Pectin in diet: Interactions with the human microbiome, role in gut homeostasis, and nutrient-drug interactions.

Pectins are a part of daily diet as well as food additives that are indigestible polysaccharides by human enzymes, however, they can be easily degraded by gut bacteria with the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Knowledge of pectin gut homeostasis and further how pectin affect gut bacterial communities is insufficient and limited. This review focuses on providing the whole story of how pectin functions as prebiotics in the gut. Understanding the interplay between functional and immunological responses inside animal or human gut as influenced by pectin in diets is provided. The interaction between pectin and gut microbiota is presented from both sides, in terms of how pectin affects gut microbiome and or the fermentation products produced in response by gut bacteria. This knowledge can be used to define preferred dietary pectins, targeting beneficial bacteria, and favoring balanced microbiota communities in the gut to maximize pectins' health benefits.

Phyto-Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles Derived from Conifer Bark Extracts and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial and Cytogenotoxic Effects.

Silver nanoparticles synthesized using plant extracts as reducing and capping agents showed various biological activities. In the present study, colloidal silver nanoparticle solutions were produced from the aqueous extracts of Picea abies and Pinus nigra bark. The phenolic profile of bark extracts was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was monitored using UV-Vis spectroscopy by measuring the Surface Plasmon Resonance band. Silver nanoparticles were characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The antimicrobial and cytogenotoxic effects of silver nanoparticles were evaluated by disk diffusion and Allium cepa assays, respectively. Picea abies and Pinus nigra bark extract derived silver nanoparticles were spherical (mean hydrodynamic diameters of 78.48 and 77.66 nm, respectively) and well dispersed, having a narrow particle size distribution (polydispersity index values of 0.334 and 0.224, respectively) and good stability (zeta potential values of -10.8 and -14.6 mV, respectively). Silver nanoparticles showed stronger antibacterial, antifungal, and antimitotic effects than the bark extracts used for their synthesis. Silver nanoparticles obtained in the present study are promising candidates for the development of novel formulations with various therapeutic applications.

Recent advances in tackling microbial multidrug resistance with essential oils: combinatorial and nano-based strategies.

The emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens is a great challenge to the medical field and a major global health threat requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Among plant products, essential oils have significant antimicrobial properties that make them promising agents in the fight against drug resistant human pathogens. The aim of the present review was to highlight the most important essential oil-based antimicrobial strategies as revealed by recent studies. Synergistic interactions between essential oils or their bioactive compounds in combination with known antibiotics are presented. Also, nanoformulation approaches to boost the antimicrobial activity of essential oils are reviewed in terms of bioefficiency, stability and design of the nanostructured delivery systems. The focus was mainly put on the antimicrobial activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens, also called "ESKAPE" organisms (Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). Thus, essential oils in combinatorial and nano-based strategies may cope with infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria and may offer possibilities for reducing antibiotic use. Research on the in vivo efficacy and safety of such strategies is required for further clinical antimicrobial chemotherapy. In this regard, the understanding of the interactions between essential oil-based strategies and biological interface is essential.

Vasorelaxant effects of Crataegus pentagyna: Links with arginase inhibition and phenolic profile.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Crataegus leaves, flowers and fruits have been traditionally used to improve blood circulation, numerous preclinical and clinical studies supporting the cardiovascular benefits of Crataegus preparations. In this respect, there is very limited data on Crataegus pentagyna; in addition, the chemical profile of this species is still incompletely elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of this study was to examine the cardiovascular benefits of Crataegus pentagyna Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd. (small-flowered black hawthorn, Rosaceae) extracts (leaf, flower and fruit ethyl acetate extracts) and the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that C. pentagyna extracts might exert vasodilatory effects and inhibit arginase activity due, in large part, to their polyphenolic constituents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C. pentagyna extracts induced-relaxation and the mechanisms involved were studied ex vivo in isolated aortic rings from Sprague-Dawley rats. The inhibitory effects on bovine liver arginase I were assessed by an in vitro assay. Metabolite profiling of C. pentagyna extracts was performed and the most endothelium- and nitric oxide synthase-dependent; flower extract additionally reduced Ca2+ entry and, to a lesser extent, Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. C. pentagyna proved to be an important source of arginase inhibitors with potential benefits in endothelial dysfunction that remains to be explored.

