Determination of volatile aroma compounds in fresh Origanum vulgare and Hyssopus officinalis: Headspace GC/FID/MS profile

Origanum vulgare and Hyssopus officinalis are important aromatic and medicinal plants. The chemical composition of the volatile aroma compounds was defined in the fresh aerial part of Origanum vulgare (f-O) and Hyssopus officinalis (f-H), collected in Valbona (Albania). The analysis were made by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC/FID/MS) on HP5-ms column and equipped with automated headspace (HS) system. 0,3 g fresh plant material (homogenized samples from flower, leaf and stem) was put in sealed vials, heated (80 ͦC) and the gas phase was investigated. Total of 21 individual volatile aroma compounds were identified in f-O sample, 14 monoterpenes (78.35%) and 7 sesquiterpenes (3.03%). Dominant components were monoterpene hydrocarbons: sabinene (55.05%), trans-β-ocimene (5.19%) and γ-terpinene (4.05%), followed by cis-sabinene hydrate, α-terpinene and β-pinene. In f-H sample were identified 16 individual volatile aroma components, 11 monoterpenes (84.51%) and 5 sesquiterpenes (0.29%). The major components were monoterpene hydrocarbons: β-pinene (48.66%) and cispinocamphone (29.77%), followed by α-pinene and α-thujen

Safety issues of herbal weight loss dietary supplements: Hepatotoxicity and adulteration

Herbal weight loss supplements are widely used in the management of obesity, but consistent data to support long-term weight loss efficacy and safety are missing. Besides, legal framework for food supplements is less restrictive than regulation of medications. The objective of this review is to give weight to the fact that many weight loss supplements contain herbal compounds with unknown mechanism of action, increasing the risk for adverse effects, even toxicity, especially in co-administration with prescribed drugs. Hepatotoxicity ranging from elevated transaminases and autoimmune-like hepatitis to acute liver failure appears to be underrecognized, but is not uncommonly encountered. Another and even more serious concern is adulteration of weight loss supplements by illegal addition of unauthorized substances or medications to provide quick effects and to increase sales. Here are some significant data regarding the possible hepatotoxicity of frequently used herbal extracts, as well as the health risks related to some common adulterants. Towards safer use of supplements, a comprehensive and critical discussion of current regulatory principles is essential to address the existing gap between the increased use of food supplements and the lack of knowledge about their benefits, providing better protection for consumers

Natural products in the management of obesity

Treating overweight and obesity with medications generally offers initial advantages but can result in weight regain after stopping the drugs, as well as in medication-related side effects, and the potential for substance misuse. The allure of herbal products lies in their natural origin, thus leading individuals towards these products in search of a healthier and more sustainable approach to weight loss. Understanding how herbal products interact with biological systems is crucial for assessing their therapeutic potential. Anti-obesity herbal products and their compounds can act through different mechanisms, such as: appetite suppression, digestion and absorption blocking, stimulation of thermogenesis, inhibition of adipogenesis, and modulation of these processes through gene expression. The physiological effects and therapeutic properties exhibited by herbal products are ascribed to the presence and activity of their active components, such as polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, stanols, sterols and alkaloids. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of various phytochemicals have been explored to enhance their anti-obesity properties

