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Mastitis is one of the most common and costly diseases affecting dairy cows worldwide. Since antibiotic resistance has become a global threat to both animal and human health, it is becoming more urgent to continuously search for new therapeutical alternatives for the control and treatment of bovine mastitis. Hence, our research aimed to test the therapeutic use of two essential oils (EOs) based on their chemical composition, antibacterial and antioxidant potential. The present study was conducted by collecting milk samples from the cows diagnosed with clinical or subclinical mastitis with the aim of isolating and identifying bacterial strains. The antioxidant potential of essential oils of Menthae piperitae (MP) and Melissa officinalis (MO) was evaluated in several in vitro assays. In the MP EO, a total of 38 compounds were identified, with menthol as the dominant compound, whereas in MO EO 51 compounds were identified. Furthermore, the values of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) have been used to quantitatively measure the antibacterial activity of each essential oil. In accordance with which, MP EO samples exhibited a higher degree of antibacterial activity than MO EO. Thus, EOs have been shown to be promising alternatives to antibiotics because of their availability, biodegradability, and lower risk of side effects as compared with conventional, antimicrobial treatment. Nevertheless, further clinical studies are needed to test the potential role of EOs in treating mastitis in dairy cows.

St. John’s wort has been used for centuries in traditional medicine of many cultures, and nowadays it is well-known as a clinically important antidepressant drug. Considering the rising market demand for Hyperici herba, quality control of crude drug is of paramount importance. In this paper we performed HPLC-DAD chemical profiling of St. John’s wort tea samples obtained at local markets, pharmacies and health food stores in the Balkan Peninsula countries, Austria and Turkey. Furthermore, water alcoholic extracts of the collected samples were evaluated in terms of their antioxidant potential, as well as the ability to inhibit biologically important enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase, monoamine oxidases A and B (MAO-A and MAO-B), α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Significant variability within the samples in the quantities of hypericin, hyperforin, rutin, quercetin, gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic and p-hydroxybenzoic acid was noticed. Chemotaxonomic modelling enabled the identification of three clusters of samples based on the quantities of rutin, hypericin and hyperforin. Generally, the extracts exhibited a significant potential to inhibit MAO-A (median IC50 = 10.01 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (median IC50 = 12.40 μg/mL). The results of antioxidant potential evaluation suggest strong neutralization of hydroxyl and nitroso radicals, but moderate inhibition of lipid peroxidation process. Overall, the conducted study emphasizes the possibility of St. John’s wort teas quality control, taking into account unavoidable variability of chemical profile as well. The stated is of great importance when grinding degree of herbal material excludes taxonomic identification of biological origin as an option within quality control.

Multiple positive effects that forests have on human health and overall well-being have been reported widely in the literature. Still, multiple elements of this relationship remain unidentified and unexplained. In this study, the composition of leaf volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) content in three common coniferous species: the Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Spruce (Picea abies), was analyzed. The specificity of BVOCs content in the examined species and their genotypes is observed as a plant potential to evaporate these organic compounds and potentially improve human health and well-being. Principal component analysis applied on BVOCs content among species showed significant differences between compounds that have previously been characterized as having positive effects on human health by acting as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. Variations among genotypes of the investigated species were observed in the content of BVOCs relevant for human health improvement, such as limonene, terpinolene, β-pinene, linalool, camphene, camphor, citronellol and α-cadinol. The observed intra- and inter-species variations in the BVOCs content provide an appropriate base for further research on the forest–human health relationship, breeding and selection of the most suitable genotypes for human health improvement, and could I mpact the sustainable management of forests.

