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Copyright of Mersin University School of Medicine Lokman Hekim Journal of History of Medicine & Folk Medicine is the property of Mersin University School of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture & Nature / Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım & Doğa Dergisi is the property of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Safflower oils, which are sold commercially, are in demand with food, cosmetics, and health-promoting claims. In this study, safflower oil samples belonging to 11 different brands were evaluated in terms of European Pharmacopoeia Criteria 7.0. Additionally, in vitro weight control potential of all samples was investigated. Materials and Methods: Samples to be analyzed were purchased from pharmacies, herbal, online, and cosmetics stores. Acid and peroxide values of 11 safflower samples and analysis of their fatty acids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were carried out according to the “Carthami oleum raffinatum” monograph registered in the European Pharmacopeia 7.0. To test the effects of all samples on weight control, their inhibitory effects on carbohydrate-digesting enzymes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase) were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. Results: Out of 11 oil samples, only two of them had acid and peroxide values below the reference value. According to GC analysis, safflower oil samples are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid) (67.10-99.53%) of total fatty acids in its content are oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Saturated fatty acids were 0.58 to 12.18% of the total fatty acid methyl esters in oils. When evaluated in terms of the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes that hydrolyze carbohydrates, the results showed that safflower oil samples had no inhibitory activity on these enzymes. Conclusion: It has been determined in this report that many safflower oil samples on the market do not meet the quality criteria recommended in European Pharmacopoeia 7.0. It was observed that safflower oil did not show any inhibitory effect on these two enzymes, which is considered a rational approach for weight control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Almond oil marketed for health benefits and cosmetic purposes should be in compliance with the European Pharmacopoeia (EP) criteria. Therefore, in this study, 17 almond oil samples sold in pharmacies, herbal shops, online, and cosmetics stores were analyzed in terms of “almond oil” monograph criteria, which have been mentioned in EP 7.0. Materials and Methods: In this study, 17 almond oil samples sold in pharmacies, herbal, online, and cosmetics stores were analyzed in terms of “almond oil” monograph criteria, which have been mentioned in EP 7.0. Appearance, acidity value, and peroxide value of each sample were determined and the ingredients were identified by thin layer chromatography. Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatographic method using flame ionization detector. Results: It was determined that two of the 17 samples complied with EP 7.0 criteria. Conclusion: Almond oil, which is currently marketed according to the manufacturer’s own marketing and quality criteria, is excluded from the Turkish Food Codex Standards. Our research has shown that most of the products do not comply with the EP standards. For this reason, it should be ensured that almond oil is listed in this codex and urgent arrangements should be made for quality control analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mersin University School of Medicine Lokman Hekim Journal of History of Medicine & Folk Medicine is the property of Mersin University School of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Farmacia is the property of Societatea de Stiinte Farmaceutice Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Fruit and leaves of junipers are commonly used internally as tea and pounded fruits are eaten to lower blood glucose levels in Anatolia. Thus, we aimed to evaluate antidiabetic and antioxidant potential and the chemical profile of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. and J. sabina L. in this study. In-vitro antidiabetic activities of leaf and fruit extracts were examined by their inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes. Then, in-vivo antidiabetic activities of leaf and fruit extracts of Juniperus species were investigated on streptozotocininduced diabetic rats. Additionally, antioxidant activities (phosphomolybdenum, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays), phytochemical screening tests and high performance liquid chromatography analysis (HPLC) were done. In-vitro enzyme inhibitory effects of the extracts were supported by the results of in-vivo antidiabetic activity studies. Phytochemical screening tests indicated presence of flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and carbohydrates in the extracts. Amentoflavone was identified as the major compound in the extracts and content of amentoflavone was determined. As a result, Juniperus extracts and its active constituents might be beneficial for diabetes and its complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solanum muricatum is an exotic plant from Solanaceae family that is cultivated in the south of Turkey. However, fruit of the plant is known as pepino melon and introduced in the market for its antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects; there is no sufficient scientific evidence for these activities. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate whether pepino fruits have lowering effect on blood glucose level or not. Juice of fruits was obtained just before ripening and hypoglycaemic effect of juice was investigated on normoglycaemic and glucose loaded rats at two different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg). Additionally acute antidiabetic activity was evaluated on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Tolbutamide was used as a reference drug at 100 mg/kg dose. Moreover, alpha glucosidase and alpha amylase inhibitory effects of fruit juice were also investigated. Antioxidant activity was examined by using DPPH radical scavenging assays. Furthermore, total phenolic content of fruit juice was determined to enlighten the chemical profile. Present study demonstrated that pepino juice was found to have a significant antidiabetic activity on diabetic animals at 500 mg/kg dose (27.1%). Pepino fruit should to be consumed by eating the whole fruit and it may be recommended to diabetic patients as a beneficial fruit with its low sugar content, high dietary fibers and its high antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Ethnopharmacological field surveys demonstrated that many plants, such as Gentiana olivieri, Helichrysum graveolens, Helichrysum plicatum ssp. plicatum, Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus, Juniperus communis var. saxatilis, Viscum album (ssp. album, ssp. austriacum), are used as traditional medicine for diabetes in different regions of Anatolia. The present study was designed to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic effects of some selected plants, tested in animal models recently. Materials and Methods: α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzyme inhibitory effects of the plant extracts were investigated and Acarbose was used as a reference drug. Additionally, radical scavenging capacities were determined using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) ABTS radical cation scavenging assay and total phenolic content of the extracts were evaluated using Folin Ciocalteu method. Results: H. graveolens ethanol extract exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (55.7 % ± 2.2) on α- amylase enzyme. Additionally, J. oxycedrus hydro-alcoholic leaf extract had potent α-amylase inhibitory effect, while the hydro-alcoholic extract of J. communis fruit showed the highest α- glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50: 4.4 μg/ml). Conclusion: Results indicated that, antidiabetic effect of hydro-alcoholic extracts of H. graveolens capitulums, J. communis fruit and J. oxycedrus leaf might arise from inhibition of digestive enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flowering herbs of Gentiana olivieri Griseb. (Gentianaceae) are widely used as bitter tonic, stomachic, stimulant of appetite, antipyretic, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic and for mental problems in the different regions of Turkey. Objective: To establish the anticonvulsant activity potential of G. olivieri. Materials and Methods: In this work, the ethanol extract of G. olivieri was tested in three doses (200, 750 and 1000 mg/kg) for anticonvulsant activity against seizures produced in mice by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), picrotoxin (PIC) and maximal electroshock (MES). Neurotoxicity of the ethanol extract was also determined by the Rota rod test to evaluate the safety. Ethosuximide (150 mg/kg), diazepam (0.5 mg/kg) and carbamazepine (30 mg/kg) were used as reference drugs. Results: Intraperitonally, injection of the extract significantly prolonged the onset of seizures at doses of 200 and 750 mg/kg, but did not alter the incidence of PTZ-induced seizures. Onset of PIC-induced seizures was delayed by the injection of the extract (1000 mg/ kg). Moreover, only 750 mg/kg of the extract protected 25% of the mice against PIC-induced seizures. On the other hand, G. olivieri extract (200, 750 and 1000 mg/kg) showed a significant protective effect against MES-induced seizures. In the Rota rod test, the ethanol extract (200 mg/ kg, ip) induced disturbance in motor coordination. Conclusion: The results indicate that G. olivieri has possessed anticonvulsant activity against MES-induced seizures in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey-bee pollen mix (HBM) formulation is claimed to be effective for the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, cancers, peptic ulcers, colitis, various types of infections including hepatitis B, and rheumatism by the herb dealers in northeast Turkey. In the present study, in vivo antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and antioxidant effects of pure honey and HBM formulation were evaluated comparatively. HBM did not show any significant gastroprotective activity in a single administration at 250 mg/kg dose, whereas a weak activity was observed after three days of successive administration at 500 mg/kg dose. On the other hand, HBM displayed significant antinociceptive (p <0.01) and anti-inflammatory (p <0.01) activities at 500 mg/kg dose orally without inducing any apparent acute toxicity or gastric damage. HBM was also shown to possess potent antilipidperoxidant activity (p <0.01) at 500 mg/kg dose against acetaminophen-induced liver necrosis model in mice. On the other hand, pure honey did not exert any remarkable antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activity, but a potent antilipidperoxidant activity (p <0.01) was determined. Results have clearly proved that mixing pure honey with bee pollen significantly increased the healing potential of honey and provided additional support for its traditional use. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of HBM were found to be 145 and 59.3 mg/100 g of honey, which were estimated as gallic acid and quercetin equivalents, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Odontologica Turcica is the property of Acta Odontologica Turcica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the active ingredient in antimicrobial magistral drug formulations and plant extracts used in folk medicine were investigated comparatively. Borax, sulfur colloid, hydrogen peroxide, benzoic acid, rivanol, brilliant green and plant extracts as active ingredients, namely: Helianthus tuberosus tuber-H2O (aqueous extract), Cydonia oblonga leaves-H2O, Allium porrum whole plant-H2O, Cistus laurifolius leaves-EtOH, Solanum muricalum-H2O, and Fumaria cilicica leaves-EtOH were studied to determine their antimicrobial activity against different bacteria and fungi (S. pyogenes, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. faecalis, K. pneumonia, H. influenza, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, E. coli, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei) by using the microdilution method. The active ingredients and plant extracts showed different activities as MIC between 1->128 μg/mL. Brilliant green and rivanol as active ingredients had MIC values of 1 μg/mL against all tested microorganisms. C. oblonga leaves-H2O as well as C. laurifolius leaves-EtOH as plant extracts were indicated as having the highest antimicrobial effect in MIC value of 16 μg/ml against A. baumannii and S. pyogenes, respectively. On the other hand, F. cilicica leaves-EtOH and C. laurifolius leaves-EtOH showed the highest antifungal activity (MIC; 16 μg/mL).

Juniperus species growing in Turkey are used for various medicinal purposes in traditional folk medicine. We aimed to evaluate in-vitro antidiabetic (α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition assays), antiobesity (pancreatic lipase inhibition assay), and antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing activity, metal chelating activity, and phosphomolybdenum assay) activities of the extracts obtained from branches, leaves, and fruits of Juniperus macrocarpa and Juniperus excelsa . The branch (IC 50 = 67.1 ± 1.7 µg/mL) and leaf ethyl acetate extracts (IC 50 = 83.4 ± 0.8 µg/mL) of J. macrocarpa exhibited the strongest activity on the α-glucosidase enzyme. Besides that, J. excelsa leaf methanol extract exerted remarkable α-amylase inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 950.1 ± 3.5 µg/mL). Only J. macrocarpa branch and J. excelsa leaf ethyl acetate extract slightly inhibited pancreatic lipase enzyme with 2963.3 ± 736.4 and 2343 ± 557.8 µg/mL IC 50 values, respectively. The RP-HPLC-DAD analysis results demonstrated that the more active J. macrocarpa extracts are richer in agathisflavone, amentoflavone, and umbelliferone than J. excelsa extracts. With this study, it is concluded that J. macrocarpa branch and leaf ethyl acetate extracts may be a new source of α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity and agathisflavone, amentoflavone can be used in the standardization of the extracts.