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Saudi Arabian Medicinal Plants: Salvadora persicalo2 S. T. Ezmirly*, J. C. Cheng*' and S. R. Wilson*' Department of Chemistry, Riyadh University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
" Department of Chemistry, Indiana Unlverslty, Bloomington. Indiana, USA.
Key Word Index: Salvadore persica; Antibacterial Activity.
The Saudi Arabian toothbrush tree Salvadora persica L. (Messwack) has been used as a brushing stick for over IOOO years. Extracts of the plant have yielded sulfur as a major constituent. I n addition, pharmaco-
1 Contribution No. 3099 from the Department of Chemistry, Indiana University. 2 Taken in part from the M. S. Thesis of J. C. Cheng, Indiana University, 1977.
logical data indicate antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic activity. Salvadora persica L., commonly known in Arabia, Africa and India as ,Toothbrush tree", is used as a toothbrush and chewing stick [I]. I t was claimed that tooth-pastes, containing extracts of the plant, preserve the gums and the teeth in perfect health and give the latter a dazzling whiteness. [2, 3, 41. Various other uses of the plant have been reviewed [ 5 ] .
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FARROQIand SRIVA~TAVA reported the isolation of trimethylamine from the roots of this plant. The work by RAY,CHANDand DUTTA[ 6 ] on the roots had furnished p-sitosterol, m-anisic acid and a new nitrogencontaining non-basic substance, salvadourea (1, 3-bis-(3~methoxybenzyl)urea). Samples of Salvadora persica were collected from Wadi Abo Al-Radr north of Tiaf, Saudi Arabia and purchased in local markets. Systematic chemical investigations of the roots has so far furnished B-sitosterol and elemental sulfur S8 (y-monoclinic form). p-Sitosterol was obtained from the ethanol extract by column "chromatography and recrystallization. This compound had been previously isolated from the roots of this plant by Ray [ 6 ] . Elemental y-monoclinic sulfur (S,) was separated by column chromatography of a petroleum ether extract. The structure S, was determined from the characteristic mass spectrum [ 7 ] . The exact allotropic form of S, was confirmed by x-ray crystallography [8, 91, the lattice constants are a=8.442A, b=13.025A, c=9.3GA, and p= 124'58'. Although plants and micro-organisms are responsible for the greater part of the interconversion of sulfur compounds in nature, the presence of elemental sulfur in a plant is somewhat unique. Recently, Pezet [9] isolated elemental sulfur (S,) from a number of different fungi. Salvadora Persica may also contain organic sulfur compounds, as shown by its pungent smell and taste, and by its common name ,mustard plantu. Combustion analysis has shown 4.73010 sulfur present in the roots of this plant. Salvadourea (1,3-bis(3-methoxybenzyl)urea) has been prepared from m-methoxy benzylamine and urea. This compound was identified by characteristic NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopy. Although it was stable in ethanol solution ofter two days refluxing (same conditions as our plant extraction), we did not find this compound in the ethanol and chloroform extractions of Salvadora persica L., as RAY,reported [ 6 ] .
Extracts of Salvadora persica have shown anti-bacterial activity. In addition both aqueous and ethanolic extracts have been screened for a broad range of pharmacological activities. The aqueous extract showed weak anti-inflammatory activity in a conventional foot edema test. The ethanolic extract showed mild hypoglycemic activity in glucose-loaded mice at 400 mglkg. Both extracts were not toxic at doses up to 1200 mglkg. Thus the use of Salvadora persica by a large percentage of the population of Saudi Arabia as a toothbrush is certainly not harmful and may, due to several biologically active constituents, contribute to the prevention of dental caries.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, for partial support of this work. We also thank Riyadh University for a grant for the pharmacological testing of Saudi Arabian medicinal plants.
References 1. Greenway, P. J.: E. Afr. Agric. J., 15, 146 (1950). 2. Faroqi, M. I. H. and J. G. Srivastava: Quart. J. Crude Drug Res., 8, 1297 (1968). 3. Porteres, R.: J. Agric. Trop. Bot. Appl. 21, 1 (1974). 4. Evenari, M. and Y. Gutterman: ~ l o r a (Jena), 162, 118 (1973). 5. Watt, J. M. (ed.): Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Easterri Africa, p. 926, London 1962, Livingston Ltd. 6. Ray, A. B., La1 Chand and Subhas C. Dutta: Chemistry and Industry, 21, 517 (1975). 7. Cornu, A. and R. Massot: ,Compilation of Mass Spectra Data", Vol. 1, 171A (1975). 8. Meyer, B.: Chemical Reviews, 76 (1976). 9. Pezet, R. and V. Pont: Science, 196, 428 (1977).
