OOIP. Reducing interfacial tension cause decrease in imbibition drive mechanism and lower the ultimate recovery. These results indicate that this new type of surfactant can meet the technical requirements as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agent for chemical flooding.

Synergistic Effect of Zizyphus Spina-Christi and Chloride Ions on the Corrosion Inhibition of Mild Steel in Sulfuric Acid Solution

Abstract The effect of chloride ion addition on the corrosion and corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1.0 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) containing 10% ethanol (EtOH) at 30°C in the absence and presence of aqueous and/or alcoholic extracts of Zizyphus spina-christi (ZSC) plant have been investigated using chemical and electrochemical measurements. The addition of chloride ions leads to stimulation of corrosion at ≤10−4 M of chloride ions, but at concentrations >10−4 M chloride, an increase in the chloride concentration produces corrosion inhibition of mild steel. A synergistic effect was observed between the chloride ions and the studied extracts. Experimental results suggest that the presence of chloride ions stabilized the adsorption of ZSC extract molecules on the mild steel surface and therefore improved the inhibition efficiency of ZSC. The synergistic behavior of the chloride ions and extract components can be attributed to cooperative adsorption or competitive adsorption.

Comparative acute toxicity study of the pulp, seed and stem bark (aqueous) extracts of <i>Zizyphus spina-christi</i> L.(Kurna)

The toxicological potentials of the pulp, seed and stem bark (aqueous) extracts of Zizyphus spina-christi L. was investigated in rats. Acute toxicity was conducted following intraperitoneal administration of graded doses of theplant extract. LD50 of the pulp, seed and stem bark (aqueous) extracts were 6500mg/kg, 6250mg/kg and 6000mg/kg body weight respectively. Mortality which was dose dependent occurred at high doses of 6000mg and 8000mg/kgfor the pulp, seed and stem bark extracts. Phytochemical analysis of the aqueous extracts (pulp, seed, stem bark) indicated the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids , carbohydrates, tannins and saponins. The results show that all parts of the plant can be useful for medicinal purposes.

Phenolic compounds from seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi

In this study, three phenolic compounds were isolated from the seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi for the first time. The compounds were identified by means of 1 H-NMR-, UV and GC-MS as p -hydroxybenzoic acid, kaempferol , quercetin-3-O- a -L-rhamnosyl- b -D-glucopyranoside (rutin) .

A Study of Antibacterial Activity of Cidar (Zizyphus spinachristi L.) on Bacterial Pathogens isolated from Skin Infections

Zizyphus spina-christi is a scientific name of a plant where its common name is Nabaq in Iraq. All parts of this plant are used by local Arab people to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. In this report, it was found that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of leaves and seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi has inhibitoryeffects at various concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/ml) against five bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , E. coli , Acinetobacter spp. ,and Enterococcus spp. isolated from skin lesions. The 25 mg/ml concentration had no effects at all on all bacterial species tested. Thehighest activity (17.67 mm) recorded was for leaves aqueous extract against Staphylococcus aureus, while the lowest activity ( 7.33 mm ) was obtained forleaves aqueous extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The leaves aqueous and methanolic extracts had better antimicrobial activities than seed equeous and methanolic extracts. Our results support, at least in part, the use of all parts of Zizyphus spina-christi plant as a natural antimicrobial agent in developing new drugs for treating infectious diseases in human.

Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Lantana and Sweet Pepper Seeds and Nabak Seed Kernels

Chemical analysis was carried out on lantana (Lantana camara) and sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds and nabak (Zizyphus spina-christi) seed kernels. The proximate analysis (on dry weight basis) of sweet pepper seeds, lantana seeds, and nabak seed kernels showed the following composition: moisture 70.95%, 17.27%, and 4.22%; ash 4.88%, 1.81%, and 3.51%; fat 19.57%, 11.0%, and 30.19%; crude protein 19.28%, 6.3%, and 38.2%; and carbohydrate 56.3%, 80.9%, and 28.1%, respectively. For minerals, potassium was the most abundant element, followed by phosphorus and sodium. Also, zinc, iron, copper, and manganese were detected. Analysis of amino acids revealed that the first limiting amino acid was valine, for both lantana and sweet pepper seeds, but it was threonine for nabak seed kernels. Antinutritional compounds, including, phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor, and tannins, were detected in all seeds. Results of fatty acid compositions showed that the major fatty acid was oleic acid in both lantana (48.73%) and nabak oils (53.25%), but it was linoleic acid in sweet pepper oil (71.55%). Moreover, the degree of unsaturation of these oils was close to that of common vegetable oils. In all oils, there was absorbance in the ultraviolet (UV)-B and UV-C ranges with potential for use as broad spectrum UV protectants. It can be inferred that the seeds investigated are good sources of crude fat, crude protein, ash, carbohydrate, and some minerals. Furthermore, the oil extracts could be useful as edible oils and for industrial applications. The nutritional composition of the investigated seeds suggested that they could be used to meet part of the nutritional requirements of animal feeds. Also, they could be regarded as good sources of food ingredients and as new sources of edible oils.

ChemInform Abstract: Unique Phenyl Ether Type Biflavonoids, Zizyflavosides A and B with Biomimetic Synthesis for Zizyflavoside A.

AbstractEight flavonoids are isolated from the plant zizyphus spina‐christi.

Antimicrobial screening and effect of the pulp extracts of <i>Zizyphus spina-christi</i> (Linnaeus Desf) on some biochemical parameters in rats

The pulp extract of Zizyphus spina-christi which have ethnomedicinal value was studied. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the pulp extract (aqueous) was assayed using the agar plate diffusion and broth dilution methods. Test microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, all the organisms were laboratory isolates. The effect of gastrically administered aqueous Pulp extract of Zizyphus spina-christi was investigated in rats. Groups of rats were orally administered 200mg/kg, 400mg/kg and 800mg/kg body weight of extracts daily for three (3) weeks. The animals were sacrificed by decapitation and blood collected for biochemical analysis. The pulp aqueous extract showed more susceptibility on E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans which is a fungal suggesting that the extract possess antifungal activity. The pulp aqueous extract showed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.25mg/ml against E .coli and C. albicans. The minimum bactericidal concentration of the pulp aqueous extract was 12.5mg/ml for S. pyogenes. The result of biochemical analysis showed that no significant difference existed between the treated group and the control group for the liver enzymes; Alanine transaminase (ALT) Aspartate transaminase (AST) Alkaline phosphatase (ALK) Serum protein and Serum albumin. Also, Serum electrolyte (Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-) equally showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) to the control group. Similar results were obtained for Serum Urea and Creatinine Levels. The result obtained indicates that the extract is neither hepatotoxic nor nephrotic.Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Zizyphus spina-christi extracts (aqueous), phytochemical screening, Kidney function test, Liver function test, RhamnaceaeJournal of pharmacy and Bioresources, Vol. 6 no. 2, pp. 58-64 (September 2009)

Structural Characterization of ZS – 2A: An Antiplasmodial Compound Isolated from Zizyphus spina-christi Root Bark

Zizyphus spina-christi (Rhamnaceae) is a popular medicinal plant that grows wildly in Asia and Tropical Africa. The plant is widely used in ethnomedical practice for the treatment of fever. As a step towards the isolation of biologically active constituents of this plant, we carried out a bioassay guided extraction of the root bark using solvents of varying polarity including, hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and methanol. An antiplasmodial compound, designated as ZS-2A, was isolated from the chloroform extract and the chemical structure of the compound was characterized using UVvisible, IR, 13C and 1H NMR and thermo-analytical techniques. Our analysis established ZS – 2A as a betulinic acid.

