Origanum Sipyleum Methanol Extract in Combination with Ponatinib Shows Synergistic anti-Leukemic Activities on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells.

Origanum sipyleum is used in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Ponatinib, an effective tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), has severe side effects. Thus, we aimed to determine a novel herbal combination therapy that might not only increase the anti-leukemic efficacy but also reduce the dose of ponatinib in targeting CML cells. Origanum sipyleum was extracted with methanol (OSM), and secondary metabolites were determined by phytochemical screening tests. The cytotoxic effects of OSM on K562 cells were measured by WST-1 assay. Median-effect equation was used to analyze the combination of ponatinib and OSM (p-OSM). Apoptosis, proliferation, and cell-cycle were investigated by flow-cytometry. Cell-cycle-related gene expressions were evaluated by qRT-PCR. OSM that contains terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, and anthracenes exhibited cytotoxic effects on K562 cells. The median-effect of p-OSM was found as synergistic; OSM reduced the ponatinib dose ∼5-fold. p-OSM elevated the apoptotic and anti-proliferative activity of ponatinib. Consistently, p-OSM blocked cell-cycle progression in G0/G1, S phases accompanied by regulations in TGFB2, ATR, PP2A, p18, CCND1, CCND2, and CCNA1 expressions. OSM enhanced the anti-leukemic activity of ponatinib synergistically via inducing apoptosis, suppressing proliferation, and cell-cycle. As a result, OSM might offer a potential strategy for treating patients with CML.

Effect of Extracts of the Endemic Plants Centaurea lydia and Phlomis nissolii on Toxoplasma gondii.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the potential antitoxoplasma activities of extracts of the endemic plants Centaurea lydia and Phlomis nissolii in a fibroblast cell culture infected with T. gondii trophozoites. METHODS: WI-38 cell lines treated with plant extracts (55 µg/mL each) and an untreated control were infected with 5×105 T. gondii trophozoites, and the number of parasites in the medium was determined on days 7, 14, and 24. RESULTS: No cytotoxic effects of C. lydia and P. nissolii extracts were detected at concentrations of 0.86-55 µg/mL in the WI-38 cell line, and the absence of the cytotoxicity of these extracts on the fibroblast cell line was considered as a positive effect. C. lydia extract at 55 µg/mL had marked activity against T. gondii trophozoites. A 47.5-fold increase was observed in the number of trophozoites in the control group, while a 84-fold decrease was found in the C. lydia extract group. However, a 36-fold increase was detected in the P. nissolii extract group, indicating no antitoxoplasma activity. CONCLUSION: The extract of C. lydia, an endemic plant, was found to be a good drug candidate for treating toxoplasmosis. The in vitro activity of the extract of this endemic plant should be further investigated in animal models in vivo.

Ecology, anatomy and morphology of Orchis spitzelii in Turkey.

In the present study reveals the morphological, anatomical and ecological characteristic of Orchis spitzelii in Turkey. Plant materials of Orchis spitzefli were collected from 17 different population, between 2010-2013 in Turkey. Orchis spitzelii samples were analyzed for 19 morphological, 20 anatomical and 18 soil characters and habitat properties. As a result, the minimum length of plantwas 200 mm and maximum 500 mm, minimum length of underground part was 25 mm and maximum 94 mm. Number of leaves varied between 3-9. According to habitat definition, Orchis spitzelii grew up to 500 m to 2100 m. Also, Pinus nigra forests and glades were most common habitat of Orchis spitzeii, found generally over calcareous soils.

Assessment of in vivo antimalarial activities of some selected medicinal plants from Turkey.

Resistant infections lead to increased necessity of searching novel drugs and drug combinations. The purpose of this paper was to investigate antimalarial properties of some selected medicinal plants that have been traditionally used in Turkey for antipyretic and analgesic purposes. Lavandula stoecheas subsp. cariensis, Phlomis nissolii, Phlomis bourgaei, Phlomis leucophracta, Centaurea hierapolitana, Centaurea polyclada, Centaurea lydia, Scrophularia cryptophila, Scrophularia depauperata, Scrophularia floribunda, Rubia davisiana, and Alkanna tinctoria subsp. subleiocarpa were investigated for their in vivo antimalarial activities in mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii. Two hundred fifty to 500 mg/kg doses of plant extracts were given to mice as a single daily dose for 4 days. P. nissolii water extract, C. lydia chloroform extract, S. cryptophila ethanol extract, and C. polyclada methanol extract showed antimalarial activity with reducing parasitaemia. The chemotherapeutic effects of plant extracts ranged between 13.5% and 66.91%. The chemosuppressions exerted by combined plant extracts of P. nissolii, S. cryptophila, and C. lydia with C. polyclada methanol extract were detected as 51.25%, 57.33%, and 58.33%, respectively. Investigation of cytotoxic activities against brine shrimps revealed that methanol extract of C. polycada, chloroform extract of C. lydia, and ethanol extract of S. cryptophila showed cytotoxic activities, while water extract of P. nissolii was not active against brine shrimps.

Traditional phytotherapy and trans-cultural pharmacy among Turkish migrants living in Cologne, Germany.

This article reports on an ethnopharmaceutical field study carried out among Turkish migrants in Cologne, western Germany, which recorded 79 botanical taxa and 115 plant-based preparations, encompassing 167 folk phytotherapeutical uses, as well as a few other biological (animal and mineral derived) remedies. One-fourth of the recorded remedies were represented by food-medicines. Half of the ingredients quoted came originally from Turkey; only a few plants were gathered from the wild or cultivated in the Cologne area. This article discusses the Turkish migrants' frequent use of aerial parts of Sideritis species, the fruits of Pistacia terebinthus and the seeds of Peganum harmala from the perspective of modern phytopharmacology, phytotherapy and toxicology. It considers cultural adaptation related to the use of folk pharmaceuticals by analysing the ingredients of the Turkish folk pharmacopoeia and comparing them with those of the Turkish medical ethnobotany and of the phytotherapy of the host country (Germany). Only one third of the remedies mentioned by Turkish migrants living in Cologne are also known in German evidence-based phytotherapy, and less than 10% of the recorded phytotherapeutic uses are common to both pharmacopoeias. This article concludes by suggesting hypotheses on future changes affecting the knowledge and use of medicinal plants within the Turkish community of Cologne.