Investigating the simultaneous effect of chitosan and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, phenolic compounds, PAL enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in Salvia nemorosa L.

Considering the importance of Salvia nemorosa L. in the pharmaceutical and food industries, and also beneficial approaches of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis and the use of bioelicitors such as chitosan to improve secondary metabolites, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of chitosan on the symbiosis of AMF and the effect of both on the biochemical and phytochemical performance of this plant and finally introduced the best treatment. Two factors were considered for the factorial experiment: AMF with four levels (non-inoculated plants, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus intraradices and the combination of both), and chitosan with six levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 mg L-1 and 1% acetic acid). Four months after treatments, the aerial part and root length, the levels of lipid peroxidation, H2O2, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity, total phenol and flavonoid contents and the main secondary metabolites (rosmarinic acid and quercetin) in the leaves and roots were determined. The flowering stage was observed in R. intraradices treatments and the highest percentage of colonization (78.87%) was observed in the treatment of F. mosseae × 400 mg L-1 chitosan. Furthermore, simultaneous application of chitosan and AMF were more effective than their separate application to induce phenolic compounds accumulation, PAL activity and reduce oxidative compounds. The cluster and principal component analysis based on the measured variables indicated that the treatments could be classified into three clusters. It seems that different treatments in different tissues have different effects. However, in an overview, it can be concluded that 400 mg L-1 chitosan and F. mosseae × R. intraradices showed better results in single and simultaneous applications. The results of this research can be considered in the optimization of this medicinal plant under normal conditions and experiments related to abiotic stresses in the future.

Extraction Optimization and Qualitative/Quantitative Determination of Bioactive Abietane-Type Diterpenes from Three Salvia Species (Common Sage, Greek Sage and Rosemary) by 1H-qNMR.

The objective of this study was the optimization of the extraction process and the qualitative and quantitative determination of the bioactive metabolites: 12-O-methylcarnosic acid (12MCA), carnosic acid (CA), carnosol (CS), 7-O-methyl-epi-rosmanol (7MER) and rosmanol (RO) in infusions, decoctions, turbulent flow extracts, tinctures and oleolites from three Salvia species: Salvia officinalis L. (common sage, SO), Salvia fruticosa Mill. (Greek sage, SF) and Salvia rosmarinus Spenn (syn Rosmarinus officinalis L.) (rosemary, SR), using Quantitative Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-qNMR). Regarding the aqueous extracts, decoctions appeared to be richer sources of the studied metabolites than infusions among the three plants. For SR, the turbulent flow extraction under heating was the most efficient one. The optimum time for the preparation of decoctions was found to be 5 min for SF and SO and 15 min for SR. It is noteworthy that SR tinctures were not stable in time due to decomposition of the abietane-type diterpenes CA and CS because of the polar solvent used for their preparation. Contrary to this finding, the oleolites of SR appeared to be very stable. Olive oil as a solvent for extraction was very protective for the contained abietane-type diterpenes. A preliminary stability study on the effect of the storage time of the SF on the abietane-type diterpenes content showed that the total quantity of abietanes decreased by 16.51% and 40.79% after 12 and 36 months, respectively. The results of this investigation also demonstrated that 1H-qNMR is very useful for the analysis of sensitive metabolites, like abietane-type diterpenes, that can be influenced by solvents used in chromatographic analysis.

Comparative transcriptomics of two Salvia subg. Perovskia species contribute towards molecular background of abietane-type diterpenoid biosynthesis.

