Optimized ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk (wild thyme) and their bioactive potential

An optimized ultrasound-assisted extractive method was developed to obtain a polyphenol-enriched extract from the aerial parts of Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. et Schenk. Optimization process was conducted based on Design of Experiment (DoE) principles, determining the influence of three independent variables (time, ultrasound amplitude, ethanol concentration) on the total phenolic content of the extract (dependent variable). Additionally, the phenolic composition of the extract was characterized through UHPLC-HRMS, revealing beside the most abundant flavonoid-type compounds the presence of salvianolic acids C, D and L in high amounts. Phytochemical profile of the extract was correlated with its antioxidant activity (tested through five complementary assays) and enzyme-inhibitory potential, showing important antiglucosidase and anticholinesterase effects. Overall, it was concluded that the developed method is suitable for obtaining a good recovery of both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds from Thymus comosus aerial parts, and their presence in the optimized extract is responsible for its pharmacological potential.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1- 1.1-PD-2019-1245, within PNCDI III”. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), and for the contracts of J. Pinela (CEECIND/01011/2018) and L. Barros (institutional scientific employment program-contract).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of an optimized drying process for the recovery of bioactive compounds from the Autumn Fruits of Berberis vulgaris L. and Crataegus monogyna Jacq

Hot air drying has proven to be an efficient method to preserve specific edible plant materials with medicinal properties. This is a process involving chemical, physical, and biological changes in plant matrices. Understanding these processes will lead to an improvement in the yields of bioactive compounds. This study aims to optimize the drying process of two species’ fruits used in folk medicine, Berberis vulgaris and Crataegus monogyna. The optimized extracts’ antioxidant capacity was assessed using various assays, with the barberry extract showing very good activity (50.85, 30.98, and 302.45 mg TE/g dw for DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Both species exerted good fungal α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.34 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively) but no activity on mammalian α-glucosidase. Additionally, this study identified and quantified the main bioactive compounds. The results presented herein are a breakthrough in industrializing this drying process. Additional studies are necessary to mechanistically understand the drying process involved in these plant materials.This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS–UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-5360.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), the national funding for F.C.T. and P.I. and through the institutional scientific employment program contract for M.I.D., and L.B. The authors are grateful to FEDER—Interreg España—Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wood Bark as Valuable Raw Material for Compounds with a Bioregulator Effect in Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) Plants

Over the past few years, special attention has been paid to biomass valorization. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the phenolic rich extracts obtained from raw materials on the growth and development of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.). The extracts were obtained from the bark of spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) separated as waste product during wood processing. The growth and development of the plants was assessed by measuring elongation of vegetative organs, biomasses including root, stem, and leaf, and photosynthetic pigment content. In addition, the analysis of some histo-anatomic characteristics of the vegetative organs were made. Elongation biomasses and photosynthetic pigments concentration presented higher values in case of plants treated with beech bark phenolic extract compared to control plants. The spruce bark phenolic extract had a stimulatory effect on the germination but inhibited the growth and development of the plants. Both extracts increased the percentage of lignification in stems. These findings could contribute to the development of natural and eco-friendly substances that favor cultivation of lemon balm plants. Future research is needed in order to identify potential qualitative and quantitative changes in the essential oil of the aromatic plant treated with the tested solutions

PEROXIDASE, SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE AND CATALASE ACTIVITY IN CORN PLANTS DEVELOPED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF POLYPHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND DEUTERIUM DEPLETED WATER

In this experiment we studied the role of deuterium depleted water and spruce bark (Picea abies L.) polyphenolic extracts in the activity of some enzymatic systems involved in the metabolism of plants of maize (Zea mays L.). Thus, we evaluated the activity of peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase in the leaves and roots of maize, developed in the different experimental variants. It was found that the peroxidase activity decreases in the roots treated with deuterium depleted water and increases when the plants are treated with the polyphenolic extract derived from spruce bark. Also, it was observed an increase in catalase activity in maize plants treated with polyphenolic extract from spruce bark

