Organically produced spring and winter wheat had significantly higher concentrations of ferulic and p-coumaric acid as well as the total phenolic acid content than conventional wheat, though the differences in the levels of phenolics were not large. However, these differences are probably caused mainly by smaller size of organic wheat kernels (lower TKW).

BackgroundThe gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus is a pathogenic organism resistant to several anthelmintics. This study assessed the efficacy of a medicinal herbal mixture (Herbmix) and organic zinc, as an essential trace element for the proper functioning of both unspecific and specific immune defensive mechanisms, against experimental infections with H. contortus in lambs. All lambs were infected orally with approximately 5000 third-stage larvae of a strain of H. contortus susceptible to anthelmintics (MHco1). Twenty-four female lambs 3–4 months of age were divided into four groups: unsupplemented animals (control), animals supplemented with Herbmix (Hmix), animals supplemented with organic zinc (Zn) and animals supplemented with Herbmix and organic zinc (Hmix+Zn). Eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces were quantified 20, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 62 and 70 d post-infection and mean abomasal worm counts were assessed 70 d post-infection. Samples of blood were collected from each animal 7, 35, 49 and 70 d post-infection.ResultsQuantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds in Herbmix identified three main groups: flavonoids (9964.7 μg/g), diterpenes (4886.1 μg/g) and phenolic acids (3549.2 μg/g). Egg counts in the lambs treated with Hmix, Zn and Hmix+Zn decreased after 49 d. The EPGs in the Zn and Hmix+Zn groups were significantly lower on day 56 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), and the EPGs and mean worm counts were significantly lower on day 70 in all supplemented groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Hemograms of complete red blood cells of each animal identified clinical signs of haemonchosis after day 35. Serum calprotectin concentrations and IgA levels were significantly affected by treatment. The treatment influenced serum malondialdehyde concentrations (P < 0.05) and sulfhydryl groups (P < 0.01) of antioxidant status. The mineral status was unaltered in all lambs.ConclusionA direct anthelmintic impact on the viability of nematodes was not fully demonstrated, but the treatments with herbal nutraceuticals and zinc likely indirectly contributed to the increase in the resistance of the lambs to nematode infection.

This is the first such detailed report on chemical composition and biological activity of R. rugosa petals.

Giant knotweeds of the genus (syn.)-, and a hybrid of them, -are noxious invasive plants in Europe and North America. is a traditional East Asian (Japan and China) drug (). Recently, it has been included in European Pharmacopoeia as one of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. In this study, a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography method with diode array detector and time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the profiling of rhizomes from European invasive populations and purchased in China. Twenty-five compounds were identified, mainly stilbenes, anthraquinones, flavan-3-ols, and phenylpropanoid esters. Tatariside B, hydropiperoside, vanicoside C, a new compound (3,6-O-di--coumaroyl)--fructofuranosyl-(2 → 1)-(2'-O-acetyl-6'-O-feruloyl)--glucopyranoside) were reported for the first time in these raw materials. Six compounds from three phytochemical classes-stilbenes: piceid and resveratrol; anthraquinones: emodin and physcion; hydroxycinnamic sucrose esters: vanicosides A and B-were quantified using the validated method. from China contained twice as many stilbenoids than samples from Poland (piceid 14.83 mg/g dm vs. 7.45 mg/g and resveratrol 1.29 mg/g vs. 0.65 mg/g). rhizomes contained lower quantities of anthraquinones and no detectable stilbenes, which together with higher amounts of hydroxycinnamic glycosides makes it easily distinguishable from the other two. The phytochemical profile of was intermediate between the two parent species.

A bioassay-guided fractionation of Agave offoyana leaves led to the isolation of five steroidal saponins (1-5) along with six known saponins (6-11). The compounds were identified as (25R)-spirost-5-en-2α,3β-diol-12-one 3-O-{α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside} (1), (25R)-spirost-5-en-3β-ol-12-one 3-O-{α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside} (2), (25R)-spirost-5-en-3β-ol-12-one 3-O-{β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside} (3), (25R)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosylfurost-5-en-3β,22α,26-triol-12-one 3-O-{α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside} (4) and (25R)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosylfurost-5-en-3β,22α,26-triol-12-one 3-O-{β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-[β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-O-β-d-galactopyranoside} (5) by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques, mass spectrometry and chemical methods. The phytotoxicity of the isolated compounds on the standard target species Lactuca sativa was evaluated.

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Nine polyphenols in the aerial parts of Mentha longifolia have been separated by chromatographic techniques. Their structures have been confirmed by HPLC/electrospray ionization-MS/MS. The compounds identified included rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid L, dedihydro–salvianolic acid, luteolin–glucuronide, luteolin–diglucuronide, luteolin–glucopyranosyl–rhamnopyranoside, and eriodictyol–glucopyranosyl–rhamnopyranoside. The extracts of M. longifolia and M. piperita field plants, in vitro plants, callus tissues, and cell suspension cultures were profiled, and their polyphenol composition was compared in different tissues and quantified using ultra-performance column liquid chromatography (UPLC)/triple-quadrupole-MS in the selected-ion recording detection mode. Determination of desired compounds was based on calibration curves obtained for standards, which were previously isolated from M. longifolia aerial parts. The UPLC profiles revealed considerable differences in the synthesis of secondary metabolites among samples coming from field plants, in vitro plants, callus tissues, and cell suspension cultures. Plant tissues coming from field cultivation (for both M. piperita and M. longifolia) contained several phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), whereas plants from in vitro conditions, callus tissues, and suspension cultures contained only a few of them. Rosmarinic acid dominated in all of these samples. These results show that under in vitro conditions, the metabolism of phenolics undergoes a fundamental change.

The effects of two elicitors: jasmonic acid and methyl jasmonate on cell growth as well as on rosmarinic acid accumulation in cell suspension cultures of Mentha 9 piperita were investigated. The highest rosmarinic acid accumulation 117.95 mg g -1 DW (12% DW) was measured 24 h after addition of 100 lM methyl jasmonate. A similar concentration 110.12 mg g -1 DW was detected 48 h after application of 200 lM jasmonic acid. Those values were nearly 1.5 times higher compared to the control sample, without elicitation. There was no substantial influence of elicitors on rosmarinic acid secretion into the culture media. Extracellular concentrations of rosmarinic acid were similar to the values from the control variants. It was documented that suspension cultures of M. piperita treated with elicitors showed a decrease in biomass accumulation when compared to the control.