الفهرس 
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Abstract
The present study deals with an ecological and phytochemical investigation of the medicinal plant Jasonia montana (Vahl.) Botsch. (Syn. Varthemia montana (Vahl.) Boiss.). The plant is widely used in folklore medicine for diarrhea, stomachache, abscesses, chest diseases, etc.
The thesis included four parts in addition to English and Arabic summaries,a published paper extracted from the thesis and a list of references.
The first part of the thesis comprised a review of literature. Parts II and III dealt with ecological and phytochemical studies carried on J. montana. Part IV comprised a general discussion of the results.
The ecological studies dealt with phenological behaviour, root system, habitat conditions, analysis of carbohydrates, protein etc. besides an analysis of the plant community dominated by J. montana. The phytochemical studies included preliminary screening, successive extraction, mucilage, volatile oil, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols , wax, lactones and terpenes from the leaves of the plant.
I. Ecological studies:
J. montana is a common component of the vegetation of south Sinai. Its natural habitat in wadi- fill deposits of wadi beds and the exposed rock of wadi floors.1.J. montana is an undershrub that may reach up to 150 cm in height. The plant produces two types of branches, vegetative branches that carry winter leaves which sprout, by the end of winter from the base of the plant up to the top and flower branches that carry the summer leaves.The latter leaves are glabrous while the former are pubescent.
2.Jasonia montana started producing flower in July and by August- September the plant became in full flower. The plant was observed in full fruit in October and November in the two habitats.
3.The plant growth dominated by J. montana was analysed in the two habitats. The analytical characters included estimation of frequency index, frequency class and minimal area. The synthetic characters included analysis of presence. The results indicated that the minimal area was less than 250 m2 in the wadi bed and rocky habitats.
4.The study of edaphic factors included the analysis of soil texture, soil moisture, water-holding capacity , organic carbon, total soluble salts, soil reaction, calcium carbonate contents as well as the anions namely, HCO-3 Cr- and SO4-2 and cations namely Nat, ic.+, Ca+2 and Mg+2.
5.The plant moisture and plant ash content as well as the elements namely Na+,K+, Cal Mg+2 and P+3 and Cl were determined. The winter leaves of the plants of the two habitats attained the highest plant moisture content. Meanwhile the maximum values of the ash
content were attained in the summer leaves of the wadi bed habitat by
followed the summer leaves of rocky one. The winter leaves of the plants of
the two habitats attained more or less similar values of ash content.6. Metabolic products including carbohydrate fractions, nitrogenous compounds, lipid contents as well as organic acids were analysed.
The results obtained revealed that the highest accumulation of the total carbohydrate content, total reducing value and polysaccharides attained the maximum values in summer leaves of the two habitats, while the lowest values were attained in winter ones.
Regarding the nitrogenous compounds the results revealed that the summer leaves attained higher accumulation of total, soluble and insoluble nitrogen than the winter ones with maximum values in the summer leaves of the rocky habitat.
t
Concerning amino acids the results revealed that the total
concentration as well as the concentration of each individual amino acid showed variation among the two types of the leaves and habitats.
Determination of the total lipid content as well as analysis of the fatty acids were carried out. Results obtained from analysis of the fatty acids revealed that the number as well as the total concentration of the fatty acids of summer leaves were lower than that of the winter ones.
The colourimetric estimation of organic acids revealed that the highest accumulation of the total organic acids as well as citric acid and total keto acids attained the maximum value in summer leaves in wadi bed habitat, while the lowest values were attained in winter ones.
Paper chromatographic investigation of organic acids content, of J. montana revealed the presence of citric, tartaric and oxalic acids.II. Phytochemical studies:
7.Preliminary phytochemical screening of the leaves of the plant revealed the presence of carbohydrates, sterols, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, resins, mucilages and volatile oil in both winter and summer leaves of the two habitats.
