TLC–densitometry of rosmarinic and caffeic acids in the evaluation of Lamiaceae species growing in Central Europe

A TLC-densitometric method was used for the parallel quantification of rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA) in crude extracts of Salvia species (Family Lamiaceae), obtained by ultrasonic extraction with 60% methanol. The densitometric measurement was performed in fluorescent mode as it has been published earlier. The applicability of the method has been investigated mainly from the viewpoint of the starting material. Questions are discussed like, what kind of factors should be taken into account, if the drugs are to be characterized, and how the RA and CA contents of samples vary in the plants are discussed. The drugs (plant material) show great differences due to the time of harvest of time, to the organ composition of drugs, to the extraction and storage conditions of the stock-solutions prepared from them. The importance of these parameters is illustrated on Salvia species native to Hungary

Comparative analysis of external flavonoids of Bulgarian and Hungarian samples of Salvia species

The surface flavonoid distributions of 20 samples of 12 Salvia species originating from Hungary or Bulgaria were surveyed. The majority of the flavonoids proved to be flavones. The most common constituents of the exudates were apigenin, luteolin and scutellarein 6,7,4'-trimethyl ether (salvigenin). Flavonols were found only in S. ringens. No significant variation in flavonoid profile was observed between the samples with different origins. The flowers of the plants studied were richer than the leaves and stems in flavonoids

Phenolic profile, antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory activities of extracts from aromatic plants used in Mediterranean diet

The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanolic extracts from four aromatic plants used in traditional medicine and food [Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi subsp. nepeta, Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii Franco, Mentha spicata L. and Origanum vulgare subsp. virens (Hoffmanns. & Link) Bonnier & Layens] were evaluated. The extract from O. vulgare exhibited the strongest DPPH (IC50 of 4.65 +/- 0.12 mu g/ml) and ABTS (1479.56 +/- 12.29 mu mol(TE)/g(extract)) scavenging capacities, as well as the largest ferric reducing ability (1746.76 +/- 45.11 mu mol(AAE)/g(extract)). This extract also showed the highest total phenolic content (1597.20 +/- 24.10 mu mol(GAE)/g(extract)) and although HPLC-DAD analysis revealed rosmarinic acid as the main compound of the extract, other compounds seem to be involved in the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the extract from H. italicum, which was found to be rich in caffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids and in pinocembrin, showed the highest inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and alpha-glucosidase. Overall, the results obtained validate the usefulness of the studied plants as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health.European Union; National Funds (FCT/MEC, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia/Ministerio da Educacao e Ciencia) [UID/QUI/50006/2013]; Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) [NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000024]; FCT [SFRH/BPD/84112/2012, IF/01332/2014]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio