LC-PDA-MS and GC-MS Analysis of Scorzonera hispanica Seeds and Their Effects on Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Scorzonera hispanica is an herbaceous perennial cultivated in Central and Southern Europe. This study aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the composition of oil, extracts, and fractions (SH1-SH12) obtained from S. hispanica seeds. Furthermore, an evaluation of biological activities in breast cancer cell lines was also performed. GC-MS analysis revealed that the primary components of the seed oil (SH12) were fatty acids and ß-sitosterol. In the evaluation of extracts (SH1-SH3, SH8-SH10) and fractions (SH4-SH7, SH11) composition, the presence of apigenin, derivatives of p-coumaric and caffeic acids, was reported. In the biological assays, methanolic extract (SH1), diethyl ether (SH4), and chloroform (SH11) fractions exhibited cytotoxicity toward cells. The highest activity was observed for fatty acids- and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamate-rich SH11 (IC50: 399.18 µg/mL for MCF-7, 781.26 µg/mL for MDA-MB-231). SH11 was also observed to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells (52.4%). SH1, SH4, and SH11 attenuate signaling pathways and affect the expression of apoptosis-, autophagy-, and inflammation-related proteins. SH12 was non-toxic toward either cancer or normal cell lines in concentrations up to 1 mg/mL. The results suggest that S. hispanica seeds exhibit a wide range of potential uses as a source of oil and bioactive compounds for complementary therapy of breast cancer.

Assessment of Correlation Analysis, Phytochemical Profile, and Biological Activities of Endemic Scorzonera Species from Turkey.

Scorzonera species belong to the Asteraceae family comprising more than 25000 species. The present study aimed to examine the phytochemical profiles and biological activities of S. sandrasica Hartvig et Strid, S. coriacea A. Duran&Aksoy, and S. ahmet-duranii Makbul&Coskuncelebi which are endemic species to Turkey. Flavonoids such as hyperoside, isoquercitrin, rutin, isoorientin, orientin, 7-O-methyl isoorientin, luteolin-7-O-ß-glycoside, apigenin-7-O-ß-glucoside, vitexin, isovitexin as well as caffeoylquinic acid derivatives including chlorogenic acid, 4,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid contents were analyzed to clarify phytochemical content of the extracts. Aerial parts of the investigated extracts were determined as contain flavonoids in high amounts. Chlorogenic acid and its derivatives were detected in all investigated species, in varying amounts, both in the roots and aerial parts. S. coriacea aerial parts contained the highest total phenolic and flavonoids. The strongest inhibitory activities on ABTS and DPPH radicals were also observed with S. coriacea aerial parts by 8.07±0.28 and 13.94±0.53 µg/ml of IC50 values, respectively. Total phenolic contents of the extracts were significantly correlated with DPPH (r=-0.9842, p=0.0004) and ABTS free radical scavenging (r=-0.9870, p=0.0003) and total antioxidant capacity (r=0.8173, p=0.0470), as well as total flavonoid contents (r=0.8820, p=0.0201). S. sandrasica aerial parts and S. ahmet-duranii roots exhibited the greatest red blood cell membrane protection and protein denaturation inhibition, respectively. From the phytochemical point of view, all the selected species were analyzed for the first time.

Terpenoid and Fatty Acid Profiling along with Anti-Tyrosinase and Anti-Urease Potentials of Scorzonera pygmaea Sibth. & Sm. an Endemic Plant of Turkey.

Petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CH), ethyl acetate (EA) and butanol (BU) fractions were obtained from ethanol extracts of the roots (SPR) and the above ground (SPH) parts of S. pygmaea. PE fractions were evaluated by GC/MS for profiling the terpenoids and the fatty acids of the plant. 29 compounds in total including saturated (major palmitic acid), unsaturated (major linoleic acid) fatty acids and triterpenes were tentatively determined. Short-term extraction methods might be preferred to avoid esterification of fatty acids. Phytochemical profiles of SPR-PE and SPH-PE were found to be similar to each other and to other few Scorzonera species reported previously. These results will contribute to the chemotaxonomic studies about the genus which is considered taxonomically complex genus. Activity studies were carried out using kojic acid (87.10 % inhibition) standard for tyrosinase and thiourea (95.83 % inhibition) standard for urease. SPR-CH was determined as the most potent fraction with 55.94 % and 55.10 % inhibition of tyrosinase and urease, respectively at the same concentration of the standards (200 microgram/mL). These moderate results might be considered encouraging for more detailed studies to determine the active compounds and to evaluate the plant's potential in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries in terms of tyrosinase and urease inhibition.