Isolation and identification of Two new cyclic amino acids from the seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi L. (Willd) by means of 1H-NMR-13C-NMR-HSQC-HMBC and GC-MS

In this study we isolate two new cyclic amino acids from the seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi L. (Willd ) 70% methanolic extract. The two compounds were identified by means of 1 H-NMR- 13 C-NMR-HSQC-HMBC and GC-MS as 4-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (less polar and major compound) and 4-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (more polar and minor compound) of the ratio 4:3.

Anti-diabetic activity and stability study of the formulated leaf extract of Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) Willd with the influence of seasonal variation

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of Zizyphus spina-christi leaf extract (200 mg/kg b.w.), plain and formulated in STZ-diabetic rats. Percentage yield of extracts, marker yield (christinin-A) and antihyperglycemic potencies, depending on seasonal variation were investigated. The chemical stability, study of storage conditions, shelf life T90 prediction of both plain extract and formulated soft gelatin capsules by accelerated studies were studied. Changes in all studied parameters after oral administration of Z. spina-christi extract for 28 days were reported. Seasonal variation affecting yield and activities was studied. Flavonoid contents were HPLC evaluated. The capsules were stored at 30, 40 and 50°C [75% relative humidity] and their residual christinin-A content was assayed for 24 weeks. Christinin-A chemical degradation was monitored by HPLC stability indicating method previously validated. Possible physical examination was checked by dissolution test of the content of the capsules using dissolution tester USP XXIV. Oral administration of Z. spina-christi leaf extract, plain and formulated for 28 days reduced blood glucose level with significant increase in serum insulin and C-peptide levels. Marked elevation in total antioxidant capacity with normalization of percentage of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C%) was reported. Moreover, they succeeded to reduce the elevated blood lactate level and to elevate the reduced blood pyruvate content of diabetic rats. In line with amelioration of the diabetic state, Zizyphus extract, plain and formulated restored liver and muscle glycogen content together with significant decrease of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase and increase in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. In vitro experiments showed a dose-dependent inhibitory activity of Zizyphus extract against α-amylase enzyme with (IC(50)) at 0.3 mg/ml. Such finding has been supported by the in vivo suppression of starch digestion and absorption by Zizyphus extract in normal rats. The flavonoids content of the formulated leaves (collected during June 2009) were found to be 11.5 μg/g of the dry plant material (expressed as quercetin) and 58.8 μg/g of the dry plant material (expressed as rutin). The shelf life for the capsules stored at 30, 40 and 50°C [75% relative humidity] for plain and formulated extract were calculated to be 66.90 and 70.74 weeks, respectively. The current work revealed that Z. spina-christi leaf extract, plain and formulated, improved glucose utilization in diabetic rats by increasing insulin secretion which may be due to both saponin and polyphenols content and controlling hyperglycemia through attenuation of meal-derived glucose absorption that might be attributed to the total polyphenols. Studies showed that leaves are preferably collected from June to October. Finally, the release followed the Higuchi kinetic model, indicating diffusion dominated drug release with no drop in the dissolution values throughout the test period.

Corrosion and Corrosion Inhibition of Mild Steel in H2SO4 Solutions by Zizyphus Spina-Christi as Green Inhibitor

The corrosion and corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1.0 M H2SO4 containing 10% ethyl alcohol(EtOH) by Zizyphus Spina-Christi (ZSC) extracts (aqueous extract and alcoholic extract) has been studied using chemical techniques( hydrogen evolution(HE) and mass loss(ML)) and electrochemical techniques(electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization(PDP)). The effect of acid concentration on the corrosion rate of mild steel increases with acid concentration (0.25-1.5) M showing first order corrosion reaction without changing the reaction mechanism, and the results showed that when the concentration of ZSC extracts (aqueous extract and alcoholic extract) increased the rate of steel corrosion is decreased, which indicates that the inhibition of the corrosion process is produced. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that the corrosion and corrosion inhibition of steel occurred mainly by charge transfer. The electrochemical results of polarization also showed that the extracts of ZSC plant act as mixed type inhibitors, they retarded both cathodic and anodic reaction. The experimental results from chemical and electrochemical studies were fit Langmuir isotherm. Values of equilibrium constant of adsorption Kads and the standard free energy of adsorption o . ads

