In vitro anticancer activity and antioxidant properties of essential oils from Populus alba L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. from South Eastern Anatolia of Turkey

Background and Purpose: In recent years, essential oils (EOs) have been reported to possess interesting anti-tumor, anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activities against various cancer cells. Therefore, we aimed to investigate potential biological activities of EOs from white poplar (Populus alba L., Salicaceae) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lamiaceae). Material and Methods: EOs from P. alba L. and R. officinalis L. were extracted by hydrodistillation. MTT assay was carried out to determine the potential antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties of the essential oils as well as their corresponding IC50, and the inhibition (%) calculated. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and lipid peroxidation capacity was evaluated using thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) method, and the values were calculated using the standards. Results: The EOs were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant and lipid oxidation activities. Regarding cytotoxic activity rosemary essential oil possessed strong inhibition (IC50 = 3.06-7.38 µg/mL) of cell proliferation in comparison to that of P. alba L. (IC50 = 10.53-28.16 µg/mL). Additionally, EO from R. officinalis L. was found to have higher antioxidant and lipid peroxidation capacities with IC50 of 10.08 ± 0.15 and 1.76 ± 0.01, respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that the EOs of both sources exhibited strong antiproliferative, cytotoxic and potent antioxidant properties and therefore they can have potential applications in the cancer treatment. © 2017, Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank Kilis 7 Aralik University, Central Laboratory for their technical support

New cyclotetrapeptides and a new diketopiperzine derivative from the marine sponge-associated fungus Neosartorya glabra KUFA 0702

Two new cyclotetrapeptides, sartoryglabramides A (5) and B (6), and a new analog of fellutanine A (8) were isolated, together with six known compounds including ergosta-4, 6, 8 (14), 22-tetraen-3-one, ergosterol 5, 8-endoperoxide, helvolic acid, aszonalenin (1), (3R)-3-(1H-indol-3-ylmethyl)-3,4-dihydro-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2,5-dione (2), takakiamide (3), (11aR)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine-5,11(10H,11aH)-dione (4), and fellutanine A (7), from the ethyl acetate extract of the culture of the marine sponge-associated fungus Neosartorya glabra KUFA 0702. The structures of the new compounds were established based on extensive 1D and 2D spectral analysis. X-ray analysis was also used to confirm the relative configuration of the amino acid constituents of sartoryglabramide A (5), and the absolute stereochemistry of the amino acid constituents of sartoryglabramide A (5) and sartoryglabramides B (6) was determined by chiral HPLC analysis of their hydrolysates by co-injection with the D- and L- amino acids standards. Compounds 1-8 were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922) and Gram-negative (Staphyllococus aureus ATCC 25923) bacteria, as well as for their antifungal activity against filamentous (Aspergillus fumigatus ATCC 46645), dermatophyte (Trichophyton rubrum ATCC FF5) and yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231). None of the tested compounds exhibited either antibacterial (MIC > 256 μg/mL) or antifungal activities (MIC > 512 μg/mL). © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI.This work was developed in the Natural Products Research Laboratory of the Department of Chemistry, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) of the University of Porto, and partially supported through national funds provided by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and COMPETE, under the projects PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2013, PTDC/MAR-BIO/4694/2014 as well as by the project INNOVMAR - Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035, within Research Line NOVELMAR/INSEAFOOD/ECOSERVICES), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)". We thank Michael Lee of the Department of Chemistry, Leicester University (UK) for providing the HRESIMS. War War May Zin thanks the Lotus Unlimited Project under the ERASMUS MUNDUS ACTION 2-EU-Asia Mobility Project for a Ph.D. scholarship. We thank Júlia Bessa for technical support

Chromone derivatives and other constituents from cultures of the marine sponge-associated fungus penicillium erubescens KUFA0220 and their antibacterial activity

A previously unreported chromene derivative, 1-hydroxy-12-methoxycitromycin (1c), and four previously undescribed chromone derivatives, including pyanochromone (3b), spirofuranochromone (4), 7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-4-oxo-3-[(1E)-3-oxobut-1-en-1-yl]-4H-chromene-5-carboxylic acid (5), a pyranochromone dimer (6) were isolated, together with thirteen known compounds: β-sitostenone, ergosterol 5,8-endoperoxide, citromycin (1a), 12-methoxycitromycin (1b), myxotrichin D (1d), 12-methoxycitromycetin (1e), anhydrofulvic acid (2a), myxotrichin C (2b), penialidin D (2c), penialidin F (3a), SPF-3059-30 (7), GKK1032B (8) and secalonic acid A (9), from cultures of the marine sponge- associated fungus Penicillium erubescens KUFA0220. Compounds 1a-e, 2a, 3a, 4, 7-9, were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative reference and multidrug-resistant strains isolated from the environment. Only 8 exhibited an in vitro growth inhibition of all Gram-positive bacteria whereas 9 showed growth inhibition of methicillin-resistant Staphyllococus aureus (MRSA). None of the compounds were active against Gram-negative bacteria tested. © 2018 MDPI. All Rights Reserved.Funding: This research was funded by Fundação para a Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT) (grant number POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016790) and North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020)(grant number NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035). Acknowledgments: This work was partially supported through national funds provided by FCT/MCTES-Foundation for Science and Technology from the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education (PIDDAC) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE—Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC) programme, under the project PTDC/MAR-BIO/4694/2014 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016790; Project 3599-Promover a Produção Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Constituição de Redes Temáticas (3599-PPCDT)) in the framework of the programme PT2020 as well as by the project INNOVMAR-Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035, within Research Line NOVELMAR), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Decha Kumla thanks the Alfabet Project of the Erasmus Mundus for a PhD’s scholarship. We thank Júlia Bessa and Sara Cravo for technical support