The evaluation of hepatoprotective effects of flavonoids from Scorzonera austriaca Wild against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in vitro and in vivo.

Scorzonera austriaca Wild is a traditional herbal medicine; however, little is known with regard to the effect of flavonoids from S. austriaca (FSA) on liver injury induced by Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), especially the mechanism remains unknown. Therefore, our paper was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of FSA against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in vitro and in vivo, with focus on its potential mechanism. The purity of FSA prepared by using polyporous resin column chromatography could reach 94.5%, and seven flavonoid compounds in FSA were identified by using LC-ESI-MS analysis. In vivo results showed that FSA markedly decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malonaldehyde (MDA) and increased the contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro results confirmed that FSA could inhibit inflammatory response, as evidenced by decreasing the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) through inactivating toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway. FSA activated autophagy by increasing the ratio of LC3B-II/I and decreasing the protein level of p62 so as to exert its hepatoprotective effect. In general, these evidences suggested that FSA is likely to serve as a potential material for the drugs against chemical hepatic injury.

Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of Scorzonera Species.

The genus Scorzonera comprises nearly 200 species, naturally occurring in Europe, Asia, and northern parts of Africa. Plants belonging to the Scorzonera genus have been a significant part of folk medicine in Asia, especially China, Mongolia, and Turkey for centuries. Therefore, they have become the subject of research regarding their phytochemical composition and biological activity. The aim of this review is to present and assess the phytochemical composition, and bioactive potential of species within the genus Scorzonera. Studies have shown the presence of many bioactive compounds like triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, flavonoids, or caffeic acid and quinic acid derivatives in extracts obtained from aerial and subaerial parts of the plants. The antioxidant and cytotoxic properties have been evaluated, together with the mechanism of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective activity. Scorzonera species have also been investigated for their activity against several bacteria and fungi strains. Despite mild cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines in vitro, the bioactive properties in wound healing therapy and the treatment of microbial infections might, in perspective, be the starting point for the research on Scorzonera species as active agents in medical products designed for miscellaneous skin conditions.

Hypolipidemic, Antioxidant and Cardioprotective Effects of the Aqueous Extract from Scorzanera Undulata Tubers in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the effect of Scorzanera undulata on plasma lipid profile. BACKGROUND: Scorzanera undulata (S. undulata) is a medicinal plant popularly used in the Moroccan pharmacopeia as traditional medicine, particularly to treat diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aqueous extract of Scorzanera undulata tubers (AERSU) on lipid profile and atherogenic indices in Wistar rats. Biochemical parameters such as Total Cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-and high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (LDL and HDL) were assessed. Furthermore, the in vitro antioxidant activity of AERSU was also evaluated. METHODS: The effect of tubers aqueous extract (AERSU) of S. undulata (20 mg/kg) on plasma lipid profile was investigated in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The aqueous extract was tested for its in vitro antioxidant activity. Besides, cardiovascular parameters were estimated. RESULTS: Treatment with AERSU significantly improved the weight in diabetic rats and decreased plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL lipoproteins levels. Furthermore, the extract had a favorable impact on the Atherogenic Index (AI) and Coronary Risk Index (CRI). In addition, AERSU seems to possess a potent in vitro antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that aqueous Scorzanera undulate extract exhibits antidyslipidemic and antioxidant activities.

Assessment of Antihyperglycemic Effect and Acute Toxicity of the Aqueous Scorzonera undulata Extract in Rats.

