Five Oxalis L. plants belonging to three different sections were collected and subjected to GC-MS analysis to evaluate and understand the relationship between them from the chemosystematic point of view. The GC-MS analysis revealed the identification and characterization of thirty seven compounds belonging to different non-polar chemical classes of which nine compounds (two aliphatic hydrocarbons, one diterpene, one fatty acid, four fatty acid esters and one fatty alcohol) were identified before from the genus while, the rest compounds were identified for the first time. The GC-MS results were chemosystematically significant among Oxalis species and were found to be a good parameter in finding a tangible demarcation between O. corniculata and O. corniculata var. repens, on the other hand it is difficult to differentiate between Oxalis sections by the obtained data.

This paper provides a full taxonomic revision of the genusOxalis for the flora of Egypt. The study was carried out on herbarium specimens as well as fresh materials. The study revealed the presence of five species and one variety belonging to three sections by adding O. corymbosa and O. latifolia. Oxalis corniculata is a polymorphic taxon in Egypt which led to the recognition of O. corniculata L. with its type var. corniculata and O. corniculata L. var. repens (Thunb.) Zucc. The species are mostly weed of cultivation along Mediterranean and Nile Valley with the exception of O. anthelmintica which is restricted to southeastern corner of Egypt. Among the studied taxa, variation in the presence or absence of stem, bulb characters, leaflets shape and color of flowers were found significant diagnostic characters for delimiting the taxa. For each taxon, update nomenclature, synonyms, type, amended descriptions, distribution (local and global), representative specimens are given. Photographs and diagnostic key to the species are provided to assist in identification.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that creates high blood sugar level. Therefore, diabetes awareness is necessary to prevent diabetes by reducing sugar intake and using low-calorie alternative sweeteners instead. Stevia rebaudiana is a medicinal plant species belonging to the Compositae family. It is a sweet herb that contains diterpene glycosides, which are directly responsible for the sweet taste, but they have no caloric value. Since ancient times, there have been several reports on the use of S. rebaudiana as an alternative sweetener and extended research has been conducted on its phytochemicals and biological activities. The plant contains a good number of phytochemicals with significant biological activities, namely polyphenolic derivatives, diterpenes glycosides, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, chlorophylls, carotenoids, etc. For industrial use, those phytochemicals could be extracted from the selected plant and used for the preparation of nutraceuticals and food additives. S. rebaudiana is a natural herb; therefore, it has fewer or minimal adverse effects on human health. The selected plant in various forms is used for the treatment of diabetes, colon cancer, obesity, cavities, and others. However, the literature review shows that the information on this plant and its uses is not systematic. The purpose of the present review is to explore the status of phytochemicals and biological activities of the selected plant for young researchers. Therefore, the updated data will help them to develop new nutraceuticals and food additives that could help in the production of pharmaceuticals to treat different ailments.