Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) : a position in classical phytotherapy and newly documented activities

The flower (inflorescence, basket-type inflorescence) of marigold (Calendulae officinalis flos) is a wellknown plant raw material in traditional phytomedicine. It has a complex chemical composition, dominated by flavonoids and terpenoids. Terpenoids are mainly represented by oleanolic acid derivatives specific for this species: triterpenoid saponins – calendulosides A–H and triterpenoid glycosides, so-called calendulaglycosides A and B. Biological activity profiles of the raw material, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunostimulatory and antioxidant properties, determine its use especially in the treatment of dermatological diseases. In addition to spasmolitic, hypolipemic and antidiabetic properties of this flower, scientific studies also demonstrated its cardioprotective, hepatoregenerative, pancreas-regenerating, neuroprotective and even anticancer health-promoting effects. Moreover, C. officinalis is used in the cosmetology and food industry

The influence of nasturtium officinale R. Br. Agar and agitated microshoot culture media on glucosinolate and henolic acid production, and antioxidant activity

This paper presents an optimization of conditions for microshoot cultures of Nasturtium officinale R. Br. (watercress). Variants of the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing different plant growth regulators (PGRs): cytokinins—BA (6-benzyladenine), 2iP (6-γ,γ-dimethylallylaminopurine), KIN (kinetin), Zea (zeatin), and auxins—IAA (3-indoleacetic acid), IBA (indole-3-butyric acid), 2,4-d (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), IPA (indole-3-pyruvic acid), NAA (naphthalene-1-acetic acid), total 27 MS variants, were tested in agar and agitated cultures. Growth cycles were tested for 10, 20, or 30 days in the agar cultures, and 10 or 20 days in the agitated cultures. Glucosinolate and phenolic acid production, total phenolic content and antioxidant potential were evaluated. The total amounts of glucosinolates ranged from 100.23 to 194.77 mg/100 g dry weight of biomass (DW) in agar cultures, and from 78.09 to 182.80 mg/100 g DW in agitated cultures. The total phenolic acid content varied from 15.89 to 237.52 mg/100 g DW for the agar cultures, and from 70.80 to 236.74 mg/100 g DW for the agitated cultures. Extracts of the cultured biomass contained higher total amounts of phenolic acids, lower total amounts of glucosinolates, a higher total phenolic content and similar antioxidant potentials compared to plant material. The analyses performed confirmed for the first time the explicit influence on secondary metabolite production and on the antioxidant potential. The significance was statistically estimated in a complex manner

Comparative analysis of phenolic acids and flavonoids in shoot cultures of Eryngium alpinum L. : an endangered and protected species with medicinal value

Phenolic acids and flavonoids, important bioactive compounds of polyphenols, play a significant role in plants; their impact, mainly as antioxidants, on human health have been of great interest in recent years. The genetically uniform shoots of Eryngium alpinum L. cultured in vitro, developed via axillary buds and regenerated from callus tissue, maintained on the media supplemented with various plant growth regulators, were subjected to the phenolic acids and flavonoids quantitative analysis applying HPLC-DAD technique. In vitro cultures give the opportunity to perform the phytochemical studies on the protected species without harvesting the plant material from natural environment. Depending on the hormonal supplementation, the biomass from the shoot cultures accumulated from 11.41 to 25 times more phenolic acids [the total content ranged from 158.66 to 1817.96 mg/100 g of dry weight (DW)] and from 6.8 to 11.8 times more flavonoids (the total content ranged from 29.30 to 51.30 mg/100 g DW) than the shoots from the soil-grown plant. The polyphenols present in the shoot cultures include two phenolic acids: 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic and caffeic, four depsides: caftaric, neochlorogenic, chlorogenic, isochlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids, and flavonoids: aglycone-isoquercetin and glucoside-quercitrin. Most of them (apart from chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids) were detected for the first time in this species cultured in vitro. To our best knowledge, the present report is the first one that discusses establishment of Eryngium alpinum L. in vitro cultures and the shoot and callus biomass capacity to produce two subgroups of polyphenols i.e. phenolic acids and flavonoids

Antiproliferative, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities of polyphenol extracts from Ferocactus species