AIM: The current study was carried out in order to assess the antihyperglycemic effect of Scorzonera undulata (S. undulata). Backgroud: Scorzonera undulata subsp. deliciosa (DC.) Maire is used in the Moroccan pharmacopeia for managing diabetes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the anithyperglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats as well as the acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of the roots of Scorzonera undulata (S. undulata). METHODS: This study investigated the effects of the root aqueous extract of Scorzonera undulata (AERSU) at a dose of 20 mg/kg on blood glucose levels in normal and streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats and the acute toxicity of AERSU was examined. Histopathological examination, preliminary phytochemical investigation, determination of glycogen content and evaluation of α-amylase were also performed. RESULTS: Both single and repeated oral doses of AERSU (20 mg/kg) produced a significant reduction in blood glucose levels in normal and diabetic rats. Furthermore, repeated oral administration of AERSU during 15 days increased the glycogen content in the liver in both normal and diabetic rats, inhibited α- amylase activity and improved the histological architecture of the liver and pancreas in treated diabetic rats and ameliorated some biochemical parameters such as ALT and AST. In addition, the preliminary phytochemical investigation showed the richness of the roots of S. undulata in certain phytochemicals particularly in polyphenols. CONCLUSION: AERSU exhibits an evident antihyperglycemic activity. This pharmacological effect may be due to the protection of surviving pancreatic ß cells and hepatocytes, effect of α-amylase and the improvement of glycogen storage in the liver. The dose used in this study seems to be free of any toxicity.

Comprehensive bioactivity and chemical characterization of the endemic plant Scorzonera hieraciifolia Hayek extracts: A promising source of bioactive compounds.

Members of Scorzonera genus are known for their potential application in both food and pharmaceutical industries. The present study reports the chemical component and bioactivity of the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, hexane, methanol and infused extracts of Scorzonera hieraciifolia Hayek aerial parts and roots. The methanolic extracts of both aerial parts and roots were good sources of total phenolic and flavonoid content. For the aerial parts, the infused and methanolic extracts showed highest (p < 0.05) free radical scavenging (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)), reducing (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC))and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and metal chelating capacities. Whilst, for the root extracts, overall most remarkable free scavenging and reducing activity was observed for the methanolic extracts (p < 0.05) while the hexane extracts showed highest metal chelating activity. The inhibitory activity of the extracts was evaluated against key enzymes. Overall, the hexane extracts of both aerial parts (acetylcholinesterase (AChE): 2.27 ± 0.04 and butyrlcholinesterase (BChE): 5.75 ± 0.48 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g) and roots (AChE: 2.44 ± 0.35 and BChE: 53.17 ± 0.22 mg GALAE/g) were most potent against AChE and BChE, suggesting a role for the more lipophilic compounds in this regard. The highest inhibitory activity against tyrosinase was displayed by methanolic extracts of aerial parts (64.70 ± 0.26 mg kojic acid equivalent (KAE)/g) and roots (63.63 ± 0.20 mg KAE/g). Modest activity was observed against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, two major enzymes implicated in the pathology of diabetes. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed the presence of 40 compounds such as caffeic, ursolic, betulinic and oleanolic acid and their derivatives in the studied extracts. Multivariate analysis showed that the biological activities were dependent on the plant parts used as well as on the type of solvent used. Overall, the results showed that S. hieraciifolia is a valuable source of phytochemicals for both the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors.

Antihyperglycemic Activity and Safety Assessment of the Aqueous Extract of Aerial Parts of Scorzonera undulata ssp deliciosa in Rat.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of Scorzonera undulata. BACKGROUND: Scorzonera undulata ssp deliciosa, locally known as "Guiz", is used as a phytomedicine in Morocco and Algeria to treat different health problems. Interestingly, it is used in the Moroccan pharmacopeia to treat diabetes. To our knowledge, this medicinal herb has never been investigated for any pharmacological activity. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the antihyperglycemic effect of the aqueous extract of the aerial part of Scorzonera undulata (SUAP) in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats and to assess the acute toxicity of this extract in Wistar rats. METHODS: This study investigated the effects of SUAP at a dose of 20 mg/kg on blood glucose levels in normal and streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The acute toxicity of SUAP was examined according to the OECD test guideline; rats were divided into four groups of each sex and orally received the SUAP (1000, 2000, or 3000 mg/kg BW). Post-treatment, body weight, signs of toxicity, and/or mortality were observed during 14 days. Other assays such as histopathological examination, preliminary phytochemical investigation, determination of glycogen content and evaluation of α-amylase were performed according to standard protocols. RESULTS: The findings of the current study depicted that both single and repeated oral administration of SUAP (20 mg/kg) generated a significant fall in the blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. A single oral administration of SUAP (at the highest dose of 3000 mg/kg BW) had no significant acute toxicological effects, and oral LD50 of SUAP was greater than 3000 mg/kg. Furthermore, repeated oral administration of SUAP during 15 days led to an increase in the liver glycogen content in diabetic rats to improve the histopathological structure of the liver and pancreas in SUAPtreated diabetic rats and to ameliorate some biochemical parameters such as ALT and creatinine. SUAP had no effect on α-amylase activity. In addition, the preliminary phytochemical investigation showed the richness of the roots of SUAP in some phytochemicals, particularly the polyphenols. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates the antihyperglycemic effect of Scorzonera undulata in diabetic rats which could be involved through the improvement of liver structure and function. In addition, the dose used is not toxic. Finally, the extract contains large amounts of bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols.

Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Scorzonera mackmeliana.

Scorzonera have been confirmed to have potent bioactivity. Scorzonera mackmeliana (Asteraceae), the endemic plant to Lebanon, has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we assessed the antibacterial activity of S. mackmeliana extracts against referenced bacterial strains. Extracts from different parts of the plant were evaluated against Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia and Pseudomonas species. Phytochemical screening was done by standard biochemical tests and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) were determined by micro dilution method. The extracts possessed mainly alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids and coumarins. Gram-negative bacteria were most sensitive, whose MICs ranged between 48.98 and 341.85 mg/ml. Water stems extract, rich in phenols, was the most active with an MIC of 48.98 mg/ml. MBC was only recorded for water flowers extract, rich in resins, against P. aeruginosa and ethanolic roots extract, rich in terpenoids, against S. epidermidis with values of 160.85 mg/ml and 284.35 mg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, antibiofilm activity showed that the lowest MBEC was 0.1 mg/ml for water stems extract with an eradication ability of 91% (p <0.0001). Hence, this study suggests S. mackmeliana as a promising candidate for future investigations to elucidate the major bioactive compound behind the antibacterial and antibiofilm effect.

Two new phenolic compounds and some biological activities of Scorzonera pygmaea Sibth. & Sm. subaerial parts.

Phytochemical composition of ethyl acetate fraction and total phenolic content, in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial activities of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of the ethanol extract obtained from the subaerial parts of Scorzonera pygmaea Sibth. & Sm. (Asteraceae) were investigated. Nine compounds; scorzopygmaecoside (1), scorzonerol (2), cudrabibenzyl A (3), thunberginol C (4), scorzocreticoside I (5) and II (6), chlorogenic acid (7), chlorogenic acid methyl ester (8), 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (9) were isolated and identified using spectroscopic methods. All substances were isolated for the first time from this species. Compounds 1 and 2 are new. The fractions showed high antioxidant capacity correlated with their phenolic content and no significant antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria and fungi. COX inhibition test was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity and all the fractions showed low inhibition in comparison with indomethacin.

Inhibitory activity of Podospermum canum and its active components on collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase enzymes.

Present study is aimed to investigate in vitro inhibitory effects of the extract prepared from the aerial parts of Podospermum canum (syn: Scorzonera cana var. jacquiniana) (Asteraceae) on hyaluronidase, collagenase, and elastase enzymes using a bioassay-guided fractionation. Inhibitory effects of the extract, sub-extracts, fractions obtained by column chromatography, and isolated compounds on collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase were performed by using in vitro enzyme inhibitory assays based on spectrophotometric evaluation. The methanolic extract obtained from P. canum exhibited strong inhibitory activities on elastase and collagenase while the insignificant activity was observed on hyaluronidase. Through bioactivity-guided fractionation, the ethyl acetate and remaining water sub-extracts obtained from the methanolic extract displayed significant inhibitory activities on collagenase and elastase, while petroleum ether and chloroform extracts did not show any inhibitory activity. Eleven known compounds: arbutin, 6́-O-caffeoylarbutin, cichoriin, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester, apigenin 7-O-ß-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-ß-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-ß-rutinoside, isoorientin, orientin, vitexin, procatechuic acid, and new compound 4-hydroxy-benzoic acid 4-(6-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-ß-glucopyranosyl) benzyl ester have been obtained from ethyl acetate sub-extract. Results of the present study have revealed that apigenin 7-O-ß-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-ß-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-ß-rutinoside, and isoorientin showed potent enzyme inhibitory activities. However, methanolic extract of P. canum displayed a greater inhibitory activity than fractions and isolated compounds both on collagenase and elastase.