Tanshinones, are a group of diterpenoid red pigments present in Danshen - an important herbal drug of Traditional Chinese Medicine which is a dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Some of the tanshinones are sought after as pharmacologically active natural products. To date, the biosynthetic pathway of tanshinones has been only partially elucidated. These compounds are also present in some of the other Salvia species, i.a. from subgenus Perovskia, such as S. abrotanoides (Kar.) Sytsma and S. yangii B.T. Drew. Despite of the close genetic relationship between these species, significant qualitative differences in their diterpenoid profile have been discovered. In this work, we have used the Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis to follow the content of diterpenoids during the vegetation season, which confirmed our previous observations of a diverse diterpenoid profile. As metabolic differences are reflected in different transcript profile of a species or tissues, we used metabolomics-guided transcriptomic approach to select candidate genes, which expression possibly led to observed chemical differences. Using an RNA-sequencing technology we have sequenced and de novo assembled transcriptomes of leaves and roots of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii. As a result, 134,443 transcripts were annotated by UniProt and 56,693 of them were assigned as Viridiplantae. In order to seek for differences, the differential expression analysis was performed, which revealed that 463, 362, 922 and 835 genes indicated changes in expression in four comparisons. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG functional analysis of selected DEGs were performed. The homology and expression of two gene families, associated with downstream steps of tanshinone and carnosic acid biosynthesis were studied, namely: cytochromes P-450 and 2-oxoglutarate-dependend dioxygenases. Additionally, BLAST analysis revealed existence of 39 different transcripts related to abietane diterpenoid biosynthesis in transcriptomes of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii. We have used quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis of selected candidate genes, to follow their expression levels over the vegetative season. A hypothesis of an existence of a multifunctional CYP76AH89 in transcriptomes of S. abrotanoides and S. yangii is discussed and potential roles of other CYP450 homologs are speculated. By using the comparative transcriptomic approach, we have generated a dataset of candidate genes which provides a valuable resource for further elucidation of tanshinone biosynthesis. In a long run, our investigation may lead to optimization of diterpenoid profile in S. abrotanoides and S. yangii, which may become an alternative source of tanshinones for further research on their bioactivity and pharmacological therapy.

Electroencephalographic profile of Salvia amarissima Ortega and amarisolide A in the absence and presence of PTZ-induced seizures in mice.

Salvia amarissima Ortega is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat CNS's affections. Despite its depressant properties in anxiety and fibromyalgia, there is no scientific evidence about its capability to control seizure activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the S. amarissima aqueous extract (SAAE) and its metabolite amarisolide A (AMA) on the electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity. The ECoG profiles were previously and concurrently analyzed to the pentylenetetrazole (85 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced seizure behavior after thirty min of the administration of several doses of the SAAE (1, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) and two doses of AMA (0.5 and 1 mg/kg, i.p.). A dosage of AMA (1 mg/kg,i.p.) was selected to explore a possible mechanism of action by using antagonists of inhibitory receptors such as GABAA (picrotoxin, 1 mg/kg, i.p.) or 5-HT1A of serotonin (WAY100635, 1 mg/kg, i.p.). Significant changes in the frequency bands and the spectral power were observed after the treatment alone. Additionally, SAAE and AMA produced significant and dose-dependent anticonvulsant effects by reducing the incidence and severity of seizures and increasing latency or survival. Both antagonists prevented the effects of AMA in the severity score of seizures and survival during the tonic-clonic seizures. In conclusion, our preclinical data support that S. amarissima possesses anticonvulsant properties, in part due to the presence of amarisolide A, mediated by different inhibitory mechanisms of action. Our scientific evidence suggests that this Salvia species and amarisolide A are potential neuroprotective alternatives to control seizures in epilepsy therapy.

The Effect of Salvia tomentosa Miller Extracts, Rich in Rosmarinic, Salvianolic and Lithospermic Acids, on Bacteria Causing Opportunistic Infections.

Methanolic-aqueous extracts of Salvia tomentosa Miller roots, aerial parts, and inflorescences were examined for their content of polyphenolic derivatives and the antimicrobial and cytotoxic effect. In the polyphenolic-rich profile, rosmarinic, salvianolic, and lithospermic acids along with various derivatives were predominant. A total of twenty phenolic compounds were identified using the UPLC/DAD/qTOF-MS technique. These were caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid derivatives, lithospermic acid derivatives, salvianolic acids B, F, and K derivatives, as well as sagerinic acid, although rosmarinic acid (426-525 mg/100 g of dry weight-D.W.) and salvianolic acid B (83-346.5 mg/100 g D.W.) were significantly predominant in the metabolic profile. Strong antibacterial activity of S. tomentosa extracts was observed against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC/MBC = 0.625 mg/mL) and Bacillus cereus (MIC = 0.312-1.25 mg/mL). The extracts showed low cytotoxicity towards the reference murine fibroblasts L929 and strong cytotoxicity to human AGS gastric adenocarcinoma epithelial cells in the MTT reduction assay. The observed cytotoxic effect in cancer cells was strongest for the roots of 2-year-old plant extracts.

Purification, Molecular Docking and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Bioactive Pentacyclic Polyhydroxylated Triterpenoids from Salvia urmiensis.