The antibacterial, antiviral activities and phytochemical screening of some Sudanese medicinal plants

Methanolic extracts were obtained from 30 parts of 23 different plants belonging to 19 families. Most of the plants are used traditionally to treat different illnesses in Sudan. The extracts were screened for their biological activities against bacterial pathogens including Escherichia coli, Staphyllococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and two animal viruses representing two viral families, Newcastle Disease and Fowlpox Viruses. In addition, the extracts were evaluated for the presence of the major secondary metabolites classes. The highest activity recorded was obtained for Zizyphus spina-christi against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. Seven of the tested extracts, showed virucidal activity of NDV while eight plant extracts exhibited high activity against replication of PV. Our results support, at least in part, the uses of most plants in ethnopharmacological claims.

Volatile Constituents of Zizyphus jujuba Aerial Parts and Zizyphus spina-christii Fruits from Egypt

The volatile constituents from fresh aerial parts (leaves and flowers) of Zizyphus jujuba and fruits of Zizyphus spina-christi (Rhamnaceae) were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The major oil constituents were found to be phytol (29.1 %), borneol (10.1 %) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (9.1 %) for Z. jujuba aerial parts. The fruit oil of Z. spina-christi was comprised mainly of fatty acids and their esters, of which dodecanoic acid (22.4 %) was the main component.

UNIQUE PHENYL ETHER TYPE BIFLAVONOIDS, ZIZYFLAVOSIDES A AND B WITH BIOMIMETIC SYNTHESIS FOR ZIZYFLAVOSIDE A

During our investigation of Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. leaves for anti-inflammatory activity, eight compounds were characterized. Two are new phenyl ether type biflavonoids, which were assigned as zizyflavosides A (1) and B (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by spectroscopic analyses including 1D, 2D NMR and MS spectroscopic and chemical data. The other isolated compounds were known flavonoids kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (5), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (6), 3',5'-di-C-β-D-glucosylphloretine (7), quercetin-3-O-[β-D-xylosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnoside]-4'-O-α-L-rhamnoside (8), epiafzelechin (9) and quercetin-3-O-[β-D-xylosyl-(1→2)-α-L-rhamnoside] (10). Zizyflavoside A was synthesized from quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside using laccase as an enzyme and this biomimetic synthesis could be indication to its biosynthetic pathway.

Effect of Ascorbic Acid with Either a-Tocopherol or Zizyphus spina christi Extracts on Meat Colour and Lipid Stability of Fresh Beef during Cold Storage

Effect of Ascorbic Acid with Either a-Tocopherol or Zizyphus spina christi Extracts on Meat Colour and Lipid Stability of Fresh Beef during Cold Storage

Effects of the methanolic extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Olea europaea and Morus alba leaves in Streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats.

