Fabrication and characterization of pectin-zein nanoparticles containing tanshinone using anti-solvent precipitation method.

Tanshinone compounds are secondary metabolites which their application in food and pharmaceutical industry is limited due to the low solubility in water and sensitivity to heat. This study aimed to develop a novel biopolymer nanocarriers system based on pectin/zein for the encapsulation of tanshinone compounds using the anti-solvent precipitation method. The concentration of pectin and mass ratio of tanshinone/zein in the final formulation of nanoparticles were optimized. According to the results, a pectin concentration of 1 g/L and a tanshinone/zein ratio of 0.1:1 g/g were considered the optimal nanoparticle formulation. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited a spherical core-shell structure, with approximate values for size, zeta potential, TSI, and encapsulation efficiency of 132 ± 0.002 nm, -38.6 ± 0.019 mV, 0.600 ± 0.084, and 79.41 ± 0.62 %, respectively. The FTIR test confirmed the presence of hydrophobic, hydrogen, and electrostatic interactions among the constituents within the nanoparticles. Additionally, XRD and DSC tests verified the amorphous nature of the nanoparticles. Morphological examination conducted through TEM, and SEM revealed the characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles. Furthermore, this carrier system significantly enhanced the solubility of tanshinone compounds in water.

Satureja bachtiarica Induces Cancer Cell Death in Breast and Glioblastoma Cancer in 2D/3D Models and Suppresses Breast Cancer Stem Cells.

Overcoming drug resistance and specifically targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) are critical challenges in improving cancer therapy. Nowadays, the use of novel and native medicinal plants can provide new sources for further investigations for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of S. bachtiarica, an endemic plant with diverse medicinal applications, in suppressing and targeting cancer and cancer stem cells in glioblastoma and breast cancer. The effect of S. bachtiarica on viability, migration, invasion, and clonogenic potential of MDAMB-231 and U87-MG cells was assessed in both two- and three-dimensional cell culture models. Additionally, we evaluated its effects on the self-renewal capacity of mammospheres. The experimental outcomes indicated that S. bachtiarica decreased the viability and growth rate of cells and spheroids by inducing apoptosis and inhibited colony formation, migration, and invasion of cells and spheroids. Additionally, colony and sphere-forming ability, as well as the expression of genes associated with EMT and stemness were reduced in mammospheres treated with S. bachtiarica. In conclusion, this study provided valuable insights into the anti-cancer effects of S. bachtiarica, particularly in relation to breast CSCs. Therefore, S. bachtiarica may be a potential adjuvant for the treatment of cancer.

Identification of Polyphenolic Compounds Responsible for Antioxidant, Anti-Candida Activities and Nutritional Properties in Different Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Hull Cultivars.

The use of by-products from the agri-food industry is a promising approach for production of value-added, polyphenol-rich dietary supplements or natural pharmaceutical preparations. During pistachio nut processing, a great amount of husk is removed, leaving large biomass for potential re-use. The present study compares antiglycative, antioxidant, and antifungal activities as well as nutritional values of 12 genotypes belonging to four pistachio cultivars. Antioxidant activity was measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. Antiglycative activity was evaluated as inhibition of advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation in the bovine serum albumin/methylglyoxal model. HPLC analysis was performed to determine the major phenolic compounds. Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (120.81-181.94 mg/100 g DW), gallic acid (27.89-45.25), catechin (7.2-11.01), and eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside (7.23-16.02) were the major components. Among genotypes, the highest total flavonol content (14.8 mg quercetin equivalents/g DW) and total phenolic content (262 mg tannic acid equivalent/g DW) were in KAL1 (Kaleghouchi) and FAN2 (Fandoghi), respectively. The highest antioxidant (EC50 = 375 µg/mL) and anti-glycative activities were obtained for Fan1. Furthermore, potent inhibitory activity against Candida species was recorded with MIC values of 3.12-12.5 µg/mL. The oil content ranged from 5.4% in Fan2 to 7.6% in Akb1. The nutritional parameters of the tested cultivars were highly variable: crude protein (9.8-15.8%), ADF (acid detergent fiber 11.9-18.2%), NDF (neutral detergent fiber, 14.8-25.6%), and condensed tannins (1.74-2.86%). Finally, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside was considered an effective compound responsible for antioxidant and anti-glycative activities.

