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Objectives The scope of the present study was to specify the therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases through evaluating cholinesterase and tyrosinase (TYR) inhibitory and antioxidant activity of Lysimachia verticillaris (LV), and to isolate the major compounds considering the most active fraction. Materials and methods The methanol extract (ME) of LV and the chloroform, ethyl acetate (EtOAC), and aqueous fractions obtained from it were used for biological activity and isolation studies. The ME and all fractions were tested for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and TYR inhibitory and antioxidant potentials using ELISA microtiter assays. Seven major compounds were isolated from the active EtOAC fraction by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by several spectroscopic methods. Results Marked AChE inhibitory activity was observed in the EtOAC fraction (6337±1.74%), BChE inhibitory activity in the ME and EtOAC fraction (85.84±3.01% and 83.82±3.93%), total phenol content in the EtOAC fraction (261.59±3.95 mg equivalent of gallic acid/1 g of extract) and total flavonoid contents in the EtOAC fraction (515.54±2.80 mg equivalent of quercetin/1 g of extract), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power values in the aqueous and EtOAC fractions (92.54±0.67%, 92.11±0.30%; 2.318±0.054, 2.224±0.091, respectively). Accordingly, the isolation studies were carried out on the EtOAC fractions. Compounds 1-7 (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, myricetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, and quercetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, respectively) were isolated from the active EtOAC fraction. Conclusion LV may be a potential herbal source for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases based on its strong antioxidant activity and significant cholinesterase inhibition similar to that of the reference.

OBJECTIVES: Many agents, including those from herbal sources, have been sought as preventives or cures for hepatotoxicity. The pollen of Pinus brutia Ten., known as red pine (Pinaceae), is used against liver diseases in Anatolian folk medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the current study, pollen ethanol extract of P. brutia was investigated for its possible hepatoprotective activity using a mouse model of CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity. Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups, and extract-treated groups were compared with a silymarin-treated group as the reference. The extract was tested at 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg (b.w.). Phenolic acids were analyzed using high-performance column chromatography (HPLC) in the extracts as pollens are usually known to be rich in phenolics. RESULTS: Our data revealed that the extract displayed the best hepatoprotection at a dose of 100 mg/kg when compared with silymarin (Legalon®), the reference drug. HPLC analysis indicated presence of protocatechuic acid (0.176 mg/g extract), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (0.001 mg/g extract), vanillic acid (VA) (0.537 mg/g extract), syringic acid (0.050 mg/g extract), and tr-cinnamic acid (0.310 mg/g extract), while the major phenolic acid was VA. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study allow us to conclude that red pine pollen extract can serve as a promising hepatoprotective agent. Among the phenolic acids analyzed in the pollen extract, vanillic acid as the major one besides some other phenolic acids detected seems to be responsible for its remarkable hepatoprotective effect.

Cosmetic sector has been developing day by day and more products based on scientific search are released to the market. In this sector, particularly natural cosmetics are in a great demand, which also raises the need for more effective and safe products. Being one of the most important biodiversity spots in the world due to its rich flora, it must be a target for Turkey’s national economy to use plant species in cosmetic preparation as well as branding for our country’s promotion. For this purpose, we have been working on R&D of natural cosmetics using our own herbal sources to produce cosmetics with anti-wrinkle and skin bleaching effect. In this regard, we started to screen over 100 plant species for their anti-wrinkle and skin bleaching potential in our laboratory by enzyme inhibitory assays against tyrosinase, elastase, and collagenase using ELISA microtiter methods. The active extracts were subjected to activity-guided fractionation and isolation and then, compounds responsible for the aforementioned inhibitions were elucidated. The active inhibitory molecules were proceeded to in silicoassays using molecular docking techniques. According to our preliminary screening results, the extracts from Vitis vinifera, Camellia sinensis, Cotynus coggygria, Maclura pomifera, and Geranium glaberrimumwere found to be the most active extracts, from which we prepared several cosmetic formulations under the brand name Vitabel. In this paper, summary of our extensive studies on cosmetic R & D conducted in our laboratory which were finalized with prototype cosmetic samples. Our findings indicate that plants are notable biosources for cosmetic research.

