The aim of this paper was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and the polyphenolic content of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. leaves and fruits. The Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the polyphenolic compounds were achieved using a HPLC-UV-MS method. The main flavonoid from the leaves was isoquercitrin (2486.18 ± 5.72 μg/g plant material), followed by quercitrin (1645.14 ± 2.12 μg/g plant material). Regarding the fruit composition, the dominant compound there was rutin (13.02 ± 0.21 μg/g plant material), but comparing with the leaves, fruits can be considered a poor source of phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, TEAC, hemoglobin ascorbate peroxidase activity inhibition (HAPX), inhibition of lipid peroxidation catalyzed by cytochrome c and EPR spectroscopic assays, revealing a better antioxidant activity for the S. chinensis leaves extract. In the antimicrobial assay, S. chinensis leaves extract showed efficient activities against the targeted bacteria, being more active than the fruits extract. The results suggest the leaves of S. chinensis as a valuable source of antioxidant compounds with significant antioxidant activity.

The aim of this work was to study the chemical composition of Allium obliquum L., A. senescens L. subsp. montanum (Fries) Holub, and A. schoenoprasum L. subsp. schoenoprasum. Sulphur-containing compounds analysis was performed by an LC-MS method, the identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds through a HPLC-UV-MS method, and the presence of five sterols was simultaneously assessed by HPLC-MS-MS. Alliin was identified only in A. obliquum and A. senescens subsp. montanum extracts, whilst allicin was present in all extracts, with higher amounts in A. schoenoprasum and A. obliquum. The pattern of phenol carboxylic acids shows the presence of p-coumaric and ferulic acids in all species. Isoquercitrin was identified in A. obliquum and A. schoenoprasum, and rutin in A. senescens subsp. montanum and A. schoenoprasum. Luteolin and apigenin were identified only in A. obliquum. All three species contain glycosides of kaempferol and quercetol. β-Sitosterol and campesterol were identified in all species. The results obtained showed significant differences in the composition of the three Allium species.

In the Romanian folk medicine, aerial parts of Ajuga laxmannii (“nobleman’s beard,” Romanian – “barba boierului” or “avrămească” or “creştinească”) are traditionally used as galactagogue and anti-inflammatory agents. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition (polyphenols, iridoids, and phytosterols), antioxidant, antimicrobial and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of different extracts of A. laxmannii aerial parts. The major identified bioactive compounds were rutin, 8-O-acetylharpagide and β-sitosterol. The antioxidant activity of A. laxmannii extracts was evaluated using several methods, and the results showed good antiradical effects. Moreover, the antimicrobial evaluation showed a potent antifungal activity against C. albicans and P. funiculosum. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect was determined by monitoring some parameters involved in the inflammatory process. The results obtained showed differences between the analyzed extracts; and therefore the importance of choosing the best solvent in order to extract the appropriate amount of bioactive compounds. A. laxmannii ethanol extract showed an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing total leukocytes, PMN, phagocytosis, and oxidative stress. Compared to diclofenac, only the 50 mg/mL A. laxmannii extract had better anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects, and this could justify the importance of a correlation between the activity and the used concentration. These findings strongly suggest that A. laxmannii could be considered as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which could be further valued as anti-inflammatory agents in the composition of several herbal drugs.

