Antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activites of cryptocarya rugulosa / Khong Heng Yen

There are several potential Malaysian Cryptocarya species which have ethnobotanical uses but little studies have been carried out to link these folkloric uses with the phytochemistry of these plant species. Previous studies have revealed Cryptocarya genus is a rich source of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, pyrones, lignans, terpenoids, alkaloids and steroids, of which of 2-pyrones and flavonoids are the common secondary metabolites for this genus. The findings also showed that the types of secondary metabolites isolated are based on the geographical location. It would be interesting therefore, to identify the chemical constituents of Cryptocarya rugulosa from Sarawak. Some species of Cryptocarya have been shown to possess interesting biological activities such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. Root samples of Cryptocarya rugulosa will be extracted and purified using standard protocols which involves the conventional extraction technique such as chromatographic methods. Analyses for structural elucidations of pure bioactive compounds will involve the usual spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, FTIR, UV and GCMS. The isolation and identifications of these natural products will lead us to establish a chemical and biological profile of the extract for product development. The outcome of this project is a document of medicinal plants rich in active compounds for further investigation for potential in drug development.