Essential Oil Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Oregano and Marjoram as Affected by Different Light-Emitting Diodes.

Oregano and marjoram are important aromatic spices in the food industry, as well as medicinal plants with remarkable antioxidant properties. Despite their popularity, little is known about treatments that would influence the antioxidant capacity of essential oils. In this study, different spectra of LED light, namely blue, red, white, blue-red, and natural ambient light as a control, were applied to assess the essential oil content, composition, flavonoid, phenolic, and antioxidant capacity of oregano and marjoram. GC-MS analysis revealed thymol, terpinen-4-ol, sabinene, linalool, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene as the main compounds. In oregano, the thymol content ranged from 11.91% to 48.26%, while in marjoram it varied from 17.47% to 35.06% in different samples. In oregano and marjoram, the highest phenolic contents were in blue (61.26 mg of tannic acid E/g of DW) and in white (65.18 mg of TAE/g of DW) light, respectively, while blue-red illumination caused the highest increase in total flavonoids. The antioxidant activity of oregano and marjoram extract was evaluated using two food model systems, including DPPH and ß-carotene bleaching. The highest antioxidant capacity was obtained in control light in oregano and blue-red light in marjoram. The results provide information on how to improve the desired essential oil profile and antioxidant capacity of extracts for industrial producers.

Changes in polyphenolic composition, physiological characteristics, and yield-related traits of Moshgak (Ducrosia anethifolia Boiss.) populations in response to drought stress.

Ducrosia anethifolia (DC.) Boiss. is an aromatic medicinal plant that has been traditionally used as an analgesic to treat headaches, backaches, colic, and cold. This study evaluated the yield, physiological, and phytochemical traits of 24 populations for 2 consecutive years under the water stress condition. The seed yield and physiological traits demonstrated the highest values in the first and second year, respectively. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant activity enzymes were elevated, while chlorophyll, carotenoids, relative water content (RWC), and yield decreased under drought stress. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was also applied to assess the changes in some polyphenolic compounds in response to water stress. The increase in some phenolic compounds, such as p-coumaric acid, was recorded due to drought stress, while there was a decrease in flavonoids, that is luteolin and quercetin. Among the populations, Abarkuh2 indicated the highest increase in p-coumaric acid (96%) in response to drought stress. In general, high diversity among the studied populations provides new insights into choosing the beneficial populations for medicinal and food purposes. HIGHLIGHTS: • Changes in polyphenolics of Moshgak populations were obtained in response to water stress. • Gallic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid and vanillic acid were the major components. • The phenolic compounds was increased due to drought stress while flavonoids were decreased High variation was obtained between Moshgak populations.

Metabolic and physiological effects of water stress on Moshgak (Ducrosia anethifolia Boiss) populations using GC-MS and multivariate analyses.

Ducrosia anethifolia Boiss is a medicinal and aromatic plant that is used as a food additive and drug in the areas of natural distribution. In this study, eight populations from different geographical regions of Iran were evaluated for their essential oil composition, total phenolics and flavonoids as well as for free radical scavenging activity during two consecutive years under water deficit. Analysis of variance was performed using a randomized block design at three levels of irrigation and 2 years, using the GLM procedure of SAS software and cluster analysis was used according to Ward's method using squared Euclidean dissimilarity. The highest essential oil and total phenolics/flavonoids content were obtained in the second year. GC-MS analysis was used to analyze the essential oil components. In normal conditions, cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (39.1-66.4%) and α-pinene (1.02-4.7%) were recognized as major compounds. The essential oil components were elevated under water stress. The highest increase in cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (21.32%) in response to water stress was observed in Abarkuh1. Elevation in total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activity was also observed in plants subjected to water deficit. The highest content of phenolic acids was measured in Semirom (136.74 mg TAE/g DW), while the highest flavonoid content was in Kerman (6.05 mg QUE/g DW) in severe water stress condition. Finally, a high diversity in the studied populations can be used to select advantageous populations for other pharmaceutical and food purposes.

