Calluna vulgaris as a Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds: Exploring Its Phytochemical Profile, Biological Activities and Apitherapeutic Potential.

Calluna vulgaris, belonging to the Ericaceae family, is an invasive plant that has widely spread from Europe all across Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Being able to survive in rigid soil and environmental conditions, it is nowadays considered to be of high nature-conservation value. Known for its nutritional and medicinal properties, C. vulgaris stands out for its varied physiochemical composition, spotlighting a wide range of biological activity. Among the most important bioactive compounds identified in C. vulgaris, the phenolic components found in different parts of this herbaceous plant are the main source of its diverse pro-health properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, chemoprotective, etc.). Nonetheless, this plant exhibits an excellent nectariferous potential for social insects such as honeybees; therefore, comparing the bioactive compounds observed in the plant and in the final product of the beehive, namely honey, will help us understand and find new insights into the health benefits provided by the consumption of C. vulgaris-related products. Thus, the main interest of this work is to review the nutritional profile, chemical composition and biological activities of the C. vulgaris plant and its related honey in order to encourage the future exploration and use of this health-promoting plant in novel foods, pharmacological products and apitherapy.

New Approaches on Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) Bioactive Compounds and Their Potential of Pharmacological and Beekeeping Activities: Challenges and Future Directions.

Known especially for its negative ecological impact, Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) is now considered one of the most invasive species. Nevertheless, its chemical composition has shown, beyond doubt, some high biological active compounds that can be a source of valuable pharmacological potential for the enhancement of human health. In this direction, resveratrol, emodin or polydatin, to name a few, have been extensively studied to demonstrate the beneficial effects on animals and humans. Thus, by taking into consideration the recent advances in the study of Japanese knotweed and its phytochemical constituents, the aim of this article is to provide an overview on the high therapeutic potential, underlining its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects, among the most important ones. Moreover, we describe some future directions for reducing the negative impact of Fallopia japonica by using the plant for its beekeeping properties in providing a distinct honey type that incorporates most of its bioactive compounds, with the same health-promoting properties.

Comparative studies on antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of Lycium barbarum L. and Lycium chinense Mill. leaves.

The purpose of this research was to bring new data regarding the phenolic composition and the antioxidant activity of L. barbarum L. and L. chinense Mill. leaves. The determination of the main polyphenolic compounds was performed using a HPLC-UV-MS method. The dominant compound found for both species was rutin, with its highest amount registered in L. chinense (24141.90±21.3 µ/g plant material) leaves. Among the flavonoidic aglycones, quercetin was found in both samples, being quantified in a higher amount in L. chinense. In the antioxidant assays, both extracts exhibited important antioxidant activities, as witnessed by the three methods, both correlated with their total polyphenolic content.