SCREENING OF HERBARIUM SPECIMENS OF NATIVE PLANTS FROM THE FAMILIES AMARANTHACEAE, DIPSACACEAE AND OROBANCHACEAE FOR ALKALOIDS, SAPONINS AND TANNINS

Abstract

All six species of Amaranthus contained alkaloids. Saponins were absent in A. graecizans L. and A. retroflexus L. but were present in the other species. Since A. retroflexus L. and A. hybridus L. and its variety erythrostachys The 11. are very similar morphologically, the hemolysis test provides a confirmatory test for differentiating between them and affords a good chemotaxonomic criterion. Very little tannin was present in Amaranthus species with the exception of A. hybridus L. and its variety erythrostachys The 11. which showed a much higher tannin titer.

In the Dipsacaceae, only Scabiosa palaestina L. contained tannins. Except for Pterocephalus plumosus (L.) Co u lt., the other eight species from the Dipsacaceae contained alkaloids. Four of the species examined gave a positive test for saponins: Cephalaria syriaca (L.) Schrad., Morina persica L., Scabiosa proliféra L., and Scabiosa argentea L.

In the Orobanchaceae, all six species of Orobanche were devoid of saponins. Tannins, however, were present in all of them. Except for Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. and O. nana Noe, the other four species of Orobanche contained alkaloids.

As little as 0.6 g. of defatted powdered plant material will suffice for screening plants for the presence of alkaloids, saponins and tannins.

Zusammenfassung

Eine Reihe der in Libanon vorkommenden Arten der Amaranthaceen, Dipsacaceen und Orobanchaceen wurde auf das Vorkommen von Alkaloiden, Saponinen und Tanninen geprüft (s. Tab. 1 u. 2).