Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
lowered, often with a small leaf or bran at the base of the terminal spike.
Small inlorescences arise at all the nodes producing cleistogamous lowers.
Compounds and activities: Bicycle pesquiterpenoids, viz., polygodial (tadeonal,
an unsaturated dialdehyde with a drimane backbone) and waburganol and
rutin, have been isolated from plant extracts. Its essential oil contains both
monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, viz., α-pinene, 1,4-cineol, fencnone,
α- humulene, β- caryophyllene, trans- β-bergamotene, and carboxylic acids.
The chloroform root extract of this species showed antibacterial activities
against four Gram-positive bacteria,
B. subtilis
,
B. megaterium
,
S. aureus
,
and
Enterobacter aerogenes
,
and MIC values against these species were
found to range from 16 to 64 µg/ml. The antifungal activities were also
found strong with six fungal species,
A. fumigatus
,
A. niger
,
A. lavus
,
C. albicans
,
Riopus oryzae
, and
Trichophyton rubrum
. Values of 20 and
19 mm diameter of zone of inhibition were observed against
A. fumigates
and
A. niger
, respectively, at a concentration of 300 µg/disc (Hasan et al., 2009).
RUMEX JAPONICUS
HOUTTUYU
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Common name: Gishigishi
Distribution: Japan, Russia, Korea, China
Habitat: River side, wet meadows, ditches, stream banks, wet valleys
Description: This perennial species grows to a maximum height of 100 cm,
and its leaves are 10-25 cm long. The lowers are green in color.
Compounds and activities: The aerial and root extracts of this species have
been reported to contain antioxidant lavonoids and anthroquinones such
as emodin, chrysophenol, and physcion. The ethyl acetate extract of this
species also possesses the strongest antibacterial activity against
B. subtilis
,
B. cereus
, and
E. coli
(Elzaawely et al., 2005).