The phytochemical analysis of the investigated Immortelle essential oil revealed the presence of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes as major components that might be efficient as a wound healing potential agent. The present study aimed to develop an ointment based on the Immortelle essential oil and investigate its wound healing effects on excision wounds in diabetic rats. The topical formulated Immortelle ointment was subjected to pharmaco-technical characterization. Thirty-two diabetic rats with the induced excision wound were used to evaluate in vivo wound healing effects of ointment. The animals were randomly divided into four groups untreated or topically treated with either a 1% silver sulfadiazine, the ointment base, or Immortelle ointment. The response to the treatment was assessed by macroscopic, biochemical and histopathological analysis. The ointment, compatible with the skin remained stable for 6 months. Topical application of the Immortelle ointment showed the highest wound contraction with the highest content of hydroxyproline in comparison to the all examined groups. The Immortelle ointment showed significant wound contraction from day 7 to day 21 as compared to other groups. On the day 21, there was an average of 99.32% wound contraction in the Immortelle group, whereas the mean wound contraction in the negative control and ointment base group was 71.36% and 81.26% respectively. The histopathological results validated the potential wound healing effect of Immortelle ointment with evident post-excision scar maturation and increased collagen fibers density. Our findings revealed that the Immortelle ointment approach might serve as a promising and innovative tool for wound healing.

Graphical abstract, Constant search for new drugs with antiviral properties often extends to products of natural origin. Lamiaceae is one of the most important herbal families, well known for various biological and medicinal effects of a variety of aromatic spices, including thyme, mint, oregano, basil, sage, savory, rosemary, self-heal, hyssop, lemon balm and many others. The paper provides a review of antiviral potential of previously mentioned plants which has been demonstrated so far, with special emphasis on anti-HIV properties. Relevant articles were compiled by searching plant names combined with keywords describing antiviral activity. The antiviral effect is direct, with prominent activity against enveloped viral species. Initial stages of the viral life cycle are the most affected, as these plants appear to be targeting mainly viral structures responsible for attachment to target cells. In case of HIV, there is some activity against key enzymes in the viral life cycle. Even in the case of drug resistance, there is an equal susceptibility to applied herbal preparations. Some in vivo experiments suggest that use of Lamiaceae representatives could help in prevention and treatment of some viral diseases. A possible reduction of side effects of diseases and conventional drug therapy are also some aspects worth further investigations.

Many studies have refuted the opinion that urban floras are poor in total species number and characterized primarily by neophytes. Also, it has been proved that urban flora differs from its surroundings, and at the same time reflects its richness. Our study focused on urban flora, structure and similarities, and the possible correlation with the urban attributes. Therefore, we selected 11 cities in Southeast Europe, which differ in the development of transportation networks (roads, rails and inland waterways) and population size. Next, we compared two sets of data (structure of urban flora and urban attributes) to define the correlation patterns. Analyzed urban floras were primarily distinguished by a total number of species, number of unique species and neophytes. Belgrade is a city with the highest urbanization level, the most species and the highest number of unique species and neophytes as well. Kosovska Mitrovica, Grocka and Požarevac stand out by floristic richness. These cities have a high number of species, yet a small proportion of neophytes. Other cities are characterized by similar floristic structure, with a relatively similar proportion of neophytes and approximately similar number of unique species in relation to the total number. It can be concluded that other factors beside the chosen urban attributes have additional effects on floristic structure, except for the factor - the presence of neophytes. This is in accordance with predefining subjects, since urban attributes were chosen based on knowledge about important corridors for invasive species.

The genus Ganoderma includes about 80 species growing on cut or rotten trees. The most commonly used species is Ganoderma ludicum. Biomolecules responsible for the health benefits of Ganoderma are polysaccharides with an immunostimulative effect and triterpenes with a cytotoxic action. For more than 2000 years, it has been used traditionally in the treatment of various pathological conditions and recently, its immunoregulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anticancer potential has been confirmed. A wide range of Ganoderma extracts and preparations arrest the cell cycle in different phases and consequently inhibit the growth of various types of cancer cells. Extracts containing polysaccharides stimulate immunological reactions through the production of various cytokines and mobilization of immune system cells. In-vivo studies have confirmed the anticancer potential and the antimetastatic effects of compounds originating from Ganoderma. There is also evidence for the chemopreventive action of Ganoderma extracts in bladder, prostate, liver, and breast cancer. The results of clinical studies suggest the combined use of G. lucidum with conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy, but the methodology and the results of these studies are being questioned. Therefore, a constant need for new clinical trials exists.