Triterpenoids, as one of the largest classes of naturally occurring secondary metabolites in higher plants, are of interest due to their high structural diversity and wide range of biological activities. In addition to several promising pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects, a large number of triterpenoids have revealed high potential for cancer therapy through their strong cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines and, also, low toxicity in normal cells. So, this study was aimed at discovering novel and potentially bioactive triterpenoids from the Salvia urmiensis species. For this, an ethyl acetate fraction of the acetone extract of the aerial parts of the plant was chromatographed to yield five novel polyhydroxylated triterpenoids (1: -5: ). Their structure was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods including 1D (1H, 13C, DEPT-Q) and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) experiments, as well as HRESIMS analysis. Cytotoxic activity of the purified compounds was also investigated by MTT assay against the MCF-7 cancer cell line. Furthermore, a molecular docking analysis was applied to evaluate the inhibition potential of the ligands against the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) protein, which promotes tumor metastasis or affects gene expression in cancer disease. The 1ß,11ß,22α-trihydroxy-olean-12-ene-3-one (compound 4: ) indicated the best activity in both in vitro and in silico assays, with an IC50 value of 32 µM and a docking score value of - 3.976 kcal/mol, respectively.

Integrative effects of phytohormones in the phenolic acids production in Salvia verticillata L. under multi-walled carbon nanotubes and methyl jasmonate elicitation.

Salvia verticillata L. is a well-known herb rich in rosmarinic acid (RA) and with therapeutic values. To better understand the possible roles of phytohormones in the production of phenolic acids in S. verticillata, in this work, we investigated some physiological and biochemical responses of the species to methyl jasmonate (MJ) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as two effective elicitors. The leaves were sprayed with aqueous solutions containing 100 mg L-1 MWCNTs and 100 µM MJ and then harvested during interval times of exposure up to 96 h. The level of abscisic acid, as the first effective phytohormone, was altered in the leaves in response to MJ and MWCNTs elicitation (2.26- and 3.06-fold more than the control, respectively), followed by significant increases (P ˂ 0.05) detected in jasmonic acid and salicylic acid contents up to 8 h after exposure. Obtained data revealed that simultaneously with changes in phytohormone profiles, significant (P ˂ 0.05) rises were observed in the content of H2O2 (8.85- and 9.74-folds of control), and the amount of lipid peroxidation (10.18- and 17.01-folds of control) during the initial times after exposure to MJ and MWCNTs, respectively. Later, the content of phenolic acids increased in the elicited leaves due to changes in the transcription levels of key enzymes involved in their biosynthesis pathways, so 2.71- and 11.52-fold enhances observed in the RA content of the leaves after exposure to MJ and MWCNTs, respectively. It is reasonable to conclude that putative linkages between changes in some phytohormone pools lead to the accumulation of phenolic acids in the leaves of S. verticillata under elicitation. Overall, the current findings help us improve our understanding of the signal transduction pathways of the applied stimuli that led to enhanced secondary metabolite production in medicinal plants.

In vitro Safety Assessment of Extracts and Compounds From Plants as Sunscreen Ingredients.

This work investigated the safety of extracts obtained from plants growing in Colombia, which have previously shown UV-filter/antigenotoxic properties. The compounds in plant extracts obtained by the supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction method were identified using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Cytotoxicity measured as cytotoxic concentration 50% (CC50) and genotoxicity of the plant extracts and some compounds were studied in human fibroblasts using the trypan blue exclusion assay and the Comet assay, respectively. The extracts from Pipper eriopodon and Salvia aratocensis species and the compound trans-ß-caryophyllene were clearly cytotoxic to human fibroblasts. Conversely, Achyrocline satureioides, Chromolaena pellia, and Lippia origanoides extracts were relatively less cytotoxic with CC50 values of 173, 184, and 89 µg/mL, respectively. The C. pellia and L. origanoides extracts produced some degree of DNA breaks at cytotoxic concentrations. The cytotoxicity of the studied compounds was as follows, with lower CC50 values representing the most cytotoxic compounds: resveratrol (91 µM) > pinocembrin (144 µM) > quercetin (222 µM) > titanium dioxide (704 µM). Quercetin was unique among the compounds assayed in being genotoxic to human fibroblasts. Our work indicates that phytochemicals can be cytotoxic and genotoxic, demonstrating the need to establish safe concentrations of these extracts for their potential use in cosmetics.

