Isolation and Identification of F Lavonol Glycosides from Lathyrus armenus (Boiss. & Huet).

In the last five decades study on plant secondary metabolites have been increasing. Higher plants with a wide range of secondary metabolites have been very important in the search of new therapeutic agents. In this study secondary metabolites of Lathyrus armenus (Boiss. & Huet) which are endemic in Turkey, were studied. Flavonol glycosides (Rhamnocitrin-3-O-rhamninoside, Rhamnetin-3-O-rhamninoside, Rhamnazin- 3-O-rhamninoside, kaempferol3-O-rhamninoside and, kaempferol-3-O-glucosyl (1→2) rhamnoside) were isolated by different chromatographic methods and identified by 1H, 13C NMR, as well as 2D NMR and Mass spectroscopy techniques from ethyl acetate and aqueous fractions of L. armenus's methanolic extract. This is the first study about secondary metabolites of Turkish Lathyrus species.

Inhibitory activity of Scorzonera latifolia and its components on enzymes connected with healing process.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Scorzonera latifolia (Fisch. & Mey.) DC. (Asteraceae) grows naturally in Eastern Anatolia, northeastern Iran, and Caucasus. Latex of S. latifolia roots is used in Turkish folk medicine for its analgesic effects, externally to cure infertility in women, and internally as an antihelmintic. The milk obtained from the stem of the Scorzonera species is used for wound healing activity. Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities have previously been reported for S. latifolia. AIM OF THE STUDY: A methanol extract of the aerial parts of Scorzonera latifolia that had been shown to possess wound-healing activity, was used to elucidate the possible mechanism of the wound-healing activity and to identify the compound(s) responsible for the effect by means of bioassay-guided fractionation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The wound-healing activity potential of methanol extract of S. latifolia was detected by evaluating the inhibitory activity on the collagenase, hyaluronidase and elastase, which play important roles in the wound-healing process. Succesive fractionation of the methanol extract using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, respectively, and the residual wateryielded four respective fractions. The ethyl acetate part, which was determined as the most active fraction, was selected for further separation using chromatographic techniques. RESULTS: Ethylacetate fraction exhibited significant inhibitory activities on collagenase and elastase. Chromatographic separation of the ethylacetate extract yielded an active subfraction, from which was used to isolate quercetin-3-O-ß-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→2'')-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), quercetin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-galactopyranoside (2), isoorientin (3), and 7-methylisoorientin (4). Of the compounds tested, 7-methylisoorientin (4) exerted inhibitory activity on collagenase and elastase, while quercetin-3-O-ß-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→2'')-ß-glucopyranoside (1) inhibited collagenase only. None of the fractions, or isolated compounds showed any inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase. It must be mentioned, that in vitro tests showed that compounds 1-4 inhibit the collagenase and elastase and could help wound-healing process. However, the inhibititory effect of the methanol extract appears to be greater than that of both of the ethylacetate fraction, subfraction G and the isolated compounds, which suggest that a synergistic interaction of several compounds could be responsible for the wound-healing activity of the aerial parts of S. latifolia.

Quantification of Galantamine in Sternbergia Species by High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the qualitative and quantitative analysis of galantamine in Sternbergia species growing in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Galantamine was isolated from Sternbergia fischeriana bulbs and the structure of the compound elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of galantamine was investigated in Sternbergia lutea subsp. lutea, S. lutea subsp. sicula, Sternbergia candida, S. fischeriana, and Sternbergia clusiana using a specially developed and validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. RESULTS: S. lutea subsp. sicula had the highest content of galantamine, i.e., 0.0165±0.0002 g/100 g. The limits of detection and quantification were 7.5 µg and 25 µg, respectively. CONCLUSION: Isolation of galantamine from S. fischeriana growing in Turkey is reported for the first time. An HPLC method was developed for identification and quantification of galantamine in Sternbergia species.

Antifungal activity of some Sternbergia taxa: effects on germ tube and biofilm formation

Natural products are rapidly becoming the primary sources of novel antimicrobial agents, as resistance to existing antimicrobial agents is increasing. Apart from determining the antimicrobial activity of natural products, it is also important to understand their effects on the virulence factors of microorganisms. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of Sternbergia species prevalent in Turkey and investigate their role in the inhibition of germination tube and biofilm formation, both of which are known to be important virulence factors of Candida albicans. The antimicrobial activities of the plant extracts were evaluated using bore-plate and broth microdilution method. The extracts' capacity to inhibit the formation of the germ-tube was also evaluated. The findings of our study revealed that Sternbergia lutea, Sternbergia vernalis possessed antimicrobial activities, with MIC values ranging between 0.048 mg/mL and 0.39 mg/mL. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed against Candida dubliniensis (0.048 mg/mL). While evaluating the inhibition of fungal germination activities, S. vernalis extract (at a concentration of 0.09 mg/mL) was found to be the most effective against C. albicans ATCC 90028 strain. The results also indicated that S. vernalis extracts at sub-MIC levels inhibited germ tube formation and modulated the tail-length of germinated cells, both of which are important virulence factors of C. albicans. Furthermore, the inhibition of biofilm-formation was also investigated, and it was found that two Sternbergia spp. extracts at or below MIC levels inhibited biofilm formation.

In vivo wound-healing activity of Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii: Isolation and quantification of quercetin glycosides as bioactive compounds.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The latex and the aerial parts of Euphorbia characias L. (Euphorbiaceae) have been used as medicinal plant to treat wounds and warts in traditional medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: The effect of the plant extract was tested in vivo and in vitro with experimental models to find scientific evidence for traditional use in wound healing. Potentially active wound-healer compounds were isolated from the active fraction using fractionation procedures under the guidance of biological assay and the possible role of the compounds in the wound healing process was also determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: N-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts were successively prepared from the aerial parts of E. characias subsp. wulfenii. The extracts were tested with linear incision, circular excision wound models and the hydroxyproline assay method to assess the wound-healing activity. The inhibition of the increase in capillary permeability induced by acetic acid, an acute inflammation model, was used to assay the anti-inflammatory activity. Different chromatographic separation techniques on sephadex and silica gel columns, and bioassay guided assay techniques have been used to isolate the active compounds of the plant. Moreover, hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase enzymes inhibitory effect of active principle were investigated in vitro to find out the mechanism of action. RESULTS: The methanol (MeOH-ex) extract of the aerial parts of E. characias subsp. wulfenii showed significant wound healing activity (linear incision wound model: 43.04%; circular excision wound model 65.24%) and anti-inflammatory activity (34.74%). The methanol extract was separated into its fractions by column chromatography for isolation of efficient compounds. Biological activity of the fractions were assessed and further isolation and purification processes have been carried out in the active fraction. Isolation studies were carried out from the MeOH-ex fraction to obtain active constituents and their structures were elucidated to be quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (hyperoside), and quercetin-3-O-arabinoside (guaijaverin). Further in vitro and in vivo assays showed that quercetin derivatives were responsible for the wound-healing activity of the plant, and also found to be significant anti-elastase and anti-collagenase activities. The amounts of three compounds, isolated from active fraction, were determined by using high performance liquid chromatography. Calibration equation was calculated with dilutions, prepared from pure substances, and assay was performed in total extract, prepared from E. characias subsp. wulfenii. It was detected that the plant had 1.22% quercitrin, 0.35% hyperoside, and 0.11% guaijaverin. The validation of the analytical method was performed by linearity, precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification parameters. CONCLUSION: Present study supported the traditional use of the aerial parts E. characias subsp. wulfenii as wound healer and quercetin derivatives were isolated as active components from the active fraction by using bioassay-guided fractionation technique.