Inhibitory activity of Scorzonera latifolia and its components on enzymes connected with healing process.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey.) DC. (Asteraceae) grows naturally in Eastern Anatolia, northeastern Iran, and Caucasus. Latex of S. latifolia roots is used in Turkish folk medicine for its analgesic effects, externally to cure infertility in women, and internally as an antihelmintic. The milk obtained from the stem of the Scorzonera species is used for wound healing activity. Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities have previously been reported for S. latifolia. AIM OF THE STUDY: A methanol extract of the aerial parts of Scorzonera latifolia that had been shown to possess wound-healing activity, was used to elucidate the possible mechanism of the wound-healing activity and to identify the compound(s) responsible for the effect by means of bioassay-guided fractionation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The wound-healing activity potential of methanol extract of S. latifolia was detected by evaluating the inhibitory activity on the collagenase, hyaluronidase and elastase, which play important roles in the wound-healing process. Succesive fractionation of the methanol extract using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, respectively, and the residual wateryielded four respective fractions. The ethyl acetate part, which was determined as the most active fraction, was selected for further separation using chromatographic techniques. RESULTS: Ethylacetate fraction exhibited significant inhibitory activities on collagenase and elastase. Chromatographic separation of the ethylacetate extract yielded an active subfraction, from which was used to isolate quercetin-3-O-ß-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→2'')-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), quercetin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-galactopyranoside (2), isoorientin (3), and 7-methylisoorientin (4). Of the compounds tested, 7-methylisoorientin (4) exerted inhibitory activity on collagenase and elastase, while quercetin-3-O-ß-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→2'')-ß-glucopyranoside (1) inhibited collagenase only. None of the fractions, or isolated compounds showed any inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase. It must be mentioned, that in vitro tests showed that compounds 1-4 inhibit the collagenase and elastase and could help wound-healing process. However, the inhibititory effect of the methanol extract appears to be greater than that of both of the ethylacetate fraction, subfraction G and the isolated compounds, which suggest that a synergistic interaction of several compounds could be responsible for the wound-healing activity of the aerial parts of S. latifolia.

Phytochemical Analysis of Podospermum and Scorzonera n-Hexane Extracts and the HPLC Quantitation of Triterpenes.

Previously tested n-hexane extracts of the Scorzonera latifolia showed promising bioactivity in vivo. Because triterpenes could account for this activity, n-hexane extracts were analyzed by HPLC to identify and quantify the triterpenes as the most abundant constituents. Other Scorzonera and Podospermum species, potentially containing triterpenic aglycones, were included in the study. An HPLC method for simultaneous determination of triterpene aglycones was therefore developed for analysis of Podospermum and Scorzonera species. n-Hexane extracts of root and aerial parts of S. latifolia, ten other Scorzonera species and two Podospermum species were studied to compare the content of triterpenes. HPLC was used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of α-amyrin, lupeol, lupeol acetate, taraxasteryl acetate, 3-ß-hydroxy-fern-7-en-6-one acetate, urs-12-en-11-one-3-acetyl, 3-ß-hydroxy-fern-8-en-7-one acetate, and olean-12-en-11-one-3-acetyl. Limits of detection and quantification were determined for each compound. HPLC fingerprinting of n-hexane extracts of Podospermum and Scorzonera species revealed relatively large amounts of triterpenes in a majority of investigated taxa. Lupeol, lupeol acetate, and taraxasteryl acetate were found in a majority of the species, except S. acuminata. The presence of α-amyrin, 3ß-hydroxy-fern-7-en-6-one-acetate, urs-12-en-11-one-3-acetyl, 3ß-hydroxy-fern-8-en-7-one-acetate, and olean-12-en-11-one-3-acetyl was detected in varying amounts. The triterpene content could correlate with the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of Scorzonera, which was previously observed and Scorzonera species that have been determined to contain triterpenes in large amounts and have not yet been tested for their analgesic activity should be tested for their potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential. The presented HPLC method can be used for analysis of triterpene aglycones, for example dedicated to chemosystematic studies of the Scorzonerinae.

Two novel bioactive sulfated guaiane sesquiterpenoid salt alkaloids from the aerial parts of Scorzonera divaricata.