Temporary Immersion System for Biomass Production of Salvia spp.: A Mini-Review.

Salvia is a very valuable medicinal plant for the pharmaceutical industry. Tissue culture techniques can be used to increase the number of plants in a shorter time. Although protocols for in vitro propagation of more than 15 plant species have been developed, they are not yet efficient enough to increase mass propagation of plants. Therefore, the use of temporary immersion systems is necessary to increase the morphological quality of plants as well as their biomass in several Salvia species. In this chapter, progress in in vitro propagation in several Salvia species using liquid medium and automation is described.

A review of the functional activities of chia seed and the mechanisms of action related to molecular targets.

In recent years, as a functional potential pseudocereal, chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) has been of great interest for its comprehensive nutritional profile and attractive qualities after ingestion. It is reported that a reasonable dietary supplementation of chia seed (CS) contributes to the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic diseases (inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, kidney stone, etc.). CS contains a variety of bioactive macromolecular substances, such as oil, protein and gum, which manifest distinguished health-promoting activities in both in vivo and in vitro research studies. This article provides a comprehensive compendium on the functional importance of CS, in the context of biological activities and mechanism of actions of CS. Specifically, CS and its components alleviate inflammation and regulate glucose and fatty acid metabolism by regulating key influencing factors in the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), peroxisome-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) pathways and the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-mediated insulin signaling pathway. In the meantime, predictions of metabolic pathways of CS peptides based on the known tracks of newly researched active peptides were proposed, with the aim of emphasizing the enormous research space of CS peptides compared to other functional active peptides.

Comparative assessment of phenolic composition profile and biological activities of green extract and conventional extracts of Salvia sclarea.

In recent years, there have been an attempt to develop safe and environmental friendly solvents to replace conventional solvents, and use for extraction bioactive compounds from natural sources. A current investigation involved the preparation of green, methanolic, and ultrasonic extracts of S. sclarea, and compared their phenolic profiling using HPLC-DAD, antibacterial, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibition activities. The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that Rosmarinic acid was the main content in all extracts, with Ellagic acid only present in the green extract. The green extract exhibited superior anti-biofilm activity against S. Aureus and E. Faecalis compared to the other extracts at MIC concentration. Furthermore, the green extract also displayed the highest inhibition of swarming motility in P. Aeruginosa with inhibition range 68.0 ± 2.1 (MIC) to 19.5 ± 0.6 (MIC/4). and better enzyme inhibitory activity against BChE (with IC50 = 131.6 ± 0.98 µg/mL) and AChE (with inhibition 47.00 ± 1.50%) compared to the other extracts; while, the ultrasonic extract showed strong inhibition of violacein production by C. Violaceum with a inhibition range 05.5 ± 0.1 (MIC/32) to 100 ± 0.00 (MIC), followed by the green extract with a inhibition range 15.0 ± 0.5 (MIC/8) to 100 ± 0.00 (MIC), additionally, the ultrasonic and methanoic extracts showed significant activity against urease enzyme with (IC50 = 171.6 ± 0.95 µg/mL and IC5 0 = 187.5 ± 1.32 µg/mL) respectively. Both the green and methanolic extracts showed considerable antioxidant activities, as ß-carotene-linoleic acid (IC50 = 5.61 ± 0.47 µg/mL and 5.37 ± 0.27 µg/mL), DPPH· (IC50 = 19.20 ± 0.70 µg/mL and 16.31 ± 0.23 µg/mL), ABTS·+(IC50 = 8.64 ± 0.63 µg/mL and 6.50 ± 0.45 µg/mL) and CUPRAC (A0.5 = 17.22 ± 0.36 µg/mL and 12.28 ± 0.12 µg/mL) respectively, likewise the green extract performing better in metal chelating compared to the other extracts. The green extraction is reported as a cost effective and solvent free method for extracting natural products that produces compounds free of toxic chemicals. This could be the method to be used in the industries as a renewable method.

In vitro and in silico cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant effects of essential oils and extracts of two new Salvia fruticosa mill. cultivars (Turgut and Uysal) and GC-MS analysis of the essential oils.

