College of Education for Pure Sciences -University of Kerbala has discussed the M.A. thesis which is entitled “A Chemical Study of Pollen Grains and Some Physiological Aspects of Some Portulca Species from Portulacaceae family “.
Being presented by Mahasin Abdul Ali Judeh Abdul, the study aims at using previously unstudied taxonomic evidence to confirm taxonomic status of two species under study: Portulca oleracea and Portulaca grandiflora.
The study concludes that chemical composition of the studied species includes chemical compounds resulting from secondary plant metabolism, such as terpenes, aldehydes, and aromatic ring hydrocarbons. These compounds play an important role in biological activities that benefit researchers in their scientific research. The thesis also demonstrates inhibitory activity against some pathogenic microbes, including bacteria and fungi.
The study recommends the use of techniques supporting GC-MS and conducting further studies on aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the two species under study against other pathogenic organisms, as well as expanding the use of scanning electron microscopy and transmission.