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Isolation and identification of the inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), obtained from the extracts of roots and fruits of Angelica archangelica L., are reported. Our results confirmed the weak inhibitory effect of Angelica roots on acetylcholinesterase activity. BChE inhibition was much more pronounced at a concentration of 100 μg/mL for hexane extracts and attained a higher rate than 50%. The TLC bioautography guided fractionation and spectroscopic analysis led to the isolation and identification of imperatorin from the fruit's hexane extract and of heraclenol-2'-O-angelate from the root's hexane extract. Both compounds showed significant BChE inhibition activity with IC(50) = 14.4 ± 3.2 μM and IC(50) = 7.5 ± 1.8 μM, respectively. Only C8-substituted and C5-unsubstituted furanocoumarins were active, which could supply information about the initial structures of specific BChE inhibitors.

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Herbhoneys have similar antioxidant properties to traditional honeys, being therefore of equal nutritional value. There was a noticeable influence of the extract concentration on the observed antioxidant effect. For samples with high antioxidant activity, polyphenols were responsible for the observed effect. Sample clustering due to sucrose content in the NMR-PCA study allowed effortless detection of adulteration.

There is a wide diversity of plants and seasonal crops in Peru, due to the presence of many climatic zones. Numerous plants are used to cure or prevent diseases. These plants are promising candidates for functional foods products. The most frequent form in which they are used is an aqueous infusion or decoction. In this study, we compared the antioxidant properties of ten Peruvian plants infusions and investigated their relation to the phenolic content. The studied plants were: Uncaria tomentosa (cat’s claw), Lepidium meyenii (maca), Berberis vulgaris L. (barberry, agracejo), Phyllantus niruri (chanca piedra), Annona muricata L. (graviola, soursop), Gentianella alborosea (hercampure), Geranium dielsianum (pasuchaca), Tabebuia ochracea (tahuari), Notholaena nivea (“cuti cuti”) and Tiquilia paronychioides (“flor de arena”). Infusions of all studied plants have shown antioxidant activity, though there was a large diversity between the results. The antioxidant properties, determined with DPPH and ABTS scavenging assays as well as FRAP test, were strongly correlated with total phenolic content, while there was no correlation with the carotenoid content

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Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott’s (chokeberry) besides anthocyanins contains significant amounts of hydroxycinnamic acids: Chlorogenic and its isomer neochlorogenic acid. They exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activities, thus they can have a significant impact on the health-promoting properties of Aronia. The aim of our research was to determine the changes in the content of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and anthocyanins during fruit development and ripening, with a particular emphasis on acids. Aronia fruit samples were collected from July to October on two organic farms in Poland. The chemical composition of the extracts was determined by NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-DAD. 1H-NMR and HPLC data were analyzed using chemometric analysis and multivariate statistics (PCA). The results showed that the content of chlorogenic acids and anthocyanins changes during ripening and depends on the time of harvest and the region of cultivation. A correlation between the time of CGAs reduction and the appearance of anthocyanins was also noticed. The result of our research was also a database in the form of NMR parameters, which allows analysis of the metabolite profile and tracking of its changes. The 1H-NMR spectrum showing anthocyanin and CGA resonance can be considered the Aronia berry fingerprint.