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The members of the genus Hypericum have great potential to develop functional uses in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. With this in mind, we aimed to determine the chemical profiling and biological properties of different extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol and water) from two Hypericum species (H. montbretii and H. origanifolium). We combined two approaches (LC-DAD-MS and LC-NMR) to identify and quantify chemical compounds of the extracts. Antioxidant properties (free radical quenching, reducing power and metal chelating) and enzyme inhibitory effects (cholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase and glucosidase) were determined as biological properties. The tested extracts were rich in caffeic acid derivatives and flavonoids, and among them, 3-caffeoyl quinic acid and myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside were found to be the main compounds. The total phenolic and flavonoid levels were determined to be 50.97–134.99 mg GAE/g and 9.87–82.63 mg RE/g, respectively. With the exception of metal chelating, the methanol and water extracts showed stronger antioxidant properties than the ethyl acetate extracts. However, different results were obtained for each enzyme inhibition assay, and in general, the ethyl acetate extracts present more enzyme-inhibiting properties than the water or methanol extracts. Results from chemical and biological analyses were combined using multivariate analysis, which allowed establishing relationships between composition and observed effects of the Hypericum extracts based on the extraction solvents. To gain more insights between chemical compounds and enzyme-inhibiting effects, we performed molecular docking analysis. We observed favorable interactions between certain compounds and the tested enzymes during our analysis, confirming the data obtained from the multivariate approach. In conclusion, the obtained results may shed light on the road from natural sources to functional applications, and the tested Hypericum species may be considered potential raw materials, with promising chemical constituents and biological activities.

In this study, fourty monofloral honeys belonging to four sources (Chaste, thyme, citrus and heather) were obtained from South West Anatolia (Mugla, Aydin, Denizli and Antalya provinces). Firstly, pollen species of honeys were identified and categorized according to pollen concentrations. Then, physicochemical analyses of honey samples were carried out in terms of moisture, pH, free acidity, conductivity, diastase, proline and sugar profile. Physicochemical results of moisture values 15.04-19.52 %, density values 1.32-1.43 (g/cm3), viscosity values 5.81-11.49 25 0C/Pa.s, ash content 1.32-1.43 %, pH values 3.74-4.78, free acidity values 8.96-33.92 meq/kg, conductivity values 0.15-1.41 mS/cm, diastase numbers 3.44-17.26 g/100g, proline contents 204.06-1588.93 mg/kg and sugar contents (glucose+fructose) 62.02-74.90 %. It was shown that the results obtained when compared to TFC (Turkish Food Codex) and CODEX Alimentarius Commission Honey Standards were in line with the standards.

Spathodea campanulata is an important medicinal plant with traditional uses in the tropical zone. In the current work, we aimed to determine the chemical profiles and biological effects of extracts (methanolic and infusion (water)) from the leaves and stem bark of S. campanulata. The chemical components of the tested extracts were identified using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS. Biological effects were tested in terms of antioxidant (radical scavenging, reducing power, and metal chelating), enzyme inhibitory (cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase), antineoplastic, and antiviral activities. Fifty-seven components were identified in the tested extracts, including iridoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids as the main constituents. In general, the leaves-MeOH extract was the most active in the antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating, and phosphomolybdenum). Antineoplastic effects were tested in normal (VERO cell line) and cancer cell lines (FaDu, HeLa, and RKO). The leaf infusion, as well as the extracts obtained from stem bark, showed antineoplastic activity (CC50 119.03–222.07 µg/mL). Antiviral effects were tested against HHV-1 and CVB3, and the leaf methanolic extract (500 µg/mL) exerted antiviral activity towards HHV-1, inhibiting the viral-induced cytopathic effect and reducing the viral infectious titre by 5.11 log and viral load by 1.45 log. In addition, molecular docking was performed to understand the interactions between selected chemical components and viral targets (HSV-1 DNA polymerase, HSV-1 protease, and HSV-1 thymidine kinase). The results presented suggest that S. campanulata may be a bright spot in moving from natural sources to industrial applications, including novel drugs, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

