Chemical compounds isolated from aerial parts of Bolanthus aziz-sancarii, a new species from Türkiye.

Bolanthus aziz-sancarii identified in 2019 for the first time is an endemic species of Bolanthus genus belonging to Caryophyllaceae family. Ten compounds were isolated from aerial parts of the plant. The potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of all four phases (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water) from the methanol extract of the plant were investigated. After considering the findings regarding both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities, it was decided to investigate the phytochemical profile of the EtOAc layer of B. aziz-sancarii. An abscisic acid-type sesquiterpene glucoside and nine flavonoid derivatives were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the B. aziz-sancarii methanol extract through the use of column chromatography with silica gel.

Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don as a Valuable Source of Rosmarinic Acid: Biological Activities and HPLC Profiles.

Objectives: Trachystemon orientalis (L.) G. Don, colloquially known in Türkiye as "kaldirik", is an edible plant belonging to the Boraginaceae. This plant has been practiced in traditional medicine for many years for its various therapeutic benefits. The effectiveness and chemical composition of plants can vary depending on their parts, age, and extraction solvent. Therefore, the current study aimed to define the biological activities of various parts and extracts of T. orientalis, which were collected in distinct seasons as young and mature, and investigate the main component responsible for these biological effects. Material and Methods: Plant material was collected in different seasons from the northwest of Türkiye. 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities were investigated to assess antiradical and antioxidant potential of the extracts. Anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts was also tested using human red blood cell membrane stabilizing method. Folin-Ciocalteu test was conducted to determine the total phenolic content. Reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (RP-HPLC-PDA) analysis was performed. Results: Both methanol and aqueous extracts exhibited significant radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities compared with control (p<0.05). The highest percentage of inhibition on ABTS and DPPH free radicals was obtained in aqueous extracts of the mature herbs and roots, respectively. Methanol extracts of the mature roots and herbs exhibited the strongest anti-inflammatory capacity. Rosmarinic acid possessed a much higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect than the reference compounds used in each assay in our study. High rosmarinic acid content of the extracts suggests that the compound responsible for the great biological activity potential is rosmarinic acid. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the presence of rosmarinic acid in herbs and roots of T. orientalis was shown for the first time in our present study. Phytochemical composition and effective biological activities of T. orientalis explain its traditional use and indicate its significant potential in pharmaceutical industry applications.

Neurological Complications and Potential Effects of Covid-19: Symptoms and Conceivable Mechanisms.

A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 can invade the nervous system aside from infecting the respiratory system as its primary target. The most common nervous system symptoms of COVID-19 are stated as headache, myalgia, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sudden and unexplained anosmia, and ageusia. More severe conditions such as encephalomyelitis, acute myelitis, thromboembolic events, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, Guillain-Barré-syndrome, Bell's palsy, rhabdomyolysis, and even coma have also been reported. Cohort studies revealed that neurological findings are associated with higher morbidity and mortality. The neurological symptoms and manifestations caused by SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 are examined and summarized in this article.

Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in human Sertoli cells exposed to boric acid.

BACKGROUND: Boron, which is used in a range of industries worldwide, is an essential micronutrient for plants and "probably essential" for humans. Conflicting reports have been published regarding the toxicity of boron compounds. Moreover, boric acid and sodium borates are classified as toxic to development and reproduction in the European Union-Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (EU-CLP Regulation). The scope of our study was to ascertain whether boric acid caused the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, as well as oxidative stress, apoptosis, and cell cycle profiles on human Sertoli cells. METHODS: The possible toxic effects of boric acid on human Sertoli cells were investigated by in vitro methods. The cellular viability and DNA damage were examined by neutral red uptake and alkaline comet assay, respectively. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest profiles were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Boric acid was neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic in a wide concentration range (0.5-1000 µM) on human Sertoli cells. No significant difference in the DNA damage was observed between boric acid-treated and control groups (p > 0.05). Boric acid did not stimulate oxidative stress, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest within the tested concentrations. CONCLUSION: Our study provides novel insights into the influences of boric acid on human Sertoli cells which are used as a model in male reproductive toxicity studies. The concentrations tested in our study were extremely higher than the blood and semen boron levels reported in epidemiological studies.

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Potency of Seseli L. Species (Apiaceae).

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the antioxidant potency of ethyl acetate (AcOEt) and methanol (MeOH) extracts from the aerial parts of Seseli L. species was investigated for the first time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seseli species L. such as Seseli andronakii Woronow ex Schischk., S. campestre Besser, S. corymbosum Boiss. & Heldr., S. gummiferum subsp. gummiferum Pall. ex Sm., S. hartvigii Parolly & Nordt, S. libanotis (L.) W.Koch, S. petraeum M.Bieb., S. peucedanoides (M.Bieb.) Koso-Pol., S. resinosum Freyn & Sint., and S. tortuosum L. growing in Turkey were collected and evaluated for their antioxidant capacity by using 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation (LPO) inhibition methods. RESULTS: The highest activities as a scavenger of DPPH radicals were found in the AcOEt extracts of S. peucedanoides (M.Bieb.) Koso-Pol (IC50=0.49 mg/mL), and S. libanotis (IC50=0.75 mg/mL); α-tocopherol was used as a positive control. On the other hand, in the LPO assay, the highest activities were determined in AcOEt and MeOH extracts (at 5 mg/mL) of S. tortuosum and S. libanotis (84-94%). CONCLUSION: This report gives important information about the antioxidant capacity of Seseli L. species. This research on antioxidant capacity proves that the use of some species used in Eastern Anatolia (in salads) is correct. With this screening study performed in Seseli L. species growing in Turkey, in the future, it is planned to isolate antioxidant compounds from the most active strains of Seseli L.

Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Some Lathyrus L. (Fabaceae) Species Growing in Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of methanol extracts and n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and water fractions of five Lathyrus species, namely Lathyrus armenus, Lathyrus aureus, Lathyrus cilicicus, Lathyrus laxiflorus subsp. laxiflorus, and Lathyrus pratensis, growing in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimicrobial activities were screened against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Candida albicans ATCC 10231. Broth dilution was used to determine the antimicrobial activities of extracts and fractions. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts and fractions was determined using human red blood cell membrane stabilization. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that ethyl acetate fractions of the tested species exhibited higher antimicrobial activity than the other extracts. Among all of the tested extracts and fractions, the highest anti-inflammatory activity was detected in water fractions. Furthermore, water fractions of L. pratensis showed better anti-inflammatory activity than acetylsalicylic acid and diclofenac sodium, which were used as standard drugs in this assay. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the membrane stabilizing effect of the various extracts and fractions of the Lathyrus species and could constitute preliminary work for in vivo anti-inflammatory activity experiments.