Metabolite profiling, arginase inhibition and vasorelaxant activity of Cornus mas, Sorbus aucuparia and Viburnum opulus fruit extracts.

The present study investigated the effects of Cornus mas, Sorbus aucuparia and Viburnum opulus fruit extracts on arginase activity and arterial vasodilation. V. opulus fruit extract exerted the highest vasorelaxant activity in phenylephrine precontracted rat aortic rings (EC50 = 6.31 ±â€¯1.61 µg/mL) and a significant inhibition of arginase (IC50 = 71.02 ±â€¯3.06 µg/mL). By contrast, S. aucuparia and C. mas fruit extracts showed no important anti-arginase activity and a significantly weaker activity in the rat aortic rings relaxation assay (EC50 = 100.9 ±â€¯11.63 and 78.52 ±â€¯8.59 µg/mL, respectively). For all extracts, the main mechanism of vasodilation was proven to be endothelium-dependent. HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS studies revealed a very complex metabolite profiling in all three extracts with chlorogenic acid accounting for 30.89, 0.72 and 2.03 mg/g in V. opulus, C. mas and S. aucuparia fruit extracts, respectively. All extracts were declared non-toxic in the brine shrimp acute toxicity test. Our study highlights potential benefits of V. opulus fruit extract in diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction and impaired vasodilation.

High-performance countercurrent chromatographic isolation of acylated iridoid diglycosides from Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims and evaluation of their inhibitory potential on IL-8 and TNF-α production.

In traditional folk medicine, Verbascum species have been used since ancient times to treat respiratory disorders, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, wounds, eczema and other types of inflammatory skin conditions. Despite the fact that more than 200 bioactive constituents (phenylethanoids, flavonoids, neolignan glycosides, phenolic acids, iridoids, saponins and polysaccharides) have been previously isolated from various Verbascum species, to date preparative high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC) has never been employed for this purpose. Therefore, in this study, simple HPCCC methods were successfully developed with the aim to primarily isolate acylated iridoid diglycosides from Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims (oval-leaved mullein). By the use of several biphasic solvent systems containing n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol/methanol and water, premnacorymboside B (3, 4 mg, 95.4% purity), saccatoside (4, 6 mg, 95.7% purity), premnacorymboside A (7, 6 mg, 98.3%), scorodioside (8, 11 mg, 96.0%) and 6-O-(3'',4''-di-O-trans-cinnamoyl)-α-L-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol (9, 8 mg, 95.3%) were afforded; compounds 7, 8 and 9 have not been previously reported in Verbascum genus. Additionally, two phenolic acids (1, 2), two flavonoids (6, 10) and verbascoside (5) were secondarily isolated. Evaluation of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitory properties of the acylated iridoid diglycosides proved that these compounds down-regulated TNF-α release more efficiently than IL-8 secretion. The activity might be dependent on the degree of esterification, as diacyl derivatives showed more potent effects than monoesters. The HPCCC methods herein developed could serve to large scale isolation of constituents from Verbascum genus for extensive biological investigations.

Pharmacokinetic Interactions between Cardiovascular Medicines and Plant Products.

The growing use of plant products among patients with cardiovascular pharmacotherapy raises the concerns about their potential interactions with conventional cardiovascular medicines. Plant products can influence pharmacokinetics or/and pharmacological activity of coadministered drugs and some of these interactions may lead to unexpected clinical outcomes. Numerous studies and case reports showed various pharmacokinetic interactions that are characterized by a high degree of unpredictability. This review highlights the pharmacokinetic clinically relevant interactions between major conventional cardiovascular medicines and plant products with an emphasis on their putative mechanisms, drawbacks of herbal products use, and the perspectives for further well-designed studies.

HPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS profiling of Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims and evaluation of its antioxidant and cytogenotoxic activities.

INTRODUCTION: Plant species of Verbascum genus have been intensively investigated in the last decades but most studies focused on evaluation of their biological activities; there are only few studies dealing with their chemical characterisation. OBJECTIVE: Detailed investigation of the qualitative and quantitative chemical composition, antioxidant and cytogenotoxic activities of a previously non-studied Verbascum species (V. ovalifolium Donn ex Sims). METHODS: Qualitative analysis of secondary metabolites was performed by HPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS, whereas quantitative data were obtained through HPLC-DAD. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using in vitro assays; cytotoxic and genotoxic effects were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) and comet assays, respectively. RESULTS: More than 50 secondary bioactive metabolites belonging to various classes (iridoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids) were detected in the methanolic extract of V. ovalifolium and its fractions. The fragmentation pathways of acylated catalpol-type iridoid diglycosides are thoughtfully described herein. The extracts showed good free radical scavenging and ferric ion reducing properties correlated with phenolic, flavonoid, chlorogenic acid and verbascoside contents. Moreover, 24 h treatment of SK-MEL-2 cells with V. ovalifolium extracts produced significant changes in terms of tumour cell viability. The crude extract and the ethyl acetate fraction showed no important signs of cytogenotoxicity in non-tumour cells. CONCLUSION: The performed phytochemical and biological analyses contribute to the preclinical knowledge about V. ovalifolium and they could help exploiting it in novel herbal medicinal products.

Cytotoxic, Antitumor and Immunomodulatory Effects of the Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) Seeds.

Lotus is an edible and medicinal plant, and the extracts from its different parts exhibit various bioactivities. In the present study, the hot water-soluble polysaccharides from lotus seeds (LSPS) were evaluated for their cancer cell cytotoxicity, immunomodulatory and antitumor activities. LSPS showed significant inhibitory effects on the mouse gastric cancer MFC cells, human liver cancer HuH-7 cells and mouse hepatocarcinoma H22 cells. The animal studies showed that LSPS inhibited tumor growth in H22 tumor-bearing mice with the highest inhibition rate of 45.36%, which is comparable to that induced by cyclophosphamide (30 mg/kg) treatment (50.79%). The concentrations of white blood cells were significantly reduced in cyclophosphamide-treated groups (p < 0.01), while LSPS showed much fewer side effects according to the hematology analysis. LSPS improved the immune response in H22 tumor-bearing mice by enhancing the spleen and thymus indexes, and increasing the levels of serum cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-2. Moreover, LSPS also showed in vivo antioxidant activity by increasing superoxide dismutase activity, thus reducing the malondialdehyde level in the liver tissue. These results suggested that LSPS can be used as an antitumor and immunomodulatory agent.

Anethole and Its Role in Chronic Diseases.

Anethole is the main fragrance and bioactive compound of anise, fennel, and star anise spices and more than other 20 plant species. It is widely used as flavor agent in food industry and other industries, in cosmetics, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals. In the last few years, various studies have revealed multiple beneficial effects of anethole for human health, such as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and chemopreventive, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, or antithrombotic, that are mediated by the modulation of several cell signaling pathways, mainly NF-kB and TNF-α signaling, and various ion channels. This chapter aims to review the scientific data and attempts to provide an insight into pharmacological activity of anethole and its therapeutic potential in human chronic diseases.

IN VITRO MEASUREMENT OF TOTAL ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF CRATAEGUS MACRACANTHA LODD LEAVES.