The impact of two extraction solvents on the phenolic composition, antioxidant, and enzymes inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of two parts (leaves and stem bark) of P. kotschyi was studied. Two different LC-DAD-MSn approaches were used to identify and quantify the bioactive compounds in the different extracts. A total of thirty-two compounds were quantified, being the procyanidin the most abundant in stem bark while catechin and flavonoids are most abundant in leaves. Overall, the stem bark extraction using methanol showed higher amounts of total phenolic (131.83 ± 1.81 mg GAE/g) and flavanol (14.14 ± 0.11 mg CE/g) while the leaves extraction using water exhibited stronger levels of total flavonoid (44.95 ± 0.38 mg RE/g) and phenolic acid (63.58 ± 2.00 mg CAE/g). As regards the antioxidant assays, methanol stem bark extracts were characterized by the highest antioxidant activities (DPPH: 1.94 ± 0.01 mmol TE/g, ABTS: 3.31 ± 0.01 mmol TE/g, FRAP: 2.86 ± 0.02 mmol TE/g, CUPRAC: 5.09 ± 0.08 mmol TE/g, phosphomolybdenum: 5.16 ± 0.23 mmol TE/g and metal chelating: 17.12 ± 0.46 mg EDTAE/g). In addition, the methanolic extracts of stem bark had highest impact on acetylcholinesterase (2.54 mg GALAE/g), butyrylcholinesterase (5.48 mg GALAE/g). In contrast, the methanolic extracts of leaves was potent against tyrosinase (77.39 ± 0.21 mg KAE/g) and α-glucosidase (0.97 ± 0.01 mmol ACAE/g), while a higher anti-α–amylase (0.97 ± 0.01 mmol ACAE/g) was observed for water extracts of the same part. All of the tested extracts showed inhibitory effects on elastase, except methanolic leaves extracts. Additionally, the extracts exhibited appreciable antifungal toward A. ochraceus, A. fumigatus, P. ochrochloron, T. viride, and P. funiculosum and promising antibacterial activity against M. flavus, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, E. cloacae, and S. typhimurium. Taken together, the outcomes demonstrated P. kotschyi as a novel source of bioactive molecules of interest with an evident therapeutic value.

In this study, the nutraceutical potential of Capparis spinosa L. for the treatment of hyperglycemic states has been thoroughly investigated. A series of in vivo and in vitro tests have been conducted on fresh leaf, buds and salty buds (24 h desalted) processed to dry powder. 60% MeOH/H2O extracts were obtained for HPLC analysis and for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition tests. To estimate the in vivo anti-diabetic effect, dry powders of C. spinosa leaf and buds were orally administered to streptozocin-induced diabetic rats over a period of 28 days. At the end of the experiment, animals were sacrificed, blood taken for assessment of lipid profile and liver/kidney biochemistry while section of the pancreas, liver and kidneys were processed for general histology. Results showed that the regular administration of C. spinosa leaf or buds normalized all the biochemical parameters and reversed the liver/kidney injury with variable degrees of organ protection.

Nepeta baytopii is a poorly studied, endemic Nepeta species (Lamiaceae) of Turkey. For the first time, the biological activities (antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxicity properties) of the hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, water/methanol, and water extracts and essential oil prepared from N. baytopii aerial parts were assessed. Hydro-methanol (41.25 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) and water extracts (50.30 mg GAE/g), respectively showed the highest radical scavenging (94.40 and 129.22 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging assays) and reducing (229.37 and 129.55 mg TE/g, for ferric-reducing antioxidant power and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity assays) capacities in vitro. An interestingly high inhibition was observed for ethyl acetate extract against butyrylcholinesterase (10.85 mg galantamine equivalent/g). The methanol extract showed high cytotoxicity (31.7%) against HepG2 cells. Caryophyllene oxide was identified in high concentrations in the essential oil (39.3%). Luteolin and apigenin and their derivatives were identified from the methanol and water extracts. The results obtained from this study highlighted that the abundance of highly bioactive compounds from Nepeta baytopii ensures the multiple biological activities of the tested extracts, and this suggests a potential use in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, and therefore should be investigated further.