Morpho-Physiological and Molecular Characterization Reveal Low Genetic Variation for Conservation of Endangered Iranian Moshgak (Ducrosia anethifolia Boiss).

Ducrosia anethifolia Boiss is an aromatic vegetable and medicinal plant of Apiaceae family. In this study, morphological and essential oil studies as well as ISSR analyses were employed to investigate genetic diversity in 120 Moshgak accessions of 24 Iranian populations. High variations were observed in morpho-physiological traits (morphological and essential oil contents) of the populations in 2 consecutive agronomic years. In both studied years, the highest leaf (1% and 1.2%) and seed (2.46% and 2.9%) essential oil contents were recorded for the Abarkuh population. For ISSR analysis, 15 primer combinations were employed that produced 120 polymorphic bands. Dendrogram and STRUCTURE software grouped the accessions into four clusters although such grouping did not fit the geographic regions perfectly. Among the populations, Abarkuh and Kerman exhibited the highest genetic distance. Based on analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), only 4.32% of the total genetic diversity was observed among the populations, while 95.68% was detected within the populations. Moreover, the studied populations exhibited a low genetic differentiation (Gst = 0.13) but a high gene flow (Nm = 3.26). It may be concluded that the results of the study provide new insights regarding the genetic diversity of Moshgak germplasm that will be useful for its conservation management and breeding programs for oil- and yield-related traits.

Seasonal Variations of Rosmarinic Acid and Its Glucoside and Expression of Genes Related to Their Biosynthesis in Two Medicinal and Aromatic Species of Salvia subg. Perovskia.

Salvia abrotanoides Kar. and Salvia yangii B.T. Drew are medicinal and aromatic plants belonging to the subgenus Perovskia and used as herbal medicines in Asia. Derivatives of caffeic acid, mainly rosmarinic acid (RA), are the major phenolic compounds identified in these plants. Understanding the factors and molecular mechanisms regulating the accumulation of pharmacologically and ecologically relevant phenolic metabolites is essential for future biotechnological and medical applications. Up to date, no studies of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway at the transcriptional level has been performed in the Perovskia subgenus. Using a combined qRT-PCR transcriptional activity analysis with LC-MS based metabolic profiling of roots and leaves at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of vegetation season, we have identified the following gene candidates with properties correlating to phenolic acid biosynthesis in S. abrotanoides and S. yangii: PAL, C4H, 4CL, TAT, HPPR, RAS1, RAS2 and Cyp98A14. A comparison of phenolic acid profiles with gene transcript levels revealed the transcriptional regulation of RA biosynthesis in the roots but not the leaves of the studied species. Additionally, RAS1 and Cyp98A14 were identified as rate-limiting steps regulating phenylpropanoid biosynthesis on a transcription level. In the future, this will facilitate the gene-based metabolic enhancement of phenolic compounds production in these promising medicinal herbs.

Anticancer drug discovery from Iranian Chrysanthemum cultivars through system pharmacology exploration and experimental validation.

Breast cancer is the most common carcinoma in women, and natural products would be effective preventing some side effects of cancer treatment. In the present study, cytotoxic activities of different Iranian Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivars were evaluated in human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) and human lymphocytes. A systems pharmacology approach was employed between major compounds of these cultivars (chlorogenic acid, luteolin, quercetin, rutin, ferulic acid, and apigenin) and known breast cancer drugs (tucatinib, methotrexate, tamoxifen, and mitomycin) with 22 breast cancer-related targets to analyze the mechanism through which Chrysanthemum cultivars act on breast cancer. Target validation was performed by the molecular docking method. The results indicated that Chrysanthemum extracts inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 cells in a dose- and cultivar-dependent manner. In all studied cultivars, the most effective extract concentration with the lowest viability of MCF-7 cells, was as much as 312 µg ml-1. Also, higher concentrations of the extracts (> 1000 µg ml-1) reduced the lymphocyte cell viability, demonstrating that these doses were toxic. The gene ontology analysis revealed the therapeutic effects of Chrysanthemum's active compounds on breast cancer by regulating the biological processes of their protein targets. Moreover, it has been documented that rutin, owing to its anticancer effects and several other health benefits, is a promising multi-targeted herbal ingredient. Finally, the present study compared different Iranian Chrysanthemum cultivars to provide new insights into useful pharmaceutical applications.