UNLABELLED: Crataegus macracantha Lodd, family Rosaceae, is a very rare species in Europe, and unlike Crataegus monogyna is less investigated for pharmacologic activity. AIM: To analyze the ability of the lyophilisate of extract obtained from leaves of Crataegus macracantha Lodd (single plant at the Iasi Botanical Garden) to capture free radicals in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The lyophilisate obtained in Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi. The decreased absorbance of chromophore chlorpromazine radical cation in the presence of the lyophilized solutions was studied spectrophotometrically. The indicator radical cation, obtained by oxidation of chlorpromazine by potassium persulfate, has the maximum absorbance at 525 nm. Ascorbic acid was used as a standard antioxidant. RESULTS: The absorbance of radical solution was determined after the addition of a certain amount of lyophilisate at different time intervals. The antioxidant activity was calculated using the calibration curve obtained by plotting the variation in radical solution absorbance depending on ascorbic acid concentration. For each ascorbic acid concentration the area under the curve was calculated from plotting the percentage inhibition of the absorbance at two pre-established time intervals. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the antioxidant activity of the leaves of Crataegus Macracantha Lodd and by optimizing the proposed analytical methods the antiradical activity can be quickly evaluated with minimal reagent consumption.

CATECHINS PROFILE, CAFFEINE CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF CAMELLIA SINENSIS TEAS COMMERCIALIZED IN ROMANIA.

AIM: Catechins profile, caffeine content and antioxidant activity of different green tea and white tea samples commercialized on the Romanian market were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five green tea samples and five white tea samples commonly available on the Romanian market were processed by infusion and the lyophilisates of infusions were analyzed. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Catechins and caffeine profile was analyzed by RP-HPLC-DAD (Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18 column, binary mobile phase (A) 3% acetic acid and (B) methanol). In vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by free radical scavenging and ferrous ion chelating assays. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: Total phenolic content ranged between 44.73 +/- 0.63 and 63.57 +/- 0.45 GAE% in green tea samples and between 9.69 +/- 0.90 and 52.99 +/- 0.45 GAE% in white tea samples. RP-HPLC-DAD analysis allowed the identification of epigallocatechin gallate (45.18-118.58 mg/g lyophilisate) and caffeine (47.79-108.07 mg/g lyophilisate) in all tea samples; epicatechin was detected in all samples (5.04-31.04 mg/g lyophilisate) except for two white teas infusions. Green tea samples scavenged DPPH radical and chelated ferrous ion with EC50=9.68 +/- 0.02-16.11 +/- 0.02 microg/mL and 10.91 +/- 0.04-18.65 +/- 0.03 microg/mL, respectively. For white teas, EC50 values varied between 9.50 +/- 0.02-20.95 +/- 0.02 microg/mL in DPPH assay and 12.49 +/- 0.03-20.32 +/- 0.07 microg/mL in ferrous ion chelating assay. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a large variability in the content of catechins and caffeine and in the antioxidant capacity of both green and white tea samples.

The antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities of Spirulina: an overview.

Spirulina is a species of filamentous cyanobacteria that has long been used as a food supplement. In particular, Spirulina platensis and Spirulina maxima are the most important. Thanks to a high protein and vitamin content, Spirulina is used as a nutraceutical food supplement, although its other potential health benefits have attracted much attention. Oxidative stress and dysfunctional immunity cause many diseases in humans, including atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and hypertension. Thus, the antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities of these microalgae may play an important role in human health. Here, we discuss the antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities of Spirulina in both animals and humans, along with the underlying mechanisms. In addition, its commercial and regulatory status in different countries is discussed as well. Spirulina activates cellular antioxidant enzymes, inhibits lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, scavenges free radicals, and increases the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Notably, there appears to be a threshold level above which Spirulina will taper off the antioxidant activity. Clinical trials show that Spirulina prevents skeletal muscle damage under conditions of exercise-induced oxidative stress and can stimulate the production of antibodies and up- or downregulate the expression of cytokine-encoding genes to induce immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory responses. The molecular mechanism(s) by which Spirulina induces these activities is unclear, but phycocyanin and ß-carotene are important molecules. Moreover, Spirulina effectively regulates the ERK1/2, JNK, p38, and IκB pathways. This review provides new insight into the potential therapeutic applications of Spirulina and may provide new ideas for future studies.

