Investıgatıon Of Phytochemıcal Propertıes And Bıologıcal Effects Of The Plants Used For The Treatment Of Central Nervous System Dısorders In Folk Medıcıne


Thesis Type: Doctorate

Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Farmakognozi Anabilim Dalı, Turkey

Approval Date: 2019

Thesis Language: Turkish

Student: FATMA TUĞÇE GÜRAĞAÇ DERELİ

Supervisor: Esra Akkol

Abstract:

In ethnobotanical studies conducted in Turkey, it was determined that there are numerous plants used

for the treatment of central nervous system disorders among the people. The present study aimed to

investigate the antidepressant efficacy of several plants which are used for central nervous system

disorders among the people such as Centaurea kurdica Reichardt, Corydalis erdelii Zucc., Lotus

corniculatus L. subsp. corniculatus, Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall., Primula vulgaris Huds. and

Xanthium orientale L. subsp. italicum (Moretti) Greuter. In this context, taking into account the use

of plants among the population, firstly the aqueous extracts and then n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc)

and methanol (MeOH) extracts were prepared from the branches, leaves and flowers of C. kurdica,

leaves of C. erdelii, M. officinalis and X. orientale subsp. italicum, aerial parts of L. corniculatus

subsp. corniculatus and rhizomes of P.vulgaris, successively. The efficacy of the prepared extracts

were evaluated using several in vivo models of depression. As the n-hexane extract prepared from

the branches and leaves and the methanolic extract prepared from the flowers of C. kurdica showed

high antidepressant activity in depression models, it was decided to conduct bioactivity guided

fractionation technique on C. kurdica. In this respect, the n-hexane extract was fractionated by silica

gel column chromatography to yield 5 main fractions [Fr. (1-42); Fr. (43-78); Fr. (79-105); Fr. (106-

139); Fr. (140-183)]. Fr. (43-78) and Fr. (140-183) showed significant activity in the used depression

models. According to isolation studies on these fractions, β-amyrin and the mixture of β-sitosterol

and stigmasterol were isolated from Fr. (43-78) and costunolide was isolated from Fr. (140-183). The

MeOH extract was applied to the vacuum liquid chromatography by using RP-18 silica gel column

fractionation was performed to obtain four main fractions [Fr. (1-4); Fr. (5-8); Fr. (9-23); Fr. (24-

28)]. Fr. (9-23) showed significant antidepressant activity in the used models. During the isolation

studies on this fraction quercitrin, isoquercetin and naringenin-7-O- glucopyranoside were obtained.

Consequently, the efficacy of C. kurdica against depression could be due to its sterol, flavonoid and

terpene derivative compounds.


Key Words : E t hnobotany, Asteraceae, Centaurea kurdica, Depression, Flavonoid, Sterol,

Sesquiterpene lactone