author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk, Husseiny A. H. Elgindi and Ibrahim A. El-Garf
Synonym
- Allium sphaerocephalon L., Sp. Pl., ed. 1, 297 (1753) subsp. arvense (Guss.) Arcangeli, Comp. Fl. Ital. 702 (1882); Boulos, Fl. Egypt 4: 74 (2005).
- Syn. Allium arvense Guss., Fl. Sic. Prodr. 1 : 403 (1882); Täck, Stud. Fl. Egypt, ed. 2, 648 (1974).
- Senn El-Ghazal (Ar) سه الغسال
family name
ALLIACEAE
genus name
Allium
A bisdesmosidic furostanol saponin with six monosaccharides was isolated from the bulbs of Allium sphaerocephalon.
Its structure was determined to be 26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-22-O-methyl-(25R)-furost-5-en-3β,22α-26-triol 3-O-{O-α-L-rhamnopyra nosyl-(1→2)-O-[O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-gluco-pyranosyl- (1→4)]-β-D-glucopyranoside} (Mimaki et al., 1996).
Cysteine sulfoxides as well as alliinase activity were found in 17 Allium species (including Allium sphaerocephalum), and (+)-S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide was most abundant (Krest et al., 2000).
Ninty-one compounds (representing 91.6% w/w) of the essential oil of Allium sphaerocephalum L. subsp. sphaeraocephalum were identified.
The major constituents were shyobunol (15.3%), β-caryophyllene (8.1%), α-cadinol (7.8%), 3,5-diethyl-1,2,4-trithiolane (isomer II, 5.9%) and δ-cadinene (5.2%) (Lazarevic et al., 2011).
The spirostanol saponin, isolated from the plant, showed cytoxic activity against leukemia MOLT-4 cells, while the bisdesmoisidic furostanol saponin was inactive (Mimaki et al., 1996).
The antioxidant activity of Allium sphaerocephalum was reported (Štajner et al., 2003, 2006c; Štajner and Popovic, 2009).
The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the leaves (Štajner et al., 2003).
The essential oil of Allium sphaerocephalon subsp. sphaerocephalon had strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and are in accordance with the popular use of plants belonging to the genus Allium in traditional medicine (Lazarevic et al., 2011).
location
egypt