Polyphenols, obtained from natural resources, may possess important pharmacological effects. The polyphenolic profiles of the stem extracts of six Ferocactus species (sp.): F. gracilis, F. pottsii, F. herrerae, F. horridus, F. glaucescens, and F. emoryi, were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detection (DAD). Additionally, anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities were examined. Results showed the presence of high to moderate amounts of polyphenols in the extracts (phenolic acids: Protocatechuic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, cffeic acid, and vanillic acid; flavonoids: Rutoside and quercitrin). The highest amounts of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were found in F. glaucescens ((132.09 mg 100 $g^{-1}$ dry weight (DW)), F. pottsii (75.71 mg 100 $g^{-1}$ DW), and F. emoryi (69.14 mg 100 $g^{-1}$ DW) while rutoside content was highest in F. glaucescens (107.66 mg 100 $g^{-1}$ DW). Maximum antiproliferative activities were observed against HeLa and Jurkat cancer cells, with F. glaucescens, F. emoryi, and F. pottsii showing the highest anticancer activity. Most bacteria were sensitive to Ferocactus sp. stem extracts. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the most sensitive. Excellent antifungal effects were observed against Aspergillus ochraceus and A. niger. However, Penicillium funiculosum, P. ochrochloron, and Candida albicans were relatively resistant. This is the first study reporting novel sources of polyphenols in Ferocactus sp. with anticancer and antimicrobial activities

Phytochemical and biological activity studies on Nasturtium officinale (watercress) microshoot cultures grown in RITA®^{®} temporary immersion systems

The main compounds in both extracts were gluconasturtiin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin and rutoside, the amounts of which were, respectively, determined as 182.93, 58.86 and 23.24 mg/100 g dry weight (DW) in biomass extracts and 640.94, 23.47 and 7.20 mg/100 g DW in plant herb extracts. The antioxidant potential of all the studied extracts evaluated using CUPRAC (CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Activity), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma), and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays was comparable. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts was tested based on the inhibition of 15-lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and phospholipase A2. The results demonstrate significantly higher inhibition of COX-2 for in vitro cultured biomass compared with the herb extracts (75.4 and 41.1%, respectively). Moreover, all the studied extracts showed almost similar antibacterial and antifungal potential. Based on these findings, and due to the fact that the growth of in vitro microshoots is independent of environmental conditions and unaffected by environmental pollution, we propose that biomass that can be rapidly grown in RITA® bioreactors can serve as an alternative source of bioactive compounds with valuable biological properties

"Schisandra rubriflora" pllant material and in vitro microshoot cultures as rich sources of natural phenolic antioxidants

Schisandra rubriflora is a dioecious, underestimated medicinal plant species known from traditional Chinese medicine. The present study was aimed at characterising the polyphenolic profile composition and the related antioxidant capacity of S. rubriflora fruit, stem and leaf and in vitro microshoot culture extracts. Separate analyses of material from female and male specimens were carried out. This study was specifically aimed at detailed characterisation of the contribution of phenolic compounds to overall antioxidant activity using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector coupled to electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS3 ) and a high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MS3 , twenty-seven phenolic compounds from among phenolic acids and flavonoids were identified. Concentrations of three phenolic acids (neochlorogenic, chlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acids) and eight flavonoids (hyperoside, rutoside, isoquercitrin, guaijaverin, trifolin, quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin) were determined using HPLC-DAD using reference standards. The highest total phenolic content was confirmed for the stem and leaf extracts collected in spring. The contents of phenolic compounds of in vitro biomasses were comparable to that in the fruit extracts. The methanolic extracts from the studied plant materials were evaluated for their antioxidant properties using various in vitro assays, namely free radicals scavenging estimation using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) as well as QUick, Easy, New, CHEap, and Reproducible CUPRAC (QUENCHER-CUPRAC) assays. A close relationship between the content of polyphenolic compounds in S. rubriflora and their antioxidant potential has been documented

Cytryniec chiński (Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.) – z tradycyjnej medycyny chińskiej do współczesnej fitoterapi

The work presents the botanical, chemical and pharmacological characteristics of Schisandra chinensis (Chinese magnolia vine). S. chinensis fruits are a valuable medicinal raw material known in modern phytotherapy from the traditional Chinese medicine. This species was introduced to conventional European medicine, including Polish one, just ten years ago. S. chinensis fruit extract shows hepatoprotective, adaptogenic and ergogenic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antioxidant and detoxification effects. The valuable biological properties and resulting therapeutic applications, are conditioned by the unique chemical composition of S. chinensis. In presented work, a group of secondary metabolites typical for this species – dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, were characterized. The provided information was enriched with the examples of the possible use of fruit extracts in medicine and applications in cosmetology were indicated too.W pracy przedstawiono charakterystykę botaniczno-chemiczno-farmakologiczną gatunku Schisandra chinensis (cytryniec chiński). Owoce S. chinensis są cennym surowcem leczni-czym znanym we współczesnej fitoterapii z tradycyjnej medycyny chińskiej. Gatunek ten zaledwie przed dziesięciu laty został wprowadzony do oficjalnego lecznictwa europejskiego, w tym polskiego. Ekstrakt z owoców S. chinensis wykazuje m.in. działanie hepatoprotekcyjne, adaptogenne i ergogeniczne, przeciwnowotworowe, przeciwzapalne, przeciwwrzodowe, an-tyoksydacyjne i detoksykacyjne. Cenne właściwości biologiczne i wynikające z nich aplikacje terapeutyczne są uwarunkowane unikalnym składem chemicznym S. chinensis. W pracy scharakteryzowano specyficzną dla tego gatunku, grupę metabolitów wtórnych - lignany dibenzocyklooktadienowe. Przedstawione informacje wzbogacono o przykłady wykorzysta-nia ekstraktów z owoców w lecznictwie i zasygnalizowano ich zastosowanie w kosmetologii