The application of chemometric approaches in the comparison of the activity and the chemical composition of essential oils of 10 aromatic Lamiaceae species (Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Mentha aquatica, Mentha longifolia, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum vulgare, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Salvia nemorosa, and Thymus vulgaris) is reported in this paper. The standard methodology of principal component analysis needs too many principal components (PCs) to effectively describe the relationships between studied samples. PC1 explains only 47.58% of the total variance reflecting the most significant differences between essential oils of S. nemorosa and Or. vulgare. PC2 explains 19.77% of the total variance and shows the most significant differences between the essential oils of M. aquatica compared with those of S. nemorosa, S. officinalis and Or. vulgare. Efficient compression of the data was possible by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) complemented with a color map. HCA shows that essential oils of both investigated representatives of genus Salvia are characterized by a high content of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and remarkable antifungal activities, but low antibacterial and antioxidant activity, particularly for the S. officinalis. Unlike sage, the essential oils of oregano and thyme have high content of aromatic oxygenated monoterpenes and low antifungal but pronounced antibacterial activity. Peppermint, basil, rosemary, and lemon balm are characterized by high content of oxygenated monoterpenes and aliphatic components as well as by high antioxidant 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil activity of essential oils. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae) is, among numerous representatives of genus Thymus, the commonly used and cultivated species worldwide. This is mainly due to the presence of essential oil which has a number of notable and scientifically confirmed biological activities. However, the amount of thyme essential oil in the leaves is very low (0.8–2.6%), thus the majority of cultivated plant material remains unused after its isolation. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition of waste material extracts prepared from decoction remaining after hydrodistillation of the thyme essential oil, deodorized leaves and stems, to elucidate their potential antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects and compare obtained results with officially prepared thyme leaf extract. HPLC/DAD analysis revealed rosmarinic acid (52.36–105.8 mg/g of dried extract (d.e.)) and rutin (11.01–87.11 mg/g d.e.) as dominant compounds in all investigated thyme postdistillation waste material extracts. Also, gallic, chlorogenic and ferulic acid and apigenin were present in considerable amounts. Deodorised leaf extracts were found to possess the strong antioxidant activity tested against DPPH and OH radicals and are potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation process in vitro. Also, investigated thyme leaves and deodorized thyme leaf extracts exhibit significant hepatoprotective effect when in vivo antioxidant activity was tested, especially in terms of xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activity, prevention of lipid peroxidation and decrease of glutathione concentration in oxidative stress. Results of this study indicated that thyme postdistillation waste material can be used as a source of rosmarinic acid, rutin and other phenolic compounds. Also, investigated extracts could be used for the preparation of herbal medicines with antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects.

Numerous traditional and clinically approved indications have created constant raise of demand for Hyperici herba in the world. However, the quality of the plant material depends on the plant source and abiotic factors of the habitats. The scope of the research was to find out whether other Hypericum species have similar chemical characteristics for potential medical use. Hypericum maculatum Crantz is in some Pharmacopoeias listed together with Hypericum perforatum L. as biological source of H. herba, because of similar chemical composition. Often the full taxonomic identification stating the used subspecies of H. maculatum is being avoided. Therefore, the aim of study was to chemically characterize water–alcoholic extracts of subspecies Hypericum maculatum Crantz subsp. maculatum. The samples were collected at three localities, with different habitat characteristics during three ontogenetic phases. The amounts of total phenolics and flavonoids were estimated, as well as the amounts of ferulic and chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercitrin, amentoflavone, apigenin, hypericin, and hyperforin. Chemical composition and ecological characteristics were analyzed by PCA methods. Source of sunlight and soil acidity were shown as ecological factors that potentially could be cause for chemical profiling of samples. Biological potential of extracts was estimated through antioxidant assays and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-amylase with the aim to explore potential use of plant in the treatments of diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. All the extracts exhibited notable antioxidant potential in the used test systems as well as the ability to inhibit AChE and α-amylase. H. maculatum subsp. maculatum exhibits notable correspondence in chemical composition and biological activity with H. perforatum.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a polygenic multifactorial metabolic disorder with strong socioeconomic influence. MetS has became a worldwide epidemic, that directly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The human apoE gene, coding Apolipoprotein E, has three common polymorphisms in human population: e2, e3 and e4, which are proved to be associated with impaired lipid metabolism. The contribution of apoE polymorphism to MetS disorders has not been investigated previously in Vojvodina Province, region with the highest number of obese people in Serbia. The aim of this study was to evaluate apoE gene polymorphism in relation to MetS disorders. The healthy control group of 30 individuals and 63 MetS patients were examined for apoE variants in relation to biochemical and anthropometric parameters. The genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP. Regarding all parameters, significantly higher values were detected in MetS group compared to control. The MetS group of patients had significantly higher frequency of e4 allele. In addition, positive relation was revealed between e4 allele presence and all measured parameters. It was found that the e4 allele was related with a significantly increased OR of MetS disorders according to the International Diabetes Federation definition. These results suggested that e4 allele may act as a one of determinants for development of metabolic syndrome.

