Obična lavanda (Lavandula angustifolia Miller) je niska, višegodišnja grmasta biljka koja raste u zemljama oko zapadnog Mediterana. Potekla je iz sunčanih stjenovitih područja i prvenstveno se uzgaja zbog svojih esencijalnih ulja. Različite studije pokazale su da određene vrste ljekovitih biljaka, kao što je L. angustifolia Miller, koje sadrže linalol i linalil acetat ester, imaju blagi sedativni učinak i koriste se u aromaterapiji i fitoterapiji za ublažavanje stresa. Svrha ove studije je utvrditi antioksidacijsku aktivnost uzoraka obične lavande. Uzorci biljnog materijala prikupljeni su sa sljedećih područja: Gubavica (općina Mostar) i Šehovina (grad Mostar). Pri tome su analizirana četiri uzorka: esencijalno ulje dobiveno hidrodestilacijom biljnog materijala (Gubavica), uzorak maceriran u etil acetatu (Šehovina), prikupljeni vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije (Gubavica) te komercijalno esencijalno ulje. Određivanje antioksidacijske aktivnosti uzoraka provedeno je s pomoću sljedećih metoda: DPPH, ABTS i FRAP. Hidrodestilirano esencijalno ulje, kao i komercijalno ulje, pokazali su slabiju antioksidacijsku aktivnost, što je potvrđeno svim korištenim metodama. Slabija antioksidacijska aktivnost također je zabilježena u analizi uzorka etil acetata. Praćenjem tijeka reakcije za navedene uzorke nije bilo moguće izračunati IC50 vrijednost. Vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najvišu antioksidacijsku aktivnost prema svim korištenim metodama, što je potvrđeno IC50 vrijednošću prema DPPH metodi, koja je bila 0,032 ± 0,006 mg/mL, dok je za ABTS metodu IC50 vrijednost bila 0,135 ± 0,003 mg/mL. Također, prema FRAP metodi, vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najbolju antioksidacijsku aktivnost (1099,45 ± 25,39 mg Evit. C/g ekstrakta). Usporedbom kemijskog sastava i antioksidacijske aktivnosti ispitivanih uzoraka može se zaključiti da su za antioksidacijsko djelovanje odgovorni fenolni spojevi koji su bili sadržani u vodenom ostatku nakon hidrodestilacije esencijalnog ulja, koji je i pokazao najbolju aktivnost, a da spojevi koji čine esencijalno ulje imaju neznatnu učinkovitost kad je u pitanju određivanje antioksidacijskog kapaciteta.

The genetic, morphological and taxonomic diversity of the genus Sorbus is due to homoploid and polyploid hybridisation, autopolyploidy and apomixis, which also influence the production and diversity of secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships and variations of flavonoids in terms of hybrid origin and ploidy level between the parental species and their hybrid derivatives. The sampling design included leaf material of the following Sorbus accessions from ten natural localities: parental taxa (di-, tri- and tetraploids of S. aria; diploid S. torminalis and S. aucuparia) and their di-, tri- and tetraploid hybrid derivatives from crosses of S. aria × S. torminalis (subg. Tormaria) as well as the tetraploid S. austriaca and S. bosniaca, which originate from crosses of S. aria × S. aucuparia (subg. Soraria). We analysed the flavonoid profiles from the leaf fractions by LC-MS. A total of 23 flavonoids were identified, including apigenin and luteolin derivatives, which distinguish the hybrid groups from each other. This profiling highlights the distinctiveness of the Tormaria and Soraria accessions and emphasises the potential of the subg. Tormaria for further research on bioactive compounds in biological studies.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation and destruction, leading to significant pain and disability. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is identified as a biomarker for RA’s inflammatory process. This study aims to investigate the potential of flavonoids and phenolic acids to inhibit ADA activity (in silico) and evaluate their anti-inflammatory effects in a RA model (in vivo). Methods: The molecular docking study was conducted using YASARA Structure 19.12.14. software following the Auto Dock 4.2 protocol. A rat model with pristane-induced arthritis was used to test the anti-inflammatory effect of selected polyphenols. The consistency of the development of the rat model was evaluated through the following indicators artistic score, paw volume, and body weight. Quercetin was administered intragastrically at doses of 150 and 400 mg/kg over 15 days. The C-reactive protein (CRP) level in serum was measured with an automatic biochemical analyzer. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29.0.2.0. Results: Molecular docking simulations showed flavonoids inhibited ADA activity with inhibition constants ranging from 0.012 mM to 0.190 mM. In the in vivo RA model, quercetin significantly reduced joint inflammation and serum CRP levels at a higher dose of 400 mg/kg. Conclusion: Quercetin shows promise as an anti-inflammatory agent for RA by targeting ADA, suggesting that flavonoid-rich plant extracts could enhance RA treatment.

