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ABOUT AUTHOR
Oommen P. Saj*, John E. Thoppil
Department of Botany, UniversityCollege, Trivandrum, India
Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O., Kerala, India
E-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Syzygium cumini growing widely in South India is used for the present study. The leaf extracts showed several cytotoxic effects on onion root tip mitotic cells. The essential oil from the leaves is extracted and found to be of mixed terpenoid category. Many of the chemical constituents are showing anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, antibacterial and insecticidal properties. Hence the leaf extract can be used for the preparations of anticarcinogenic and biopesticidal products.
Keywords: Syzygium cumini, Myrtaceae, Cytotoxicity, Allium cepa, Essential oil, GC Analysis, Terpenoids
Introduction
Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) is a moderately suggested tree commonly called as Jamun or Jambolan. A voucher specimen was deposited in the herbarium of Botany department, Calicut University (CU 88021). In Indian folk medicine, the fruits and other plant parts are used as astringents and to cure blisters in mouth, colic, diabetes, diarrhoea, dysentery, digestion complaints, stomach ache, piles, pimples and cancer. Previously isolated constituents in their leaf essential oil consisted of 59% of hydrocarbons and 41% oxygenated derivatives. The major hydrocarbons were myrcene, β–phellandrene, terpinolene, γ–terpinene and β–pinene. The oxygenated derivatives include eugenol, α–terpineol, cumin aldehyde, methyl cinnamate and borneol.