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil From Carum Carvi L. Cultivated in North-Eastern Romania.

Essential oils have significant antioxidant activity, being used frequently as preservatives in the food and cosmetic industries. Aim: To assess the in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oil from Carum carvi L. (caraway) cultivated in northeastern Romania. Materials and Methods: The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation from dried caraway fruits. The chemical composition was investigated by gas chromatography and gas chromatography­mass spectrometry analyses. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by three different in vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH∙ and ABTS•+ scavenging and reducing power assays). Butylhydroxyanisole was used as reference standard. Results and Discussion: Carvone was the major compound of essential oil of caraway fruits (48.53%), followed by limonene (44.42%). Evaluation of the antioxidant activity (DPPH∙and ABTS•+ scavenging activity and reducing power) revealed significant effects, with IC50 values of 46.51 ± 1.61 µg/mL, 5.34 ± 0.07 µg/mL and 7.64 ± 0.22 µg/mL, respectively, as compared to those of the reference standard, butylhydroxyanisole (6.09 ± 0.27 µg/mL, 1.49 ± 0.00 µg/mL and 3.39 ± 0.07 µg/mL, respectively). Conclusions: Essential oil of Carum carvi cultivated in northeastern Romania belongs to carvone chemotype. Due to its high antioxidant activity it might be a potential alternative to conventional preservatives in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Advance on the Flavonoid C-glycosides and Health Benefits.

The dietary flavonoids, especially their glycosides, are the most vital phytochemicals in diets and are of great general interest due to their diverse bioactivity. Almost all natural flavonoids exist as their O-glycoside or C-glycoside forms in plants. The dietary flavonoid C-glycosides have received less attention than their corresponding O-glycosides. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding flavonoid C-glycosides and their influence on human health. Among the flavonoid C-glycosides, flavone C-glycosides, especially vitexin, isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin and their multiglycosides are more frequently mentioned than others. Flavonoid C-monoglycosides are poorly absorbed in human beings with very few metabolites in urine and blood and are deglycosylated and degraded by human intestinal bacteria in colon. However, flavonoid C-multiglycosides are absorbed unchanged in the intestine and distributed to other tissues. Flavonoid C-glycosides showed significant antioxidant activity, anticancer and antitumor activity, hepatoprotective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-diabetes activity, antiviral activity, antibacterial and antifungal activity, and other biological effects. It looks like that the C-glycosylflavonoids in most cases showed higher antioxidant and anti-diabetes potential than their corresponding O-glycosylflavonoids and aglycones. However, there is a lack of in vivo data on the biological benefits of flavonoid C-glycosides. It is necessary to investigate more on how flavonoid C-glycosides prevent and handle the diseases.

ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE CRUDE POLYSACCHARIDE FROM PHYLLOPHORA PSEUDOCERANOIDES.

UNLABELLED: The red seaweed Phyllophora pseudoceranoides (Gmelin) New. et Tayl, commonly found in the Romanian Black Sea coastal waters, has not been studied regarding its chemical composition and biological activities. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to isolate, characterize and assess the in vitro antioxidant activity of the crude polysaccharide from P. pseudocerano ides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The water soluble polysaccharide was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Total phenolic content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by ABTS radical cation scavenging and reducing power assays. Commercial-grade carrageenan was used as positive control. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: FT-IR analysis of the crude polysaccharide showed characteristic bands of carrageenan-type structure. A total phenolic content of 25.08 ± 1.00 mg GAE/g was determined in the crude polysaccharide. At 1.5 mg/mL, the polysaccharide exhibited important ABTS scavenging activity (49.59 ± 0.03%) and showed a good reducing power (0.4060 ± 0.002), when compared with the positive control (ABTS scavenging activity: 30.30 ± 0.03% and reducing power: 0.2494 ± 0.002, at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant activity of the sulfated polysaccharide suggests its possible use as an ingredient and antioxidant agent in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