Abstract The study aimed to analyse the potential of Lamiaceae essential oils, extracts, and hydrolats against bacterial biofilms. Bacterial cells Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were exposed to Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme), Salvia officinalis L. (sage), Mentha × piperita L. (mint) essential oils, extracts, and hydrolats. The result of the minimal inhibitory concentration assessment shows the highest antibacterial potential for essential oils, followed by extracts and hydrolats respectively. The anti-biofouling capacity revealed that thyme essential oil has the highest potential for biofilm prevention for all tested bacteria, reducing up to 91% of biofilm, followed by mint (88%) and sage (87%) essential oil. While the thyme extract (84%), sage extract (83%) and hydrolat (77%) we less effective. The chemical composition of thyme essential oil showed a high percentage of monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes, among which p-cymene and thymol were the most predominant. The bacterial cell membrane integrity assessment shows a significant increase in dead cells by increasing the concentration of thyme essential oil. The findings of our research indicate that the choice of herbal preparation significantly affects the active components, thereby influencing both antibacterial and anti-biofouling capabilities. Lamiaceae essential oils show great potential for biofilm management and represent a good candidate for antibacterial application in pharmacy, medicine, and industry.

Triterpenes are very important secondary metabolites with wide structural diversity and significant role in pharmacy and medicine.In the present research, a comparative study of pharamacological activities of the triterpene fractions obtained from several plant species belonging to Lamiaceae family, was carried out. In-vitro anti-proliferative activity was performed using a standardproliferation assay based on tetrazolium salts. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of triterpene fractions was determined by an assay of inhibition of albumin denaturation. In general, the triterpene fractions obtained from plant species belonging to Lamiaceae family showed a strong anti-proliferative activity and anti-inflammatory activity.The triterpene fraction of Rosmarini folium showed the strongest anti-proliferative activity (GI50range from 4 to 37 μg/ml) and the strongest anti-inflammatory activity in the range from 57.27% to 80.69%. This comparative study provides scientific evidence to support the traditional use of Lamiacae plant species for medical purposes as anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative medicines.

Among natural products, essential oils from aromatic plants have been reported to possess potent anticancer properties. In this work, we aimed to perform the cytotoxic concentration range screening and antiproliferative activity screening of chemically characterized Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil. In vivo bioassay was conducted using the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT). In vitro evaluation of antiproliferative activity was carried out on three human tumor cell lines: breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7, lung carcinoma H460 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia MOLT-4 using MTT assay. Essential oil components thymol (36.7%), p-cymene (30.0%), γ-terpinene (9.0%) and carvacrol (3.6%) were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analyzed essential oil should be considered as toxic/highly toxic with LC50 60.38 µg/mL in BSLT and moderate/weakly cytotoxic with IC50 range 52.65–228.78 µg/mL in vitro, according to evaluated cytotoxic criteria. Essential oil induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in all tested tumor cell lines and showed different sensitivity. Dose dependent toxicity observed in bioassay as well as the in vitro assay confirmed that brine shrimp lethality test is an adequate method for preliminary toxicity testing of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil in tumor cell lines.

Aim There are more and more herbal preparations that are used for the purpose of treatment and improvement of the clinical manifestation of vaginitis not only by patients themselves, but also by healthcare professionals. Plant species, St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula, yarrow, shepherd's purse and tea tree oil are all well known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound healing activity. This paper presents the results of a clinical study in which three herbal formulations/vagitories, based on extracts of St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula, yarrow, shepherd's purse and tea tree oil, were investigated for their effectiveness on vaginitis. Methods This was a randomized controlled clinical study that included 210 women with diagnosed vaginitis. Patients were divided into two basic groups, women in reproductive period and postmenopausal period. Three subgroups including 30 patients each received one of the three vagitorie formulations for 5 days, after which the effects on subjective and objective symptoms were monitored. Results Three types of vagitories based on plant extracts had a positive effect in the treatment of vaginitis. Vagitories based on tea tree oil showed better efficiency compared to vagitories with St. John's wort and vagitories based on extracts of five plants. Women in postmenopausal group reported better tolerability of St. John's wort-based and five herbs-based vagitories compared to tea tree oil based vagitories. Conclusion Investigated vagitories showed a positive effect on both objective and subjective symptoms of vagitnis. No serious side effects were reported.

Hyperuricemia is a potential marker of cardiovascular diseases, and its relation to hypertension and arteriosclerosis, as well as the outcomes of certain cardiovascular events, is interesting. The research was carried out a sample of 50 subjects of both sexes, who were either on allopurinol or febuxostat treatment. Effects of allopurinol and febuxostat on concentrations of uric acid and some lipid fractions (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol) were observed in 25 subjects on allopurinol treatment, and in 25 subjects on febuxostat treatment, who were chosen by defined criteria, with each patient serving as his or her control. The total observation period was six months and the cut was made after the first three Original Research Article Ziga Smajic et al.; JPRI, 32(35): 44-54, 2020; Article no.JPRI.63434 45 months and at the end of the research. Evaluating the effectiveness of allopurinol in subjects with hyperuricemia, it was established that concentrations of uric acid decreased by 126.28±20.36 μmol/L, at the end of the research, compared to the initial concentration. In subjects who used febuxostat, at the end of the research, concentrations of uric acid decreased by 252.80±94.17 μmol/L, compared to the initial concentration. Evaluating the effectiveness of febuxostat on concentrations of lipid fractions, a statistically significant increase of 0.17±0.02 mmol/L in concentrations of HDL and a statistically significant decrease of 0.37±0.14 mmol/L in concentrations of LDL were noted. Subjects with gout treated with allopurinol had significantly lower average concentrations of cholesterol compared to subjects with gout and metabolic syndrome (p=0.001). Subjects with gout and metabolic syndrome had significantly higher concentrations of LDL at the beginning and the end of the research, regardless of therapy (p=0.045;p=0.049, respectively). Both drugs showed effectiveness in the treatment of hyperuricemia, and a certain effect on concentrations of lipid fractions.

Metal chelators can be potentially employed in the treatment of various diseases, ranging from metal overload to neoplastic conditions. Some xanthene derivatives were previously reported to complex metals. Thus, in a search for a novel iron or copper chelator, a series of 9-(substituted phenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-ones was tested using a competitive spectrophotometric approach. The most promising compound was evaluated in biological models (breast adenocarcinoma cell lines and erythrocytes). In general, substitution of the benzene ring in position 9 had a relatively low effect on the chelation. Only the trifluoromethyl substitution resulted in stronger chelation, probably via a positive effect on solvation. All compounds chelated iron, but their copper-chelating effect was only minimal, since it was no longer observed under highly competitive conditions. Interestingly, all compounds reduced both iron and copper. Additional experiments showed that the trifluoromethyl derivative protected erythrocytes and even cancer cells against excess copper. In summary, the tested compounds are iron chelators, which are also capable of reducing iron/copper, but the copper-reducing effect is not associated with increased copper toxicity.

In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of essential oil from leaves of Melissa officinalis L. grown in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. In vitro evaluation of antiproliferative activity of the M. officinalis essential oil was carried out on three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7, NCI-H460 and MOLT-4 by MTT assay. M. officinalis essential oil was characterized by high percentage of monoterpenes (77,5%), followed by the sesquiterpene fraction (14,5%) and aliphatic compounds (2,2%). The main constituents of the essential oil of M. officinalis are citral (47,2%), caryophyllene oxide (10,2%), citronellal (5,4%), geraniol (6,6%), geranyl acetate (4,1%) and βcaryophyllene (3,8%). The essential oil showed significant antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines, MOLT-4, MCF-7, and NCI-H460 cells, with GI50 values of <5, 6±2 and 31±17 μg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that M. officinalis L. essential oil has a potential as anticancer therapeutic agent.

BACKGROUND Currently, used oral antiplatelet drugs are both limited and associated with the risk of treatment failure/resistance. Research in this area is hence highly desired. A series of xanthene-3-ones derivatives, we had synthesized, showed us that these derivatives had antiplatelet activity. As far as we know, no research on the effects of xanthen-3-ones in this area has been done. OBJECTIVE The aim was to study the antiplatelet potential of a series of synthesised 9-phenylxanthene- 3-ones and to find the ideal structural feature(s) for antiplatelet potential and determine the mechanism of action. METHODS The compounds were synthesized from 1,2,4-triacetoxybenzene and various benzaldehydes. The reaction proceeded smoothly under acidic alcoholic conditions, furnishing the desired products in good yields. The compounds were first screened in whole human blood where platelet aggregation was induced by arachidonic acid. Further analysis was targeted at search of the mechanism of action. RESULTS Initial screening showed that a majority of the synthesized derivatives had substantial antiplatelet potential. None of the compounds were able to block cyclooxygenase 1 or thromboxane synthase. The mechanism appeared to be based on antagonism of thromboxane effects. The most potent compound 9-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-one had better potential to block collagen induced platelet aggregation than clinically used acetylsalicylic acid. CONCLUSION The last mentioned derivative is promising for further in vivo testing.