OBJECTIVES: The scope of the present study was to specify the therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative diseases through evaluating cholinesterase and tyrosinase (TYR) inhibitory and antioxidant activity of Lysimachia verticillaris (LV), and to isolate the major compounds considering the most active fraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methanol extract (ME) of LV and the chloroform, ethyl acetate (EtOAC), and aqueous fractions obtained from it were used for biological activity and isolation studies. The ME and all fractions were tested for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and TYR inhibitory and antioxidant potentials using ELISA microtiter assays. Seven major compounds were isolated from the active EtOAC fraction by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by several spectroscopic methods. RESULTS: Marked AChE inhibitory activity was observed in the EtOAC fraction (6337±1.74%), BChE inhibitory activity in the ME and EtOAC fraction (85.84±3.01% and 83.82±3.93%), total phenol content in the EtOAC fraction (261.59±3.95 mg equivalent of gallic acid/1 g of extract) and total flavonoid contents in the EtOAC fraction (515.54±2.80 mg equivalent of quercetin/1 g of extract), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power values in the aqueous and EtOAC fractions (92.54±0.67%, 92.11±0.30%; 2.318±0.054, 2.224±0.091, respectively). Accordingly, the isolation studies were carried out on the EtOAC fractions. Compounds 1-7 (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, myricetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-arabinofuranoside, and quercetin 3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside, respectively) were isolated from the active EtOAC fraction. CONCLUSION: LV may be a potential herbal source for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases based on its strong antioxidant activity and significant cholinesterase inhibition similar to that of the reference.

Lamiaceae is one of the most widespread families in Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine antialzheimer, antidiabetic, antioxidant and antiobesity activities of ethanol extracts of Larnium purpureurm var. purpureum, Origanum onites, Salvia sclarea, S. virgata and Thymus zygioides var. hicaonius. Acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities were tested for the determination of the activity of these extracts. Furthermore, total antioxidant, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, metal-chelating and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylendiamine radical scavenging assays were utilized to screen antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content of the extracts were also calculated. Among the tested extracts, T. zygioides var. lycaonius aerial part extract (85.28 +/- 0.89 %) showed the highest inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase. The inhibitory activities of all extracts against alpha-amylase were lower than 50 %. S. sclarea leaf extract indicated remarkable butyrylcholinesterase inhibition (51.76 +/- 1.04 %), but all of the plant extracts were inactive against acetylcholinesterase. The Salvia species showed the highest total antioxidant activity. S. sclarea flower (1.34 +/- 0.08) and leaf (1.34 +/- 0.08) extracts showed the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant power activities. Our findings indicated that O. onites, S. sclarea, S. virgata, and T. zygioides var. lycaotrius extracts showed valuable inhibitory activity and emerged as the sources of possible alpha-glucosidase inhibitors for future studies.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease are among the deadly disorders affecting the elderly population. Unfortunately, effective treatments and medications are still needed to combat these diseases. The ethanol extracts of the raw peeled acorns and acorn coffees from Quercus coccifera prepared by two different methods (boiled-roasted ground and roasted ground) were tested against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and tyrosinase (TYR), the enzymes associated with neurodegeneration. The acorns used in the present study were harvested from wild Quercus coccifera L trees in Kills Province, located in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey in November 2016. Cholinesterase (ChE) and TYR inhibitory activity of the ethanol extracts prepared from raw material and two coffee samples were screened using an ELISA microtiter assay at 2 mg/mL stock concentration. Antioxidant effects of the extracts were also tested for their scavenging activity against DPPH, while total phenol and flavonoid quantities of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Our results indicated that all of the extracts had notable AChE and BChE inhibition, while they were inactive against TYR. The most active extract against ChEs was prepared from the raw material, which led to 65.94 +/- 3.59% and 85.04 +/- 3.83% inhibition against AChE and BChE, respectively. Our data indicate that the fruit extract from Quercus coccifera is a source of promising ChE inhibitors and deserves future study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various extracts obtained fromPistacia eurycarpa Yalt. on the exact time of appearance of the colonies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on solid media. For this purpose, the fatty acid compositions of the fixed oils were analyzed using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) in the fruit and peels. The fixed oils and the water-soluble extracts obtained from the plant as well as the fatty acids were added either separately or together on the surfaces of the Lowenstein Jensen and Middlebrook 7H11 agar media. Their effects on growth time of 40 strains of M. tuberculosis complex were investigated. Therefore, all of water-soluble extracts accelerated the growth of the mycobacteria in a statistically significant manner in both media. It was observed that the fixed oils and the fatty acids individually did not cause any significant effect on growth duration of the M. tuberculosis strains. Finally, the water-soluble extracts of P. eurycarpa fruit and its peel significantly accelerated the growth of M. tuberculosis by shortening the growth duration of M. tuberculosis at least by one third. Key words: M. tuberculosis, Pistacia eurycarpa, gas chromatography – massspectrometry, growth time