The current study was carried out to evaluate multicomponent pattern, biological and enzymatic activities of seven Asphodeline taxa root extracts as useful ingredients, due to the fact that these plants are commonly used as traditional food supplements in Turkish regions. The extracts were characterized for free anthraquinones and phenolics to obtain a specific chemical fingerprint useful for quality control. These analyzes were coupled to biological and enzymatic activities in order to obtain comprehensive information of the natural product. Free anthraquinones and phenolics were determined using validated HPLC-PDA methods. Antioxidant properties were determined by different procedures including free radical scavenging, reducing power, phosphomolybdenum and metal chelating assays. Ames assay was performed to evaluate mutagenic/antimutagenic properties. Enzyme inhibitory activities were tested against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. From the herein reported results, Asphodeline could be valuable for the production of bioactive products or food supplements for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Morina persica L. has weak rosy smell flowers that together with aerial parts are infused or decocted and used as a functional tea. It is a representative of the Anatolian traditional medicine and is used for the treatment of cold. Biological and chemical fingerprints of different extracts (methanolic, acetone and water) of M. persica were investigated. Antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and mutagenic/antimutagenic effects were evaluated for biological profiling. Rutin, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids were detected as dominant compounds. Generally, the methanolic and acetone extracts had strong antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, antimicrobial and antimutagenic effects. Additionally, all extracts showed remarkable inhibitory effects on HeLa cells at 100 µg/mL. Furthermore, possible interactions between rutin, the dominant phenolic compound in M. persica and the tested enzymes were assessed by molecular docking. Results indicate that M. persica could be considered as a natural source of high-valued functional ingredients for further use in healthful formulations.

Several bioactive compounds originate from natural sources and their uses are generally related with traditional or folk medicine. Synthetic drugs can have adverse side effects and, for this reason, the investigation of novel, safe, and natural-occurring products can account for the development of new drugs. The genus Centaurea L. is one of the most important genera of the Asteraceae family, containing more than 200 species in the Turkish flora, about 140 of which are endemic. The aim of the present work was to determine enzyme inhibitory potentials of two extracts (chloroform and ethyl acetate) from eight Centaurea species against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, amylase, and glucosidase. The total phenolics, flavonoids and condensed tannin contents were also reported for each extract. These components in the extracts varied according to species and extraction solvents as well as enzyme inhibitory effects. The highest level of phenolics was found to be in the chloroform extract of C. pulchella (119.23 mg GAEs/g extract). Generally, chloroform extracts exhibited stronger enzyme inhibitory effects as compared to ethyl acetate. Additionally, possible correlations with total phenolics, flavonoids, and condensed tannins content were also highlighted. This paper is the first report of the inhibitory capacities of the eight Centaurea species on the selected enzymes. The present results may be a valuable starting point in the development of new bioactive formulations.

The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of two extracts [methanolic and water] of nine different fruit tree leaves were assessed. The antioxidant activity of leaves was determined by ABTS (2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical), CUPRAC (cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity), and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power)assays. The enzyme inhibitory activity was evaluated against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and tyrosinase. Individual phenolic components were detected using HPLC-DAD (high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector) technique. Chlorogenic acid was the most abundant compounds in the leaves. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined as 22.24–274.50 milligram gallic acid equivalents (mgGAE/g) and 4.93–46.99 milligram rutin equivalents (mgRE/g), respectively. A higher antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity was observed in pomegranate and carob extract as compared to other leaves. This study suggested that the leaves may be beneficial for preparing novel functional food ingredients.

Fibigia clypeata (L.) Medik. is a poorly studied plant species belonging to the Brassicaceae family, and usually used as cress in the salads. The current investigation aimed at assessing the antioxidant potential and inhibitory activity of ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous extracts of F. clypeata against key enzymes targeted in the management of type II diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), Alzheimer’s disease (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase), and skin hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase). Cytotoxicity of the extracts was also determined using normal VERO and cancer FaDu and SCC-25 cell lines. Besides, LC-MS was employed to investigate the detailed phytochemical profiles of the extracts. The methanol extract showed potent enzyme inhibitory activity (4.87 mg galantamine equivalent/g, 3.52 mg galantamine equivalent/g, 126.80 mg kojic acid equivalent/g, and 24.68 mg acarbose equivalent/g, for acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-glucosidase, respectively) and antioxidant potential (96.52, 109.10, 154.02, and 104.85 mg trolox equivalent/g, for DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays, respectively). Interestingly, caffeic acid-O-hexoside derivative, caffeyl alcohol O-glucopyranoside, and ferulic acid derivative were identified in all extracts. F. clypeata extracts showed no cytotoxicity towards VERO cell line and a weak cytotoxic potential against FaDu and SCC-25 cell lines. Interesting scientific evidence gathered from the present study support further investigation on F. clypeata in the view of designing and developing a novel therapeutic agent for the management of Alzheimer’s disease, type II diabetes, skin hyperpigmentation problems, as well as cancer.

