The pharmacological properties of Gypsophila eriocalyx: The endemic medicinal plant of northern central Turkey.

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the biological properties of different extracts (methanol, ethanol, and water) obtained from Gypsophila eriocalyx (G. eriocalyx), a medicinal plant traditionally used in Turkey. The components of different extracts were defined using the GC-MS method. The effects of G. eriocalyx extracts on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer as well as in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and antimicrobial activities were investigated. In accordance with the results obtained, although ethanol and methanol extracts of G. eriocalyx show higher antioxidant activity than G. eriocalyx water extract, enzyme inhibition activities of the extracts were not found to be significant compared to the reference drug. The methanol and ethanol extract of G. eriocalyx exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methanol extract showed significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus. In addition, both extracts significantly inhibited cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in breast cancer cells. The cell growth inhibition by methanol and ethanol extracts induced S phase cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Lastly, in order to compare the activities of the chemicals found in Gypsophila eriocalyx plant extract, their activities against various proteins that are breast cancer protein (PDB ID:1A52 and 1JNX), antioxidant protein (PDB ID: 1HD2), AChE enzyme protein (PDB ID: 4M0E), BChE enzyme protein (PDB ID: 5NN0), and Escherichia coli protein (PDB ID: 4PRV)were compared. Then, ADME/T analysis calculations were made to examine the effects of molecules with high activity on human metabolism. Eventually, G. eriocalyx is thought to be a potent therapeutic herb that can be considered as an alternative and functional therapy for the management of diseases of a progressive nature related to oxidative damage such as infection, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.

Determination of biological activity of Tragopogon porrifolius and Polygonum cognatum consumed intensively by people in Sivas.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to investigate the in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxicity, and enzyme inhibition activities of Tragopogon porrifolius and Polygonum cognatum which are naturally grown and consumed intensively by people in Sivas, Turkey. METHODS: Plant materials were extracted with aqueous ethanol by maceration method. The components of the extracts were determined using the Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry. Antimicrobial, cytotoxic and enzyme inhibition activities of the extracts were investigated by micro dilution, XTT assay and 96-micro-well plate methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging, thiobarbituric acid and reducing power methods. The total phenol and total flavonoid content was also examined. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 31 compounds inP. cognatum extract and 29 compounds in T. porrifolius extract. According to the results, T. porrifolius extract showed high level of antioxidant activity in comparison to P. Cognatum extract. T. porrifolius exhibited higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, and both extract showed strong α-amylase inhibition activity compared to reference drug acarbose. T. porrifolius and P. cognatum ethanolic extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in the concentration range of 0.039-2.5 mg/ml. Both extracts also exhibited significant anticancer effect on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The IC50 values of T. porrifolius and P. cognatum extracts in MDA-MB-231 cells were determined as 0.0625 mg/mL and 0.053 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that T. porrifolius and P. cognatum ethanolic extracts have promising effect on antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity as well as enzyme inhibition activity, and hence further studies required to identify specific compounds responsible for these activities.

In vitro antioxidant assessment, screening of enzyme inhibitory activities of methanol and water extracts and gene expression in Hypericum lydium.

Hypericum lydium Boiss. is a perennial plant of the Hypericaceae family, which has been used in particular to treat depression. The aim of this study was to determine in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial activities, anticholinesterase (acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)), antidiabetic activities (α-glucosidase/α-amylase) and Tyrosinase inhibitor activity of methanol and water extracts of H. lydium. Also, gene expression has been evaluated in the shoot and root by microarray technology. So, in general, the purpose of this study is to study the active molecules such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, enzymes and genes in the plant, which is the first to be reported. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. In addition, gene expression was compared in the shoot and root parts. Expression profiling was carried out by microarrays. According to the results, the highest chemical components were determined in methanol extract rather than water extract. There was a difference between the obtained components. While the highest antioxidant activity was determined from the methanol extract of plant herbs for DPPH Free Radical Scavenging Activity, antioxidant activity was the same in both methanol and water extracts using the ABTS method. The methanol extract demonstrated stronger anticholinesterase (AChE and BChE) and α-amylase inhibition activity. This study was complemented by the detection of antioxidant activity and some enzyme inhibition activity in the methanol extract. Microarray showed 10,784 genes had significantly different expression in root and shoot. There was a positive effect of methanol extract in respect of different activities compared to the water extract. Gene expression showed that the number of expressed genes in the root was greater than the shoot.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Chemical Composition and Various Biological Activities of Ficus carica Leaf Extracts.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory activities of enzymes related to diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease of the methanol and water extracts of Ficus carica leaf extracts. The bioactive compounds and anticancer, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects of the extracts were also investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bioactive compounds in the extracts were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, total phenol and flavonoid content, ferric reducing power, and iron chelating method. The anticancer, anticholinesterase, and antimicrobial effects were investigated using the XTT assay, Ellman method, and microdilution, respectively. RESULTS: Our results showed that between the water and methanol extracts there was a difference in terms of chemical composition. The antioxidant results suggested that both extracts have strong antioxidant activity. Similarly, both extracts showed strong α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activity, while the water extract had higher inhibition activity than the methanol extract against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. The methanol extract of F. carica exhibited significant anticancer activity on MDA-MB-231 cells and showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that F. carica leaves could be a valuable source for developing a promising therapeutic agent in cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.

