PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE OF SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS GROWN IN EGYPT

The immunomodulatory and antiulcerogenic activities of the chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don.)  leaves were investigated. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the best results regarding to a high significant increase of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and reduction of ulcers number and severity compaered with Ranitidine. HPLC technique was used to investigate the phenolic contents in the most bioactive fraction of S. sempervirens (D. Don.) The results allowed the identification and quantification of 12 phenolic acids and 15 flavonoids (in mg /g dry powder ± SD), protocatechuic acid was the predominant phenolic acid (10.94 ± 1.22), followed by salicylic acid (4.52 ± 1.23), coumaric acid (4.42 ± 0.21) and sinapic acid(3.57 ± 0. 63). Vitexin showed the highest content of identified flavonoids (6.67± 1.21) followed by orientin (5.96 ± 1.18) and quercetin-3,7-di-O-glucoside (4.92± 0.73). Ten flavonoids named as isoorientin (luteolin-6-C-glucopyarnoside) (1) isovitexin (apigenin-6-C -glucopyarnoside) (2) orientin (luteolin-8-C-glucopyarnoside) (3) vicenin-II (6, 8- di-C-glucosylapigenin) (4) mangiferin (5) vitexin (apigenin-8-C-glucopyarnoside) (6) protocatechuic acid (7) luteolin (8). apigenin (9) kaempferol (10) were isolated from the S. sempervirens (D. Don.) leaves extract using usual chromatographic techniques. The results constitute the first report on the phenolic contents in S. sempervirens (D. Don.).