Bis-indolyl benzenoids, hydroxypyrrolidine derivatives and other constituents from cultures of the marine sponge-associated fungus aspergillus candidus KUFA0062

A previously unreported bis-indolyl benzenoid, candidusin D (2e) and a new hydroxypyrrolidine alkaloid, preussin C (5b) were isolated together with fourteen previously described compounds: palmitic acid, clionasterol, ergosterol 5,8-endoperoxides, chrysophanic acid (1a), emodin (1b), six bis-indolyl benzenoids including asterriquinol D dimethyl ether (2a), petromurin C (2b), kumbicin B (2c), kumbicin A (2d), 2”-oxoasterriquinol D methyl ether (3), kumbicin D (4), the hydroxypyrrolidine alkaloid preussin (5a), (3S, 6S)-3,6-dibenzylpiperazine-2,5-dione (6) and 4-(acetylamino) benzoic acid (7), from the cultures of the marine sponge-associated fungus Aspergillus candidus KUFA 0062. Compounds 1a, 2a–e, 3, 4, 5a–b, and 6 were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative reference and multidrug-resistant strains isolated from the environment. Only 5a exhibited an inhibitory effect against S. aureus ATCC 29213 and E. faecalis ATCC29212 as well as both methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) strains. Both 1a and 5a also reduced significant biofilm formation in E. coli ATCC 25922. Moreover, 2b and 5a revealed a synergistic effect with oxacillin against MRSA S. aureus 66/1 while 5a exhibited a strong synergistic effect with the antibiotic colistin against E. coli 1410/1. Compound 1a, 2a–e, 3, 4, 5a–b, and 6 were also tested, together with the crude extract, for cytotoxic effect against eight cancer cell lines: HepG2, HT29, HCT116, A549, A 375, MCF-7, U-251, and T98G. Except for 1a, 2a, 2d, 4, and 6, all the compounds showed cytotoxicity against all the cancer cell lines tested. © 2018 by the authorsAcknowledgments: This work was partially supported through national funds provided by the FCT/MCTES-Foundation for Science and Technology from the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education (PIDDAC) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE—Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC) programme, under the project PTDC/MAR-BIO/4694/2014 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016790; Project 3599-Promover a Produção Científica e Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Constituição de Redes Temáticas (3599-PPCDT)) in the framework of the program PT2020 as well as by the project INNOVMAR-Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035, within Research Line NOVELMAR), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). We thank Júlia Bessa and Sara Cravo for technical support

Association between alkaline phosphatase and hypertension in a rural Japanese population: The Nagasaki Islands study

Background: Although serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels have been associated with hypertension, and ALP is known as an enzyme affected by alcohol consumption, no study has been published on the associations between ALP and the risk of hypertension in relation to drinking status.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 2,681 participants (837 men and 1,846 women) aged 30 to 89 years undergoing a general health check-up to investigate the associations between ALP and hypertension in relation to drinking status.Results: Of the 2,681 participants, 1,549 (514 men and 1,035 women) were diagnosed with hypertension. A sex difference was observed for the relationship between ALP and hypertension. While no significant association was observed for men, the association was significantly positive for women. The multivariable adjusted odds ratio and 95% coincidence interval (CI) of hypertension per increment of 1-log ALP were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.56 to 1.59) for men and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.07 to 2.33) for women. When this analysis was restricted to nondrinkers, a significantly elevated risk of hypertension was observed for men and remained significant for women; that is, 3.32 (95% CI: 1.38 to 8.02) for men and 1.68 (95% CI: 1.11 to 2.55) for women.Conclusion: ALP is associated with hypertension for both male and female nondrinkers, but not for drinkers. For analyses of associations between ALP and blood pressure, alcohol consumption should thus be considered a potential confounder

Agricultural practices for high yield and quality of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) cultivated in Turkey

