Gas and liquid chromatography looks at lipids in plant extracts

Gas and liquid chromatography have been used by researchers in Algeria and France to examine lipid composition of plant extracts as part of a study of Zizyphus lotus L (Desf) as an alternative medicine.

The plant, also known as Jujube, is commonly used for anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic, analgesic, sedative and anti-diabetic capabilities in the Algerian medicinal system.

Scientists in the departments of molecular biology and chemistry at Universite Abou Bekr Belkaid in Algeria collaborated with the Universite de Bourgogne in France to study Jujube extracts with gas and liquid chromatography.

They found that seed extracts offered the best immunosuppressive effects, giving them potential for applications in immune-mediated diseases.

Meanwhile - and perhaps unsurprisingly - the greatest concentration of vitamins C and A were found in the fruit, along with high levels of linoleic acid.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine carries research into ways to either assist or replace conventional medical techniques.