Traditional knowledge on the medicinal use of plants from genus Gentiana in the Pirot County (Serbia)

The paper provides an insight into the traditional use of medicinal plant species from the genus Gentiana in the Pirot County in Southeastern Serbia. The ethnopharmacological study was conducted in the form of interviews among the population in four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. Among the population of Pirot County, it was noticed the use of two species from the genus Gentiana: G. cruciata and G. lutea. It was recorded that cross gentian (G. cruciata) has great popularity and versatile aspects on traditional usage, that was mentioned by 53 respondents, and that includes the treatment of cancer diseases, improving the immune system, diabetes, blood purification, for appetite, gastric and duodenal ulcer, for high blood pressure, inflammation, lung diseases, cold, cough, disease prevention, diseases of internal organs, high cholesterol, and leaking breast. The usage of the root of yellow gentian (G. lutea) was mentioned by 30 respondents, and that includes improving the immune system, appetite, for the stomach, blood purification, circulation, as an aphrodisiac, against cancer diseases, diabetes, and gastric and duodenal ulcer. It is important to note that yellow gentian, recorded in the study area, is the first species on the list of illegally collected species in Serbia

GC/MS analysis and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Telekia speciosa (Schreb.) Baumg.

Telekia speciosa (Schreb.) Baumg., Asteraceae, is widespread in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkan Peninsula. Previous phytochemical investigations have revealed T. speciosa as a rich source of sesquiterpene lactone – isoalantolactone, especially in its underground parts. The aim of the present study was to analyze the essential oils from aerial and underground parts of T. speciosa and investigate their antimicrobial activity. Chemical composition of essential oils was determined by GC-FID/MS method leading to the identification of 67 compounds in total, with 15.77 % oxygenated monoterpenes, 7.77 % sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 49.14 % oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and 12.37 % other compounds from aerial parts, and 3.80 % oxygenated monoterpenes, 3.13 % sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 90.33 % oxygenated sesquiterpenes from underground parts essential oil. The main components from aerial parts were (E)-nerolidol (11.54 %) and caryophyllene oxide (10.54 %), while isoalantolactone was the predominant component from essential oil underground parts (83.41 %). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration of the essential oils were evaluated against six strains of bacteria and two strains of fungus using in vitro microdilution method. Both oils presented antimicrobial properties against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacilus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Inhibition of growth of tested microorganisms by T. speciosa underground parts essential oil was achieved with MICs ranging from 1.0 to 11.0 mg mL-1, while MICs of aerial parts essential oil varied from 4.0 to 30.0 mg mL-1. The obtained results contribute to the knowledge of antimicrobial properties of T. speciosa, which support traditional uses underground parts of the plant

Evaluation of antioxidant activities and haematological effects of Asystasia gangetica leaf extract in monosodium glutamate-treated rats

This study evaluated antioxidant activities and haematological effects of methanol extract of Asystasia gangetica leaves (MEAG) on monosodium glutamate (MSG) treated rats. Forty-two male Wistar rats randomly distributed into 7 groups (n=6) were used for the study. Groups 1-3 were the normal control, MSG control, and positive control respectively whereas groups 4-5 were the extract controls, and groups 6-7 were the curative groups. All the treatments were administered orally and standard analytical methods were used for analyses. The results showed that MEAG is a rich antioxidants source and contains phenolics, flavonoids and beta-carotene in high concentrations. The extract showed concentration-dependent increases in ferric reducing antioxidant power, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and nitric oxide radicals scavenging activities but relatively lower than their respective controls. The MSG administration caused significant (P<0.05) reductions in the glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities but significantly (P<0.05) increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in the MSG control rats. The MSG administration also caused significant (P<0.05) reductions in the haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts of the MSG control relative to the normal control. Treatment with MEAG significantly elevated GPx, SOD, and CAT activities; haematological indices and significantly reduced MDA levels in the extract controls, and curative groups treated with a high dose of MSG. These findings show that methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves is rich in antioxidants that could prevent oxidative stress and improves the haematological profile of MSG treated rats

