author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk, Ibrahim A. El-Garf and Husseiny A. H. Elgendy
Synonym
- Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., Sp. Pl., ed. 1, 480 (1753); Boulos, Fl. Egypt 1: 45 (1999).
- Ice plant, Ghasoul (Ar) نباث الثلح، غسول
family name
AIZOACEAE
genus name
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM
The three Mesembryanthemum species growing in Egypt viz. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, Mesembryanthemum forsskaolii and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum were evaluated for their ecophysiological behavior and phytochemical characteristics.
Succulent pigment(s) content, ash, mineral and secondary product contents were determined.
The three species were characterized by the highest value of succulent and limited fluctuation in their pigment(s), minerals and ash.
The phyochemical screening showed that Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. (edible wild plant) is rich in lipids (8.512%) and has a moderate content of protein (4.90%), while Mesembryanthemum forsskaolii Hochst. seeds are poor in lipid (1.849%) with moderate content of protein (3.1%).
The three species are very poor in carbohydrate contents. Free and combined sugars, rhamnose, arabinose, ribose, mannose and fructose were detected in the three species.
The highest percentage of total protein amino acids were found in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (14.53%) followed by Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum (3.9%) and Mesembryanthemum forsskaolii (3.01%).
Most of the essential amino acids were detected in the three species.
The fatty acids namely dodecyclic, tridecyclic, pentadecyclic, palmitic and stearic acids were detected in the three species.
Palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids were detected in the investigated species.
The proximate composition, as well as carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids of the three Mesembryanthemum species, growing in Egypt are shown in Tables 2-8. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum contains chlorophyll a 0.16, chlorophyll b 0.12 and carotenoids 0.09 mg/g (fresh weight) (El-Tantawy et al., 2004).
Water and chelator-soluble polysaccharides were independently isolated from the alcohol-insoluble substance of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum leaves. The galacturonic acid contents were 67 ± 3% and 63 ± 5%. The chelator-soluble fraction was shown to contain at least two types of pectic blocks, homogalacturonan (58%) and rhamnogalacturonan (34%).
In addition, there were a long galactan side chains with short arabino-galactan side chains (M’skani et al., 2006).
The amounts of soluble and insoluble oxalates in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum diminish as the age of the plant increases.
The sum of oxalic and malic acids remains about the same (one-sixth of the dry matter).
The ash of the plant contains a high percentage of K (Andre, 1905).
Bouftira et al. (2007) isolated 2,6-bis(1.1-dimethylethyl)-4-methylphenol (BHT, also known as butylhydroxytoluene a lipophilic synthetic antioxidant used generally for food cosmetics and pharmaceuticals) from the purple leaves of the halophyte plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.
The antioxidant activity of the plant was not related to BHT concentration. The higher antioxidant activity is obtained at seedling stage (Bouftira et al., 2010). The results obtained by Bouftira et al. (2009) showed that the antioxidant properties of the plant extract is in accordance with the amount of chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenolics and other compounds that can be present in the extracts.
The leaves contain two growth inhibitors (A and B) which are resistant to high temperatures (50-80oC) (Khan and Godeh, 1979).
The alkaloid mesembrine has been identified from the plant (Chopra et al., 1969).
Phytochemical screening of the plant, growing in Qatar, revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins and sterols (Rizk et al., 1986).
The study of total phenolic, flavonoid, and condensed tannin extracts of some Mesembryanthemum species. revealed that Mesembryanthemum edule exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, except for the iron-chelating test where Mesembryanthemum crystallinum showed the best activity with the lowest EC50 value (2.13 mg ml-1).
Accordingly, Mesembryanthemum edule exhibited high phenolic levels, especially in total phenols (70 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight “GAE g-1 DW”), while no significant difference was found between Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum (1.4 and 1.7 mg GAE g-1 DW, respectively) (Falleh et al., 2009).
Ito and Nakada (2009) reported the skin applications characteristic of the common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum).
The extract has outstanding moisturizing action. The skin applications of the extract have high safety, and outstanding rough dry skin improving action (Bouftira et al., 2008; Ito and Nakada, 2009).
A hair preparation which contains the essential oil of the plant has been disclosed (Dios, 2006).
The antiviral activity of some Tunisian plants including Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum has been reported (Ben Sassi et al., 2008).
Macro- and micromorphological study of the different organs of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum was carried out (Saber et al., 1972). An Abyssinian drug “ghassoul”, and claimed to be a substitute of soap, was found to be a mixture of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum (Wilczek, 1918).
The ash of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum has been used as a substitute for soap making, probably because of the large content of alkali components.
The pathways of the mechanisms of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum tolerance to salt stress including osmolyte biosynthesis, water relations and ion uptake were reviewed (Bohnert et al., 1995).
Transcripts were characterized for 9 major intrinsic proteins, some of which function as a water channels (aquaporins) from the ice plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (Kirch et al., 2000).
location
egypt