PINUS cembra L: histo-anatomical features, antioxidant enzyme activities and heavy metal contents of leaves and long shoots.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the histo-anatomical features of the long shoots and leaves (young and mature) of Pinus cembra L.. The activity of antioxidant enzymatic systems and the content of heavy metals were also evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For the histo-anatomical study, the cross-sections were performed by usual techniques. The activity of antioxidant enzymatic systems (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) was evaluated by spectrophotometric methods. The content of heavy metals was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS: The cross-section through the long shoots shows many resiniferous canals and a periderm of variable thickness. The leaf has a triangular shape and only two vascular bundles in the inferior and upper levels. The highest level of superoxide dismutase activity (344.90 U/mg protein) was determined in the long shoots collected from a cembran pine in Vatra Dornei, while the highest level of peroxidase activity (7611.11 U/mg protein) was found in the leaves collected in Calimani Mountains. Cd level in all samples was under the quantification limit. Higher levels of Pb were determined in the long shoots (3 µg/g dry weight for the vegetal material collected in Vatra Dornei and 2.86 µg/g dry weight for the vegetal material collected in Calimani Mountains). CONCLUSIONS: Pinus cembra L. leaves show specific elements of subgenus Strobus (a triangular shape of the cross section, one single vascular bundle and two resiniferous canals). The results obtained for the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities corroborated with those obtained for the heavy metal contents indicate that antioxidant enzymes play an important role in the protection of Pinus cembra L. against exogenous stress factors.

Assessment of the microbial load of some medicinal plants commonly used in Romania.

AIM: This study aims to assess the microbial load of some medicinal plants (Matricaria chamomilla, Achillea millefolium, Ocimum basilicum, Calendula officinalis, Tilia cordata, Hypericum perforatum) commonly used as medicinal teas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 24 samples collected from the local market, as well as from the spontaneous flora of Galati County, were analyzed in terms of the total number of germs, the content of coliform bacteria, yeasts and molds, and the presence of specific pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus, Salmonella spp.). RESULTS: The values obtained for total number of germs, yeasts and molds were in accordance with the limits set by the European Pharmacopoeia for plant products to which hot water is added before use. In the case of specific pathogenic bacteria, the presence of E. coli was confirmed in 41.66% of the samples, the presence of Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus in 16.66% of the samples, and the presence of Bacillus cereus in 33.33% of the samples. Salmonella spp. was absent in all samples. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights a certain microbial load of medicinal plants analyzed, emphasizing the importance of quality control in all stages of production.

Armillaria mellea: phenolic content, in vitro antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects.

UNLABELLED: Armillaria mellea, known as honey mushroom, has been used both as food and medicine. AIM: In this work, the ethanolic and hydromethanolic extracts from Armillaria mellea fruiting bodies were investigated for their phenolic content, antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects (in vitro studies). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The total phenolics were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu assay. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by testing the free radical scavenging capacity, reducing power and ferrous ion chelating ability; in addition, the capacity to inhibit 15-lipoxygenase was also assessed. The antihyperglycemic activity was investigated by α-glucosidase assay. RESULTS: Total phenolic contents of 21.68 ± 0.06 and 5.70 ± 0.28 mg/g were determined in the hydromethanolic and ethanolic extracts, respectively. The hydromethanolic extract showed higher free radical scavenging and reducing abilities (EC50 = 452.6 ± 2.7, 140.57 ± 1.45 and 129.45 ± 0.98 µg/mL in DPPH, ABTS and reducing power assays, respectively). The ethanolic extract proved to be more efficient in the ferrous ion chelation, 15-lipoxygenase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays (EC55 = 67.93 ± 0.35, 290.93 ± 2.05 and 8.54 ± 0.06 µg/mL, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Armillaria mellea extracts showed antioxidant and antihyperglycemic potential in in vitro models and therefore they are promising candidates for the development of dietary supplements and pharmaceutical products.