Polyphenol profile and antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of natural Mentha × piperita and Mentha longifolia opulations in northern Saudi Arabia

New sources of polyphenols with anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties in arid environments are critical for the development of alternative medicines and natural remedies. This study explored the polyphenol profiles and biological activities of methanolic leaf extracts from natural Mentha × piperita and Mentha longifolia populations in northern Saudi Arabia. Chromatographic analyses identified several polyphenols in M. × piperita including phenolic acids: rosmarinic acid (1547.6 mg/100 g DW (dry weight)), cryptochlorogenic acid (91.7 mg/100 g DW), and chlorogenic acid (69.4 mg/100 g DW), as well as flavonoids: naringin (328.8 mg/100 g DW) and cynaroside (162.8 mg/100 g DW). The major polyphenols in M. longifolia were: rosmarinic acid (781.6 mg/100 g DW), cryptochlorogenic acid (191.1 mg/100 g DW), p-coumaric acid (113.0 mg/100 g DW), m-coumaric acid (112.2 mg/100 g DW), and chlorogenic acid (63.8 mg/100 g DW). M. × piperita and M. longifolia leaf extracts had high antioxidant activities due to the major polyphenols (cynaroside, rosmarinic and cryptochlorogenic acids). M. × piperita had higher activities against di erent cancer cells than M. longifolia. Naringin, cryptochlorogenic acid, and rosmarinic acid had the highest activities against cancer cells. The leaf extracts had antibacterial e ects against most bacteria species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa was most sensitive), which was attributed to the polyphenols. Antifungal activities were similarly broad (Aspergillus flavus was most sensitive) and attributed to naringin, cryptochlorogenic acid, and ca eic acid. Populations of M. × piperita and M. longifolia in Northern Riyadh may be a valuable source of natural biologically active compounds

Mammillaria species : polyphenols studies and anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-bacterial activities

Discovering new natural resources of polyphenols is the aim of many recent studies in the field of natural product research. This study tentatively investigated the polyphenols profile of the stems of seven Mammillaria species (M. rhodantha, M. spinosissima, M. hahniana, M. crucigera, M. candida, M. albilanata, and M. muehlenpfordtii) using high performance liquid chromatography with DAD detector (HPLC-DAD) method. Furthermore, the anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-bacterial potentials of these extracts as well as major identified phenols were explored. The HPLC-DAD study confirmed the availability of six phenolic acids, including gentisic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, sinapic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The dominant compounds were: gentisic acid in M. rhodantha and M. spinosissima; chlorogenic acid in M. muehlenpfordtii, M. crucigera, and M. rhodantha; and caffeic acid in M. rhodantha, M. crucigera, and M. spinosissima. Stems of Mammillaria sp. showed antiproliferative e ects against HeLa, MCF-7, and Jurkat cells. In HeLa and MCF-7 cells, the best antiproliferative activities were found in the treatments with M. rhodantha, M. spinosissima, and M. muehlenpfordtii. The apoptotic assay of M. rhodantha, M. spinosissima, and M. muehlenpfordtii showed accumulation of necrotic cells in the early and late apoptotic phase. M. rhodantha, M. spinosissima, and M. muehlenpfordtii showed the highest anti-oxidant activities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), -carotene bleaching, and ferric reducing anti-oxidant power (FRAP) assays. M. rhodantha was the best source of antioxidants. Mammillaria sp. showed moderate anti-bacterial effects against bacteria and the highest effects were found using the extracts of M. rhodantha, M. spinosissima, M. crucigera and M. muehlenpfordtii against most bacteria. The anti-bacterial activities were attributed to other phenolic compounds (e.g., chlorogenic acid) than gentisic acid, which was not active against most bacteria. Mammillaria sp. could be considered to be an important natural source of phenolic acids with anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant activities