STUDY ON THE CHEMISTRY AND BIO ACTIVITY OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SRI LANKA

Abstract

Attached

Centella asiatica (Umbelliferae) and Aegle marmelos (Rutaceae) are widely used as a ve~etable and a fruit respectively. These two plants are used in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicinal systems in Sri Lanka. Earlier researchers have reported the effect of aqueous extracts of these two plants on the classical and alternative pathways of activation of human complement in vitro. Activity directed fractionation of the aqueous extracts indicated that most of the activity was confined to the polysaccharide fraction. This thesis reports the preliminary chemical analysis of the polysaccharide fraction of Centella asiatica and Ae~le marmelos. These polysaccharides were hydrolysed and methanolysed. T.L.C and H.P.L.C analysis were done for analysing their monomer composition. The immunomodulating activity and Biological activity of these fractions using the .~emia bio assay were studied.