The cytotoxic, anticholinesterase, antityrosinase and antioxidant effects of methanol extract from the flower of C. foetida subsp. rhoeadifolia (CFRME) were evaluated. The cytotoxic effect was investigated using HepG2, Caco-2, MCF-7 and MCF-10A cell lines. Enzyme inhibitory activities were tested by spectrophotometric methods. Different chemical assays were used to determine the antioxidant effects. In addition, phenolic constituents were quantified. High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid was the major phenolic component in the extract. The extract showed a strong antiproliferative, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase and antityrosinase effects. These findings suggest that C. foetida subsp. rhoeadifolia may be considered as a source of ingredients that can be used as food supplements.

Asphodeline lutea (L.) Rchb. is a wild plant traditionally used as a food in the Mediterranean region. The alcoholic extracts of A. lutea roots from different origins (Bulgarian and Turkish) were investigated for anti-cholinesterase, anti-tyrosinase, anti-amylase, anti-glycosidase and anti-proliferative activity (against MCF-7 and MCF-10A cell lines). A validated HPLC method for the determination of two anthraquinones, two bianthraquinones, two naphthalenes, two flavonoids and one hydroxycinnamic acid was developed due to the presence of these components in the genus Asphodeline. In addition, total anthraquinones content was determined spectrophotometrically. A. lutea from Bulgaria demonstrated higher level of total anthraquinones (0.81 ± 0.05 mg g−1). A naphthalene derivative (2-acetyl-1,8-dimethoxy-3-methylnaphthalene) was the major compound in Bulgarian accession (0.96 ± 0.03 mg g−1), while caffeic acid was the main analyte in Turkish sample (0.42 ± 0.06 mg g−1). Turkish extracts were more potent as cholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitors but less active as anti-diabetic agent. The higher anti-proliferative effect was presented by Bulgarian extract with IC50 values 120 ± 16.8 mg mL−1 (for MCF-7) and 256 ± 16.1 mg mL−1 (for MCF-10A).

The genus Ononis has important value as traditional drugs and foods. In the present work, we aimed to assess the chemical profiles and biological effects of Ononis natrix subsp. hispanica extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water). For chemical profile, total and individual phenolic components were detected. For biological effects, antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays), enzyme inhibitory (against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase), antimicrobial, DNA protection and cytotoxic abilities were tested. The predominant phenolics were apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin in the tested extracts. Generally, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were noted as the most active in the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays. Water extract with different concentrations indicated high level of DNA protection activity. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed antibacterial effect against to Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. The cytotoxic effects of O. natrix subsp. hispanica extracts on the survival of HeLa and PC3 cells were determined by MTT cell viability assay. Water and methanol extracts caused initiation of apoptosis for PC3 cell line. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to better understand interactions between dominant phenolic compounds and selected enzymes. Our results clearly indicate that O. natrix subsp. hispanica could be considered a potential candidate for designing novel pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals.

In this work, the biological and chemical fingerprints of three extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) from two Potentilla species (Potentilla reptans and P. speciosa) were investigated. Antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic activities were performed for the biological fingerprint. For the chemical characterization, total bioactive components, and individual phenolic components were determined using photometric and HPLC methods, respectively. The main identified phenolic compounds in these extracts were rutin and catechin. Methanol and water extracts contained the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. The results of antioxidant assays showed that methanol and water extracts displayed higher antioxidant activity compared to the ethyl acetate extract. Generally, methanol and water extracts exhibited higher biological activities correlated with higher levels the bioactive components. For P. speciosa, the methanol extract exhibited the highest enzyme inhibitory activity (except BChE inhibitory activity). P. reptans exhibited also high antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells whilst P. speciosa had weak to moderate activity against both of A549 and MCF-7 cell lines. The results suggest that Potentilla species could be potential candidates for developing new phyto-pharmaceuticals and functional ingredients.