8.The data of extraction with successive selective organic solvents of the winter and summer leaves in the two habitats indicated that the summer leaves of plants of wadi bed habitat attained the highest residue percentage (29.90%), while the lowest one was attained in winter leaves of the plants of the rocky habitat, being 24.36%.
9.The mucilage present in the winter and summer leaves of the plants of the two habitats was extracted by hot water. The physical and chemical properties as well as elemental composition of the mucilage fractions were carried out. Chromatographic analysis of mucilage hydrolysate by using paper chromatographic technique revealed the presence of glucuronic acid and glucose in winter and summer leaves of plants of the two habitats.
10.The volatile oil was determined in the winter and summer leaves in the plants of the two habitats using GLC technique. The results revealed variation in the concentrations as well as constituents of the volatile oil in winter and summer leaves of plants of the two habitats.
11.By means of acetone a powdered substance was precipitated from the water extract of the leaves of the plants. After separation of this substance followed by purification for several times, a yellow compoundwith melting point 240° C was obtained. It was subjected to C,H analysis,
molecular weight determination I R and NMR. The results revealed that this compound consisted of C ,H N with determined
36.1%, 4.1% 11.7%
molecular weight 376 and accordingly the molecular formula is C H NO .
12 14 3 11
12.The tannins of the plant leaves were extracted by hot water and
resin
passed through a column of cation exchange. The elute obtained was
crystallized and purified from ethyl alcohol where crystalline compound was obtained. The physical and chemical properties of the separated compound including C,H analysis, IR,NMR and molecular weight was carried out. The results revealed that this compound consisted of C,
51.15%,
H, with determined molecular weight 170 and accordingly the
5.4%
molecular formula is C7 H8 05. Hydrolysis of separated tannins followed by
chromatographic investigation revealed the presence of two components, the aglycone (gallic acid)and glycone (glucose) components.
13.The flavonoid content of the plant leaves was studied using thin-layer and paper chromatographic techniques. One compound was isolated, the physical and chemical properties of which were studied.It was soluble in methanol, ether, chloroform and insoluble in water with melting point 235-237°c. Chromatographic separation indicated that the glycone part was glucose while aglycone one was identical to quercetagen.
14.Alkaloids of the plant leaves were extracted with chloroform. A crystalline compound was obtained. The physical and chemical properties of the compound revealed that it was soluble in ether and chloroform and insoluble in alcohol and water with melting point 115°c. The micro-analysis of the separated alkaloid revealed that the molecular weight was 370 and molecular formula would be C H N 0 .
18 48 3 4
15.Chromatographic investigation of the unsaponifiable fraction of the lipid of the plant leaves indicated the presence of 7 spots. By means of column chromatography the main sterol was eluted with 0.5%methyl alcohol in benzene as needle crystals with melting point 139°c undepressed upon admixture with authentic [3- sitosterol.It gave positive test with Liberman-Burchard for sterol. Thin layer chromatographic investigation
of the separated sterol revealed that it had Rf value similar to that of O-sitosterol.
16.Three crystalline principles were isolated from the petroleum ether extract of the plant leaves. The physical and chemical properties of these compounds were studied by using IR, NMR, MS and C13 techniques.
a.The first compound was identified as paraffin wax, it was soluble in hot acetone, ether, chloroform and insoluble in water with melting point 64-66°C. Micro-analysis indicated that the wax consisted of 13 different types of signals for saturated carbon, with molecular formula
C H
23 28
b.The second isolated compound was identified as lactone. It was white needles with melting point 60°c. It was soluble in pet.ether, ether,
chloroform,sparingly soluble in acetone, methyl and ethyl alcohols and insoluble in water. The micro-analysis revealed that it consisted of C
72.20%
H with molecular weight 369.
10.2%
c.The third isolated compound was a pale yellow crystalline compound with of Rf value 0.75 and melting point 90°c. from the micro-
analysis as well as IR, M S the compound was identified as terperne.