Phenolic content and biological activities of Lycium barbarum L (Solanaceae) fruits (Goji berries) cultivated in Konya, Turkey

Purpose: To evaluate the phenolic content and biological activities of Lycium barbarum fruits cultivated in Turkey.Methods: Phenolic compounds in the water and methanol extracts of the fruits were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radical scavenging activities and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the fruits. The  acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of the fruits was evaluated by Ellman assay.Results: LC-MS/MS results showed that all the extracts contained phenolic compounds including flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins and  polyphenols. Some anthocyanins, namely, cyanidin-3-Oglucoside, cyanidin chloride, pelargonin chloride, pelargonidin chloride, and pelargonidin-3-0-glucoside were identified in the fruits for the first time. Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside were the main anthocyanins in the water extract with levels of 119.60 ± 12.04 and 1112.25 ± 125.40 mg/kg, respectively. The results indicated that the extracts possessed good radical scavenging and ferric-reducing activities.Conclusion: The results show that Lycium barbarum cultivated in Konya is a good source of the phenolic compounds, and thus may be exploited for commercial production of the antioxidants.Keywords: Lycium barbarum, Goji berries, Antioxidant activity, Acetylcholinesterase, Flavonoid

Antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-urease and cytotoxic activities of various extracts from Scutellaria sibthorpii endemic to Cyprus

Lamiaceae is one of the largest families in the plant kingdom. Including the genus Scutellaria whose species are used in traditional medicine in various countries for prevention and also the treatment of several disorders. In vitro biological activities of the various extracts of the aerial parts from Scutellaria sibthorpii were investigated in the present study. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS assays, ferrous ion-chelating, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Cytotoxic potential and anti-urease activities of the extracts were also determined. Spectrophotometric analysis was used to establish the total phenol and flavonoid content of the extracts. The antibacterial activities of extracts were assessed by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against seven bacteria with Candida albicans. Regarding the results, infusion showed considerable antioxidant properties as the extracts exhibited high-to-moderate antioxidant effects. According to cytotoxicity results, n-hexane extract had strong cytotoxic effects against PC-3 and NIH/3T3 cell line with IC50 values of 330.40 μg/mL and 340.85 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity, the ethyl acetate extract showed higher activity particularly against Enterecocus facecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis. According to the research carried out, it would seem that this is the first study on screening biological activities of extracts from Scutellaria sibthorpii. These findings indicate that these endemic species from Cyprus could be used in phytopharmaceutical preparation

Importance of Colchicum species in modern therapy and its significance in Turkey

Colchicum species, which are widely used as medication for many years, still remain important in treatment. Some of them are cultivated to be used for pharmaceutical industry. Tropolone alkaloids content of the species help in the treatment of FMF, gout, amyloidosis, cirrhosis, Behcet's disease, psoriasis, Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloid leukemia and skin cancers. An economic and efficient synthesis method of Colchicum alkaloids haven't found yet, that's why colchicine and other alkaloids are obtained from plant source by extraction. The wide variety of Colchicum species in Turkey lead the researchers to investigate new sources of Colchicum rich in tropolone alkaloids. In our department, Colchicum species have been studied for more than 45 years and the contents and biological activities of the Colchicum species growing in our country are continuing to be studied today. This review was performed to summarize the investigations on Colchicum species in the world and to emphasize its importance in Turkey

Ethnobotanical usage of plants as aphrodisiac agents in Anatolian folk medicine

Several plants have been used as aphrodisiac to treat sexual problems for centuries. Nowadays, despite the synthesis of chemicals, herbal medicines continue to maintain their importance. Turkey has a great tradition of folk medicine due to its rich flora and many plants have been used for the treatment of several disorders. This work presents aphrodisiac plants traditionally used in Turkey, with their local names, used parts, usage and administration route

Phenolic content and biological activities of Lycium barbarum L (Solanaceae) fruits (Goji berries) cultivated in Konya, Turkey

Purpose: To evaluate the phenolic content and biological activities of Lycium barbarum fruits cultivated in Turkey

Composition of the essential oils from samples of Vitex agnus-castus L. growing in Turkey