Comprehensive combined chemical and pharmacognostic approach in the investigation of Montenegrin flora, with emphasis on endemic species: Past performance and future potential

Herein, we have reviewed the comparative analysis relating pharmacognostic and chemical approaches in the investigation of the chosen plants from Montenegrin flora known for the constituents recognized as carriers of different biological activities. In addition, some of the mentioned extensively studied plants were with uncertain status in the systematics, as not being recognized as new species. The results of pharmacognostic studies with the thorough chemical analyses addressing the problem in positioning some of the investigated plants from Swertia, Gentiana and Gentianella genera belonging to family Gentianaceae in systematics, performed within the collaboration of two research groups from Institute for Medicinal Plants Research “Dr. Josif Pančić” and Faculty of Chemistry, the University of Belgrade under the leadership of Dr. Nebojša Menković and Prof. Dr. Slobodan Milosavljević were summarized. In addition, the complete chemical structure elucidation of sesquiterpene lactones present in Anthemis sp. as potential anti-inflammatory agents, applying the sophisticated 2D NMR techniques was reviewed. Further, the parthenolide content determination in Tanacetum larvatum revealed the possibility of the successful application of 1H NMR techniques in quantification studies. The findings presented in the published literature stressed the importance of a combined chemical and pharmacognostic approach in the investigation of natural products originating from plants

High doses of Uvaria chamae root extract impair sperm motility and viability

Uvaria chamae is a tropical medicinal plant with documented antimicrobial and antimalarial activities. Agents with these activities are known to impair fertility. This study investigated the antifertility effects of ethanolic extract of U. chamae on male albino Wistar rats. Two different oral doses; 56.6 mg/kg body weight and 113.2 mg/kg body weight of the extracts were administered to low dose and high dose group, respectively. A third group served as control and received 2 mL of distilled water. There were five animals in each group. Administration lasted six weeks after which animals were sacrificed and samples collected. Results showed that sperm count, sperm morphology and semen pH were not affected (P>0.05) by the extract. Sperm motility (55.65 %) and viability (64.38 %) were however decreased (P<0.05) by high doses of the extract. Histopathology of testicular tissues also showed no difference across the groups. U. chamae thus impair fertility in vivo especially at high doses

Water soluble biomolecules from Nepeta nuda regulate microbial growth: A case study of apple juice preservation

The following study was designed to explore antimicrobial properties of the by-product obtained in a hydro-distillation process of essential oil from Nepeta nuda L. We strived to develop a novel drink with antimicrobial self-preserving properties based on two components, N. nuda decoct and apple juice. By using 96-well plate microdilution assay it was shown that the N. nuda decoct has antimicrobial potential towards 8 bacterial and 6 fungal species, with the range of minimal inhibitory concentrations 10-300 mg/mL. By using actual food system, such as apple juice, in combination with and without short thermal treatment, we have shown that the decoct of N. nuda can inhibit the growth of food contaminant fungus Penicillium aurantiogriseum. It was determined that 3 volumes of decoct (500 mg/mL) and 22 volumes of apple juice should be mixed in order to obtain self-preserving drink resistant to P. aurantiogriseum contamination. Likewise, when thermal treatment (80 °C for 10 s) is included, self-preserving mixture of decoct and apple juice should be made in volume ratios 3:47, respectively. The designed product maintained the pleasant taste as determined by panelists during the sensorial evaluation. Chemical investigations (UHPLC–Orbitrap MS analysis) of N. nuda decoct showed that the most abundant compound was 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (0.410 mg/g of dried decoct). Since N. nuda is traditionally used as a tea, we presented the novel formulation of the drink with antimicrobial properties based on the its decoct and apple juice

Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical evaluation of Quassia undulata (Guill. & Perr.) D. Dietr. leaves using different solvent polarities