The EtOH extracts of the leaves of two new cultivars (Uysal-SFU and Turgut-SFT) of Salvia fruticosa Mill. was tested against acetylcholinesterase (IC50: 30.62 ± 3.27 and 32.97 ± 2.33 µg/mL for SFU and SFT, respectively) and butyrylcholinesterase (IC50: 69.91 ± 1.08 µg/mL and 86.55 ± 1.26 µg/mL), respectively, relevant to Alzheimer's disease. The essential oils showed a stumpy inhibition against AChE and no inhibition against BChE. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the extracts (86.70 ± 0.17% and 86.14 ± 1.13% for SFU and SFT, respectively) was stronger than that of quercetin (85.51 ± 0.17%): Their (1.24 ± 0.05 and 1.04 ± 0.16 for SFU and SFT, respectively) ferric-reducing antioxidant power were close to that of the reference (e.g. quercetin, 1.42 ± 0.14). Molecular docking simulations were performed on their major monoterpenes. Our findings revealed that the leaf EtOH extracts of two cultivars are promising inhibitors of both AChE and BChE.

Inhalation of Spray-Dried Extract of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn Alleviates Lung Inflammatory, Oxidative, and Remodeling Changes in Asthmatic Rats.

INTRODUCTION: For centuries, Salvia rosmarinus Spenn has been applied as folk medicine to cure different diseases due to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antitumor effects. To find bioactive medicinal herbs exerting a protective effect on airway inflammation and remodeling, we assessed the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of an aqueous spray-dried extract of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (rosemary) in an ovalbumin-induced asthmatic rat model. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into normal control (control), asthma, asthma+rosemary extract (RE) (13 mg/kg), asthma+RE (50 mg/kg), and asthma+budesonide groups. After 50 days, animals were anesthetized, and then blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissues were collected for subsequent serological and pathological studies. Histopathology of lung tissues was evaluated by H&E staining. The oxidative stress parameters and airway inflammation factors in BALF and lung tissue were explored. RESULTS: Using thin layer chromatography, the presence of rosmarinic acid was confirmed in aqueous extract of rosemary. Furthermore, RE markedly decreased immunoglobulin E levels (50 mg/kg; p < 0.001 vs. asthma group) and inflammatory cytokines (50 mg/kg; p < 0.001 vs. asthma group) and increased antioxidant enzymes (50 mg/kg, p < 0.001 vs. asthma group). Furthermore, RE at a concentration of 50 mg/kg obviously reduced the number of inflammatory cells, goblet cells, and pathological changes compared to the asthma group. CONCLUSION: The results showed that RE administration might prevent or alleviate allergic asthma-related pathological change, probably via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Evolution and chemical diversity of the volatile compounds in Salvia species.

INTRODUCTION: The plant essential oils are composed of volatile compounds and have significant value in preventing and treating neurological diseases, anxiety, depression, among others. The genus Salvia has been shown to be an important medicinal resource, especially the aerial parts of genus Salvia, which are rich in volatile compounds; however, the chemical diversity and distribution patterns of volatile compounds in Salvia species are still unknown. OBJECTIVE: The work is performed to analyse the chemical diversity and distribution patterns of volatile compounds in genus Salvia. METHODS: The genomic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to explore the evolution and chemical diversity of Salvia volatile compounds. Initially, the genetic relationship of genus Salvia was revealed by phylogenetic tree that was constructed based on SNPs. And then, GC-MS was applied to explore the chemical diversity of volatile compounds. RESULTS: The results indicated that the volatile compounds were mainly monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and aliphatic compounds. The genomic SNPs divided species involved in this work into four branches. The volatile compounds in the first and second branches were mainly sesquiterpenoids and monoterpenoids, respectively. Species in the third branch contained more aliphatic compounds and sesquiterpenoids. And those in the fourth branch were also rich in monoterpenoids but had relatively simple chemical compositions. CONCLUSION: This study offered new insights into the phylogenetic relationships besides chemistry diversity and distribution pattern of volatile compounds of genus Salvia, providing theoretical guidance for the investigations and development of secondary metabolites.

Enrichment of a fruit-based smoothie beverage with omega-3 fatty acids from microencapsulated chia seed oil.