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of Vitex agnus-castus L. (Verbenaceae) fruits collected from five different localities in Turkey [Zonguldak (S1), Edirne (S2), Balkesir (S3), Mula (S4) and Antalya (S5)] were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). -Caryophyllene (11%) and -pinene (10%) were identified as major components in the oil of S1. The highest amount of bicyclogermacrene (22.1%) was detected in the essential oil of S2. The major components of the essential oil of S3 were 1,8-cineole (17.8%), sabinene (15.8%), (Z)--farnesene (13.5%) and bicyclogermacrene (12.1%). The essential oil compositions of S4 and S5 had similarities, both containing sabinene [12.1% (S4), 12.1% (S5)], 1,8-cineole [13.2% (S4), 11.8% (S5)], -caryophyllene [12.7% (S4), 11.4% (S5)] and bicyclogermacrene [11% (S4), 12.1% (S5)] as major components

Quality of turmeric powder in herbal stores: pharmacognostical investigations on turmeric powders obtained from herbal stores in Istanbul, Turkey

Background and Aims: Curcuma longa L., known as Turmeric, has been traditionally used in Asian culture since ancient times to treat several disorders. With the increase in studies on turmeric and its major compounds, it became popular. The study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of powdered samples collected from 15 different herbal stores in Istanbul

Variation of alkaloid contents and antimicrobial activities of Papaver rhoeas L. growing in Turkey and northern Cyprus

Context:Papaver rhoeas L. (Papaveraceae) corn poppy, widely distributed in Turkey, is used to make a cough syrup for children, as a tea for disturbed sleep, for pain relief and as a sedative in folk medicine

Biological evaluation of stachys iberica subsp. stenostachya (boiss.) rech.f. And scutellaria orientalis subsp. sosnowskyi (takht.) fed. growing in eastern anatolia

© 2021 International Journal of Secondary Metabolite. All rights reserved.Lamiaceae is one of the largest families in the plant kingdom, including the genus Stachys and Scutellaria, which are used in many folk medicines throughout the world for the prevention and also the treatment of several disorders. In vitro biological potential of Stachys iberica subsp. stenostachya and Scutellaria orientalis subsp. sosnowskyi were investigated in the current study. The aerial parts of the plants were extracted using different solvents such as n-hexane, chloroform, and methanol. In addition, infusions of each plant were prepared. The antioxidant potential of the samples was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ABTS assays, ferrous ion-chelating, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Anticholinesterase activity of the extracts was also determined. Spectrophotometric analysis was used to assess the total phenolic content of the samples. The antimicrobial activities of samples were determined by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against seven bacteria and three Candida spp. yeast. According to the findings, the infusion demonstrated significant antioxidant properties, whilst the extracts demonstrated high-to-moderate antioxidant effects. The n-hexane extracts showed higher antifungal activity against C.parapsilosis and C.tropicalis. These outcomes suggest that these two species from Turkey could be employed in the manufacture of phytopharmaceuticals

IDENTIFICATION OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF MUSCARI NEGLECTUM GROWING IN TURKEY

The absolute essential oils obtained from the bulbs and the aerial parts of M. neglectum collected from Kahramanmaras (Turkey) were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. In GC-MS analyses, 17 components comprising 100% of the essential oil of the bulbs and 17 components comprising 97.1% of the essential oil of the aerial parts. Major constituents of the absolute essential oil of the bulbs were found to be ethyl palmitate (18.7%), ethyl linoleate (16.3%), palmitic acid (15.2%) and linoleic acid (10.8%). The aerial parts oil mainly contents palmitic acid (28.5%), oleic acid (10.9%), linoleic acid (22.6%) and linolenic acid (11.4%). The absolute essential oils were analyzed by using microdilution assay for antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive, four Gram-negative bacteria and one of fungus. The oils obtained from bulbs and aerial parts possessed activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis with MIC values of 625 and 1250 mu g/mL, respectively. The bulbs oil showed antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli with 156.2 mu g/mL and 625 mu g/mL MIC values. The bulbs oil exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans with 312.5 mu g/mL MIC value. This is the first report on the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils obtained from M. neglectum growing in Turkey