Extracts of the aerial parts of Scorzonera divaricata afforded sulfoscorzonin D (1) and sulfoscorzonin E (2), two novel pyrrolidine inner salt alkaloids with a sulfated guaiane sesquiterpene lactone nucleus, along with 22 known compounds. Especially, sulfoscorzonin D containing a unusual monoterpene moiety is very rare. The structures of new compounds were established using spectroscopic analysis including one- and two-dimensional NMR and HRESIMS. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1-4 and 10 against three tumor cell lines (K562, Hela, and HepG2) were evaluated using the MTT assay. Compounds 2 and 10 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity. The biological properties of 1-3, 5-8, 10-14, and 16-24, were screened against nine different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Compounds 1, 5-8, 10, and 18, showed potent antibacterial activities. CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS STUDIED IN THIS ARTICLE: Glucozaluzanin C (PubChem CID: 442320); 1ß,4α-dihydroxy-5α,6ß,7α,11ßH-eudermn-12; 6-olide (CID: 11119093); oleanolic acid (CID: 10494); lup-20(29)-ene-3ß,28-diol (CID: 72326); (22E)-5α,8α-epidioxyergosta-6,22-dien-3ß-ol (CID: 5469431); ergosta-3ß,5α, 6ß-trialcohol (CID: 44558918); stigma-5-en-3-O-ß-glucoside (CID: 5742590); vomifoliol (CID: 12444927); trans-caffeic acid (CID: 689043); trans-p-hydroxy coumaric acid (CID: 637542); 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl ferulate (CID: 11500646); 7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavonol (CID: 5281614); tricin (ID: 5281702); luteolin (CID: 5280445); diosmetin (CID: 5281612); 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone (CID: 5281703); 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone (CID: 5320315); methyl-3,4-dihydroxy benzoate (CID: 287064); m-hydroxy benzoic acid (CID: 7420); 7-hydroxy-coumarin (CID: 5281426); and scopoletin (CID: 5280460).

Preparative Separation and Purification of the Total Flavonoids in Scorzonera austriaca with Macroporous Resins.

The use of macroporous resins for the separation and purification of total flavonoids to obtain high-purity total flavonoids from Scorzonera austriaca was studied. The optimal conditions for separation and purification of total flavonoids in S. austriaca with macroporous resins were as follows: D4020 resin columns were loaded with crude flavonoid extract solution, and after reaching adsorptive saturation, the columns were eluted successively with 5 bed volumes (BV) of water, 5 BV of 5% (v/v) aqueous ethanol and 5 BV of 30% (v/v) aqueous ethanol at an elute flow rate of 2 BV·h(-1). Total flavonoids were obtained from the 30% aqueous ethanol eluate by vacuum distillation recovery. The content of flavonoid compounds in the total flavonoids was 93.5%, which represents an improvement by about 150%. In addition, five flavonoid compounds in the product were identified as 2″-O-ß-d-xylopyranosyl isoorientin, 6-C-α-l-arabipyranosyl orientin, orientin, isoorientin and vitexin by LC-ESI-MS analysis and internal standard methods. The results in this study could represent a method for the large-scale production of total flavonoids from S. austriaca.

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of secondary metabolites in aerial and subaerial of Scorzonera hispanica L. (black salsify).

Scorzonera hispanica commonly known as black salsify is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. The subaerial parts of black salsify are cultivated in Central and Southern Europe as a vegetable. There are only few reports on the chemical composition of S.hispanica. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition of subaerial and aerial parts of this species. In total, twelve compounds were isolated and identified with spectroscopic methods, including a series of seven rare sesquiterpenoids - five bisabolane and two curcumenal derivatives. Furthermore, a fully validated HPLC-DAD-CAD method for the quantification of phenolic compounds of S. hispanica was developed. The cytotoxicities of lignan [(-)-syringaresinol (1)] and bisabolane derivatives from S. hispanica against several cancer cell lines were studied. (-)-Syringaresinol was the only compound active against myeloma cell lines and was also active against colon cancer cell lines. However, this lignan was also found to be cytotoxic for normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Two bisabolane derivatives were active against colon cancer cell lines and may be interesting as lead structures for the development of new anti-colon cancer agents.

Turkish Scorzonera Species Extracts Attenuate Cytokine Secretion via Inhibition of NF-κB Activation, Showing Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Vitro.