Variation of Essential Oil Content and Composition, Phenolics, and Yield Related Traits Using Different Pollination Systems in Populations of Thymus Species.

The production of self-pollinated plants could be important for improving medicinal plants secondary metabolites. In this study, 11 Thymus populations from eight species were evaluated to determine the effect of self and open pollination on agro-morphological characteristics, total phenolic content (TPC), essential oil (EO) content, and EO components. Inbreeding led to some positive effects of above mentioned traits in most of the studied populations. Total phenolic content ranged from 7.07 to 52.69 mg tannic acid equivalents (TAE) g-1 dry weight (DW) in open pollinated derived populations, while it varied from 1.2 to 55.03 mg TAE g-1 DW in self-pollinated ones. Under open and self-pollination condition, the highest EO content was obtained in T. trautvetteri (3.37 %) and T. pubescens (1.96 %), respectively. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) identified 42 compounds including thymol, carvacrol, linalool, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol as the main compounds. In most cases, selfed plants compared to open pollinated ones, revealed higher thymol content. T. daenensis-1 showed a significant increase in thymol content (from 25.22 % to 74.3 %) due to self-pollination. Moreover, self-pollination led to emergence of some new compounds. Carvacrol methyl ether was the constituents of Thymus EO that are being reported in self-pollinated populations. Finally, inbreeding in Thymus might be suggested as a useful tool to increase genetic homogeneity for the selection of superior plants for improving secondary metabolite.

Polyphenolic and molecular variation in Thymus species using HPLC and SRAP analyses.

In the present research, inter and intra genetic variability of 77 accessions belonging to 11 Thymus species were assessed using eight SRAP primer combinations. High polymorphism (98.3%) was observed in the studied species. The cluster analysis classified Thymus species into five main groups. According to molecular variance (AMOVA) analysis, 63.14% of total genetic variation was obtained within the species, while 36.86% of variation was observed among species. STRUCTURE analysis was also performed to estimate the admixture of species. For instance, T. carmanicus and T. transcaspicus revealed high admixtures. HPLC analysis also demonstrated the presence of rosmarinic acid (32.3-150.7 mg/100 g DW), salvianolic acid (8-90 mg/100 g DW), and cinnamic acid (1.7-32.3 mg/100 g DW) as major phenolic acids, as well as apigenin, epicatechin, and naringenin as the major flavonoids. The highest phenolic and flavonoid contents were detected in T. transcaspicus (37.62 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) g-1 DW) and T. vulgaris (8.72 mg quercetin equivalents (QE) g-1 DW), respectively. The antioxidant properties and total phenolic of Thymus species were examined using DPPH and ß-carotene-linoleic acid model systems and consequently T. vulgaris and T. pubescens were detected with the highest and the lowest antioxidant activities respectively. Cluster and principal Components Analysis (PCA) of the components classified the species in to three groups. Finally, similarity within some species was observed comparing molecular and phytochemical markers. For instance, T. vulgaris separated from other species according to major polyphenolic profiles and molecular analyses, as well as T. transcaspicus, T. carmanicus, and T. fedtschenkoi that were clustered in the same groups.

Metabolomics and DNA-Based Authentication of Two Traditional Asian Medicinal and Aromatic Species of Salvia subg. Perovskia.

Subgenus Perovskia of the extended genus of Salvia comprises several Central Asian medicinal and aromatic species, of which S. yangii and S. abrotanoides are the most widespread. These plants are cultivated in Europe as robust ornamentals, and several cultivars are available. However, their medicinal potential remains underutilized because of limited information about their phytochemical and genetic diversity. Thus, we combined an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) based metabolomics with DNA barcoding approach based on trnH-psbA and ITS2 barcodes to clarify the relationships between these two taxa. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that aerial parts are more similar than roots and none of the major compounds stand out as distinct. Sugiol in S. yangii leaves and carnosic acid quinone in S. abrotanoides were mostly responsible for their chemical differentiation, whereas in roots the distinction was supported by the presence of five norditerpenoids in S. yangii and two flavonoids and one norditerpenoid in S. abrotanoides. To verify the metabolomics-based differentiation, we performed DNA authentication that revealed S. yangii and S. abrotanoides to be very closely related but separate species. We demonstrated that DNA barcoding coupled with parallel LC-MS profiling constitutes a powerful tool in identification of taxonomically close Salvia species.

