Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
NITELLA HYALINA
(DE CANDOLLE) C. AGARDH, 1824
Phylum: Charophyta Class: Charophyceae
Order: Charales Family: Characeae
Common name: Many-branched stone wort
Distribution: Cosmopolitan distribution, Europe, South America, Southwest
Asia, Central Asia, Paciic Islands, Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Freshwater, brackish water, marine habitats
Description: This annual species, which grows to a maximum height of only
20 cm, has an axis measuring 800 µm in diameter. Accessory branchlets
are present and the lowers are monoecious.
Compounds and activities: The extracts of this plant species have yielded 13
saturated and 23 unsaturated fatty acids, 4 sterols, 1 terpene, and 2 carbo-
hydrates. Important bioactive compounds isolated from this species include
cholesterol, ergosterol, stigmasterol, β- sitosterol, trans phytol, xylomacin,
and stigmasteryl galactoside. All these compounds show antimicrobial
activities against seven human pathogenic species (Khalid et al., 2010).
CH
3
CH
3
CH
3
CH
3
H
3
C
H
H
H
H
HO
cholesterol