Solidago species are often used in traditional medicine as anti-inflammatory, diuretic, wound-healing and antimicrobial agents. Still, the bioactive compounds and biological activities of some species have not been studied. The present work aimed to investigate the polyphenolic profile and the biological properties of Solidago graminifolia L. Salisb., a poorly explored medicinal plant. The hydroalcoholic extracts from aerial parts were evaluated for total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and the polyphenolic compounds were investigated by HPLC-MS. The antioxidant potential in vitro was determined using DPPH and FRAP assays. Antibacterial and antifungal effects were evaluated by dilution assays and MIC, MBC and MFC were calculated. The results showed that Solidago graminifolia aerial parts contain an important amount of total phenolics (192.69 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (151.41 mg RE/g), with chlorogenic acid and quercitrin as major constituents. The hydroalcoholic extracts showed promising antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, with potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and important antifungal effect against Candida albicans and C. parapsilosis. The obtained results indicated that the aerial parts of Solidago graminifolia could be used as novel resource of phytochemicals in herbal preparations with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Several Ajuga species are used in Romanian folk medicine for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, to treat pain, fever or arthritis. Still, the active compounds responsible for these effects and their mechanism of action are scarcely known. This research was designed to investigate the phytochemical profile (e.g. iridoids, polyphenolic compounds, phytosterols), as well as the biological potential (antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory properties) of two selected Ajuga species collected from different regions of Romanian spontaneous flora. The main compounds identified in A. reptans aerial parts extracts were 8-O-acetylharpagide, isoquercitrin and β-sitosterol, whilst in A. genevensis were 8-O-acetylharpagide, luteolin and campesterol. The extracts were screened for their antioxidant potential using different methods (DPPH, TEAC, EPR) and the results showed a good activity, in accordance with the polyphenol content (18–26 mg GAE/g dw). The antifungal activity on the tested strains was good. The determination of few parameters linked with the inflammatory mechanism allowed the assessment of in vivo anti-inflammatory potential. Ajuga reptans and A. genevensis ethanol extracts had anti-inflammatory activity through lowering the oxidative stress, phagocytosis, PMN and total leukocytes. The best anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity was observed for the Ajuga reptans 100 mg dw/mL extract when compared with diclofenac, thus the dose could be correlated with the pharmacological effect. These findings provide substantial evidence that both selected Ajuga species have the potential to be valued as sources of phytochemicals in effective anti-inflammatory herbal preparations.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate chemical constituents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Artabotrys hildebrandtii, an endemic medicinal plant from Madagascar. Ethanol extracts from the leaves and stem bark were tested to evaluate DPPH free radical scavenging, using butylated hydroxytoluene and quercetin as standard antioxidants. An high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed to investigate the presence of phenolic compounds in the studied samples; gentisic acid, chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, rutin, quercitrin, quercetol, apigenin and luteolin were identified. Total polyphenolic content was determined by a spectrophotometric method using Folin-Ciocâlteu reagent. Results showed the efficiency of A. hildebrandtii leaves extract against strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, as the inhibitory activity is more powerful compared to Gentamicin, used as the standard drug. The leaves of A. hildebrandtii can be considered an important source of polyphenols, especially of rutin, with good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Five Allium species (Allium obliquum L., A. senescens L. subsp. montanum (Fries) Holub, A. schoenoprasum L. subsp. schoenoprasum, A. fistulosum L. and A. ursinum L.) were analysed in order to determine the presence of 19 polyphenolic compounds through an HPLC method coupled with UV and mass spectrometry detection. The pattern of phenol carboxylic acids indicates the presence of p-coumaric and ferulic acids in all species. Isoquercitrin was found in A. obliquum, A. schoenoprasum and A. fistulosum, rutin in A. senescens subsp. montanum and A. schoenoprasum, whereas quercitrin was found only in A. fistulosum, so they represent potential taxonomic markers that differentiate the four plants. Luteolin and apigenin were identified before and after hydrolysis only in A. obliquum. The amounts of all polyphenols were higher in hydrolysed samples, suggesting that these substances are present both as unbonded and bonded glycosides and/or esters. Our study showed large differences between the five Allium species, both qualitative and quantitative.

The use of antioxidants and antibacterials in food industry has become increasingly necessary to ensure the high quality of food. Grape pomace is the main by-product of winemaking industry that concentrates bioactive metabolites with more studied antioxidant activity and possible antibacterial activity. The grape pomace contains fragmented skin, broken cells, pulp remains, stalks and seeds with high amount of phenolic compounds due to their poor extraction during the winemaking process. Anthocyanins, catechins, flavonol glycosides, phenolic acids, alcohols and stilbenes have been identified among the compounds present in grape pomace. In this study, antibacterial activity against different pathogens (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Candida albicansATCC 90028, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923) was evaluated and the relation with polyphenols content and antioxidant activity of grape pomace from selected grapes from Iaşi vineyard was studied. The grape pomace samples were obtained after the fermentation process from the 2017 harvest of Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, Busuioacă de Bohotin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Fetească Neagră and Fetească Regală grape varieties. The antioxidant properties were evaluated using the DPPH method, FRAP assay and Folin Ciocalteu method. The content of resveratrol was quantified using an HPLC method. Samples with antioxidant activity showed the highest phenolics content. This study reveals that grape pomace is a potential source of natural antioxidant agents. The pomace extracts were tested to establish the effects on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The analysed samples exhibited insignificant antibacterial activity and the method requires optimization. Grape marc represents an important source of resveratrol and other bioactive compounds that could be a valuable source of antioxidants for further utilization in food and pharmaceutical industry.