Biljni proizvodi u lečenju gojaznosti

Treating overweight and obesity with medications generally offers initial advantages but can result in weight regain after stopping the drugs, as well as in medication-related side effects, and the potential for substance misuse. The allure of herbal products lies in their natural origin, thus leading individuals towards these products in search of a healthier and more sustainable approach to weight loss. Understanding how herbal products interact with biological systems is crucial for assessing their therapeutic potential. Anti-obesity herbal products and their compounds can act through different mechanisms, such as: appetite suppression, digestion and absorption blocking, stimulation of thermogenesis, inhibition of adipogenesis, and modulation of these processes through gene expression. The physiological effects and therapeutic properties exhibited by herbal products are ascribed to the presence and activity of their active components, such as polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, stanols, sterols and alkaloids. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of various phytochemicals have been explored to enhance their anti-obesity properties.Lečenje prekomerne težine i gojaznosti lekovima obično je od kratkoročne koristi i često je povezano sa povećanjem telesne težine nakon prestanka terapije, neželjenim efektima lekova i rizikom od njihove zloupotrebe. Popularnost biljnih proizvoda potiče od njihovog prirodnog porekla, što navodi pojedince da ih upotrebljavaju u cilju zdravijeg i održivijeg pristupa mršavljenju i regulaciji telesne težine. Razumevanje načina na koji biljni proizvodi stupaju u interakciju sa biološkim sistemima je ključno za procenu njihovog terapeutskog potencijala. Biljne droge protiv gojaznosti i njihova jedinjenja mogu delovati kroz različitim mehanizmima, kao što su: suzbijanje apetita, blokiranje varenja i apsorpcije, stimulacija termogeneze, inhibicija adipogeneze i modulacija ovih procesa kroz ekspresiju gena. Fiziološki efekti i terapijska svojstva biljnih droga pripisuju se njihovim aktivnim sastojcima, kao što su polifenoli, tanini, flavonoidi, antocijanini, stanoli, steroli i alkaloidi. Takođe, analizirani su sinergistička delovanja različitih biljnih sastojka kako bi se poboljšali njihovi efekti protiv gojaznosti

Essential oils composition of Pinus peuce Griseb. (Pinaceae) growing on Pelister Mtn., Republic of Macedonia

The composition of essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from needles, from branches without needles and from branches with needles of Pinus peuce Griseb. (Pinaceae) from Pelister Mtn. (R. Macedonia) was analyzed by GC/FID/MS. One hundred and seven components (40 monoterpenes, 37 sesquiterpenes, 9 diterpenes and 21 other components - aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbons; aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes, and acids; phenols and other oxygenated benzene derivates) were identified. The most abundant constituents were terpene hydrocarbons, encompassing the monoterpenes: α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene + β-phellandrene and bornyl acetate and the sesquiterpenes: trans (E)-caryophyllene and germacrene D

Chemical composition of ultrasonic-assisted n-hexane extracts of Sideritis scardica Grieseb. and Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae) from Macedonia and Albania

Chemical composition of n-hexane extracts obtained from dried over-ground parts of two species of Sideritis, S. scardica Grieseb. and S. raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae) was analyzed using GC/FID/MS. The collection of plants was made on different locations in the western part of Macedonia and the southern part of Albania, comprising twelve different samples of plant material. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction process was used for preparation of the n-hexane extracts yielded 0.73-3.33 % and 9.11-10.44 % of extracts for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively. Over one hundred constituents of the extracts were identified, belonging to several classes of components: diterpenes, hydrocarbons, dominantly present in each of the extracts, followed by fatty acids, aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, sterols, triterpene alcohols, and monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, which were found in much smaller amounts or only in traces. The most abundant constituents of the extracts of both species of Sideritis were two diterpene components, both with M=286, which were not fully identified. Large percentages of nonacosane (1.71-12.22% and 7.46-19.68% for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively) and hentriacontane (4.48-20.79% and 8.09-30.31 % for S. scardica and S. raeseri, respectively) were also found in the extracts of both species

Essential oil composition of Salvia fruticosa Mill. populations from Balkan Peninsula

The aim of this study was to investigate the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) isolated from 19 different populations of Salvia fruticosa Mill. (Greek sage, Lamiaceae) from nine different regions of Albania and Greece. The EO yield ranged from 0.25% to 4.00%. Eighteen of the total analyzed populations met the Ph.Eur.8.0 minimal requirements concerning the essential oil yield. Performing GC/FID/MS analyses, a total of 75 components were detected, representing 79.15-97.83% of the oils. Thirteen components (α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, myrcene, 1,8-cineole, γ-terpinene, cis-thujone, trans-thujone, camphor, terpinene-4-ol, trans-(E)-caryophyllene, aromadendrene and α-humulene) were identified in all samples, with 1,8-cineole as a predominant constituent. Statistical analysis showed that the geographical origin of plants did not have significant influence on the variation in chemical composition of the Greek sage essential oil