The present study was designed to define the phenolic and terpene profile, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of methanol extracts and essential oils of the leaves and seed cones of Juniperus foetidissima species, on which there has been little previous research. The content of 44 phenolics in extracts was determined using LC–MS/MS. A comparable qualitative composition, including dominant compounds catechin, quercitrin, epicatechin, rutin and quercetin-3- O -glucoside, was found in both extracts. GC–MS analysis showed a simple terpene composition, with monoterpenes dominant and sabinene most abundant compound, 39.9% in leaves and 29.9% in seed cones. Antioxidant activity was determined by several assays. All results of antioxidant tests were comparable to BHT, a well-known synthetic antioxidant. A novel method for estimation of anti-inflammatory potential by means of inhibition of COX-1 and 12-LOX activity was described. Essential oils showed significant anti-inflammatory activity, especially of leaves. To conclude, J. foetidissima showed great bio potential, and its usage in production of food and beverages should be considered.

The study shows the influence of the origin of plant material and biological source on the in vitro antioxidant (neutralization of DPPH and OH radical, nitric oxide, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation) and anticholinesterase activity of chemically characterized and quantified ethanol extracts of ten St. John’s wort samples. The investigated samples were: five Hypericum perforatum species representatives collected at different localities, one commercial sample of Hyperici herba purchased at a local market and four Hypericum species autochtonous to the Balkan Peninsula (H. maculatum subsp. immaculatum, H. olympicum, H. richeri subsp. grisebachii and H. barbatum). All the examined extracts exhibited notable antioxidant potential, but in most of the cases indigenous Hypericum species expressed stronger effects compared to the original source of the drug, H. perforatum. The changes in the content of phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, hyperforin and hypericin, related to the source of the drug affected the investigated activities. Since all of the investigated species have shown prominent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in vitro activity, they could be further investigated as potential substances in preventing of Alzheimer’s disease.

Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.; Apiaceae) and its essential oil have been widely used in folk medicine, pharmacy and food industry. Since there are some data about the impact of anise on functions of central nervous system (CNS), the issue of possible interactions with drugs acting in CNS should be considered. This survey aimed to examine the influence of aniseed essential oil (EO) intake on the effects of drugs that act in CNS. The chemical profile of essential oil determined by GC-MS revealed as the main components: trans-anethole (88.49%), γ-himachalene (3.13%), cis-isoeugenol (1.99%), and linalool (1.79%). The effects of codeine, diazepam, midazolam, pentobarbital, imipramine and fluoxetine were tested in mice after 5days of peroral pretreatment with human equivalent dose of aniseed EO (0.3mg/kg). The intake of EO led to significant increase of analgesic effect of codeine. The motor impairment caused by midazolam was enhanced in the group treated by EO. The application of diazepam decreased the number and percentage of entries in open arm in elevated maze plus test in the group pretreated with EO indicating augmented effect of drug on motor activity. EO pretreatment caused significant shortage of pentobarbital induced sleeping time when compared to control. The decrease in antidepressant effect of imipramine and fluoxetine was diminished by the pretreatment with aniseed EO. Based on the results of this study we conclude that concomitant intake of aniseed EO preparations and drugs that act on CNS should be avoided due to potential herb-drug interactions, which also need further clinical confirmation.

