The essential oil of juniper berries (Juniperus communis L., Cupressaceae) is traditionally used for medicinal and flavoring purposes. As elucidated by gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS methods), the juniper berry oil from Bulgaria is largely comprised of monoterpene hydrocarbons such as α-pinene (51.4%), myrcene (8.3%), sabinene (5.8%), limonene (5.1%) and β-pinene (5.0%). The antioxidant capacity of the essential oil was evaluated in vitro by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation scavenging, hydroxyl radical (ОН•) scavenging and chelating capacity, superoxide radical (•O2−) scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects, hydrogen peroxide scavenging. The antioxidant activity of the oil attributable to electron transfer made juniper berry essential oil a strong antioxidant, whereas the antioxidant activity attributable to hydrogen atom transfer was lower. Lipid peroxidation inhibition by the essential oil in both stages, i.e., hydroperoxide formation and malondialdehyde formation, was less efficient than the inhibition by butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). In vivo studies confirmed these effects of the oil which created the possibility of blocking the oxidation processes in yeast cells by increasing activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
In the present study, the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of an essential oil of ginger rhizomes from Ecuador was elucidated. The analysis of the essential oil by GC/FID/MS resulted in identification of 71 compounds, of which the main are citral (geranial 10.5% and neral 9.1%), α-zingiberene (17.4%), camphene (7.8%), α-farnesene (6.8%) and β-sesquiphellandrene (6.7%). The in vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oil expressed by IC 50 in descending order is: hydroxyl radical (OH •) scavenging (0.0065 µg/mL) > chelating capacity (0.822 µg/mL) > 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical cation (ABTS •+) scavenging (3.94 µg/mL) > xanthine oxidase inhibition (138.0 µg/mL) > oxygen radical (О 2 •) scavenging (404.0 µg/mL) > 2,2diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH •) scavenging (675 µg/mL). Lipid peroxidation inhibition of the essential oil was less efficient than butylhydroxytoluol (BHT) in both stages, i.e. hydroperoxide and malondialdehyde formation. In vivo studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrated a significant dosedependent increase in antioxidant marker enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), blocking the oxidation processes in yeast cells. Moreover, ginger essential oil in concentrations of 1.6 mg/mL increases the viability of cells to oxidative stress induced by H 2 O 2 .
The focus of the presented study is the in vitro anti-oxidant activity and anti-diabetic potential of water extracts from the following four herbal substances, not traditionally used for treatment of diabetes mellitus – leaves of Sambucus ebulus L. and Prunus mahaleb L., and flowering stems of Cichorium intybus L. and Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. The water extracts are obtained through ultrasonication. The extract of S. kitaibelii stands out due to its highest values in all studied indicators – total phenolic content, scavenging potential (DPPH, ABTS) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity which was six times higher than acarbose. The extract of C. intybus also showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity compared to acarbose. The flowering stems of both species are promising sources of biologically active substances for blood sugar control in diabetes mellitus.
In the current study the phytochemical profile of 70% ethanol extract of Ziziphus jujubа (Rhamnaceae), cultivated in Bulgaria has been investigated. The fruit extract contained numerous phytochemicals, such as triterpenes, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Five triterpenes, 11 phenolic acids and 5 flavonoids have been identified. The fruit extract had a total phenolic content of 21.62 ± 0.0265 mg/g and total flavonoid content 1.34 ± 0.017 mg/g dried extract. Among the triterpenes with the highest concentration was the betulinic acid 20943.17±527.06 µg/g dried extract, rosmarinic acid (1174.26±29.55 µg/g) among the phenolic acids, followed by myricetin (214.61±5.40 µg/g) as a representative of flavonoids and rutin 3 046.89±76.68 among the quercetin glycosides. The inhibitory effect of Z. jujubа fruit extract has been investigated on the key enzymes linked to diabetes – α-glucosidase and α-amylase. In order to evaluate the type of inhibition a Lineweaver-Burk plot was produced. The results obtained from the enzyme kinetic studies exhibited a mixed noncompetitive-uncompetitive type of inhibition on α-glucosidase and mixed competitive-non-competitive type of inhibition on α-amylase. Besides that the obtained results proved high inhibition of α-glucosidase (79.46% at 1.33 mg.ml-1 extract) and moderate inhibition of α-amylase (39.10% at 0.666 mg.ml-1 extract concentration). These results suggest the possible use of fruits of Z. jujubа in the management of diabetes mellitus.
Zingiber officinale Roscoe has a very long history of use throughout the world, both as a spice and as a medicinal plant. During the last two years in the midst of a global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 the use of various herbal products with ginger rhizome as active ingredient increased because of its numerous health beneficial properties. A detailed characteristic of the crude powdered drug is presented by microscopic photographs for the first time. Although the structure of ginger rhizome is relatively simple and well-studied, the presented results in combination with the detailed analysis of the literature provide additional insight to the pharmacopoeial guidelines for the identification of ginger powder.
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