BACKGROUND: Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their various health benefits. Chia is the richest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, its oil is highly susceptible to oxidative deterioration and should be protected for incorporation into food matrices. This work aimed to study the incorporation of different chia oil microcapsules in a powdered beverage, analyzing the effect on the physicochemical characteristics and stability during storage. RESULTS: Different types of microcapsules were obtained: monolayer microcapsules using sodium caseinate and lactose as wall material, and multilayer microcapsules produced through electrostatic deposition using lecithins, chitosan, and chia mucilage as the first, second, and third layers, respectively. The results demonstrated an efficient enrichment of smoothies, with omega-3 fatty acid values ranging from 24.09% to 42.73%, while the original food matrix powder lacked this component. These powder beverages exhibited low moisture content (≤ 2.91%) and low water activity (≤ 0.39). The aerated, packed density and compressibility assays indicated that adding microcapsules made the powders less dense and compressible. The color of the original powdered beverage was not modified. The dispersibility reflected an acceptable instantaneity, reaching the maximum obscuration after 30 s of stirring. The solubility of all the enriched products was higher than 70%, whereas the pH was ~6.8. The contact angle between the powder and liquid indicated an excellent ability to be reconstituted in water. The analysis of the glass transition temperature showed that the storage temperature (25 °C) was adequate. The peroxide value of all the products was low throughout the storage (≤ 1.63 meq peroxide kg-1 of oil at 90 days at 25 ± 2 °C), thus maintaining the quality of the microencapsulated chia oil. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that incorporating the monolayer and multilayer chia oil microcapsules that were studied could be a viable strategy for enriching smoothies with the omega-3 fatty acids present in chia seed oil. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

In Vitro Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Anticholinesterase, and Antidiabetic Activities and Chemical Composition of Salvia balansae.

CONTEXT: Salvia balansae de Noé (S. balansae) (Lamiaceae) is known to be an important plant used in folk medicine as an herbal remedy in Algeria. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activities, enzyme inhibitory activities, and antimicrobial activities of S. balansae extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A methanolic extract and a petroleum ether extract from the aerial parts of the plant were assessed for their chemical composition. HPLC-MS and HPLC-DAD assessed the content of phenols, GC-MS the fatty acid composition, and ICP-MS the mineral profiles of the plant. Additionally, we evaluated the bioactivities of S. balansae extracts by the DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC assays, including the antioxidant potential against AChE, BChE, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase for enzyme inhibition. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the methanolic extract were determined by the disc diffusion test against several strains of bacteria and yeasts. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the aerial parts of S. balansae were rich in phytochemical components and contained large amounts of minerals. Quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD revealed the presence of 12 compounds in three major classes, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid, and phenolic acid derivatives, with 0.61, 0.45, and 0.29 mg/g of extract, respectively. Nine phenolic constituents were quantified by HPLC-MS analysis; catechin (72.5%) was the main compound, followed by myricetin (21.7%). The fatty acid composition of the S. balansae petroleum ether extract by GC-MS analysis was quantified. Seventeen compounds, including palmitic acid, were identified as the major fatty acids. The antioxidant activity of the S. balansae extracts was measured by three different methods: the methanol extract provided better results than the petroleum ether extract, and interesting values were noted for the DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC assays of 242.7 ± 7.44, 124.1 ± 9.70, and 222.9 ± 6.05 µg/mL, respectively. The enzyme inhibition activity of the plant could not be determined. The antimicrobial results of the methanolic extract obtained from the disc diffusion method, followed by measurements of MIC, MBC, and MFC against several bacteria and yeasts, indicated that S. balansae exhibited noticeable antimicrobial and antifungal activities. CONCLUSIONS: These results provided new data about the main phenolic compounds and biological activities of extracts of the aerial parts of S. balansae, which might be an alternative source for synthetic bioactive compounds.

Phytochemical screening and biological evaluation of Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa Mill.) extracts.

This study explores the influence of extraction solvents on the composition and bioactivity of Salvia fruticosa extracts. Ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, ethanol and their mixtures in variable proportions was used to produce four different extracts. An untargeted UPLC/MS­based metabolomics was performed to discover metabolites profile variation between the extracts. In the analyzed samples, 2704 features had been detected, of which 95 were tentatively identified. The concentrations of the important metabolites, namely, caffeic acid, carnosic acid, carnosol, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B and scutellarin, were determined, using UPLC-PDA methods. Rosmarinic acid was the dominant metabolite and antioxidant in all tested extracts, except the aqueous extract, in which scutellarin was the most abundant compound. The extracts and standards were examined for antioxidant activity and xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. The most diverse in terms of chemical composition and rich in antioxidant compounds was 70% ethanolic extract and the strongest antioxidant was caffeic acid. All analyzed extracts showed the ability to inhibit XO activity, but the highest value was recorded for 30% ethanolic extract. Among tested standards, the most potent XO inhibitor was caffeic acid. The results suggest that the leaves of Greek sage are a source of natural XO inhibitors and may be an alternative to drugs produced by chemical synthesis.

