author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk
description
Nymphaeaceae is a family of rhizomatous aquatic herbs which currently encompasses five genera and about 70 spp. found in lentic environments rich in organic matter. Species belonging to the genus Nymphaea, the widely recognized water lilies, represent 80% of all known Nymphaeaceae (Pottier et al., 2016).
Genera Count
represented in egypt with 1 Genus
Species
represented in egypt with 2 Species
Investigation of some species of Nymphaeaceae viz. Nymphaea alba, Nymphaea capensis, Nymphaea cerulea, Euryale ferox and Victoria amazonica revealed the presence of gossypitrin and another flavone glycoside (flavone A) in all Nymphaea species (Wohlfart and Gademann, 1974). Seventeen and twenty-five compounds comprising approximately 96%, and 75% of the total oil were identified from the flowering aerial parts of Nymphaea hybrida Tach. V. (0.05%) and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (0.06%) respectively, from Egypt. The oil of Nymphaea hybrida contains mainly heneicosane 21.9% nonadecane 18.5% and tricosane 10.3%, fatty acids 16.5%, hydrocarbons 48.2% and terpenoidal compounds 16.1% of which isocalamendiol 6.1% and β- caryophellene 4.8% were the majors. The oil of Nelumbo nucifera contains mainly myristic acid 10.95%, edulan 8.76% and phytol 5.16% (Saeed et al., 1995).
The seeds and tubers of plants from water lily family have been used in medicine, food, and cosmetics. The leaves have been used in traditional Sudanese medicine as a remedy for dysentery, as an antibacterial, and to treat tumours and other disorders (Hsu et al., 2013). All parts of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) such as the fruit, seeds, roots, and leaves are edible and have been used as food for a long time. In addition, these plant parts have been used as antifebrile, sedative, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, and hemostatic agents in folk medicine (Ahn et al., 2013). It was also used in the treatment of tissue inflammation, cancer, diabetes, skin diseases, bleeding disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (Paudel and Panth, 2015). It is extensively cultivated in eastern Asia, particularly in China. The root, seed and young leaf of lotus are widely favored by Asian people as vegetables (Huang et al., 2010a).
Pharmacological studies of Nelumbo nucifera revealed the effects of leaves, including hepatoprotective, antioxidant (Huang et al., 2010a), anti-HIV, antidiabetic and anti-obesity (Ahn et al., 2013). The lipoidal matter of Nymphaea hybrida and Nelumbo nucifera showed insecticidal activity against cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littoralis (Saeed et al., 1993). Compounds, isolated from Nelumbo nucifera, as well as the biological activities of the plant were reviewed (Paudel and Panth, 2015). Lotus i.e., Nelumbo nucifera has been used in herbal cosmetics as an active ingredient since ages (Namita and Swati, 2013).
- NYMPHAEA
location
egypt