Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl. Cultivated in Egypt

From the ethanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl cultivated in Egypt, tetracosanoic acid methyl ester(1), phytol(2), mix of 22-dihydrospinasterol and spinasterol(3), 22- dihydrospinasterol-3-O-glucoside(4), uracil(5), 8-C-P-hydroxy-benzylisovitexin(6), isovitexin(7), saponarin(8), maleicacid(9), α-D-mannopyranose(10) and3-O-methyl-α-D-galactopyranose(11), were isolated for the first time. Their chemical structures have been established on the basis of physical, chemical and Spectroscopic methods (UV, IR,MS, 1H and 13CNMR) in addition to comparison with literature data and /or authentic samples. GLC analysis of fatty acids methyl esters revealed the presence of eight fatty acids constituting (94.47 %) and unsaturated fatty acids constituted by 50.65%.GLC/MS analysis of sterols were studied; twenty compounds were identified,of which phytol, spinasteroland 22-dihydrospinasterol represented 52.66,7.59 and 5.78 %, respectively. HPLC analysis of amino acids reveled thirteenaminoacids (37.59g aminoacids /100g of seed), among which (7.417g/100g) and (3.145g/100g)essential and semi essential amino acids, respectively. Biologically total alcoholic or petroleum ether extracts of the aerial parts exerted significant results ashepato-protectiveagainst acetaminophen. The petroleum ether extract also demonstratedpromising anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities on the experimental animals.