Gilaburu (Viburnum opulus L.) fruit extract has potential therapeutic and prophylactic role in a rat model of acetic acid-induced oxidant colonic damage.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) which has a global impact on the health care system with its recurrent and incompletely curable characteristics, affects the patients' quality of life. Gilaburu (GB; Viburnum opulus L.) is a fruit with rich polyphenol ingredient which is used ethnobotanically in Türkiye for medicinal purposes (for example, to pass kidney stones, to treat stomach, heart, and liver diseases, hemorrhages, hypertension, ulcers, common cold, tuberculosis, rheumatic and menstrual pain, and diabetes). On the other hand, the effects of GB in the experimental UC model have not been studied. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of GB fruit extract in improving acetic acid (AA)-induced UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Starting immediately after (AA + GB group) or 1 week before (GB + AA + GB group) the colitis induced by intrarectal AA (5%; v/v) administration, the rats orally received GB (100 mg/kg) once per day for 3 days. The control and AA groups were administered orally saline (1 ml), while the AA + SS group were administered sulfasalazine (SS; 100 mg/kg; orally) as a positive control once per day for 3 days. Distal colonic tissue specimens were obtained for the histological and biochemical [myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), chemiluminescence (CL), caspase-3, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, smad-3 and cytokine (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ), measurements] evaluations on the 3rd day. RESULTS: Elevated macroscopic and microscopic damage scores, high tissue wet weight values, increased tissue-associated MPO, MDA, CL, caspase-3, 8-OHdG, cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8), MMP-9, TGF-ß1, smad-3 levels, and decreased GSH values of the AA group were all reversed by GB treatments (AA + GB and GB + AA + GB groups) (p < 0.05-0.001). However, sulfasalazine treatment (AA + SS group) did not change the IL-8, 8-OHdG, MMP-9, and TGF-ß1 measurements significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Gilaburu shows both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects against AA-induced colonic damage by suppressing neutrophil infiltration, regulating inflammatory mediators, inhibiting reactive species production, lipid peroxidation, and apoptosis, conserving endogenous antioxidant glutathione, and ameliorating oxidative DNA damage. Since the current ulcerative colitis drugs display limited benefits and adverse side effects, potential therapeutic and/or prophylactic role of gilaburu can be evaluated in ulcerative colitis.

Appraisals on the chemical characterization and biological potentials of Ranunculus constantinopolitanus extracts using chromatographic, computational, and molecular network approaches.

In this context, phytochemicals were extracted from Ranunculus constantinopolitanus using ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol, ethanol/water (70%), and water solvent. The analysis encompassed quantification of total phenolic and flavonoid content using spectrophotometric assays, chemical profiling via high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) for the extracts, and assessment of antioxidant activity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), metal chelating (MCA), and phosphomolybdenum (PBD) assays. Moreover, antimicrobial activity was assessed against four different bacterial strains, as well as various yeasts. Enzyme inhibitory activities were evaluated against five types of enzymes. Additionally, the extracts were examined for their anticancer and protective effects on several cancer cell lines and the human normal cell line. All of the extracts exhibited significant levels of ferulic acid, kaempferol, and caffeic acid. All tested extracts demonstrated antimicrobial activity, with Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being most sensitive to EA and ethanol extracts. Molecular docking studies revealed that kaempferol-3-O-glucoside strong interactions with AChE, BChE and tyrosinase. In addition, network pharmacology showed an association between gastric cancer and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside. Based on the results, R. constantinopolitanus can be a potential reservoir of bioactive compounds for future bioproduct innovation and pharmaceutical industries.

New Biological and Chemical Evidences of Two Lamiaceae Species (Thymbra capitata and Thymus sipyleus subsp. rosulans): In Vitro, In Silico and Ex Vivo Approaches.