Variation in Essential Oil Composition, Bioactive Compounds, Anatomical and Antioxidant Activity of Achillea aucheri, an Endemic Species of Iran, at Different Phenological Stages.

In the present research, the essential oil composition, bioactive compounds, anatomical and antioxidant activity of Achillea aucheri were investigated at four phenological stages. The yield of essential oil ranged from 0.1 % (five leaves appearance stage) to 0.7 % (full flowering stage). So, the oils from the plants harvested at the full flowering stage provided higher essential oil contents than those at other stages. The analysis of the essential oils by GC/MS revealed the presence of a large number of components represented mainly by oxygenated monoterpenes (24.36-77.81 %). The compounds revealed high variation at different phenological stages. The major constituents of A. aucheri were carvacrol (1.07-19.17 %), camphor (5.44-9.99 %), δ-cadinene (0.20-13.88 %), thymol (2.15-7.80 %), germacrene D (4.50-7.24 %), 1,8-cineole (1.62-5.54 %) and α-terpineol (1.71-3.42 %). The total phenolic (51.63 mg tannic acid/g DW) and flavonoid (10.88 mg quercetin/g W) contents were more accumulated at the 50 % flowering stage than others. The results revealed that the accumulation of essential oil in A. aucheri increased as the plant grew from the five leaves appearance stage to the 100 % flowering stage with increasing the size and number of secretory structures. Finally, the extracts collected at the 50 % flowering stage showed the highest antioxidant activity as measured based on FTC and DPPH method with the IC50 values ranging from 719.65 µg/mL to 1039.17 µg/mL for the samples.

Genetic diversity among and within Ferula asafoetida H. Karst. populations using molecular and phytochemical markers.

Ferula asafoetida is an herbaceous, perennial and monocarpic species of the Apiaceae family with medicinal properties. In this study, the genetic diversity of F. asafetida populations was assessed using SCoT and SRAP molecular markers. Nine SCoT and nine SRAP primer combinations amplified 211 and 194 bands, showing 96.07% and 92.87% of polymorphism, respectively. The dendrograms generated from Jaccard's similarity matrix and the UPGMA method revealed that genetic relationships among the F. asafoetida genotypes were not related to their geographical regions. The analysis also revealed a relatively acceptable differentiation in allele frequencies, illustrating the high genetic diversity and gene flows among the populations. The high percent of diversity among the populations indicated a rich resource of germplasm for breeding programs. Moreover, STRUCTURE analysis showed the high admixture of the studied accessions. According to AMOVA analysis, higher genetic variation occurred within the populations. Total phenolic content was also assessed using the folin-ciocalteu method, observing a relatively extent variety (0.163-0.938 mg TA/g DW) among the populations. In addition, HPLC analysis defined eleven compounds in which p-coumaric and 1,3- caffeoylquinic acids were the most abundant phenolic acids. Finally, Feragheh population possessed the highest TPC (total phenolic content) and gene diversity. Karaj population also exhibited the highest amount of flavonoids and phenolic acids such as kaempferol and p-coumaric acids.

Variation in Polyphenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Different Achillea Species as Natural Sources of Antiglycative Compounds.