The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential of different solvent extracts (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and water) from Sideritis galatica were evaluated. Cholinesterase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the extracts were tested by microtiter plate assays. Antioxidant abilities were tested using free radical scavenging (DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid) and NO), reducing power (FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity)), total antioxidant capacity and chelating assays. Methanol and water extracts showed higher phenolic content, DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity and reducing power activities, while the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extract had the highest inhibition abilities on the enzymes. 18 phenolic components in these extracts were detected by using high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Results obtained in this work indicate that S. galatica may be useful as a source of natural agents for the management of oxidative process, Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes.

Adenocarpus complicatus is distributed throughout the Anatolian peninsula and is widely used for human and animal nutrition. The purpose of this work was to study the antioxidant properties and fatty acid composition of different parts of this plant (fruits and mixed materials). The species was collected from Golyuzu village of the Seydisehir district near Konya province, Turkey. Fruit and mixed parts obtained from this species were ground and a 15g sample was used to prepare methanolic extracts. Powdered plant samples were extracted with 100mL methanol in a mechanical shaker. The obtained extracts were filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure and were subsequently stored at -20°C. Antioxidant components, namely total phenolic and flavonoid content, were detected for each extract using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by various assays including phosphomolybdenum, DPPH free radical scavenging capacity, metal chelating activity, and ferric and cupric ion reducing power. The fatty acid profiles of plant parts were also determined by using gas chromatography. The total phenolic content of fruit (36.21mgGAE/g) was higher than that of mixed materials (13.79mgGAE/g). The methanolic extract of mixed material had higher amounts of flavonoid than fruit extract. The free radical scavenging activity of extracts was expressed as IC50 value (μg/mL) (amount required to inhibit DPPH radical formation by 50%). The lower IC50 value reflects better free radical scavenging action. The radical scavenging activity of the samples was compared with BHT, it showed the mixed material to be almost two times more potent than the fruit extract. However, BHT is an excellent free radical scavenger with an IC50 of 34.061μg/mL. The ferric and cupric reducing power potentials of the extracts were expressed as EC50 value (the effective concentration at which the absorbance was 0.5). Fruit extract exhibited strong ferric reducing power with an EC50 of 871.25μg/mL. The metal chelating activity of the extracts increased with concentration. Chelating effect was 83.60% for fruit extract at 1mg/mL concentration. Oil content of fruit and mixed parts were detected as 6.71 and 6.14%, respectively. A total of 32 fatty acids were found in the oil. Essential fatty acids (linoleic and α-linolenic acid) were identified as the most abundant fatty acids in the oil. These results demonstrated that this plant species can be considered as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants. Likewise, the oil obtained from the plant can be used as a source of essential fatty acids for food and pharmacological applications. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (1): 337-346. Epub 2014 March 01.

Bersama abyssinica, belonging to the Melianthaceae family, is distributed across Sub Saharan Africa. Decoctions of the bark, leaves, and roots of B. abyssinica have been extensively used in traditional medicine to manage many stomach complications such as colic, diarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal worms. In this study, we examined three extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol and water) obtained from B. abyssinica stem barks in terms of antioxidant properties. The antioxidant abilities were investigated by different chemical methods, including free radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (CUPRAC and FRAP), metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum assay. In addition, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extracts were calculated. The highest level of phenolics was determined in water extract (230.83 mg GAE/g extract), followed by methanol (216.79 mg GAE/g extract) and ethyl acetate (100.57 mg GAE/g extract). In same line with total phenolic content, the best antioxidant properties were noted for water and methanol extracts. Our findings suggested that B. abyssinica stem bark extracts could be considered as promising sources of natural antioxidants.