Essential oil composition of wild growing Sage from R. Macedonia

The main objective of this study was to analyze and identify the essential oil composition of S. officinalis populations growing in Republic of Macedonia and to evaluate these data according to different standards’ requirements for, commercially most utilized, Dalmatian sage. The essential oil yield, obtained after hydrodestilation from leaves, of three different populations of Salvia officinalis L. from Republic of Macedonia was determined, varying from 1.40 to 3.46%. The GC/FID/MS analysis of the composition of the essential oils revealed 63, 57 and 51 components in Galicica Mtn., Jablanica Mtn. and Karaorman Mtn. sage populations, respectively. The main components of the oil, in all three samples, were the terpene hydrocarbons, encompassing the monoterpenes: camphor (13.15 - 25.91%), α-thujone (19.25 - 26.33%), β-thujone (2.03 - 5.28%), 1,8-cineole (6.51 – 13.60%), α-pinene (0.93 – 1.47%), borneol (1.07 – 4.67%), then sesquiterpenes: trans (E)-caryophyllene (1.72 – 5.33%), α-humulene (2.89 – 7.99%), viridiflorol (4.27 – 7.99%), and the diterpene manool (2.13 - 3.79%). Thus, our results for the essential oil composition of sage complied with the reference values specified in the DAC 86 monograph for Salvia essential oil

Seasonal variation of flavonoids in Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae)

Тhe aim of the present study was identification of flavone aglycones and determination of the content of each and the content of total flavonoids as well as investigation of the eventual seasonal variations of flavonoids in Teucrium polium L. (Lamiaceae). The plant samples were collected at six different locations in Republic of Macedonia, during summer in 1999, 2000 and 2003. For determination of seasonal variations, the samples were collected in v. Koleshino, in 2004, each month during the whole season. Six flavone aglycones (luteolin, apigenin, diosmetin, cirsiliol, cirsimaritin and cirsilineol) were identified in the hydrolyzed extracts of the over ground part of Teucrium polium by HPLC method. The most abundant flavone was luteolin, followed by apigenin and cirsimaritin. Great seasonal variations were found in the content of each and in the content of total amount of flavonoids. The most abundant flavone during the whole season was luteolin with the highest content in May. The content of total flavonids was the highest in the period from May to July, which could be recommended as the most convenience period in the season for collecting of the plant material from Teucrium polium

Volatile aroma сompounds in infusions of stems and rosette leaves of Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr. from R. Maсedonia, Albania and Greeсe

The composition of the volatile aroma components was defined in the infusion prepared by stems of Sideritis raeseri (SR-S) from R. Macedonia, Albania and Greeсe and in the infusion of rosette leaves of S. raeseri (SR-R) from R. Macedonia. Analysis were made by gas chromatography (GC/FID/MS) equipped with a headspace (HS) sampler. Twenty components (12 monoterpenes representing 76.70- 94.84% and 8 sesquiterpenes representing 5.16-18.55% of the entire volatiles) were identified as aroma components in SR-S samples. The predominant components in all samples were β-pinene, α-pinene and trans-сaryophyllene. The high abundance of limonene and δ-3-сarene were characteristic for the samples from Greeсe and 1,8-сineole was for the samples from R. Maсedonia and Albania. In the infusions of SR-R, ten components were identified, 5 monoterpenes (73.20-83.89%) and 5 sesquiterpenes (16.10-26.80%). Prevailing components in all tested samples of SR-R were β-pinene, α-pinene, 1,8-cineole and α-epi-murolol. There was almost no difference in the chemical profiles of the aroma compounds between SR-S and SR-R. Infusion of rosette leaves exhibit very similar aroma compounds profile with the infusion of stems of S. raeseri