This study investigated solvent effects on the phytochemical composition of Quassia undulata leaves a medicinal plant used in treating arrays of diseases including fever and cough. The leaves were collected, washed, air-dried, pulverized and evaluated for some inherent phytochemicals using four different solvent systems based on their polarities. The solvents are methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate and chloroform. The methanol extract was found to have the highest number of secondary metabolites (saponins, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, coumarins, anthraquinones, alkaloids and phenols). None of the extracts tested positive for the presence of phlobatannins, terpenoids and emodins. The methanol extract was further analyzed quantitatively for some of the determined phytochemicals. Tannins had a concentration of 3.131 mg of catechin equivalents per 100 mg sample (mg CE/100g), alkaloids - 5.200 %, total phenolics - 11.828 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram of extract (mg GAE/g), flavonoids - 8.074 mg of quercetin equivalents per gram of extract (mg QE/g) while 0.673 % saponins were detected. The presence of these secondary metabolites might justify the ethnomedicinal uses of Quassia undulata leaves as their bioactivity has been found to be dependent on the solvent used for extraction

Influence of water stress prior to harvest on yield and essential oil content of pot grown lemon balm

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant widely used in modern and traditional medicine. The aboveground part, particularly the leaves, has many benefits; in traditional medicine, it is used for the preparation of various teas and tea blends, while in modern medicine to obtain essential oil as it is considered a precious product. Nowadays, the needs for lemon balm are mostly met by growing it in the open field. The quality of its leaves as well as the content of its essential oil mostly depend on the way the plant is grown. In stress conditions, medicinal plants use to increase the content of their secondary metabolites. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether water deficit has an impact on the content of essential oil in lemon balm grown as a pot culture. The experiment was conceived in such a way that at the beginning of the flowering phase, cultivated plants were given different treatments. Treatment A represented plants that were not subjected to water stress, while in treatments B and C, prior to harvesting the plants have been subjected to water stress for 7 and 14 days, respectively. By the end of the experiment, the morphological parameters per plant were measured and the contents of essential oil per treatment determined, all in triplicates. The obtained results indicate that water stress had a great impact on the yield of the aboveground biomass of lemon balm plants as well as on the content of essential oil in their leaves. The highest average yield of the aboveground biomass was obtained in treatment A (1204.0 g) while the highest average yield of the essential oil in treatment C (0.59 g). In short, an increase in water stress increased its positive effects on lemon balm grown as pot culture

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) from botanical source to phytopreparations

The usage of hawthorn preparations has a long history in the traditional treatment of heart failure, which is considered as the inability of a weakened heart to supply peripheral tissues with the required amount of oxygen and nutrients. The leaf, flower, and fruit of the hawthorn, due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, procyanidins, organic acids, amines, etc., are showing a wide range of the effects on the cardiovascular system. The leaf and flower have a positive monograph in Commission E, as well as the EMA monograph, but only for traditional use. Numerous clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the beneficial effects of dry hawthorn extracts on heart diseases. There are a large number of phytopreparations in various galenic forms on the market trade. According to the recent guidelines, usage of hawthorn preparations as a monotherapy in heart failure is not recommended. Instead, it should be used as an adjunct therapy

Enzyme inhibitors as controllers of neurodegenerative diseases: An update of in vitro effects of medicinal plants

Considering the increase of the elderly population in recent years, the growing prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), has become one of the leading healthcare problems. Currently, available therapies for AD and PD are still limited, while medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for millennia can inhibit enzymes involved in the neurodegeneration processes in AD (acetylcholinesterase, AChE, and butyrylcholinesterase, BChE) and PD (tyrosinase, TYR), hence their inhibiting effects are continuously being investigated especially in the past decade. This study was aimed to review data on medicinal plants as potential cholinesterases and TYR inhibitors reported from January 2018 until May 2021. The literature search was performed using several online bibliographical databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate) and two websites. Data analysis showed that the highest number of representatives belongs to Lamiaceae family (up to 20 %), followed by Asteraceae. Almost half of the tested samples were prepared from whole plant/aerial plant parts followed by leaves. The most frequently tested preparations were methanolic extracts (about 25 % of the samples examined). Additionally, synergistic interactions between different herbs and/or isolated compounds were considered as a promising strategy for further research. The presented data showed that medicinal plants preparations represent an unlimited source for research of new and more effective AD and PD treatments. This review will provide a useful starting point for further research on this topic