Anatomical studies of Dracocephalum moldavica L., Ocimum basilicum L. and Agastache rugose (Fisch. & C.A.MEY) Kuntze (Lamiaceae) used for cardiovascular diseases in traditional Uyghur medicine

Traditional Uyghur Medicine (TUM) is widely used in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the east-west of China. TUM divided cardiovascular diseases according to causes and symptoms into several different types with different treatments to gain effective results. In this study, it was attempted to research anatomical characteristics of three frequently used herbs in cardiovascular disease treatments in TUM: Dracocephalum moldavica, Ocimum basilicum, and Agastache rugosa, all from Lamiaceae family. Leaf and stem anatomies of these three plants were examined in detail

Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'nin Güney Yerleşkesinde Doğal Olarak Yetişen Bazı Tıbbi Bitkiler

Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Türkiye’nin en büyük kampüsüne sahip üniversiteleri arasında 5. sırada yer almaktadır. Üniversitenin beşi İstanbul'un Avrupa Yakası'nda, biri de Anadolu Yakası'nda olmak üzere 6 kampüsü bulunmaktadır. Güney Yerleşkesi Üniversitenin ana yerleşkesidir.RumelihisarıileBebekarasında yer alır. Üniversitenin birçok binası, doğusunda sınır olarak Boğaziçi ve Rumelihisarüstü tarihi kalesine sahip olan bu kampüste yer almaktadır. Bu projede kampüs sınırları içinde korunmuş olan doğal alanlarda yetişen bitkilerin bilimsel olarak teşhis edilmesi, envanterinin çıkarılması, endemik ve nadir türlerin populasyonlarının belirlenerek koruma altına alınması amaçlanmıştır.Proje çalışmaları Nisan ayındaki arazilerle başlamıştır. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi’nin doğal bitki florasının yoğun olduğu kampüsler Güney, Kandilli ve Kilyos Sarıtepe yerleşkeleridir. Bu üç kampüste yoğun olarak sürdürülen arazi çalışmalarıyla bitki teşhisleri eş zamanlı olarak devam etmektedir. Toplanan bitki örnekleri herbaryum örneği haline getirilerek numaralandırılmış ve İstanbul Üniversitesi Eczacılık Fakültesi Herbaryumu (ISTE)’nda saklanacak şekle getirilmiştir. Proje kapsamında bugüne kadar yaklaşık olarak 300 tür toplanmıştır. Güney Kampüsünden toplanan ve teşhis edilen 46 bitkiden 19 tanesi gıda amaçlı kullanılırken, 27 tanesi ise tıbbi amaçlı kullanıldığı belirlenmiştir

Antioxidant activities of the methanol and water extracts from Ornithogalum umbellatum

Ornithogalum (Asparagaceae) species are consumed both as a food and as a therapeutic agent for their medicinal properties in many countries, including Turkey. The aim of the study was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activities in aerial parts and bulbs of Ornithogalum umbellatum comparatively. The plant materials were collected from Agva (Istanbul). Methanol and water extracts were prepared from the aerial parts and bulbs of the plant. Antioxidant capacities of the extracts were evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays along with the determination of total phenolic compounds. Quercetin was used as a standard antioxidant and total phenolic compounds were estimated as gallic acid equivalents. The results showed that the methanol extracts from the aerial parts of O. umbellatum have the highest total phenolic content and the strongest antioxidant activity. However, the water extracts from bulbs of the plant did not possess any antioxidant activity. We can conclude that, in view of the antioxidant effect of O. umbellatum, the plant may be a natural source of antioxidant

The cytotoxic effects of Ornithogalum oligophyllum and Ornithogalum umbellatum extracts

Ornithogalum (Asparagaceae) is a genus with more than 100 species are used in traditionally in many countries, also consumed in Turkey both as food and for therapeutic purposes. In Turkey, the genus is represented by 36 species and its regional name is “tükrük otu”. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of Ornithogalum oligophyllum and Ornithogalum umbellatum. In this context, methanol and water extracts were prepared from the aerial parts and bulbs of the plants using the Soxhlet apparatus. The cytotoxic activities of the extracts on prostate (PC-3), lung (A549), endometrium (ECC-1) cancer cell lines and human umbilical vein/vascular endothelium (HUVEC) control cell line were determined using [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3- carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) cell viability assay. According to the our findings, water extracts of O. oligophyllum and O. umbellatum had no remarkable cytotoxicity. However, methanol extracts of O. oligophyllum and O. umbellatum showed the cytotoxic effect on ECC- 1 cell line. In addition to that, methanol extract of O. umbellatum aerial parts exhibited cytotoxic activity on PC-3 cancer cell line. In summary, methanolic extracts from O. oligophyllum and O. umbellatum showed medium cytotoxic activity against the endometrium and prostate cancer cell line. These findings might be a database for future studies

The effect of Anzer honey on X-ray induced genotoxicity in human lymphocytes: An in vitro study

Anzer honey is well known in Turkey and used for its medicinal properties, especially for pharyngitis, tonsillitis, ulcers and cancer. In this study, we investigated whether Anzer honey, which is shown to have antioxidant, anti-tumoral, and anti-inflammatory properties, has a protective effect against X-ray induced genotoxic damage by cytogenetic methods. Peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from 20 healthy volunteers were divided into two groups and cultivated by conventional methods. Study group lymphocytes were treated with 10% diluted honey while those in the control group were not. Both groups were exposed to a high dose (2 Gy) X-ray at the 48th hour of culture. Conventional cytogenetic staining and Giemsa banding methods were applied to evaluate chromosomal breakage and ring formation. Micronucleus frequencies were determined by the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Paired sample t test was used to compare groups. Anzer honey, which was analyzed melissopalynologically, was used. Micronucleus frequency was significantly decreased in the study group (CI = 348.75 +/- 31, median 326, min. 98, max. 704) compared to the control group (CI = 489.10 +/- 27, median 500, min. 216, max. 645) (p = .001). Chromosomal breakage was also significantly decreased in the study group (CI = 118.70 +/- 16, median 109, min. 12, max. 316) compared to the control group (CI = 233.60 +/- 25, median 225, min. 65, max. 492) (p < .0001). This is the first study indicating that genotoxic damage in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy volunteers induced by X-radiation may be prevented or alleviated by adding Anzer honey in vitro. These results encourage further research about the protective effects of honey