Cuscuta arvensis Beyr. is a parasitic plant, and commonly known as “dodder” in Europe, in the United States, and “tu si zi shu” in China. It is one of the preferred spices used in sweet and savory dishes. Also, it is used as a folk medicine for the treatment particularly of liver problems, knee pains, and physiological hepatitis, which occur notably in newborns and their mothers in the southeastern part of Turkey. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects and antioxidant activities of aqueous and methanolic extracts of C. arvensis Beyr. on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced acute hepatotoxicity in rats. The results were supported by subsequent histopathological studies. The hepatoprotective activity of both the aqueous and methanolic extracts at an oral dose of 125 and 250 mg/kg was investigated by observing the reduction levels or the activity of alkaline phosphatase, alkaline transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urine nitrogen, and total bilirubin content. In vivo antioxidant activity was determined by analyzing the serum superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, glutathione, and catalase levels. Chromatographic methods were used to isolate biologically active compounds from the extract, and spectroscopic methods were used for structure elucidation. Both the methanolic and aqueous extracts exerted noticable hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects supporting the folkloric usage of dodder. One of the bioactive compounds was kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, isolated and identified from the methanolic extract.

Beyond the metabolic functions, the liver recently has been defined as an organ of immune system (IS), which have central regulatory role for innate and adaptive immunity. The liver keeps a delicate balance between hepatic screening of pathogenic antigens and immune tolerance to self-antigens. Herbal treatments with immunological effects have potential to alter this hepatic immune balance towards either therapeutic side or diseases side by inducing liver injury via hepatotoxicity or initiation of autoimmune diseases. Most commonly known herbal treatments, which have therapeutic effect on liver and IS, have proven via in vitro, in vivo, and/or clinical studies were summarized in this review.

Methanolic extracts of 16 plant species, used in herbal and traditional medicinal preparations, collected from the same geographic region (Golcuk-Seben/Bolu, Turkey) were evaluated for their relative total phenolic contents, total antioxidant activities and their mineral contents in both dried plant samples and methanolic extracts. These species included Hypericum perforatum L., Thymus sipyleus Boiss., Equisetum arvense L., Achillea millefolium L., Tanacetum parthenium L., Thymus leucostomus Hausskn. & Velen., Usnea longissima, Herniaria incana Boiss., Teucrium polium L., Stachys bithynica Boiss., Anthemis nobilis L., Sambucus ebulus L., Berberis vulgaris L., Malus communis Desf., Matricaria chamomilla L. and Scorzonera laciniata L. Spectrophotometric Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH free radical scavenging activity methods were performed to detect the total phenolic contents and total antioxidant activities of the methanolic extracts, respectively. The results show that the fruits of Berberis vulgaris L., have the highest antioxidant activity and aerial parts of Tanacetum parthenium L. have the highest total phenolics (92.62%). Mineral contents were determined by inductively coupled -mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). All dried plant samples and methanolic extracts contained high amounts of Si, Cu, Fe and Ca. The highest levels of Si, Cu, Fe and Ca were found in Equisetum arvense L., Anthemis nobilis L., and Thymus sipyleus Boiss. dried plant samples, whereas Se was only detected in Usnea longissima. The highest levels of Si, Cu, Fe and Ca were found in the methanolic extracts of Usnea longissima, Anthemis nobilis L. and Thymus sipyleus Boiss. respectively.

ÖZBitkilerde melatonin kavramı, son yıllarda, hem bitkiler hem de beslenme ve sağlığı koruma amacıyla bitkileri kullanan insanlar için oldukça önemli olmuştur. Enzimler aracılığıyla L-triptofandan sentezlenen melatonin bitkiyi zorlu koşullara karşı korumaktadır. İnsanlar antioksidan, immünomodülatör, antienflamatuvar ve antikanser etkilerinden dolayı bu bitkileri kullanmaktadır. Yenilebilen ve yenilemeyen bitki kısımlarında siklodeskstrinle modifiye edilmiş miseller elektrokinetik kromatografi, enzim bağlı immünosorban deneyi, radyoimmün test, yüksek performanslı sıvı kromatografisi, elektrokimyasal algılamalı sıvı kromatografisi, florometrik algılamalı sıvı kromatografisi, sıvı kromatografisi-kütle spektrometrisi ve sıvı kromatografisi-ultraviyole spektrofotometri yöntemleri ile tespit edilmiştir. Bu derlemede, melatoninin hem hayvanlarda hem de bitkilerde biyosentezi, özellikle tıbbi/yenilebilen ve yenilemeyen bitkilerde melatoninin fonksiyonu ve bu bitkilerde fitomelatonin içeriği sunulmuştur. Anahtar kelimeler: Melatonin, fitomelatonin, melatonin etkisiThe concept of melatonin has become more important recently both in plants and in human who utilize plants for nutritional and health purposes. Melatonin, synthesized from L-tryptophan by enzyms, protects plants against difficult conditions. People have consumed these plants for their antioxidant, immunomodulator, antiinflammatory and anticancer effects. In parts of edible and non-edible plants, levels of melatonin are determined by cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography, enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay, radioimmunoassay, highperformance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-ultraviolet spectrophotometry. In this review, biosynthesis of melatonin in both animal and plants, function of melatonin in plant kingdom, especially in medicinal/edible and nonedible plants, and detection of phytomelatonin content in those plants are presented.

Objective: Our aim was to take attention to Citrus aurantium L. ssp. amara Engl. (Rutaceae), which grows widely along the Mediterranean in Turkey where it has very limited medicinal usage. The bitter orange fruits/peels were analysed to find out if they are suitable to the standards in European Pharmacopoeia 7.0. The peel and fixed oil were investigated to Figure out the oil quality to apply in medicinal and cosmeceutical preparations. Material/Methods: C. aurantium were collected from different regions of Turkey, various fruit parts and their extracts were evaluated according to the Pharmacopoeia. The essential and fixed oils were obtained from their fruits and seeds, respectively. Seeds were crushed and fixed oil was obtained by cold squeezing. Essential oil yield, index analysis of fixed oil and drog analysis were conducted in compliance with the procedures. Results and Discussion: Evaluation of the peel was found appropriate to the Pharmacopoeia. Aydin, Iskenderun and Mersin regions have been suitable to cultivate valuable medicinally used product. Although C. aurantium has commercial and medicinal value around the world, it has not significant utilization in Turkey. Therefore this study could help recognizing its health benefits. Absolutely, phytochemical content should be taken into account before medicinal using.