In this study, the methanolic and infusion extracts of two species, Thymbra capitata and Thymus sipyleus subsp. rosulans, were tested for their chemical composition and biological abilities (antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and anti-inflammatory effects). The extracts yielded total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the range of 83.43-127.52 mg GAE/g and 9.41-46.34 mg RE/g, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed rosmarinic acid to be a major component of the studied extracts (15.85-26.43%). The best ABTS radical scavenging ability was observed in the methanol extract of T. capitata with 379.11 mg TE/g, followed by in the methanol extract of T. sipylus (360.93 mg TE/g). In the CUPRAC assay, the highest reducing ability was also found in the methanol extract of T. capitata with 802.22 mg TE/g. The phosphomolybdenum ability ranged from 2.39 to 3.61 mmol TE/g. In terms of tyrosinase inhibitory effects, the tested methanol extracts (83.18-89.66 mg KAE/g) were higher than the tested water extracts (18.74-19.11 mg KAE/g). Regarding the BChE inhibitory effects, the methanol extracts were active on the enzyme while the water extracts showed no inhibitory effect on it. Overall, the methanolic extracts showed better enzyme inhibition compared to the infusion extracts. Molecular docking also showed the selected exhibited potential binding affinities with all enzymes, with a preference for cholinesterases. Additionally, the extracts were effective in attenuating the LPS-induced increase in COX-2 and IL-6 gene expression in isolated colon, thus indicating promising anti-inflammatory effects. The preliminary results of this study suggest that these species are good natural sources of antioxidants and also provide some scope as enzyme inhibitors, most likely due to their bioactive contents such as phenolic acids, and thus can be exploited for different applications related to health promotion and disease prevention.

An Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Tasköprü (Kastamonu-Turkey).

This pharmaceutical ethnobotanical research was carried out in Tasköprü District in Kastamonu, in northern Anatolia. It assembles the elaborations of plants used as folk medicines, and the ethnopharmacological data collected in the course of in-person semi-structured interviews with an open-ended questionnaire. The study's aims were two-fold: gathering and identifying plants that the local inhabitants use therapeutically, and recording information related to traditional folk medicine (primarily for humans, and if extant for animals). The plants were gathered during several outings between May 2016 and July 2018. The organization of the data was based on the use-reports (UR) and was done according to the ICPC-2 classification. In addition, cultural importance index (CI) and informant consensus factor (FIC) calculations were made for the data collected. The research identified 101 plant taxa of 31 families used in folk medicine. Of these, 89 were wild and 12 were cultivated taxa. In total, 499 medicinal uses were determined. The CI values indicated that the most significant medicinal plant specimens were Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana (0.78), P. sylvestris var. hamata (0.75) and Plantago lanceolata, P. major subsp. intermedia and P. major subsp. major (0.58 each). The most prevalent families were Asteraceae (2.14), Rosaceae (1.93), Pinaceae (1.81) and Plantaginaceae (1.74). Respiratory system (0.95), skin and subcutaneous tissue (0.94), nervous system (0.92) and circulatory system disorders (0.88) and ethnoveterinary uses (0.89) had the highest FIC values. The most frequently used preparation process was observed to be decoction (38.4%) and the most commonly utilized plant parts were aerial (21%). Along with recording 20 plant taxa as medicinal plants for the first time, this study documented a total of 303 new therapeutic uses. This study concludes with the finding that traditional knowledge of medicinal plants remains prevalent in Ta rticularly among its rural inhabitants.

An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in Mersin (Turkey).

This comprehensive ethnobotanical study carried out in Mersin province, which is located in the southern part of Anatolia, east of the Mediterranean Sea, compiles details on plants used in folk medicine and ethnopharmacological information obtained through face-to-face interviews. The aim was to collect and identify plants used for therapeutic purposes by local people and to record information on traditional herbal medicine. Plant specimens were collected in numerous excursions. Additionally, informant consensus factor and use value (UV) were calculated for information gathered. This study identifies 93 plant taxa belonging to 43 families and records their usage in folk medicine; 83 taxa are wild and the remaining 10 are cultivated. The most commonly used plants belong to Lamiaceae, representing 15.0% of the total, while the Rosaceae, Malvaceae, Hypericaceae, Asteraceae and Cupressaceae families each represented another 5.4%. As a result of this investigation, we determine 189 medicinal usages of 93 taxa. The UV values indicate that the most important medicine plants are Hypericum perforatum (0.80), Cedrus libani (0.78), Quercus coccifera (0.77), Arum dioscoridis (0.76) and Juniperus drupaceae (0.74). We observed that most of the drugs are prepared using the infusion method (27.6%). As a conclusion, the study finds that traditional folk medicine usage is still common, especially among the rural population of Mersin.