The present study was designed to define the phenolic profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of Plantago altissima L., which has never been studied before and to compare it with closely-related, renowned, well-studied Plantago lanceolata L. The presence and content of 44 phenolics in methanol extracts were studied using LC–MS/MS. A similar qualitative composition including dominant compounds as p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, gallic and chlorogenic acid, besides apigenin, luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside was found between both extracts. Antioxidant activity of extracts was determined using several assays. All results of these tests were comparable to butylated hydroxytoluene, a well-known synthetic antioxidant. Anti-inflammatory potential was studied by means of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) inhibitory activity. Activity of P. altissima towards COX-1/12-LOX inhibition (IC50 = 4.4 and 3.6 mg/mL, respectively) was inferior to activity of P. lanceolata (IC50 = 2.0 and 0.8 mg/mL, respectively). Treatment of four cell lines resulted in a considerable dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, where P. lanceolata exerted a stronger effect (IC50 = 172.3, 142.8, 405.5 and 551.7 μg/mL for HeLa, MCF7, HT-29 and MRC-5 cell lines, respectively). To conclude, P. altissima showed certain bio-potential, but was clearly inferior to P. lanceolata.

Eterična olja origana (Origanum vulgare L.), mete (Mentha piperita L.), janeža (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), in borovih (Abies alba Mill.) iglic in storžev, ter njihove sestavine timol, karvakrol, mentol in anisaldehid smo testirali kot snovi z protiglivno aktivnostjo proti plesnim vrste Penicillium verrucosum. Najnižje minimalne inhibitorne koncentracije (MICs) smo določili eteričnemu olju origana, ter karvakrolu, timolu, in mentolu. Rast plesni vrste P. verrucosum je bila popolnoma inhibirana po 21 dneh inkubacije v prisotnosti ½ MIC timola (0,0625 mg mL-1), medtem ko so eterično olje origana (½ MIC, ¼ MIC), timol (¼ MIC) in karvakrol (½ MIC, ¼ MIC) inhibirali rast plesni od 8,3 % do 70.8 %. Dodatek mentola v koncentracijah ¼ MIC in ½ MIC (0.1875 mg mL-1 in 0.3750 mg mL-1) pa ni imel inhibitornega vpliva na rast plesni vrste P. verrucosum. Popolno inhibicijo tvorbe ohratoksina A smo določili le v primeru, ko je bila tudi rast teh plesni popolnoma inhibirana (pri ½ MIC timola). Največjo inhibicijo tvorbe ohratoksina A (96,9 %) po 21 dnevih inkubacije smo določili pri ¼ MIC timola (0.0313 mg mL-1). Pospešeno tvorbo ohratoksina A (od 13,9 % do 28,8 %) pa smo določili pri ¼ MIC eteričnega olja origana (0.2930 mg mL-1) in ½ MIC karvakrola (0.1953 mg mL-1). Protiglivni vplivi so bili odvisni od testirane snovi, njene koncentracije ter časa interakcij med protiglivno snovjo in plesnimi vrste P. verrucosum. Rezultati nakazujejo možnosti uporabe eteričnega olja origana v živilih namesto kemijskih konzervansov. Ker pa so živila kompleksna okolja v katerih je potrebno upoštevati več dejavnikov, so potrebne nadaljnje raziskave., Essential oils from oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), mint (Mentha piperita L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), and pine (Abies alba Mill.) needles and cones, and their active substances thymol, carvacrol, menthol, and anisaldehyde were tested for antifungal activity against Penicillium verrucosum. The lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were achieved for essential oil of oregano, followed by carvacrol, thymol, and menthol. These antifungal components were further investigated, as the main aim of our study was to elucidate the effect of natural antifungals on ochratoxin A production. During 21 days of exposure, the growth of P. verrucosum, and subsequently the production of ochratoxin A, was fully inhibited by thymol at ½ MIC (0.0625 mg mL-1), but menthol at ¼ and ½ MIC (0.1875 and 3750 mg mL-1) showed no growth inhibition. After 21 days of incubation, the greatest inhibitory effect on ochratoxin production (inhibition was 96.9 %) was also achieved with thymol at ¼ MIC (0.0313 mg mL-1). Essential oil of oregano (¼ MIC, 0.2930 μL mL-1) and carvacrol (½ MIC, 0.1953 μL mL-1) stimulate production of ochratoxin A at 13.9 % to 28.8 %, respectively. The observed antifungal effects depended on the agent, the concentration used, and the time of interaction between the agent and P. verrucosum. Our results indicate the possibility of using oregano essential oil as a substitute for artificial preservatives in certain foods, but further research is needed.