Scorzonera species are used in different folk medicines to combat many diseases, including the illnesses connected with inflammation. Previous experiments showed anti-inflammatory activity of Scorzonera extracts in vivo. S. latifolia, S. cana var. jacquiniana, S. tomentosa, S. mollis ssp. szowitsii, S. eriophora, S. incisa, S. cinerea, and S. parviflora extracts were, therefore, evaluated for their inhibitory activities of TNF-α and IL-1ß production, and NF-κB nuclear translocation in THP-1 macrophages. The HPLC analysis was carried out to elucidate and to compare the composition of these extracts. Major compounds of the tested extracts have been isolated using different chromatographic techniques and further tested for their inhibitory activities on TNF-α and IL-1ß production. Several extracts showed promising anti-inflammatory activity in these in vitro tests. Results of HPLC analysis revealed chlorogenic acid as a compound present in all tested extracts. Hyperoside, quercetin-3-O-ß-d-glucoside and rutin were also present in varying amount in some Scorzonera species analyzed. Furthermore, eight phenolics which were identified as quercetin-3-O-ß-d-glucoside (1), hyperoside (2), hydrangenol-8-O-glucoside (3), swertisin (4), 7-methylisoorientin (5), 4,5-O-dicaffeoyl-quinic acid (6), 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid (7), and chlorogenic acid (8) have been isolated as major phenolic compounds of the tested extracts and, together with eight terpenoids (9-16) previously obtained from different Scorzonera species, have been tested for the inhibition of TNF-α production, unfortunately with no activity comparable with standard.

Effect of extraction solvents on the biomolecules and antioxidant properties of Scorzonera undulata (Asteraceae): Application of factorial design optimization phenolic extraction.

BACKGROUND: Phenolic compounds were extracted and isolated from S. undulata roots. METHODS: Sample of roots from E. hirta was tested for phenolic compounds, and in vitro antioxidant activity by diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, ABTS, FRAP and reducing power was measured using cyano- ferrate method. RESULTS: The methanolic fraction exhibited the highest total phenol content (6.12 ±0.11 mg AGE/g DW). On the other hand, the highest flavonoids concentration was observed in ethyl acetate fraction (2.90 ±0.05 mg CE/g DW) in addition to anthocyanins (28.56 ±3.96 mg/l). Besides, the highest level of tannins content was measured in the polar aprotic solvent ethyl acetate extract (3.25 ±0.06 mg CE/g DW). The different extracts of S. undulata were evaluated for their radical scavenging activities by means of the DPPH assay. The strongest scavenging activity was observed in methanolic fraction scavenged radicals effectively with IC   values of 0.14 ±0.02 mg/ml. Similarly, the potassium ferricyanide reduction (FRAP) and ABTS•+ of methanol extract. On the other hand, the total reducing power of ethyl acetate extract was found higher than of other extracts. This paper presents the application of the design-of experiment method for optimizing the extraction of phenolic content using methanol solvent. The resulting regression model has shown that the effect of temperature is not statistically significant (with >95% certainty), while that of agitation speed is. The two main effects are contributed by the solvent concentration and the maceration period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results clearly showed that the extraction of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacity is significantly affected by solvent combinations. S. undulata presented the highest total phenolic content, total flavonoids content and antioxidant capacity values. The resulting regression model has shown that the effect of temperature is not statistically significant (with >95% certainty), while that of agitation speed is.

Bioassay-guided isolation of the antinociceptive compounds motiol and beta-sitosterol from Scorzonera latifolia root extract.

Scorzonera latifolia (Asteraceae) is a plant widely distributed in Central and East Anatolia. A mastic, named yaki sakizi, is prepared from the latex and roots of S. latifolia and similar species. This latex is used in Turkish folk medicine for its analgesic activity, as anthelmintic and against infertility. The aim of this study was to isolate the compounds responsible for the antinociceptive activity of S. latifolia using bioassay-guided fractionation. The methanolic extract of the S. latifolia roots was prepared and subjected to chromatographic purification. Isolated active compounds were identified by means of MS and NMR techniques. Writhing and tail-flick tests were used to determine antinociceptive activity. Motiol and beta-sitosterol were isolated as compounds with promising antinociceptive activity. It is suggested that antinociceptive activity of the plant extract is probably caused by the synergic interaction of the isolated compounds.