Nowadays, knowledge of ancient botanical medicinal practices and application of modern phytochemical techniques have provided the excellent tools for the purification and structural elucidation of various phyto-compounds, which, in turn, has given insights into their mode of action on the human body. This study has been designed to investigate for the first time the antioxidant effects of the ethyl acetate, methanolic, and water extracts of Kitaibelia balansae. Different chemical methods were performed and the observed abilities depend on the solvent used. The best antioxidant ability was noted in water extract, followed by methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. The highest level of phenolic was also detected in water extract. The present findings suggest that K. balansae can be considered as a potential source of bioactive compounds for novel phytopharmaceuticals development

The antioxidant capacity of the methanolic extract and the fatty acid composition of C. kotschyi var. persica were investigated. Six different chemical methods were used to determine the antioxidant capacity. The fatty acid composition was analyzed using gas chromatography. The IC50 value of the extract was determined as 37.09 μg/ml (in the DPPH assay). In the β-carotene/linoleic acid system, the extract exhibited 65.22% inhibition against linoleic acid oxidation. The amount of total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were detected as 36.52 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 74.93 mg ascorbic acid equivalent (AE)/g, respectively. The major fatty acid in the composition of C. kotschyi var. persica was found to be C 18:3 ω3 (α-linolenic acid) by GC analysis. The results presented here indicate that C. kotschyi var. persica possess strong antioxidant properties. Therefore, the species can be used as a natural additive in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

We aimed to investigate the inhibitory potential of three medicinal plants (Hedysarum varium, Onobrychis hypargyrea, and Vicia truncatula) from Turkey against key enzymes involved in human pathologies, namely, diabetes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase), neurodegenerative disorders (tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase), and hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase). The antioxidant potential, phenolic and flavonoid content of ethyl acetate, and methanolic and aqueous extracts were investigated using in vitro assays. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC), β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+), cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and metal chelating activity on ferrous ions were used to evaluate the antioxidant capabilities of the extracts. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of the extracts on cholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-amylase were significantly higher than the references, galantamine, kojic acid, and acarbose, respectively. The half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of the extracts on TAC, CUPRAC, and FRAP were significantly higher than trolox. The phenol and flavonoid contents of the plant extracts were in the range 20.90±0.190–83.25±0.914 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract and 1.45±0.200–39.71±0.092 mg rutin equivalent/g extract, respectively. The plants were found to possess moderate antioxidant capacities and interesting inhibitory action against key enzymes.

This study was focused on the analysis of the phenolic content, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-cholinesterase, anti-tyrosinase, anti-amylase and anti-glucosidase activity of three solvent extracts from Cotoneaster nummularia. Moreover, water extract was tested in terms of mutagenic/anti-mutagenic effects. The antioxidant activities of these extracts were evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, O2, metal chelating, phosphomolybdenum, β-carotene/linoleic acid, ferric and cupric reducing power assays. Enzyme inhibitory activities were also examined with colorimetric methods. Generally, methanol and water extracts exhibited excellent biological activities. These extracts were rich in phenolic and flavonoid content. Furthermore, Cotoneaster extracts indicated appreciable antibacterial properties against human pathogen strains. HPLC analysis showed that ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, (-) - epicatechin and (+)-catechin were the major phenolics in extracts tested. These data offer that these extracts from C. nummularia may be considered as a potential source of biological agents for developing functional foods or drug formulations.

The genus Sideritis, belonging to the Labiateae family, is represented by more than 150 species distributed mainly in the Mediterranean regions. Member of the genus have been used as beverages, flavorings, and medication. We aimed to shed light on the antioxidant potential of the essential oil of Sideritis rubriflora Hub.-Mor. In this study, antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, CUPRAC and FRAP, phosphomolibdenum assay, and metal chelating activity) of essential oil of S. rubriflora was investigated with colorimetric methods. Also, essential oil composition of the plant was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). 48 components, representing 95.4% of essential oil of S. rubriflora were identified. β-pinene (10.7%) and Germacrene D (10.7%) were the main constituents of the essential oil. Generally, essential oil of S. rubriflora has shown moderate free radical, reducing power, metal chelating. The reported results supported that the possible use of essential oil of S. rubriflora is a source of natural agents for phytopharmaceutical applications.

