Isolation and characterization of natural products from selected Rhus species

Abstract

Searsia is the more recent name for the genus (Rhus) that contains over 250 individual species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae. Research conducted on Searsia extracts to date indicates a promising potential for this plant group to provide renewable bioproducts with the following reported desirable bioactivities; antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antimalarial, antioxidant, antifibrogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antithrombin, antitumorigenic, cytotoxic, hypoglycaemic, and leukopenic (Rayne and Mazza, 2007, Salimi et al., 2015). Searsia glauca, Searsia lucida and Searsia laevigata were selected for this study. The aim of this study was to isolate, elucidate and evaluate the biological activity of natural products occurring in the plants selected.