Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae), a tree that is widely distributed in the Marmara, Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey, has been utilized traditionally for culinary and medicinal purposes. In the present study, methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts were prepared from young leaves of P. atlantica Desf., which were collected during the spring, and their antioxidant, scavenging, chelating and anti‐acetylcholinesterase activities were evaluated. Both of the extracts showed strong antioxidant activity compared to synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene and α‐tocopherol whereas they exhibited relatively lower level of anti‐acetylcholinesterase activity. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect of the ethylacetate extract was higher than the inhibitory effect of the methanolic extract. Therefore, the extracts of the young leaves of P. atlantica Desf. might be a potential antioxidant supplement for food and pharmaceutical products. It might also be used to stabilize the foods against oxidative deterioration. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae) is a tree located in the Marmara, Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey. The genus Pistacia includes at least 11 species. The mastic obtained from Pistacia species has been used as urinary and respiratory antiseptic in Turkish folk medicine. During the spring, the young leaves of P. atlantica Desf. are used as a vegetable and commonly consumed as cooked food in the Mediterranean and East Anatolian parts of Turkey. Pistacia species have been reported to posses anti‐inflammatory, antipyretic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti‐insect, anti‐atherogenic, hypoglycemic, anticancer and hepatoprotective activities. The aerial parts and/or resin of the plant has been also used in traditional medicine for the treatment of eczema, paralysis, diarrhea, throat infections, renal stones, jaundice, asthma and stomach ache, and also as an astringent and a pectoral stimulant. According to our results, the high antioxidant properties of the leaves of P. atlantica Desf. might be beneficial to the antioxidant protection system of the human body against oxidative damage.

In this paper, interaction of Schiff base and its metal complexes carrying naphthalene ring in the structure with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated using UV-vis absorption, fluorescence spectroscopies and molecular docking methods. The effect on the binding mechanism and properties of these compounds containing metal-free, iron and copper ions were also investigated. The fluorescence spectroscopy results showed that fluorescence intensity of BSA in the presence of different concentration of ligands was decreased through a static quenching mechanism. Binding constants (KSV, Kbin and Ka) and thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) for the ligand-protein interactions were also determined. ΔG values of ligand-protein interaction were calculated in the range - 6.3 to -5.5 kcal/mol. These negative values showed that binding process is spontaneous and, hydrogen bonding and van der Waals force were main interaction of the protein and ligands. ΔH and ΔS value were also calculated in the range of 1.10 to 1.26 kJ/mol and 0.133 to 0.135 kJ/mol. K, respectively. These positive values indicated that the binding process between ligands and BSA are endothermic and electrostatic interaction, respectively.

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Asphodelus aestivusBrot. is a common spring-flowering geophyte encountered on the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterrenean coasts of Turkey, which has been utilized traditionally for culinary and medicinal purposes. In the present study, different antioxidant tests were employed in order to evaluate the antioxidant activities of methanolic and acetone extracts of A. aestivus Brot. leaves. In addition, the results were compared with natural and synthetic antioxidants. The levels of total flavonoid, total chlorophyll, and total carotenoid contents of the extracts were also determined. Both extracts showed good total flavonoid content, inhibited lipid peroxidation, and showed radical scavenging activities.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the biochemical effects of niacin and chromium(III)-chloride on serum lipid peroxidation, uric and sialic acids, and the extent of lipid peroxidation and glutathione levels in skin and lung tissues of hyperlipidemic rats. In this study, female Swiss albino rats, 12 mo old, were used. They were randomly divided into four groups. Group I animals were fed with a standard pellet diet and water ad libitium. Group II rats were fed with a standard pellet diet and were treated with a dose of 250 microg/kg body weight CrCI(3).6H(2)O and 100 mg/kg body weight niacin, for 45 d, by the gavage technique. Group III rats were fed a lipogenic diet in which 2% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid, and 20% sunflower oil were added to the pellet chow. In addition, the animals in this group drank water containing 3% ethanol. This regime was maintained for 60 d. The rats in group IV were maintained in the same food and drink regime as the animals in group III. After 2 wk, the animals showed symptoms of hyperlipemia and they were treated with 250 microg/kg body weight CrCI(3).6H(2)O and 100 mg/kg body weight niacin, by gavage, for 45 d. On d 60, the blood and the skin and lungs samples were taken from animals. In the hyperlipemic groups, a reduction of the lung glutathione level and an increase in serum, lung, and skin lipid peroxidation levels and in serum sialic and uric acid were observed. In rats treated with a combination of niacin and Cr(III), the skin and serum lipid peroxidation and the sialic and uric acid levels decreased while showing an increase of lung glutathione activity. These results suggest that niacin and Cr(III), when administered in combination, have a protective effect against skin and lung tissues damage as a result of hyperlipidemia.

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