Background:The present study aims to investigate the hypoglycemic, hypolipidimic and antioxidant effect of the methanolic crude extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba and Olea europaea leaves, individually or in combination against diabetes induced rats by Streptozotocin (STZ). Results:Hyperglycemia and hyperlipidaemia except in high density lipoproteins (HDL) were observed in serum after 5 weeks of STZ administration. This was associated with a depression in hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentration as well as hepatic catalase (CAT), glutathione-s- transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activates. In addition hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and protein carbonyl (PC) were significantly elevated, indicating increased lipid and protein oxidation and oxidative stress. Depression in blood hemoglobin (Hb) content, serum insulin levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) and nitric oxide (NO) levels as well as body weight gain were also observed in diabetic rats. Administration of 100mg/kg alcoholic extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba and Olea europaea leaves 3 days before and after STZ injection daily for 5 weeks significantly ameliorated the oxidative stress evidenced by lowering TBARS & PC as well as increasing hepatic GSH concentration and CAT, GST and SOD activates as compared with STZ treated rats. These effects were paralleled with marked protection against STZ induced hyperglycemia and disturbance of lipid profile. They also caused a great improvement in insulin levels, TAOC, NO, Hb content and body weight gain. Conclussion:Thus, these results showed that the administration of the crude extracts of either Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba or Olea europaea leaves individually or in combination might improve the clinical manifestation of diabetes and decrease the oxidative stress, this study supports the beneficial effects of these extracts especially Zizyphus spina christi, which showed marked amelioration and this may be attributed to the presence of saponin glycosides which have an inhibitory effect of serum glucose level in addition to enhance the cellular antioxidant defense. This activity contributes to the protection against oxidative damage in STZ induced diabetes.

Effects of the methanolic extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Olea europaea and Morus alba leaves in Streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats.

Background:The present study aims to investigate the hypoglycemic, hypolipidimic and antioxidant effect of the methanolic crude extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba and Olea europaea leaves, individually or in combination against diabetes induced rats by Streptozotocin (STZ). Results:Hyperglycemia and hyperlipidaemia except in high density lipoproteins (HDL) were observed in serum after 5 weeks of STZ administration. This was associated with a depression in hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentration as well as hepatic catalase (CAT), glutathione-s- transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activates. In addition hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and protein carbonyl (PC) were significantly elevated, indicating increased lipid and protein oxidation and oxidative stress. Depression in blood hemoglobin (Hb) content, serum insulin levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) and nitric oxide (NO) levels as well as body weight gain were also observed in diabetic rats. Administration of 100mg/kg alcoholic extracts of Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba and Olea europaea leaves 3 days before and after STZ injection daily for 5 weeks significantly ameliorated the oxidative stress evidenced by lowering TBARS & PC as well as increasing hepatic GSH concentration and CAT, GST and SOD activates as compared with STZ treated rats. These effects were paralleled with marked protection against STZ induced hyperglycemia and disturbance of lipid profile. They also caused a great improvement in insulin levels, TAOC, NO, Hb content and body weight gain. Conclussion:Thus, these results showed that the administration of the crude extracts of either Zizyphus spina christi, Morus alba or Olea europaea leaves individually or in combination might improve the clinical manifestation of diabetes and decrease the oxidative stress, this study supports the beneficial effects of these extracts especially Zizyphus spina christi, which showed marked amelioration and this may be attributed to the presence of saponin glycosides which have an inhibitory effect of serum glucose level in addition to enhance the cellular antioxidant defense. This activity contributes to the protection against oxidative damage in STZ induced diabetes.

IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF ZIZYPHUS SPINA-CHRISTI L.

'Hozaien', a mutation in Zizyphus spina-christi (Indian type jujube) was originated in the early 1950s in a private orchard, Assiut, Egypt. Results of asexual propagation were inconstant and difficult in routinely vegetative propagation as stem cutting propagation. Therefore, it was necessary to establish a tissue culture protocol for micropropagation of Zizyphus spina-christi. The effect of benzylaminopurin and medium type on plantlet vegetative and chemical aspects were investigated in addition to in vitro tolerance to drought and salt stresses. BAP at 0.5 mg/L and MS medium were recommended to induce a high proliferation rate for mass production of such rare mutation meanwhile Nitsch and Nitsch medium produced better vegetative propagules. Salinity treatments at 8, 12 and 16 g NaCl/L produced the same in vitro vegetative characteristics but at different degrees. Plantlets grown on media containing NaCl were found to have higher values of macroelements (N, P and Fe) and lower values of microelements (Mn and Z). However, 'Hozaien' mutation would be considered tolerant to salinity at the levels used in this experiment. Same results were found in response to drought treatments at 10% and 20% PEG.