A Pharmacognostical Study of Gomphocarpus Sinaicus Boiss. Family Asclepiadaceae Growing in Egypt

Gomphocarpus sinaicus boiss.( Asclepiadaceae ) is a perennial shrub growing wild in the Isthmic desert in Sinai. It is one of two species that grow in egypt . Many of Gomphocarpus plants are valuble in folk medicine viz., in treatment of stomach disorders, DROPsy, corysa, pulmonary T.B. they also used as anthelmintic and vermifuge. the cardiac and toxic properties are also evident.Since no report has been traced concerning neither the chemical constituents of this plant nor the macro- and micromorphology of it ( except few data given by some floras ), it was decided to undertake a pharmacognostical study of this plant. this study aims to investigate the chemical constuents as well as to study of macro- and micromorphological characters of this plant to ease its identification in the entire and powdered forms. this thesis includes three parts :part 1 : Botanical study :A- Macromorphology.B- Microscopial characters.part 11 : Phytochemical study.part 111: Cardiac , antimicrobial and antitumour activities.