The total flavonoids fromThermopsis alterniflora, Th. dolichocarpa, Vexibia alopecuroides, andRhaponticum carthamoides and their hypolipidemic activity

Chemical Composition and Histochemical Localization of Essential Oil from Wild and Cultivated Rhaponticum carthamoides Roots and Rhizomes

Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin is not only a source of phytosteroids and flavonoids, but is also source of essential oil (EO). This study evaluated the volatile metabolic constituents and histochemical localization of root and rhizome essential oils (EOs) from R. carthamoides populations wild-grown in Russia and cultivated in Bulgaria. The performed histochemical analysis confirmed the presence of lipophilic substances in the secretory ducts of the examined roots and rhizomes. Both EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and further analyzed by gas chromatography with mass detection. The results showed differences between the chemical compositions of both EOs. Forty-six components were tentatively identified in R. carthamoides oil from the wild population, with β-selinene (4.77%), estragole (6.32%), D-carvone (6.37%), cyperene (8.78%), and ledene oxide (11.52%) being the major constituents. In the EO isolated from cultivated R. carthamoides, twenty-three compounds were tentatively identified, with humulene (7.68%), β-elemene (10.76%), humulene-1,2-epoxide (11.55%), ledene oxide (13.50%), and δ-elemene (19.08%) predominating. This is the first report describing the histolocalization and chemical profile of EO from R. carthamoides cultivated in Bulgaria. Further research on the cultivation of R. carthamoides in Bulgaria would affect the relationship between its chemical composition and pharmacological effects.

Comparison between the Biological Active Compounds in Plants with Adaptogenic Properties (Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus and Panax ginseng)

BACKGROUND

In the 1960s, research into plant adaptogens began. Plants with adaptogenic properties have rich phytochemical compositions and have been used by humanity since ancient times. However, it is not still clear whether the adaptogenic properties are because of specific compounds or because of the whole plant extracts. The aim of this review is to compare the bioactive compounds in the different parts of these plants.

METHODS

The search strategy was based on studies related to the isolation of bioactive compounds from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

This review includes data from 259 articles. The phytochemicals isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides, Lepidium meyenii, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Panax ginseng were described and classified in several categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Plant species have always played an important role in drug discovery because their effectiveness is based on the hundreds of years of experience with folk medicine in different nations. In our view, there is great potential in the near future for some of the phytochemicals found in these plants species to become pharmaceutical agents.

Ecdysterones from Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin reduce hippocampal excitotoxic cell loss and upregulate mTOR signaling in rats

Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity is a key pathological mechanism in many neurological disease states. Ecdysterones derived from Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin (RCI) have been shown to alleviate glutamate-induced neuronal damage; although their mechanism of action is unclear, some data suggest that they enhance signaling in the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. This study sought to elucidate the mechanisms underlying ecdysterone-mediated neuroprotection. We used in silico target prediction and simulation methods to identify putative ecdysterone binding targets, and to specifically identify those that represent nodes where several neurodegenerative diseases converge. We then used histological analyses in a rat hippocampal excitotoxicity model to test the effectiveness of ecdysterones in vivo. We found that RCI-derived ecdysterones should bind to glutamatergic NMDA-type receptors (NMDARs); specifically, in vivo modeling showed binding to the GRIN2B subunit of NMDARs, which was found also to be a node of convergence in several neurodegenerative disease pathways. Computerized network construction by using pathway information from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database showed putative links between GRIN2B and mTOR pathway elements including phosphoinositide-3kinase (PI3K), mTOR, and protein kinase C (PKC); these elements are associated with neuronal survival. Brain tissue western blots of ecdysterone-treated rats showed upregulated PI3K, Akt, mTOR, and phosphorylated Akt and mTOR, and down regulated GRIN2B and the apoptotic enzyme cleaved caspase-3. Ecdysterone treatment also prevented glutamate-induced rat hippocampal cell loss. In summary, RCI-derived ecdysterones appear to prevent glutamatergic excitotoxicity by increasing mTOR/Akt/PI3K signaling activity.

Antimicrobial activity against periodontopathogenic bacteria, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of various extracts from endemic Thermopsis turcica

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the in vitro antimicrobial potential of Thermopsis turcica Kit Tan, Vural & Küçüködük against periodontopathogenic bacteria, its antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effect on various cancer cell lines.

METHODS

In vitro antimicrobial activities of ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate (EtAc), n-hexane and water extracts of Thermopsis turcica herb against periodontopathogenic bacteria, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans ATCC 29523 and Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 were tested by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical scavenging activity and β-carotene bleaching methods. Amounts of phenolic contents of the extracts were also analysed by using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Additionally, cytotoxic activity of the extracts on androgen-insensitive prostate cancer, androgen-sensitive prostate cancer, chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute promyelocytic leukemia human cancer cell lines were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Human gingival fibroblast cells were used as a control.

RESULTS

Our data showed that EtAc extract had the highest antimicrobial effect on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (MIC: 1.562 mg/mL, MBC: 3.124 mg/mL) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (MIC: 0.781 mg/mL, MBC: 1.562 mg/mL). In antioxidant assays, EtAc extract exhibited also the highest radical scavenging activity [IC50=(30.0±0.3) µg/mL] and the highest inhibition [(74.35±0.30)%] against lineloic acide oxidation. The amount of phenolic content of it was also the highest [(162.5±1.2) µg/mg gallic acid]. In cytotoxic assay, only ethanol [IC50=(80.00±1.21) µg/mL] and EtAc extract [IC50=(70.0±0.9) µg/mL] were toxic on acute promyelocytic leukemia cells at 20-100 µg/mL (P<0.05). However, no toxic effect was observed on human gingival fibroblast cells.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our findings, owing to its antioxidant and cytotoxic potential, EtAc extract might include anticancer agents for acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Flavonoids in subtribe Centaureinae (Cass.) Dumort. (tribe Cardueae, Asteraceae): distribution and (13)C-NMR spectral data

This review reports the occurrence of flavonoids in subtribe Centaureinae of Asteraceae family. It extensively covers the literature up to 2010 and collects all available (13)C-NMR data.