Hedera helix as a medicinal plant

S u m m a r y Hederae folium is used for the treatment of respiratory tract diseases with intense mucous formation, respiratory tract infections and in irritating cough which stems from common cold. According to clinical experiments, the effectiveness and tolerance of ivy preparations is good. The major compounds responsible for the biological activity are triterpene saponins. Ivy leave extracts exhibit spasmolytic/antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, analgesic, anthelmintic, antitrypanosomial, antileishmanial, antitumor, antimutagenic, moluscocidal, antioxidant and antithrombin activities

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND POLYPHENOL CONTENT IN SELECTED HERBAL TEA BLENDS USED IN DIABETES

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties, α -glucosidase inhibitory activity, and the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids in the selected antidiabetic herbal blends (1-6), used traditionally in diabetes. The strongest antioxidant activity (DPPH and CUPRAC) was observed in extracts from blends 1 and 6 (IC50 40 mg GAE/g), had a high content of flavonoids (6 - 10.96 mg QE/g, 1 - 7.51 mg QE/g) and the highest α-glucosidase inhibiting capacity (for 1 >90%, for 6 >90% and 5,55%, while for acarbose 1.76% and 0.93% at the 100 μg/ml and 10 μg/ml, respectively).The antioxidant activity of 1 and 6 correlated with the content of polyphenols and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties and indicates the existence of this mechanism in supporting the treatment of type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications by the above preparations

Analysis of essential oil of Galium aparine.

Summary Galium aparine L. (clivers, goosegrass) (Rubiaceae) is used in folk medicine as diuretic and medicinal plant alleviating different dermatoses as psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, and improves the immune system. So far, scientific studies have shown as a main constituents: iridoids (mainly asperuloside), flavonoids (luteolin, chrysoeriol, apigenin and quercetin derivatives), numerous of phenolic acids and phytosterols. Previous studies confirmed antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of clivers. The aim of this work was to investigate the chemical profile of essential oil isolated from G. aparine collected in Poland. The essential oil was extracted from the herb of G. aparine by hydrodistillation in Deryng-type apparatus and the volatile constituents were identified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). 0,1 ml of essential oil (3,33 ml/kg) was obtained from the of G. aparine herb, in which 74 volatile ingredients were identified (100%). According to GC/MS analysis 9-diazo-9H-fluorene (31,93%), palmitic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (8,89%) were as major constituents. 9-diazo-9H-fluorene is very rare in the plant world, previously identified only in Bidens pilosa. Terpene compounds represented 22,31% of essential oil, including 15 sesquiterpenes (18,23%), 6 monoterpenes (2,00%) and 1 diterpene (3,08%). The other active ingredients of the oil include: phytol, β-ionone, anethole, spatulenol, α-cadinol, phenylethyl alcohol, eugenol, methyleugenol, α-carvacrol, α-caryophyllene, α-terpineol, isoaromadendren epoxide, carvone, linalool, santalol, β-farnesene and eucalyptole. The ingredients of the essential oil are multi-directional activity - anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, antiproliferative, effect on angiogenesis, and also have occlusive properties. Quantify and a number of ingredients of the essential oil have proven that it may be one of the bioactive important fractions of the clivers herb and partly justify the traditional use of G. aparine.Streszczenie Galium aparine L. (przytulia czepna) (Rubiaceae) jest stosowana w medycynie ludowej jako diuretyk i środek łagodzący różne schorzenia skóry. W wyniku dotychczasowych badań stwierdzono, że głównymi związkami ziela są irydoidy, flawonoidy, kwasy fenolowe i fitosterole. Badania naukowe potwierdziły aktywność przeciwdrobnoustrojową, antyoksydacyjną i cytotoksyczną surowca. Celem naszych badań była analiza składników olejku lotnego otrzymanego z rosnącego w Polsce G. aparine. Olejek otrzymano metodą hydrodestylacji w aparacie Derynga, a jego skład analizowano metodą GC-MS. W efekcie otrzymano 0,1 ml olejku (3,33 ml/kg), w którym zidentyfikowano 74 składniki (100%). Dominującymi związkami były: 9-diazo-9H-fluoren (31,93%), który dotąd został wykryty jedynie w Bidens pilosa oraz kwasy palmitynowy i dihomo-γ-linolenowy (8,89%). Związki terpenowe, które stanowiły 22,31% olejku, reprezentowane były przez 15 seskwiterpenów (18,23%), 6 monoterpenów (2,00%) i 1 diterpen (3,08%). Ze względu na wykazaną w licznych pracach aktywność biologiczną, na uwagę zasługują takie składniki olejku, jak: fitol, β-jonon, anetol, spatulenol, α-kadinol, alkohol fenyloetylowy, eugenol, metyloeugenol, α-karwakrol, α-kariofilen, α-terpineol, epitlenek izoaromadendrenu, karwon, linalol, santalol, β-farnezen i eukaliptol. Zawartość oraz skład olejku otrzymanego z analizowanego przez nas surowca wskazuje, że może być jedną z istotnych frakcji czynnych surowca i częściowo uzasadniać tradycyjne zastosowanie G. aparine

The Use of Mass Spectrometric Techniques to Differentiate Isobaric and Isomeric Flavonoid Conjugates from Axyris amaranthoides

Flavonoids are a group of compounds that are commonly found in various plants, where they play important roles in many processes, including free radical scavenging and UV protection. These compounds can also act as chemical messengers, physiological regulators or protectants against pathogens in the defense reactions of plants. Flavonoid activity is regulated by the addition of various substituents, usually mono- or oligosaccharides of common sugars, such as glucose, rhamnose or galactose. In some plants, glucuronic acid is attached, and this sugar is often acylated by phenylpropanoic acids. Identification of these compounds and their derivatives is of great importance to understanding their role in plant metabolism and defense mechanisms; this research is important because flavonoids are frequently a significant constituent of the human diet. In this study, we identify the flavonoid conjugates present in Axyris amaranthoides L. extracts and demonstrate the usefulness of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyzers for the differentiation of isobaric compounds and the utility of fragmentation spectra for the differentiation of isomeric structures. According to our knowledge, some of the structures, especially dehydrodiferulated conjugates of tricin, whose structures are proposed here have been found for the first time in plant material

<i>In vitro</i> antimicrobial activity of extracts and compounds isolated from <i>Cladonia uncialis</i>

<div><p>Heptane (Hep), diethyl ether (Et₂O), acetone (Me₂CO) and methanolic (MeOH) extracts, as well as ( − )-usnic acid and squamatic acid, were obtained from thallus of <i>Cladonia uncialis</i> (Cladoniaceae). The antimicrobial activities of these extracts, ( − )-usnic acid and squamatic acid, were tested against reference strains: <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Candida albicans</i>. In addition, Me₂CO extract was analysed against 10 strains of Methicillin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> (MRSA) isolated from patients. All extracts exerted antibacterial activity against the reference strain <i>S. aureus</i>, comparably to chloramphenicol [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 5.0 μg/mL]. The Me₂CO extract exhibited the strongest activity against <i>S. aureus</i> (MIC = 0.5 μg/mL), higher than ( − )-usnic acid, whereas squamatic acid proved inactive. The Me₂CO extract showed potent antimicrobial activity against MRSA (MIC 2.5–7.5 μg/mL). Also no activity of <i>C. uncialis</i> extracts against <i>E. coli</i> and <i>C. albicans</i> was observed.</p></div