D. Grauzdytė “Phytochemcial composition and in vitro bioactivity of low investigated Phyllanthus phillyreifolius and Aphloia theiformis plant species indigenous to Reunion Island” doctoral dissertation defence

Author, Institution: Dovilė Grauzdytė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field of science: Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Petras Rimantas Venskutonis (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003).

Dissertation Defence Board of Chemistry Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Vytautas Mickevičius (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003) – chairman,
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vilma Kaškonienė (Vytautas Magnus University, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003),
Prof. Dr. Vytas Martynaitis (Kaunas University of Technology, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, N003),
Dr. Milda Pukalskienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, T005),
Dr. Raminta Venskutonytė (University of Lund, Sweden, Natural Sciences, Biology, N010).

The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio 20, Kaunas, Lithuania).

Annotation:

Plants are still highly valued as a rich source of therapeutic agents. The medicinal value of plants depends on the presence of biologically active ingredients which can be utilized in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, because they are regarded as health promoting/disease preventing compounds and as antioxidant and antimicrobial additives. Nevertheless, a large number of botanicals still remain poorly investigated. From this point of view, the tropical flora, which is more seriously threatened with extinction than many other species in different parts of the world, is of particular interest. Phyllanthus phillyreifolius and Aphloia theiformis belong to the plant species which are indigenous to Reunion Island, a French overseas department. Although both species are locally used in the folk medicine, scientific information on them is fairly limited. In this study was comprehensively evaluated the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of P. phillyreifolius and A. theiformis extracts isolated by various extractions methods and solvents. Furthermore, P. phillyreifolius extracts were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity in cells. The study showed that extracts of investigated plant species were very strong antioxidants, containing valuable phytochemicals.