A comparative study was carried out on the methanolic extracts from six Achillea species and the examined polyphenols from these plants on the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in vitro. A. pachycephala which was richer in flavonoids (15 mg quercetin/g W) and phenolics (111.10 mg tannic acid/g DW) with substantial antioxidant activity (IC50  = 365.5 µg/ml) presented strong anti-AGE properties. Chlorogenic acid, luteolin, quercetin and caffeic acid were identified as the major polyphenols in the extracts by HPLC. In general, polyphenolic content follows the order of A. pachycephalla > A. nobilis > A. filipendulina > A. santolina > A. aucheri > A. millefolium. Most extracts exhibited marked anti-AGE ability in the bovine serum albumin (BSA)/methylglyoxal (MG) system, though A. pachycephala showed the highest potential. The formation of AGEs was assessed by monitoring the production of fluorescent products and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Diminution in free radical production (assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays) is discussed as potential mechanism for delay or reduced AGE. The results demonstrate the antiglycative, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Achillea species which can be attributed to polyphenols content and the effectiveness on generation of AGEs, thus Achillea species can be considered as natural sources for slowing down glycation related diseases.

Seed Polyphenolic Profile, Antioxidative Activity, and Fatty Acids Composition of Wild and Cultivated Carthamus Species.

Total flavonoid content (TFC) and cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cyd-3-glu) of seed and seed coat extract of 16 genotypes from five species of Carthamus were studied, and their major polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the seed coat extracts were determined using HPLC analysis and DPPH assay, respectively. Additionally, fatty acids composition of the seed oil was analyzed by GC. In general, TFC and Cyd-3-glu content of seed coat extracts were higher than those of seed extracts. A novel breeding line with black seed coat (named A82) depicted lower TFC (3.79 mg QUE/g DW) but higher Cyd-3-glu (24.64 mg/g DW) compared to the white and other seed-pigmented genotypes. DPPH radical scavenging activity showed a strong association with Cyd-3-glu content (r = 0.84), but no correlation with TFC (r = -0.32). HPLC analysis of seed coat extracts revealed that four compounds were dominant constituents including rutin (7.23 - 117.95 mg/100 g DW), apigenin (4.37 - 64.88 mg/100 g DW), quercetin (3.09 - 14.10 mg/100 g DW), and ferulic acid (4.49 - 30.41 mg/100 g DW). Interestingly, the genotype A82 with an appropriate polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids index (5.46%) and a moderate linoleic fatty acid content (64.70%) had higher nutritional and pharmaceutical value than all the other genotypes.

Inhibition of Glycation-induced Cytotoxicity, Protein Glycation, and Activity of Proteolytic Enzymes by Extract from Perovskia atriplicifolia Roots.

BACKGROUND: Protein glycation and glycotoxicity belong to the main oxidative-stress related complications in diabetes. Perovskia species are used in Asian folk medicine as antidiabetic herbs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify the ability of the methanolic extract from Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. roots to diminish glycation of albumin and to prevent cell damage in vitro. Furthermore, we tested the extract for in vitro antioxidant activity and inhibition of elastase and collagenase. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The aqueous methanol extract was analyzed by UHPLC-MS for the content of polyphenols and terpenoids. The prevention of glycated albumin-induced cell damage was tested in four mammalian cell lines (peripheral blood mononuclear cells, human embryonic kidney cells - HEK293, normal human fibroblasts, and Chinese hamster ovary cells) with the 5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4,5-dimethylthiazoly)-3-(4-sulfophenyl) tetrazolium assay. RESULTS: Glycated albumin is significantly more toxic than native human serum albumin (LC50 from 35.00 to 48.34 µg/mL vs. 5.47-9.10 µg/mL, respectively). The extract, rich in rosmarinic acid (344.27 mg/g dry mass), mitigated the glycated albumin toxicity, and increased glycated albumin-treated cell survival by more than 50%. The inhibition of advanced glycation endproduct formation was confirmed by monitoring conformational changes. The free radical scavenging activity was higher than Trolox and metal reducing power was one-third to half that of ascorbic acid. The activity of elastase and collagenase was inhibited by 54.75% ± 6.87% and 60.03% ± 7.22%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm antiglycative and antiglycotoxic potential of Perovskia root and its traditional antidiabetic use. The high activity can be attributed to rosmarinic acid abundance. SUMMARY: Perovskia is a small genus of aromatic shrubby plants growing in arid regions of Central and South Asia. Different parts are used in folk medicine as antiparasitic, anti-infectious and antidiabetic remedy. Here, we have studied the extract from roots for inhibition of: glycation-induced cytotoxicity, human serum albumin glycation, inflammation-related enzymes, as well as for antioxidant activity. Result: the extract from P. atriplicifolia roots inhibited protein glycation and AGE-induced toxicity in cell cultures. The mechanism is likely to rely on the antioxidant activity of high content of rosmarinic acid. Abbreviations used: AGE: advanced glycation end-products; DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; HSA: human serum albumin.

