Iconic Arable Weeds: The Significance of Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), and Field Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) in Hungarian Ethnobotanical and Cultural Heritage.

There are an increasing number of initiatives that recognize arable weed species as an important component of agricultural biodiversity. Such initiatives often focus on declining species that were once abundant and are still well known, but the ethnographic relevance of such species receives little recognition. We carried out an extensive literature review on the medicinal, ornamental, and cultural applications of three selected species, Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, and Delphinium consolida, in the relevant Hungarian literature published between 1578 and 2021. We found a great diversity of medicinal usages. While P. rhoeas stands out with its sedative influence, D. consolida was mainly employed to stop bleeding, and C. cyanus was most frequently used to cure eye inflammation. The buds of P. rhoeas were sporadically eaten and its petals were used as a food dye. All species fulfilled ornamental purposes, either as garden plants or gathered in the wild for bouquets. They were essential elements of harvest festivals and religious festivities, particularly in Corpus Christi processions. P. rhoeas was also a part of several children's games. These wildflowers were regularly depicted in traditional Hungarian folk art. In poetry, P. rhoeas was used as a symbol of burning love or impermanence; C. cyanus was frequently associated with tenderness and faithfulness; while D. consolida regularly emerged as a nostalgic remembrance of the disappearing rural lifestyle. These plants were also used as patriotic symbols in illustrations for faithfulness, loyalty, or homesickness. Our results highlight the deep and prevalent embeddedness of the three iconic weed species studied in the folk culture of the Carpathian Basin. The ethnobotanical and cultural embeddedness of arable weed species should also be considered when efforts and instruments for the conservation of arable weed communities are designed.

Isolation of chemical constituents from Filago vulgaris and antiproliferative activity of the plant extract and its flavonoid against human tumor cell lines.

Phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Filago vulgaris Lam. (Asteraceae) resulted in the isolation and characterization of seven compounds, including a rare methoxylated flavonol (araneol), tetrahydrofurofuranolignans (pinoresinol and syringaresinol), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, vanillic acid and scopoletin. The structures of the compounds were determined by NMR and mass spectroscopy. All compounds were first obtained from this species and reported for the genus Filago. Our results demonstrate that highly methoxylated flavonols lacking substituents on ring B and lignans can be regarded as taxonomic markers for the tribe Inuleae. The lipophilic extract of F. vulgaris was found to have antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells (62.1±0.9% inhibition at 30 µ/ml), and araneol was highly effective against this tumour cell line (IC50 8.36 µ M).

Abietane diterpenoids from Sideritis montana L. and their antiproliferative activity.

The present study aimed at the phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of Sideritis montana L. (Lamiaceae). Two new abietane diterpenes [sideritins A (1) and B (2)] were isolated from the methanol extract of the plant. Six known compounds [pomiferin E (3), 9α,13α-epi-dioxyabiet-8(14)-en-18-ol (4), paulownin (5), 6-methoxysakuranetin (6), 3-oxo-α-ionol (7) and 4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol glucoside (8)] were also obtained from the plant. The structures were determined by means of HREIMS and NMR experiments. The antiproliferative effect of the isolated compounds was investigated on human cancer cell lines (HeLa, SiHa and C33A) at 10 and 30µM concentrations, using the MTT assay. The results demonstrated that pomiferin E (3) and 6-methoxysakuranetin (6) displayed considerable activity [inhibition (%)±SEM: 46.93±2.35 on HeLa (pomiferin E), and 51.52±2.45 on C33A (6-methoxysakuranetin)] at 30µM concentration.

First phytochemical investigation of secondary metabolites of Euphorbia davidii Subils. and antiproliferative activity of its extracts.

The present work is the first phytochemical investigation of Euphorbia davidii Subils. After multistep separation process, three flavonoid glycosides were obtained from the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol extract of the whole plant. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined as kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside, myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside, and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside. Aqueous and organic extracts of the plant were screened in vitro for antiproliferative activity against HeLa (cervix epithelial adenocarcinoma), A431 (skin epidermoid carcinoma), A2780 (ovarian carcinoma) and MCF7 (breast epithelial adenocarcinoma) cells, using the MTT assay. n-Hexane and chloroform extracts demonstrated moderately dose-dependent cell growth inhibitory activity against all four cell lines.

Dual excitatory and smooth muscle-relaxing effect of Sideritis montana extract on guinea-pig ileum.

The neuronal and smooth muscle effects of a methanol extract prepared from the air-dried flowering aerial parts of Sideritis montana L. (SME) was tested in vitro on Guinea-pig ileum. The chemical composition of the investigated extract was analysed by HPLC-MS, and chrysoeriol, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were detected as main constituents. The isolated organ assay showed that S. montana extract caused an immediate contraction and a more slowly developing inhibitory response in the ileum. The SME-induced contractions were strongly inhibited by the acetylcholine muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (0.5 µM), but not by either the Na+ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX; 0.5 µM) or the histamine H1 receptor antagonist chloropyramine (0.5 µM). Selective desensitization of capsaicin-sensitive neurons by the sensory neuron stimulant and blocker capsaicin did not influence the contractile effect of SME. As to the spasmolytic effect, SME inhibited the effects of electrical field stimulation, exogenous acetylcholine, and histamine. These smooth muscle-relaxing effects were reversible in 40 min by repeated renewals of the bathing solution.