Özet: Fındık, yerfıstığı, ceviz, badem ve polen gibi farklı besinlerle beslenen Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae). larva ve puplarının toplam lipid ve total yağ asidi yüzdeleri ile yağ asidi bileşimi incelendi. Besin çeşidine göre larvalarda total yağ asidi ve total lipit yüzdelerinde farklılıklar tespit edildi. Total lipide göre total yağ asidi yüzdesi polen, badem, fındık, ceviz ve yer fıstığı ile beslenen larvalarda sırası ile %17.39, 13.65, 13.94, 20.31 ve 13.48 olarak bulundu. Bu larvaların oluşturduğu puplarda ise total lipide göre total yağ asidi yüzdelerinde istatistiki açıdan fark bulunamadı. Yağ asidi bileşimi gaz kromatografik yöntemle analiz edildi. Besinlerde en yüksek yüzde badem ve fındıkta oleik asit (C18:1n-9) (%67.42, %80.11), ceviz ve yer fıstığında linoleik asit (C18:2n-6) (%61.16, %49.78), polende ise %38.19 ile linolenik asit (C18:3n-3) olduğu tespit edildi. Ceviz ve fındık ile beslenen larvalarda en yüksek yüzde linoleik aside, badem, polen ve yerfıstığı ile beslenen larvalarda ise oleik aside aitti. Farklı besinle beslenen P. interpunctella puplarında ise polen, badem ve fındık ile beslenenlerde oleik asit, ceviz ve yerfıstığı ile beslenen puplarda ise en yüksek yüzdenin linoleik aside ait olduğu belirlendi. Diğer yağ asitleri yüzdelerinde besin tipine göre farklılıklar gözlendi. Anahtar kelimeler: Plodia interpunctella, total lipid yüzdesi, total yağ asidi yüzdesi, yağ asidi bileşimi, besin. The Effects of Food on the Total Lipid, Fatty Acid Ratios and Fatty Acid Composition of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) Larvae and Pupae Abstract: Total lipid, total fatty acids and fatty acid composition of Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) larvae and pupae fed by hazelnut, peanut, walnut, almond, and polen were investigated. Food type-related differences in the ratio of total lipid and fatty acids were observed in larvae. The ratios of total fatty acids to total lipids also differed in larvae fed with polen , almond, hazelnut, walnut and peanut and were found as 17.39, 13.65, 13.94, 20.31 and 13.48%, respectively. However, there were no differences in the ratios of total fatty acids to total lipids in pupae. Gas chromatographic investigation of the fatty acid composition of food types revealed that the highest ratios in the foods were oleic acid (C18:1) in almond and hazelnut (67.42 and 80.11%, linoleic acid (C 18:2) for walnut and peanut (61.16 and 49.78%), linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) in polen (38.19%). Larvae fed by walnut and hazelnut exhibied the highest ratio of linoleic acid whereas the ratio of oleic acid was the highest for larvae fed by almond, polen and peanut. In the case of pupae oleic acid had highest ratio when pupae were fed by polen, almond and hazelnut. However the ratio of linoleic acid exceeded others when pupae were fed by walnut and peanut. There were also differences in other fatty acid ratios related to food type. Key words: Plodia interpunctella, total lipid ratio, total fatty acid ratio, fatty acid composition, diet.

Fatty acid compositions and trans fatty acid contents of chocolate and chocolate wafers collected from Turkish markets were determined by GC. Total 62 samples, being all chocolates and chocolate wafers sold in Turkey, were investigated. 35 samples of chocolate which were categorised as milk chocolate, bitter chocolate, chocolate with nuts, chocolate with pistachio, chocolate with almond, other chocolates, and 27 samples of chocolate wafer which were categorised as pure chocolate wafers and chocolate wafers with nuts belonging to 12 different national chocolate brands, were analysed. Generally, C16:0 palmitic acid, C18:0 stearic acid, and C18:1 oleic acid were the major fatty acids in all samples. Trans fatty acid contents in chocolate wafers samples showed a variation between 0.00-7.92%. Trans fatty acids were determined as 0.00-6.23% in chocolate samples. In conclusion, it was shown that trans fatty acids contents in chocolates were relatively lower than those of other countries.