Saponins are natural glycosides which possess a wide range of pharmacological properties including cytotoxic activity. In this review, the recent studies (2005–2009) concerning the cytotoxic activity of saponins have been summarized. The correlations between the structure and the cytotoxicity of both steroid and triterpenoid saponins have been described as well as the most common mechanisms of action.

This review is focused on the comparison of the biological and pharmacological activities of usnic acid enantiomers. Most of the available data refer to (?)-usnic acid, while the left-handed isomer has been less often significantly studied. Special attention was paid to the experiments comparing both (?)-and (-)-usnic acid at the same time, the results of which indicated interesting differences, however no tendency as to which enantiomer was more potent could be observed. Nevertheless, more studies, especially on (-)-usnic acid, are needed to give a final explanation for the similarities and differences between both usnic acid enantiomers. These should be especially directed to steric structure-activity relationship of the enantiomers, tested under the same experimental conditions, which may help to explain the possible mechanisms of their actions.

The study compares lyophilized broccoli sprouts and florets in terms of their chemical composition, cytotoxic and proapoptotic potential against hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2, colorectal cancer SW480, and skin fibroblast BJ cells. Sinapic and isochlorogenic acids were predominant phenolics in the sprouts and florets, respectively. The amount of sulforaphane in the sprouts was significantly higher vs. florets. Oleic and linoleic acids dominated in the sprouts, while caproic, stearic and oleic acids in the florets. Broccoli sprouts were selectively cytotoxic on HepG2 and SW480 cells, with proapoptotic effect for the latter, while the florets were less selective, but more active, with profound proapoptotic effect for HepG2 cells (77.4%). Thus, lyophilized broccoli sprouts may be effectively used in dietary chemoprevention.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s11130-018-0665-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sorbus L. sensu lato (Rosaceae family) comprises over 250 trees and shrubs growing in the Northern Hemisphere. Several Sorbus species have found their way into traditonal materia medica, as different leaf, bark or fruit preparations have a longstanding folk use. Ethnomedicine recommends their use not only in respiratory and gastrointestinal system disorders, but also in rheumatism, cancer or diabetes. Chemical composition of the genus Sorbus has been studied since 1960s and until now more than 250 compounds have been identified from thirty-eight species. The most thoroughly investigated substances are phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids). Other constituents include triterpenes, sterols, carboxylic acids, coumarins and cyanogenic glycosides. Biological activity studies performed on the representatives of the genus Sorbus have been predominantly conducted on extracts prepared with the use of different solvents, and more rarely on isolated constituents. The majority of these studies were devoted to determination of antioxidant potential of Sorbus extracts. In a few cases targeted studies were conducted to confirm specific folk usage. Two of the fairly well documented medicinal uses are the antidiabetic activity of Sorbus decora and antiinflammatory activity of Sorbus commixta. Keywords Sorbus Á Folk medicine Á Phytochemistry Á Biological activity Abbreviations AAPH 2,2 0 -Azobis-(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride ABTS 2,2 0 -Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothioazoline-6sulphonic acid) diammonium salt ACE Angiotensin converting enzyme AChE Acetylcholinesterase ADH Alcohol dehydrogenase ALT Alanine aminotransferase AMPK Adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase AST Aspartate transaminase ATO Arsenic trioxide BChE Butyrylcholinesterase CAT Catalase CD Conjugated dienes cGMP Guanosine 3 0 ,5 0 -cyclic monophosphate COX-2 Cyclooxygenase-2 CYP Cytochrome P450 DMPD ? N,N-Dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine DPPH 2,2 0 -Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl dw Dry weight ecNOS Endothelial cell NO synthase EDTA Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid

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