A simplified and optimized protocol for total DNA extraction from insect species: applicable for studying genetic diversity and PCR-based specimen identification via partial amplification of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene.

The efficient DNA extraction from insects has been suggested as a critical and main step affecting molecular entomology for taxonomic identification, the establishment of DNA barcoding library and analysis of genetic diversity relationship between insect populations. For successfully apply these molecular techniques, high-quantity and high-quality of the extracted DNA are required. Several protocols for efficient genomic DNA extraction from insects have been developed. In this research, we represent a rapid, reliable and cost-effective method that it is not reliant on poisonous and enzymatic reagents for DNA extraction from insect tissues. Results showed that high quantity and high-quality of the isolated DNA by this method is suitable and can be used directly for PCR, also is enough to do hundreds of molecular reactions. In conclusion, we described a fast, cost-effective, non-toxic and enzyme-free protocol for high yield genomic DNA extraction from green Lacewings (Chrysoperla carnea) tissues in basic equipment laboratories.

Determination of inhibitory activities of enzymes, related to Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus of plane tree (Platanus orientalis L.) extracts and their antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities.

Plane tree (Platanus orientalis L.) leaves have been employed for centuries in various countries due to their pharmacological value. Therefore, determination of the biological activity of the leaves is of interest. The aim of the study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects against Alzheimer's disease-related enzymes Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), diabetes mellitus related enzymes α-glucosidase and α-amylase. The antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of the leaves were also studied. According to the results, both water and methanol extracts of P. orientalis demonstrated more α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activity than the antidiabetic drug-acarbose at the same concentration level. In addition, extracts showed good inhibition activity against AChE and BuChE. Significant results were obtained regarding antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. These results are very promising especially for the improvement of pharmaceutical formulations to treat various diseases such as age-related diseases, cancer, diabetes etc. and it is necessary to conduct further experiments.

The Effects of different nitrogen doses on antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bert.).

In this study, the efficiency of the different nitrogen doses (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg ha-1) on biological activity levels (antioxidant and antimicrobial activity) of Stevia rebaudiana Bert. was investigated. In addition, methanol extracts were obtained by maceration method from different doses of fertilizer applied stevia. The components in methanol extracts of plants were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Antimicrobial activities of stevia extracts were investigated by microdilution method. The antioxidant activity evaluated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferric thiocyanate (FTC), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), reducing power, total phenol content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) methods. According to the results, the fertilizer doses effects on antimicrobial activity of stevia were not made much difference. But in antioxidant activity, there were some variations in the activity-dependent on fertilizer amount.

Tongue carcinoma with endobronchial metastasis: a rare case.

Endobronchial metastases of extrapulmonary malignant tumors are quite rare. We present a patient with endobronchial metastasis previously operated for tongue carcinoma. A 71-year-old female patient presented with the complaint of cough. She had a history of tongue carcinoma operation 2 years before. Chest x-ray revealed an air-fluid level in the lower zone of the right hemithorax. There was a big cavitary lesion in the right lower lobe and bilateral multiple nodular lesions, some of which had cavity formation on computed tomography. Bronchoscopy re- vealed a polypoid lesion with necrotic appearance and pathologic examination showed squamous cell carcinoma. The lesion was accepted as a metastasis of tongue carcinoma after evaluation of the materials taken from the tongue on previous operation. There was no finding suggestive of local recurrence; however, the patient died from hemoptysis and respiratory insufficiency. In conclusion, endobronchial metastasis should be considered in patients with extrapulmonary malignancies and bronchoscopic examination should be performed in such cases, even in the presence of atypical radiological findings.