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Latin (Botanical) name: Zygophyllum coccineum L.

Family: Zygophyllaceae

Common name: Zygophyllum, R’utrit, Ratrayt, Rotreyt, Kammoon karamaani, Galam, Gallam, Gillam, Gollom, Tarter, Bizz el-kalba, Batbat, Humaz, Belbel.

Origin: Egypt

Plant description:

ZYGOPHYLLACEAE R. Br. Stipules not spiny. Fruit unarmed. Leaves simple or 2-3-foliolate, capsule 5-valved. Leaves terete, if flattened, 2-foliolate. ZYGOPHYLLUM L. Usually desert plants with cylindrical or ovoid, rarely flattened fleshy leaves. Flowers white, pinkish or yellow. Stamens 8-10 with 1-2 scale-like appendages at the base of each filament. Capsule 5-valved, angled or winged. Shrubby plants with compound leaves. Leaflets terete. Peduncle as long as or longer than flower and capsule, leaves green glabrous. Capsule + or – cylindrical, wingless. Capsule about 10 mm. long and 5 mm. broad. ZYGOPHYLLUM COCCINEUM L.: Shrub, up to 75 cm. Leaflets 2, bright green, glabrous, cylindrical, at least 10 mm. long. Capsule 8-10 mm. long, apex obtuse. (Frut.)

Source: STUDENTS’ FLORA OF EGYPT second edition, by VIVI TÄCKHOLM, D. Sc. (Stockholm) Professor of Systematic Botany, Faculty of Science, Cairo University. Published by Cairo University. Printed by COOPERATIVE PRINTING COMPANY Beirut, 1974.

Propagation: Fruits (seeds), shrub in Upper Egypt.

Status:

The plant is common. Being unpalatable, it is not grazed by animals. It does not give good fuel. So, the plant is neither grazed nor cut for fuel.

Source: Wild Medical Plant in Egypt. An Inventory to support Conservation and Sustainable Use. BATANOUNY K. H.

Constituents:

Zygophyllin (28% in leaves, 0.18% in stems and 0.26% in fruits). Quinovic acid (0.36% in leaves, 0.31% in fruits and 0.47% in stems). Flavonoids e.g. ; kaempferol-3-rutinoside.

Source: Wild Medical Plant in Egypt. An Inventory to support Conservation and Sustainable Use. BATANOUNY K. H.

Folk Medical Uses:

In the form of infusion as a remedy for rheumatism, gout, cough, asthma, hypertension, flatulent colic and as diuretic.

The juice expressed from the fresh leaves and stems are used as abrasive cleanser and as a remedy for the treatment of certain skin diseases.

Source: Wild Medical Plant in Egypt. An Inventory to support Conservation and Sustainable Use. BATANOUNY K. H.

Biological Activities:

1-       Anthelmintic.

2-       Stimulation of toads heart.

3-       Stimulation of guinea pig’s intestine.

4-       Zygophyllin and quinovic acid exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, corti-zone-like action, choleretic and antipyretic activities.

5-       The aqueous extract produced lowering in blood pressure, diuretic, antipyretic, local anaesthetic and antihistaminic activities.

Source: Wild Medical Plant in Egypt. An Inventory to support Conservation and Sustainable Use. BATANOUNY K. H.

References:

1-       Batanouny, K. H. and Ezzat, Nadia H. 1971. Eco-physiological studies on desert plants. I. Autecology of ZYGOPHYLLUM species growing in Egypt. Oecologia (Berl.), 7: 170-183

2-       Duke, J. A. 1985. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. CRC Press Inc. Florida.

3-       El-Moghazy, M. A. 1957. A comparative study of the common Egyptian ZYGOPHYLLUM species. Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University.

4-       Elgamal, M. H. A. ; Shaker, K. H. ; Pollmann, K. and Seifert, K. H. 1995. Triterpenoid saponins from ZYGOPHYLLUM species. Phytochemistry. 40(4): 233-1236.

5-       Rizk, A. M. and El-Ghazaly, G. A. 1995. Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Qatar, pp. 299. Scientific and Applied Research Center, University of Qatar.

6-       Saad, S. F. ; Saber, A. H. and Scott, P. M. 1967. Pharmacological studies on ZYGOPHYLLUM COCCINEUM extract. Bull. Fac. Pharm., Cairo University 6(1): 245-251.

7-       Saad, S. F. ; Saber, A. H. and Scott, P. M. 1967. Pharmacological studies on Zygophyllin and Quinovic Acid. Bull. Pharm. Cairo University 6(1): 253-263.

8-       Saber, A. H. and El-Moghazi Shoaib, M. A. 1966. J. Pharm. Sci. U.A.R. 7:117.

9-       Saber, A. H. and El-Moghazy, M. A. 1960. J. Pharm. Sci. U.A.R. 2.

Last Update October 21^st, 2001.

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