The black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), an important source for a spice and in pharmaceutical industries, is one of the most cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants in Turkey. Different agricultural practices affect yield and quality in medicinal plant production. This study was carried out for two years to determine the effect of four doses of nitrogen (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg/ha) and three of phosphorus (0, 30 and 60 kg/ha) on yield and quality of black cumin in arid and base conditions of Çukurova region of Turkey. In the present study, 60 kg/ha nitrogen and 60 kg/ha phosphorus fertilizations under the base field conditions gave the highest yield and quality of black cumin. The highest values for plant height, the number of branches, the number of capsules, seed yield, thousand-seed weight, essential oil content and seed fatty oil content were 100.1 cm, 12.73 branches/plant, 22.2 capsules/plant, 1006 kg/ha, 2.35 g, 0.40% and 39.0%, respectively

Changes in growth parameter and essential oil composition of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) leaves in response to various salt stresses

Salt stress imposes major limitations on the growth, development, crop productivity, and quality in many regions of the world. Therefore, the studies concerned with salinity and its effects on plants are of the fundamental interests for agricultural issues. Herein, the present study was designed to investigate the effects of different salt compounds (NaCl, KCl, MgSO4, MgCl2, Na2SO4, and CaCl2) with different salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM) on growth and leaf essential composition of sage (Salvia officinalis L.). In this context, sage seedlings were irrigated with different salinity levels for forty-days. Concerning the composition, twenty-two compounds were collectively identified using gas-chromatography coupled with headspace system. Of those compounds (over 5% content), ?-pinene, camphene, 1, 8-cineole, ?-thujone, ß-thujone, and camphor are of the major compounds. Along with the study, ?-pinene and camphor percentages increased under all salt stress but depending concentration and salt compound. The percentage of camphene was also augmented under all stress types except CaCl2 treatment whereas ß-thujone percentage increased except MgCl2 treatment. Moreover, NaCl and KCl treatments decreased the percentage of ?-thujone while other treatments caused an increase in the percentage. 1,8-cineole percentage was not influenced by NaCl treatments. However, CaCl2 and MgCl2 treatments decreased the percentage of 1,8-cineole whereas other salt treatments increased the percentage of the compound. It should be emphasized that the degree and severity of the stress were also variable according to the treatments and compounds. Herewith the study, due to the high number of treatments and compounds identified, principal component analysis was applied to reduce, discriminate and identify the treatments according to their effects on essential components. The results were well clarified, visualized and discriminated according to the treatments. As a conclusion, the chemical composition of the common sage was found to be strongly affected by salt treatments and concentration of the salt compounds because each salt treatment with their concentration induced different new chemotypes in essential oil composition of common sage. The results also suggest the plausible role of metabolites in response to the changing environmental conditions. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

Variation in capsaicin contents of different Capsicum species and lines by varying drying parameters

Capsaicin is a pungent capsaicinoid and is the main therapeutic and flavoring compound of Capsicum pepper species. Capsicum species have an important place in world spice production and markets. They are adapted to warm climates and are widely grown in China and Turkey. Besides food purposes, they have renowned therapeutic properties for a number of illnesses. In the present study, various Capsicum species and lines were studied for their capsaicin contents according to different harvest time and drying parameters. In this concept, some local lines and introduced Capsicum species (Capsicum frutescens 26, Aci{dotless} Çiçek 52 and Capsicum chinense 38) from different countries were cultivated under the ecological conditions of the Çukurova region of Turkey in 2003-2004. Plants were harvested at two different times and three phases in each harvest time and drying parameters, related to ripening, and dried by various techniques (sun, solar tunnel dryer and cabinet dryer at varying drying temperatures such as 40°, 60° and 80°). The capsaicin contents of different Capsicum species and lines were affected by harvest time and drying parameters. Capsaicin contents were within the range 0.50-4.20%. The highest capsaicin content was obtained from the solar tunnel drying at the second harvest in the local Capsicum line Aci{dotless} Çiçek 52. © 2010

Variation in capsaicin contents of different Capsicum species and lines by varying drying parameters

Capsaicin is a pungent capsaicinoid and is the main therapeutic and flavoring compound of Capsicum pepper species. Capsicum species have an important place in world spice production and markets. They are adapted to warm climates and are widely grown in China and Turkey. Besides food purposes, they have renowned therapeutic properties for a number of illnesses. In the present study, various Capsicum species and lines were studied for their capsaicin contents according to different harvest time and drying parameters. In this concept, some local lines and introduced Capsicum species (Capsicum frutescens 26, Aci{dotless} Çiçek 52 and Capsicum chinense 38) from different countries were cultivated under the ecological conditions of the Çukurova region of Turkey in 2003-2004. Plants were harvested at two different times and three phases in each harvest time and drying parameters, related to ripening, and dried by various techniques (sun, solar tunnel dryer and cabinet dryer at varying drying temperatures such as 40°, 60° and 80°). The capsaicin contents of different Capsicum species and lines were affected by harvest time and drying parameters. Capsaicin contents were within the range 0.50-4.20%. The highest capsaicin content was obtained from the solar tunnel drying at the second harvest in the local Capsicum line Aci{dotless} Çiçek 52. © 2010