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Saudi Arabian Medicinal Plants: Salvadora persicalo2 S. T. Ezmirly*, J. C. Cheng*' and S. R. Wilson*' Department of Chemistry, Riyadh University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
" Department of Chemistry, Indiana Unlverslty, Bloomington. Indiana, USA.
Key Word Index: Salvadore persica; Antibacterial Activity.
The Saudi Arabian toothbrush tree Salvadora persica L. (Messwack) has been used as a brushing stick for over IOOO years. Extracts of the plant have yielded sulfur as a major constituent. I n addition, pharmaco-
1 Contribution No. 3099 from the Department of Chemistry, Indiana University. 2 Taken in part from the M. S. Thesis of J. C. Cheng, Indiana University, 1977.
logical data indicate antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic activity. Salvadora persica L., commonly known in Arabia, Africa and India as ,Toothbrush tree", is used as a toothbrush and chewing stick [I]. I t was claimed that tooth-pastes, containing extracts of the plant, preserve the gums and the teeth in perfect health and give the latter a dazzling whiteness. [2, 3, 41. Various other uses of the plant have been reviewed [ 5 ] .
Downloaded by: University of British Columbia. Copyrighted material.
Short Communications
FARROQIand SRIVA~TAVA reported the isolation of trimethylamine from the roots of this plant. The work by RAY,CHANDand DUTTA[ 6 ] on the roots had furnished p-sitosterol, m-anisic acid and a new nitrogencontaining non-basic substance, salvadourea (1, 3-bis-(3~methoxybenzyl)urea). Samples of Salvadora persica were collected from Wadi Abo Al-Radr north of Tiaf, Saudi Arabia and purchased in local markets. Systematic chemical investigations of the roots has so far furnished B-sitosterol and elemental sulfur S8 (y-monoclinic form). p-Sitosterol was obtained from the ethanol extract by column "chromatography and recrystallization. This compound had been previously isolated from the roots of this plant by Ray [ 6 ] . Elemental y-monoclinic sulfur (S,) was separated by column chromatography of a petroleum ether extract. The structure S, was determined from the characteristic mass spectrum [ 7 ] . The exact allotropic form of S, was confirmed by x-ray crystallography [8, 91, the lattice constants are a=8.442A, b=13.025A, c=9.3GA, and p= 124'58'. Although plants and micro-organisms are responsible for the greater part of the interconversion of sulfur compounds in nature, the presence of elemental sulfur in a plant is somewhat unique. Recently, Pezet [9] isolated elemental sulfur (S,) from a number of different fungi. Salvadora Persica may also contain organic sulfur compounds, as shown by its pungent smell and taste, and by its common name ,mustard plantu. Combustion analysis has shown 4.73010 sulfur present in the roots of this plant. Salvadourea (1,3-bis(3-methoxybenzyl)urea) has been prepared from m-methoxy benzylamine and urea. This compound was identified by characteristic NMR, IR, and mass spectroscopy. Although it was stable in ethanol solution ofter two days refluxing (same conditions as our plant extraction), we did not find this compound in the ethanol and chloroform extractions of Salvadora persica L., as RAY,reported [ 6 ] .
Extracts of Salvadora persica have shown anti-bacterial activity. In addition both aqueous and ethanolic extracts have been screened for a broad range of pharmacological activities. The aqueous extract showed weak anti-inflammatory activity in a conventional foot edema test. The ethanolic extract showed mild hypoglycemic activity in glucose-loaded mice at 400 mglkg. Both extracts were not toxic at doses up to 1200 mglkg. Thus the use of Salvadora persica by a large percentage of the population of Saudi Arabia as a toothbrush is certainly not harmful and may, due to several biologically active constituents, contribute to the prevention of dental caries.
Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, for partial support of this work. We also thank Riyadh University for a grant for the pharmacological testing of Saudi Arabian medicinal plants.
References 1. Greenway, P. J.: E. Afr. Agric. J., 15, 146 (1950). 2. Faroqi, M. I. H. and J. G. Srivastava: Quart. J. Crude Drug Res., 8, 1297 (1968). 3. Porteres, R.: J. Agric. Trop. Bot. Appl. 21, 1 (1974). 4. Evenari, M. and Y. Gutterman: ~ l o r a (Jena), 162, 118 (1973). 5. Watt, J. M. (ed.): Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Easterri Africa, p. 926, London 1962, Livingston Ltd. 6. Ray, A. B., La1 Chand and Subhas C. Dutta: Chemistry and Industry, 21, 517 (1975). 7. Cornu, A. and R. Massot: ,Compilation of Mass Spectra Data", Vol. 1, 171A (1975). 8. Meyer, B.: Chemical Reviews, 76 (1976). 9. Pezet, R. and V. Pont: Science, 196, 428 (1977).
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