The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological activities with toxic properties of the methanol, hexane, and chloroform extracts of Cystoseira compressa (Esper) Gerloff & Nizamuddin from the Coast of Urla in the Aegean Sea. The extracts of C. compressa were tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in this study. Cytotoxic and mutagenic potentials of the extracts were also evaluated using cell culture and mutagenicity assays. Hexane extract was found to have higher total flavonoid and phenolic contents than the other extracts and exerted higher antioxidant activity than other extracts. All extracts exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against tested microorganisms (minimum inhibitory concentration ranges are 32-256 lg/mL). The results indicated that the extracts had no significant cytotoxic activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep 3B cell line in all treated concentrations (5-50 lg/mL) and did not show mutagenicity in the Ames test. Lethality was not observed among mice treated with oral doses of the extracts. In conclusion, results of investigations indicate that brown alga C. compressa is a natural source of antioxidant. It has moderate antimicrobial activities with no toxicity.

In this study, the antioxidant activity of mycelia from 21 wild mushrooms - inuncta -were investigated. Antioxidant properties of ethanol, chloroform and water extracts of these 21 mycelia were studied by two methods: free radical scavenging (DPPH) and the scavenging activity of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS .+ ). Among the 21 mushroom extracts, Omphalotus olearius displayed the most potent antioxidant activity. The study has shown that these wild macrofungi have potential as natural antioxidants.

Coronary heart disease because of atherosclerosis is still the most common cause of mortality. Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol are major risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the olive leaf extract on serum lipid profile, early changes of atherosclerosis and endothelium-dependent relaxations in cholesterol-fed rats. For this purpose, rats were fed by 2% cholesterol-enriched or standard chow for 8 weeks. Some rats in each group were also fed orally by olive leaf extract at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg/day. Atorvastatin at dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight daily was also given as positive control. After 8 weeks, lipid profiles of rat serums were analyzed. Antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and degree of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels) were also measured in the hearts isolated from rats. In addition, expression of adhesion molecules and endothelium-dependent relaxations of isolated thoracic aortas of rats were evaluated. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were found to be increased in cholesterol-fed rats, and both doses of olive leaf extract and atorvastatin significantly decreased those levels. In conclusion, because the olive leaf extract attenuates the increased cholesterol levels, it may have beneficial effects on atherosclerosis.

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Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal higher Basidiomycetes mushroom that exerts anticancer effects through several different mechanisms. This study investigated the effects of G. lucidum on the telomerase activity and microRNA (miRNA) profiles of MCF-7 cells. According to the cytotoxicity results, the G. lucidum ether extract exhibits the highest cytotoxic potency; therefore it was chosen for the subsequent telomerase activity assay and miRNA profiling. The telomerase activity observed in the cells treated with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of G. lucidum ether extract (100 µg/mL in dimethyl sulfoxide) was 32.2% lower than that of the control cells treated with 1% dimethyl sulfoxide. Among 1066 miRNAs, the most downregulated miRNA was hsa-miR-27a* (4.469-fold), and the most upregulated miRNA was hsa-miR-1285 (10.462-fold). A database search revealed the predicted miRNAs that target the catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme telomerase reverse transcriptase, and only miR-3687 (upregulated 2.153-fold) and miR-1207-5p (upregulated 2.895-fold) were changed by at least 2-fold. The miRNA profile changes demonstrated in this study provide a data set regarding their effects on the pathways that regulate telomerase activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with G. lucidum. These data should aid the development of novel cancer treatment strategies.

Introduction: In the classic treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis infection, although metronidazole has been used since the 1960s, there has been an increase in MTZ-resistant T. vaginalis strains and failure in the treatment of trichomoniasis causes serious concerns. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the in vitro antitrichomonal activities of extracts (ethanol and total alkaloid) and pure compounds (chrysosplenetin, dictamnine, gamma-Fagarine, skimmianine) of H. myrtifolium against T. vaginalis. Methodology: H. myrtifolium was collected from the town of Honaz in Denizli, located in the Aegean region of Turkey, and preparation of extracts and isolation and structure elucidation of pure compounds were performed. Later, different concentrations of extracts and pure compounds were incubated with T. vaginalis trophozoites isolated from Turkey, which are known to be sensitive to metronidazole. Results: It was found that ethanol extract caused a more effective lysis on T. vaginalis trophozoites compared with total alkaloid extract (P < 0.05). No compounds except for furoquinoline alkaloid skimmianine prepared above 37.5 µg/mL were found to have any inhibitory effect on T. vaginalis trophozoites. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of H. myrtifolium and skimmianine can be considered as potential candidates for antitrichomonal drug development.

SummaryBlastocystis is a common intestinal parasite that can inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and many animals. Despite it was firstly described almost 100 years ago; many subjects are still under debate about Blastocystis, including its life-cycle, pathogenic potential and treatment of infected individuals. Historically, local plant species have been used for therapeutic purposes by the local people of Anatolia. Here, hexane and methanol extracts of two local plants, Quercus infectoria (Fagaceae) and Achillea millefolium, which have been used against diarrhea in Anatolia, were examined for their in vitro efficacies against Blastocystis. LC 50 and EC 50 values of the plant extracts were determined by Brine Shrimp and Graphpad Prism 5® methods, respectively. The results showed that LC 50 (500 µg/ml) and EC 50 (198.8 µg/ml) concentrations of the methanol extract of A. millefolium were lowest compared to other extracts, its anti-Blastocystis activity was found to be comparable to metronidazole and it showed no cytotoxic activity. These initial results suggest that the methanol extract of A. millefolium may be a novel option for the treatment of Blastocystis infections in humans in future, if confirmed by further, larger-scale studies. Keywords: Blastocystis, treatment, Medicinal plants, Quercus infectoria, Achillea millefolium Quercus infectoria Oliv. ve Achillea millefolium L. Ekstrelerinin Blastocystis spp. İzolatlarına in vitro Etkileri ÖzetBlastocystis spp, insanların ve birçok hayvanın gastrointestinal sistemine yerleşen yaygın bir bağırsak parazitidir. Yaklaşık 100 yıl önce tanımlanmış olmasına rağmen, yaşam döngüsü, patojenitesi ve tedavisini içeren birçok konu halen gizemini korumaktadır. Geçmişten bugüne Anadolu'da çok sayıda bitki halk tarafından tedavi amacıyla kullanılmıştır. Bu projede ishale karşı kullanılan bitkilerden ülkemizde yetişen Quercus infectoria (Fagaceae) ve Achillea millefolium'un hekzan ve metanol ile hazırlanan ekstrelerinin in vitro ortamda Blastocystis spp. 'lerin üremesi üzerine etkileri incelenmiştir. Bitki ekstrelerinin LC 50 değeri "Brine Shrimp" yöntemi, EC 50 değeri Graphpad Prism 5® istatistik yöntemi kullanılarak saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak, A. millefolium'un metanol ekstresinin LC 50 (500 µg/ml) ve EC 50 (198.8 µg/ml) konsantrasyonları diğer ekstrelerle kıyaslandığında en düşük bulunmuş, anti-Blastocystis aktivitesinin ise metronidazol grubunun değerlerine en yakın olduğu ve sitotoksik aktivite göstermediği saptanmıştır. Bu sonuçlar A. millefolium'un metanol ekstresinin, ileride yapılacak geniş kapsamlı çalışmalarla doğrulandığında, Blastocystis spp. enfeksiyonlarının tedavisinde yeni bir seçenek olabileceğini göstermektedir. The present study was financially supported by the

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