Anethum graveolens, tam-olgun ve çiçeklenme dönemlerinde toplanan Foeniculum vulgare, Mentha piperita ve M. spicata, Lavandula officinalis, Ocimum basilicum (yeşil ve mor-yapraklı varyeteler), Origanum onites, O. vulgare, O. munitiflorum ve O. majorana, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis ve Satureja cuneifolia’dan elde edilen uçucu yağlar ve yanı sıra uçucu yağlarda sıklıkla rastlanan bileşenler (?-terpinen, 4-allilanisol, (-)-karvon, dihidrokarvon, D-limonen, (-)-fenkon, kuminil alkol, kuminil aldehit, kuminol, trans-anetol, kamfen, izoborneol, (-)-borneol, L-bornil asetat, 2-dekanol, 2-heptanol, metilheptan, farnesol, nerol, izopulegol, sitral, sitronellal, sitronellol, geraniol, geranil ester, linalol, linalil oksit, linalil ester, ?-pinen, ?-pinen, piperiton, (-)-mentol, izomenton, karvakrol, timol, vanilin ve öjenol) Herpes simplex tip-1 (HSV-1) ve parainfl uenza tip-3’e (PI-3) karşı antiviral aktiviteleri için taranmıştır. Sitotoksisite, sitopatojenik etki olarak ifade edilmiştir. Yağların ve bileşiklerin çoğu, 0,8-0,025 ?g mL {-1} arasında değişmek üzere, HSV-1’e karşı yüksek antiviral aktivite göstermiştir. Ancak, test edilen örnekler 1,6-0,2 ?g mL {-1} arasında değişen oranda PI-3’e karşı daha az etkilidirler. A. graveolens uçucu yağı en aktiftir. Yağların çoğu iyi antibakteriyel ve antifungal aktivite göstermişlerdir., The essential oils obtained from Anethum graveolens, Foeniculum vulgare collected at fully-mature and flowering stages, Mentha piperita, Mentha spicata, Lavandula officinalis, Ocimum basilicum (green- and purpleleaf varieties), Origanum onites, O. vulgare, O. munitiflorum, O. majorana, Rosmarinus offi cinalis, Salvia offi cinalis, and Satureja cuneifolia, as well as the widely encountered components in essential oils (γ-terpinene, 4-allylanisole, (-)-carvone, dihydrocarvone, D-limonene, (-)-phencone, cuminyl alcohol, cuminyl aldehyde, cuminol, trans-anethole, camphene, isoborneol, (-)-borneol, L-bornyl acetate, 2-decanol, 2-heptanol, methylheptane, farnesol, nerol, isopulegol, citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, geranyl ester, linalool, linalyl oxide, linalyl ester, α-pinene, β-pinene, piperitone, (-)-menthol, isomenthone, carvacrol, thymol, vanillin, and eugenol), were screened for their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1) and parainfluenza type-3 (PI-3). Cytotoxicity was expressed as cytopathogenic effect. Most of the oils and compounds displayed strong antiviral effects against HSV-1, ranging between 0.8 and 0.025 μg mL−1. However, the samples tested were less effective against PI-3, with results ranging between 1.6 and 0.2 μg mL {-1}. The essential oil of A. graveolens was the most active. Most of the tested oils and compounds exhibited good antibacterial and antifungal effects.

In the current study, the oils obtained from the nuts of Corylus avellana L. (hazelnut), Arachis hypogea L. (peanut, groundnut), Pinus pinea L. (umbrella nut), and Juglans regia L. (walnut) were tested for their antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and antimicrobial activity against the standard and isolated strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis as well as the fungi Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis by microdilution method, in which inhibition was expressed as minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs). Moreover, antiviral activity of the oils was determined using Herpes simplex (HSV) and Parainfluenza (PI-3). Their fatty acid analyses were performed by GC-MS technique. While the hazelnut and walnut oils showed the best antioxidant activity at 100 mg mL-1 (73.58% and 65.10%, respectively), the walnut oil had the most potent anti-PI-3 effect (16- < 0.25 mg mL-1). The oils displayed inhibitory potentials towards the isolated strains of E. coli, S. aureus, and E. faecalis at 4, 8, and 8 mg mL-1 concentrations, respectively.