The College of Pharmacy discussed the MSc thesis entitled “Phytochemical Investigation of Jatropha integerrima Jacq. (Family: Euphorbiaceae) Cultivated in Iraq and Assessment of its Biological Activity” by the student Marwa Jaafar Mohammed Ali and the supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Nabaa Mohammed Ibrahem, at the Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department.
The study aimed to identify the active constituents in the whole Jatropha plant cultivated in Iraq, as well as to evaluate its biological activity as a natural source rich in pharmacologically important compounds, with particular emphasis on its anticancer and antibacterial activities.
The study included the extraction of the aerial parts of the plant using different solvents, in addition to collecting the latex from the stem, followed by qualitative screening of the active compounds using various chromatographic techniques. Several compounds were isolated and purified using a CombiFlash system, preparative thin-layer chromatography (PTLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques including infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (^1H NMR), in addition to chemical derivatization methods. Cytotoxic activity was evaluated using the B16 melanoma cell line, and the antibacterial activity was assessed against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
The results showed that the whole Jatropha plant cultivated in Iraq represents a promising and rich source of biologically active compounds, as multiple classes of constituents were identified. Several compounds belong to phytosterols, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, and alkaloids were isolated, in addition to the isolation of previously unreported compounds for the first time. Also, It revealed significant cytotoxic activity of the plant extract against the B16 melanoma cell line, as well as antibacterial activity of both the extract and the latex against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
The study recommended conducting further advanced pharmacological investigations on the whole Jatropha plant cultivated in Iraq, with expanded evaluation of its biological activity and mechanisms of action, paving the way for its potential use in the development of natural pharmaceutical preparations in the future.