Anticancer Potential of Natural Bark Products—A Review

Cell biology, plant-based extracts, structural chemistry, and laboratory in vitro or in vivo experiments are the principal aspects or interfaces that can contribute to discovering new possibilities in cancer therapy and to developing improved chemotherapeutics. Forestry residues can be used for their wealthy resource in polyphenols and other phytoconstituents known for anticancer properties. This review is designed to bring together information on the in vitro or in vivo anticancer potential of woody vascular plants especially the bark extracts (BE) and biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles (BMN) using bark extracts. Type of extracts, main phytoconstituents found in extracts responsible for the anticancer activity, and targeted cancerous cell lines were followed. The literature data were collected via Clarivate Analytics, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Academic (2011–2021). The search terms were: bark extracts, metallic nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, anticancer, cytotoxic activity, antiproliferative effect, and antimetastatic potential in vitro and in vivo. All of the search terms listed above were used in different combinations. The literature data highlight the efficaciousness of the BE and BMN as anticancer agents in in vitro experiments and showed the mechanism of action and their advantage of nontoxicity on normal cells. In vitro testing has shown promising results of the BE and BMN effect on different cancer cell lines. In vivo testing is lacking and more data is necessary for drug development on animal models

A Comprehensive Review of Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Quercus Species

The Quercus genus provides a large amount of biomaterial with many applications in fields like pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and foodstuff areas. Due to the worldwide dissemination of the genus, many species were used for centuries in traditional healing methods or in the wine maturing process. This review aims to bring together the results about phytoconstituents from oak extracts and their biological applicability as antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, etc. The literature data used in this paper were collected via PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct (2010–June 2020). The inclusion criteria were papers published in English, with information about phytoconstituents from Quercus species (leaves, bark and seeds/acorns) and biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiobesity, anti-acne vulgaris, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, antileishmanial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory. The exclusion criteria were the research of other parts of the Quercus species (e.g., galls, wood, and twigs); lack of information about phytochemistry and biological activities; non-existent Quercus species reported by the authors. The most studied Quercus species, in terms of identified biomolecules and biological activity, are Q. brantii, Q. infectoria and Q. robur. The Quercus species have been reported to contain several phytoconstituents. The main bioactive phytochemicals are phenolic compounds, volatile organic compounds, sterols, aliphatic alcohols and fatty acids. The, Quercus species are intensely studied due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities, provided by their phytochemical composition. The general conclusion is that oak extracts can be exploited for their biological activity and can be used in research fields, such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical

BIOACCUMULATION OF IRON IN RAPESEED UNDER NATURAL AMENDMENTS INFLUENCE

The present study reveals the results of a phytoremediation process applied to contaminated soil by many heavy metals, located proximity to an energy power plant. Phytoremediation process was studied using the rapeseed cultivation, both in the presence and absence of hemp shives, considered as potential natural soil amendments. The physiological responses of the rapeseed plants, such as variations in length and accumulation of biomass were investigated in other paper. The concentrations of Fe (II) ions have also been determined in soil and plants aiming at locating the metal ions in different organs of the plants. Presence of hemp shives stimulated iron bioaccumulation, promoting the translocation of ions to the aerial part of the plant

„IN VITRO” EFFECT OF SOME INDUSTRIAL BY-PRODUCTS ON LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA MILL. EXPLANT GROWTH

After many studies, it was observed that lavender has many therapeutic effects, such as sedation, activities spasmolytic, antiviral, antibacterial. Thus, given the importance of lavender in different areas of human life, in the present study, we studied the influence of natural products bioregulatoars separated from industrial by-products on some lavender stems explants. These explants were inoculated in vitro on MS nutrient media. In these culture media were added polyphenolic extracts obtained from spruce bark and hemp shives, and evaluated their influence on lavender stems explants. The results obtained were compared with those obtained for the control variant, where MS culture medium was used as standard. It was found that the addition of aqueous extract from spruce bark of concentration of 130 mg GAE / L, in the growth of explants of Lavandula angustifolia Mill, an increase in the elongation of the main stem, number of leaves formed, the amount of photoassimilating pigments synthesized and causes the phenomenon of shoots formation. At a higher concentration of the extract (26 mgGAE/100g) values are lower

Interface Dynamics and the Influence of Gravity on Droplet Generation in a Y-microchannel

The present experimental investigation is focused on the influence of gravity upon water-droplet formation in a Y-microchannel filled with oil. The flows are in the Stokes regime, with very small capillary numbers and Ohnesorge numbers less than one. The study was performed in a square-cross-section channel, with a = 1.0 mm as the characteristic dimension and a flow rate ratio κ in a range between 0.55 and 1.8. The interface dynamics in the vicinity of breakup and the transitory plug flow regime after the detachment of the droplet were analysed. The dependence of droplet length L was correlated with the channel position against the gravity and κ parameters. The results of the work prove that, for κ=1, the droplet length L is independent of channel orientation