Comprehensive Research on Essential Oil and Phenolic Variation in Different Foeniculum vulgare Populations During Transition from Vegetative to Reproductive Stage.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of four fennel populations (England, Spain, Poland and Iran) were investigated during six developmental stages including two vegetative and four reproductive phases. In reproductive phase, the essential oil content of fruits decreased and the maximum content (5.9%) was obtained in immediate fruits. The essential oils were analyzed using GC/MS. trans-Anethole was the main component of the leaves and the fruits oil. In leaves, it ranged from 41.28% in England at late vegetative stage to 56.6% in Poland population at early vegetative stage. Other major compounds of leaves were limonene, α-pinene and (Z)-ß-ocimene. In reproductive phases the trans-anethole increased dramatically. It varied from 85.25% in immature fruits from Poland to 90.7% in pre-mature stage from Spain. The highest phenolic content in the extracts at different growth stages obtained 189 mg TAE/g DW at full mature stage of seed in Iran population. The flavonoid of leaves extract ranged from 3 to 7.5 mg QUE/g DW, while in fruits extract varied from 3 to 10.3 mg QUE/g DW. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy (DPPH) and ß-carotene model systems. Immature and full mature growth stages of fennel population from Spain indicated the highest activity in quenching of DPPH radical (74.2% and 74.5, respectively). Antioxidant activities of the extracts had high positive correlation with their phenolic contents in all fruit maturity stages. Finally, it might probably be suggested that in fennel the hot and humid condition can lead to increase trans-anethole, while the hot and dry one can produce higher amount of phenolics and flavonoids.

Essential oil composition, total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of Thymus species collected from different regions of Iran.

In this study, the essential oil (EO) composition, flavonoid and phenolic contents, and antioxidant activities of fourteen Thymus accessions belonging to ten species were evaluated. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of 38 compounds with the major constituents including thymol (12.4-79.74%), carvacrol (4.37-42.14%), geraniol (0.3-22.44%), and p-cymene (0.8-12.86%). Cluster analysis identified three groups of high thymol, geraniol/linalool, and high carvacrol. The highest phenolic and flavonoid contents were detected in T. daenensis-1 (70.6mg tannic acid equivalents (TAE) g-1 DW) and T. vulgaris (8.55mg quercetin equivalents (QE) g-1 DW), respectively. The antioxidant activities of the samples were determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay. The results demonstrated that T. daenensis-3 (IC50=273.36), T. vulgaris (IC50=289.3), and T. fedtschenkoi-3 (IC50=339.22) possessed higher antioxidant activities than the others. Finally, the Thymus species with high bioactive compounds may be recommended for further food applications.

Safety Assessment of a New Pigmented Safflower Seed Coat (A82) by a Feeding Study on Rat

ABSTRACT Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an annual herbaceous plant, cultivated mainly for the seed which is used for edible oil extraction and bird feeding. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of a new pigmented variety of safflower (A82) seeds. The results showed that oral administration of A82 seeds significantly increased the body weight of male rats in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). Biochemical tests showed that A82 seeds significantly increased the serum levels of AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) (p<0.05), slightly reduced the serum levels of ALT (Alanine aminotransferase) and significantly reduced ALP (p<0.05) levels in a dose dependent manner. BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) and Cr (Creatinine) were not significantly changed in A82 seed treated groups. Also, testosterone levels were not significantly changed by administration of different doses of A82. However, Johnson scoring showed slightly decrease in experimental groups. No organ weight or histological changes were observed in liver, kidney, spleen, heart and brain of A82 seed treated animals. These results indicate that A82 seeds have not any toxic effects in Wistar rats. Future studies are required to clarify the exact mechanism by which A82 seeds alter AST levels and body weight in rat.