ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND CONCENTRATION OF SECONDARY METABOLITES IN THE PLANT PARTS OF Euphorbia cyparissias L

ABSTRACT. This paper presents the results of a screening of nine different extracts from the plant parts (leaves, flowers and stems) of Euphorbia cyparissias for total phenolic content, concentration of flavonoids and in vitro antioxidant activity. Мain reason for this study is the determination of these parameters and their variability among plant parts and plant extracts obtained by different solvents, respectively. Obtained amounts for total phenolic content ranged from 10.76 to 40.72 mg GA/g. The concentration of flavonoids varied from 34.32 to 134.34 mg Ru/g. The IC 50 values of antioxidant activity varied from 88.48 to 2891.08 µg/ml. Results obtained from the different plant parts were of uneven value. Great variability of the studied parameters was observed when comparing the effectiveness of the used solvents. The acetone extracts from stems contain the greatest concentrations of phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, and showed high antioxidant activity. According to our research, plant parts from E. cyparissias can be regarded as promising candidates for natural plant sources with high value of biological compounds

Variability of sesquiterpenes in essential oils of the species Teucrium montanum l.

Cilj prikazanog istraživanja je utvrđivanje kvalitativne varijabilnosti i relativne zastupljenosti seskviterpenskih ugljovodonika u uzorcima vrste Teucrium montanum L. prikupljenih sa dva različita tipa podloge. Četiri uzorka etarskih ulja sa serpentinita i četiri sa krečnjaka dobijeno je metodom hidrodestilacije od nadzemnih biljnih delova. Na osnovu rezultata, pokazano je da populacije sa serpentinitskih staništa sintetišu 2 puta više seskviterpena nego sa krečnjačkih, dok je jedinjenje 6-epi-β-kubeben detektovan samo u populacijama sa krečnjaka. Edafske karakteristike staništa utiču na kvalitativni sastav i relativnu zastupljenost seskviterpena u etarskim uljima što ima značajnu primenu u biotehnologiji.The aim of this study is to determine the qualitative variability and relative presence of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons in essential oils samples of Teucrium montanum L. collected from two different substrate types. Four samples of essential oils from serpentinite and four from calcareous were obtained by the method of hydrodistillation from aboveground plant parts. Based on the results, it was shown that populations from serpentinite habitats synthesize 2 times more sesquiterpenes than from calcareous ones, while the compound 6-epi-β-cubeben was detected only in populations from calcareous. Edaphic characteristics of habitats affect the qualitative composition and relative presence of sesquiterpenes in essential oils, which has a significant application in biotechnology

Variability of sesquiterpenes in essential oils of the species Teucrium montanum l.

Cilj prikazanog istraživanja je utvrđivanje kvalitativne varijabilnosti i relativne zastupljenosti seskviterpenskih ugljovodonika u uzorcima vrste Teucrium montanum L. prikupljenih sa dva različita tipa podloge. Četiri uzorka etarskih ulja sa serpentinita i četiri sa krečnjaka dobijeno je metodom hidrodestilacije od nadzemnihbiljnih delova. Na osnovu rezultata, pokazano je da populacije sa serpentinitskih staništa sintetišu 2 puta više seskviterpena nego sa krečnjačkih, dok je jedinjenje 6-epi-β-kubeben detektovan samo u populacijama sa krečnjaka. Edafske karakteristikestaništa utiču na kvalitativni sastav i relativnu zastupljenost seskviterpena u etarskim uljima što ima značajnu primenu u biotehnologiji.The aim of this study is to determine the qualitative variability and relative presence of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons in essential oils samples of Teucrium montanum L. collected from two different substrate types. Four samples of essential oils from serpentinite and four from calcareous were obtained by the method of hydrodistillation from aboveground plant parts. Based on the results, it was shown that populations from serpentinite habitats synthesize 2 times more sesquiterpenes than from calcareous ones, while the compound 6-epi-β-cubeben was detected only in populations from calcareous. Edaphic characteristics of habitats affect the qualitative composition and relative presence of sesquiterpenes in essential oils, which has a significant application in biotechnology

Variability of secondary metabolites of the species Cichorium intybus L. from different habitats

© 2017 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The principal aim of this paper is to show the influence of soil characteristics on the quantitative variability of secondary metabolites. Analysis of phenolic content, flavonoid concentrations, and the antioxidant activity was performed using the ethanol and ethyl acetate plant extracts of the species Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae). The samples were collected from one saline habitat and two non-saline habitats. The values of phenolic content from the samples taken from the saline habitat ranged from 119.83 to 120.83 mg GA/g and from non-saline habitats from 92.44 to 115.10 mg GA/g. The amount of flavonoids in the samples from the saline locality varied between 144.36 and 317.62 mg Ru/g and from non-saline localities between 86.03 and 273.07 mg Ru/g. The IC50 values of antioxidant activity in the samples from the saline habitat ranged from 87.64 to 117.73 µg/mL and from 101.44 to 125.76 µg/mL in the samples from non-saline habitats. The results confirmed that soil types represent a significant influence on the quantitative content of secondary metabolites. The greatest concentrations of phenols and flavonoids and the highest level of antioxidant activity were found in the samples from saline soil. This further corroborates the importance of saline soil as an ecological factor, as it is proven to give rise to increased biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and related antioxidant activity

Medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of highly developed medicinal usages of plants in the treatment of cancer. In the last decades, the cancer treatment has been included in this range of plant use, due to plant active substances. Active substances or secondary metabolites are generally known for their widespread application. When it comes to the cancer treatment, these substances affect the uncontrolled cell division. Therefore, the plants which are the source of these substances are proved to be irreplaceable in this field of medicine. This paper deals with some of the most significant plants well known for their multiple aspects of beneficial medicinal influence. The group of the plants described is comprised of the following species: Taxus brevifolia (Taxaceae), Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae), Podophyllum peltatum (Berberidaceae), Camptotheca accuminata (Cornaceae), and Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Cephalotaxaceae). The comprehensive description of the plants in this paper includes the morphological characteristics, the features and the representation of the molecular structures of active substances, the particular influence that these active substances have and the general importance of the substances as seen from the aspect of cancer treatment mostly with reference to the impacts on cell cycle

Variability of Secondary Metabolites of the Species Cichorium intybus L. from Different Habitats

The principal aim of this paper is to show the influence of soil characteristics on the quantitative variability of secondary metabolites. Analysis of phenolic content, flavonoid concentrations, and the antioxidant activity was performed using the ethanol and ethyl acetate plant extracts of the species Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae). The samples were collected from one saline habitat and two non-saline habitats. The values of phenolic content from the samples taken from the saline habitat ranged from 119.83 to 120.83 mg GA/g and from non-saline habitats from 92.44 to 115.10 mg GA/g. The amount of flavonoids in the samples from the saline locality varied between 144.36 and 317.62 mg Ru/g and from non-saline localities between 86.03 and 273.07 mg Ru/g. The IC50 values of antioxidant activity in the samples from the saline habitat ranged from 87.64 to 117.73 μg/mL and from 101.44 to 125.76 μg/mL in the samples from non-saline habitats. The results confirmed that soil types represent a significant influence on the quantitative content of secondary metabolites. The greatest concentrations of phenols and flavonoids and the highest level of antioxidant activity were found in the samples from saline soil. This further corroborates the importance of saline soil as an ecological factor, as it is proven to give rise to increased biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and related antioxidant activity

Temporal, plant part, and interpopulation variability of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of Inula helenium l.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Variations in abiotic environmental factors have significant effects on quantity and quality of secondary metabolites, which is particularly important for plant species that possess biologically active compounds. The purpose of this study is determination of the total phenolic content, flavonoid concentration, and antioxidant activity of the different parts of Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae) sampled from different populations and in different time periods. The amounts obtained for the total phenolics varied from 16.73 to 89.85 mg of gallic acid (GA)/g. The concentration of flavonoids ranged from 9.32 to 376.22 mg of rutin (Ru)/g. The IC50 values of antioxidant activity determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical method varied from 161.60 to 1563.02 μg/ml. The inflorescence and roots possessed high concentration of phenolic compounds and significant antioxidant activity, while leaves contained the highest concentration of flavonoids. Additionally, the quantity of the phenolics, as well as antioxidant activity, significantly varied among the different populations due to different impacts of environmental factors. This research showed that I. helenium represents an abundant source of bioactive substances, and that the quantity of these compounds greatly differs among the different populations as well as in the same populations regarding the different time periods as well as plant parts

Ecological variability of the phenolic compounds of Olea europaea L. leaves from natural habitats and cultivated conditions

© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Many compounds from the phenolic group, flavonoids in particular, are well-known antioxidants, although their role in plant response to stress is debatable. The aim of this study was to determine the variability of the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of Olea europaea leaf samples from different habitats. The determination included measurement of the total quantity of phenolics, the flavonoid content, as well as the antioxidant activity of the two types of methanolic leaf extracts of O. europaea from several natural habitats in the Mediterranean region (Tunisia, Malta and Montenegro) and from cultivated conditions (France and Serbia). The results showed that both the total quantity of phenols and flavonoids as well as the intensity of antioxidant activity in the two types of extracts largely depended on the type of habitat. The total quantity of phenols and flavonoids was greater in the samples from cultivated plants which demonstrated the significance of certain conditions in terms of the correlation between the intensity of primary and secondary metabolism. However, the values of antioxidant activity in both types of extract were higher in the samples from natural habitats. The results showed that plants from natural habitats contain secondary metabolites with high biological activity. It could be speculated that these active substances play an important role in the adaptation of plants to the stress caused by arid conditions