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This work provides the ethnobotanical data concerning the traditional use of medicinal plants in Macedonia region (Northern Greece), which has, up to now, been poorly investigated. The aim of the present study was to collect, analyze, and evaluate information on the use of medicinal plants among different population groups living in Central Macedonia. The study was carried out in the area of two small cities, Edessa and Naoussa, and nearby villages. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through extensive and semistructured interviews. The informants belonged to different population groups living in the study areas and were involved, at least partially, in agriculture. Together with detailed reports on each species, data were also summarized by some indices, such as Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (Fic). A group of 96 informants was interviewed and 87 plant taxa with medicinal uses were cited. Medicinal plants are used to treat a wide range of diseases, in particular ailments of the respiratory tract and skin disorders. The importance of the traditional use of plants to cure and prevent common and some uncommon diseases had been highlighted. About 55% of medicinal plants mentioned by the informants had been previously reported to be sold in Thessaloniki herbal market as traditional remedies. Medicinal uses of some endemic taxa had been reported, e.g., Satureja montana subsp. macedonica, a member of the S. montana group restricted to Northern Central Greece, Origanum dictamnus, an endemic species of Crete, and six Balkan endemics, i.e., Achillea holosericea, Digitalis lanata, Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus, Sideritis scardica, Thymus sibthorpii, and Verbascum longifolium. Several differences in Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge (TEK) were observed in relation to social and cultural components of the population. Only 7 species (Crataegus monogyna, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla, Rosa canina, Sambucus nigra, Sideritis scardica, and Tilia platyphyllos) were commonly reported by all population groups, whereas 30 out of 87 taxa (34%) were exclusively mentioned by a single group. All groups are incorporated in the local society and do not identify themselves as members of different ethnic groups, although they try to preserve their distinctiveness by keeping their traditions and dialects. Nevertheless, our data show that the knowledge regarding the medicinal plant use was rarely accompanied by preservation of linguistic diversity concerning the plant names. This work contributes to improve the knowledge on the traditional use of plants in the folk medicine of a region like Central Macedonia where different population groups live together, partially maintaining their traditions. A part of data of this paper has been presented as posted at 112° Congress of Italian Botanical Society (IPSC), Parma 20-23 September 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the isolation of the active constituent(s) from a methanolic extract of Pistacia integerrima J. L. Stewart barks and it was also oriented to evaluate the in vivo and in silico anti-inflammatory activity. By NMR and crystallography techniques, we have isolated a triterpenoid identified as daturaolone (compound 1). This compound showed in vivo a significant and dose dependent (1–30 mg/kg) anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenan-induced mouse paw oedema (ED50 = 10.1 mg/kg) and on acetic acid-induced writhing responses in mice (ED50 = 13.8 mg/kg). In the in vivo experiments, the effect of tested compound was also evaluated in presence of the reference drug diclofenac (1–30 mg/kg). Moreover, in silico analysis of receptor ligand complex shows that compound 1 interacts with cyclooxygenases (COXs) binding sites displaying an interesting interaction with COX-1. These findings suggest that compound 1 isolated from P. integerrima possesses in vivo anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive potentials, which are supported in silico by an interaction with COXs receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pistacia integerrima is one of twenty species among the genus Pistacia. Long horn-shaped galls that develop on this plant are harvested and used in Ayurveda and Indian traditional medicine to make “karkatshringi”, a herbal medicine used for the treatment of asthma and different disorders of respiratory tract. However, until now, the molecular mechanisms of action of “karkatshringi” and its chemical characterization are partially known. This study deals with the isolation and characterization of the active constituents from the methanolic extract of P. integerrima galls and it was also oriented to evaluate in vitro and in silico their potential enzymatic inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase-1 (PDE1), a well-known enzyme involved in airway smooth muscle activity and airway inflammation. Our results showed that the methanolic extract of P. integerrima galls and some of its active constituents [naringenin (1) and 3,5,7,4′-tetrahydroxy-flavanone (2)] are able in vitro to inhibit PDE1 activity (59.20 ± 4.95%, 75.90 ± 5.90%, and 65.25 ± 5.25%, resp.) and demonstrate in silico an interesting interaction with this enzymatic site. Taken together, our results add new knowledge of chemical constituents responsible for the biological activity of P. integerrima and contextually legitimate the use of this plant in folk medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactuca serriola L. has traditionally been used in folkloric medicine to manage respiratory, gastrointestinal, and multiple other ailments. The present study was undertaken to explore the effect of methanol extract of L. serriola on isolated rabbit tissue preparations, that is, jejunum, trachea, and aorta in an attempt to validate its folkloric use in traditional medicine for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and vascular ailments. The application of the methanol extract to isolated rabbit jejunum preparations exhibited concentration-dependent spasmogenic effect (0.03 to 3.0 mg/mL), but interestingly further increase in concentration (5.0 mg/mL) resulted in complete spasmolytic effect. The pretreatment of the tissue preparations with atropine (0.1 ΜM) caused the suppression of the contractile response. Moreover, the same extract also caused relaxation of K+-(80 mM) induced spastic contractions of isolated rabbit jejunum preparations (5.0 mg/mL) and shifted the Ca++ dose response curves towards right at concentration range of 0.3-1.0 mg/mL. Similarly, the extract application to isolated rabbit tracheal preparations relaxed the carbachol-(l ΜM) induced (0.3-1.0 mg/mL) as well as K+-(80 mM) induced contractions (3.0 mg/mL). Furthermore, it relaxed the phenylephrine (1 ΜM)-induced contractions in isolated rabbit aorta preparations (3.0 mg/mL) and K+ (80 mM)-induced contractions (1.0 mg/mL). These effects were found comparable to that of dicyclomine, as an antagonist of muscarinic receptors as well as a possible Ca++ channel blocker. The previously mentioned findings may partially justify the folkloric use of Lactuca serriola in the management of conditions pertaining to spasm of intestine, bronchioles, and vasculature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous reports have shown that several of the effects of morphine, including the development of tolerance and physical withdrawal symptoms, are reduced by extracts of Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerheim (Solanaceae) (B. arborea). In the present study we evaluate the action of the methanol extract of B. arborea (7.5-60 mg/kg) on the motor and reinforcing effects of morphine (20 and 40 mg/kg) and cocaine (25 mg/kg) using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. At the doses employed, B. arborea did not affect motor activity or induce any effect on CPP. The extract partially counteracted morphine-induced motor activity and completely blocked the CPP induced by 20 mg/kg morphine. On the other hand, B. arborea blocked cocaine-induced hyperactivity but did not block cocaine-induced CPP. Reinstatement of extinguished preference with a priming dose of morphine or cocaine was also inhibited by S. arborea. The complex mechanism of action of S. arborea, which affects the dopaminergic and the cholinergic systems, seems to provide a neurobiological substrate for the effects observed. Considered as a whole, these results point to B. arborea as a useful tool for the treatment of morphine or cocaine abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces the issue including on medicinal plants in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.