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.), a Pre-Hispanic Food in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: Hypoglycemic, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Inhibitory Properties of α-Glucosidase and α-Amylase, and in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered one of the major health diseases worldwide, one that requires immediate alternatives to allow treatments for DM to be more effective and less costly for patients and also for health-care systems. Recent approaches propose treatments for DM based on that; in addition to focusing on reducing hyperglycemia, they also consider multitargets, as in the case of plants. Among these, we find the plant known as chia to be highlighted, a crop native to Mexico and one cultivated in Mesoamerica from pre-Hispanic times. The present work contributes to the review of the antidiabetic effects of chia for the treatment of DM. The antidiabetic effects of chia are effective in different mechanisms involved in the complex pathogenesis of DM, including hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, and the inhibition of the enzymes α-glucosidase and α-amylase, as well as in the prevention of the risk of cardiovascular disease. The tests reviewed included 16 in vivo assays on rodent models, 13 clinical trials, and 4 in vitro tests. Furthermore, chia represents advantages over other natural products due to its availability and its acceptance and, in addition, as a component of the daily diet worldwide, especially due to its omega-3 fatty acids and its high concentration of dietary fiber. Thus, chia in the present work represents a source of antidiabetic agents that would perhaps be useful in novel clinical treatments.

Deciphering morphological and biochemical responses of Salvia leriifolia to seed cold plasma treatment, priming, and foliar spraying with nano-salicylic acid.

The pretreatment of seeds with cold plasma (CP) (0 and 100 w for 240 s), and salicylic acid priming (SA) (0 and 2 mM normal and nano form), and foliar spraying of SA at the six-leaf stage (0 and 2 mM normal and nano form) of Salvia leriifolia plants in field condition was studied. Compared to the control plants of S. leriifolia, the results showed that CP + both forms of SA priming + nano-SA spraying increased plant height, leaf length, plant dry weight, total phenol, and the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL) enzymes. The chlorophyll a and b contents in all treated plants remained either unchanged or decreased when compared to the control. The highest PAL activity was obtained in CP-free + hydro-priming + nano-SA foliar spraying. The highest content of caffeic acid was achieved in CP + SA priming + SA foliar spraying in the leaf. The maximum contents of rosmarinic and salvianolic acid were obtained in the control plants. In conclusion, CP and nano-SA can increase PAL and TAL activity and total phenol accumulation in S. leriifolia plants, but not rosmarinic and salvianolic acid contents. Other phenolic compound enzymes and their production require further study.

Screening of 20 species from Lamiaceae family based on phytochemical analysis, antioxidant activity and HPLC profiling.

The Lamiaceae family encompasses numerous species highly valued for their applications in medicine, food, and cosmetics. In order to screen the Lamiaceae family and discover new sources of phytochemicals and antioxidants, we comprehensively evaluated 20 species from this family, including Phlomis herba-venti, P. tuberosa, P. olivieri, P. kurdica, Nepeta sp., N. cataria, N. saccharata, Stachys sp., S. inflata, Scutellaria albida, Marrubium parviflora, Mentha pulegium, Thymus kotschyanus, Lamium album, Salvia officinalis, S. multicaulis, S. macrochlamys, S. candidissima, S. verticillata, and S. nemorosa. The aerial parts of these species were analyzed to determine their total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents, total tannin content (TTC), ascorbic acid content (AAC), antioxidant capacity (assessed by FRAP and DPPH assays), and polyphenolic components (by HPLC). The phytochemical compounds and antioxidant properties varied widely among different species. The highest concentrations of TPC (70.93 mg GAE/g DW), TFC (17.89 mg Que/g DW), TTC (6.49 mg TAE/100 g), and AAC (1.15 mg AA/g DW), as well as the greatest antioxidant activity, were observed in different Salvia species. Additionally, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids were the primary phenolic compounds identified in the extracts from the investigated Lamiaceae family. According to Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), three groups of species were identified, characterized by variations in phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity. The results obtained can provide new natural sources of phytochemicals and antioxidant agents, particularly from Salvia species, for the advancement of new products in the food, agricultural, cosmetics and health industries.