Natural phenolic compounds from Satureja L. as inhibitors of COVID-19 protease (Mpro): Computational investigations

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causes a new type of severe acute respiratory syndrome that first appeared in Wuhan in December 2019; it is a very fast-spreading and deadly virus. Therefore, urgent discovery or development of “lead compounds” against this virus is crucial. Natural compounds have always served as a great source, especially the use of traditional medicinal plants, in modern drug discovery. This study aimed to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibition potential of the phenolic compounds in the genus Satureja L. The affinities of the chosen natural products were understood using molecular docking simulation against the SARS-CoV-2 protease enzyme. The study proved that three different phenolic compounds namely 5,6-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one, 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one, and 5,6-dihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one obtained from Satureja L. taxa were found as promising against SARS-CoV-2 main protease

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

Genomic history of Neolithic to Bronze Age Anatolia, Northern Levant, and Southern Caucasus

Here, we report genome-wide data analyses from 110 ancient Near Eastern individuals spanning the Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age, a period characterized by intense interregional interactions for the Near East. We find that 6th millennium BCE populations of North/Central Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus shared mixed ancestry on a genetic cline that formed during the Neolithic between Western Anatolia and regions in today’s Southern Caucasus/Zagros. During the Late Chalcolithic and/or the Early Bronze Age, more than half of the Northern Levantine gene pool was replaced, while in the rest of Anatolia and the Southern Caucasus, we document genetic continuity with only transient gene flow. Additionally, we reveal a genetically distinct individual within the Late Bronze Age Northern Levant. Overall, our study uncovers multiple scales of population dynamics through time, from extensive admixture during the Neolithic period to long-distance mobility within the globalized societies of the Late Bronze Age. Video Abstrac

Natural phenolic compounds from Satureja L. as inhibitors of COVID19 protease (Mpro): Computational investigations

Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causes a new type of severe acute respiratory syndrome that first appeared in Wuhan in December 2019; it is a very fast-spreading and deadly virus. Therefore, urgent discovery or development of “lead compounds” against this virus is crucial. Natural compounds have always served as a great source, especially the use of traditional medicinal plants, in modern drug discovery. This study aimed to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibition potential of the phenolic compounds in the genus Satureja L. The affinities of the chosen natural products were understood using molecular docking simulation against the SARS-CoV-2 protease enzyme. The study proved that three different phenolic compounds namely 5,6-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one, 2- (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one, and 5,6-dihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxy-4- methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-chromen-4-one obtained from Satureja L. taxa were found as promising against SARS-CoV-2 main protease

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

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

Centaurea hermannii F. Hermann Bitkisinin Topraküstü Kısımlarından Hazırlanan Ekstrelerin In Vitro Olarak Antidiyabetik Aktivite Yönünden İncelenmesi

Centaurea cinsi, kabul edilmiş 741 türü ile Asteraceae familyasının en büyük cinslerinden biridir (1). Cinsin Türkiye’de 129’u endemik olmak üzere 216 tür ve tür altı taksonu bulunmaktadır (2). Centaurea türlerinin tıbbi özellikleri, seskiterpen laktonlarının varlığına bağlanmaktadır. Bazı türler de antidiyabetik aktivite dâhil diğer çeşitli aktivitelerden sorumlu olduğu düşünülen flavonoitler ve fenolik bileşikler açısından zengindir (3,4). Centaurea türleri halk arasında kan şekerini düşürmek amacıyla sıkça kullanılmaktadır ve birçok Centaurea türünün antidiyabetik etkinliği kaydedilmiştir (5,6). Bu çalışmada Çatalca ilçesinin Subaşı köyünden toplanan endemik Centaurea hermannii L. türünün kurutulmuş toprak üstü kısımlarından hazırlanan ekstrelerin α-glukozidaz enzim inhibitör aktiviteleri akarbozla kıyaslanarak incelenmiştir. Bitkinin diklorometan maserasyon, diklorometan Soxhlet maserasyon, diklorometan ve metanol Soxhlet ekstraksiyon, infüzyon ve dekoksiyon yöntemleriyle çeşitli ekstreleri elde edilmiştir. Bitkinin diklorometan Soxhlet ekstresi, 1 mg/mL’de %34,09’lik inhibisyon yüzdesiyle en güçlü inhibitör etkiyi göstermiştir. Bu değeri diklorometan Soxhlet maserasyon ve infüzyon ekstreleri sırasıyla %30,09 ve %29 inhibisyon yüzdeleriyle izlemiştir. Bu ekstreler, 1 mg/mL’de %77,17’lik bir inhibisyon sağlayan akarboza kıyasla orta derecede inhibitör etki göstermiştir. Bitkinin diklorometan maserasyon, dekoksiyon ve metanol Soxhlet ekstreleri ise sırasıyla %24,42, %21,72 ve %11,93 inhibisyon yüzdeleriyle daha düşük inhibitör etki göstermiştir. Literatürde Centaurea hermannii bitkisinden izole edilmiş 8 seskiterpen laktonun varlığı bilinmektedir (7). Daha yüksek etkinlik gösteren diklorometan ekstrelerinde bu seskiterpen laktonların bulunma ihtimali düşünülebilir. Bu sebeple C. hermannii L. diklorometan ekstresi, biyoaktivite yönlendirmeli izolasyon çalışmaları için umut vadetmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Centaurea hermannii; antidiyabetik; seskiterpen lakton. Kaynaklar 1. POWO, Plants of the World Online [Internet]. 2021 [8 Kasım 2021]. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ 2. Hamzaoğlu, E, Koç M. Türkiye florası için yeni bir kayıt, Centaurea gulissashwilii (sek. Centaurea, Asteraceae). Türler ve Habitatlar. 2020; 1:106–113. 3. Khammar, A., Djeddi, S. Pharmacological and Biological Properties of some Centaurea Species. European Journal of Scientific Research. 2012; 84(3):398-416. 4. Zengin, G., Locatelli M., Carradori S., Mocan, M. A., Aktumsek, A. Total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins content of eight centaurea species and their broad inhibitory activities against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca. 2016; 44(1):195–200. 5. Han, M. İ. Kadışehri (Yozgat) Yöresinin Geleneksel Halk İlacı Olarak Kullanılan Bitkileri [Yüksek Lisans]. İstanbul: Marmara Üniversitesi; 2012. 6. Fattaheian-Dehkordi, S., Hojjatifard R., Saeedi M., Khanavi M. A Review on Antidiabetic Activity of Centaurea spp.: A New Approach for Developing Herbal Remedies. Evidencebased Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2021; 2021:1-23. 7. Öksüz, S., Serin S., Topçu, G. Sesquiterpene lactones from Centaurea hermannii. Phytochemistry. 1994; 35(2):435-438