Basil (Ocimum L.) species are used as medicinal plants due to their essential oils exhibiting specific biological activity. The present work demonstrated that both the variety and season/conditions of cultivation had a significant effect on (i) the produced amount (extraction yield), (ii) qualitative, as well as (iii) quantitative profile of basil essential oil. Among studied basil varieties, a new variety, ‘Mánes’, was characterized for the first time. Based on our quantitative evaluation of GC-MS profiles, the following chemotypes and average concentrations of a main component were detected in the studied basil varieties: ‘Ohře’, ‘Lettuce Leaf’, ‘Purple Opaal’, ‘Dark Green’ (linalool, 5.99, 2.49, 2.34, 2.01 mg/mL, respectively), and ‘Mammolo Genovese’, ‘Mánes’, ‘Red Rubin’ (eucalyptol, 1.34, 0.96, 0.76 mg/mL, respectively). At the same time, when considering other compounds identified in GC-MS profiles, all the studied varieties, except from ‘Lettuce Leaf’, were methyl eugenol-rich with a strong dependence of the eugenol:methyl eugenol ratio on the seasonal changes (mainly solar irradiation, but also temperature and relative humidity). More complex and/or variable (depending on the season and cultivation) chemotypes were observed with ‘Lettuce Leaf’ (plus estragole, 2.27 mg/mL), ‘Dark Green’ (plus eucalyptol, 1.36 mg/mL), ‘Mammolo Genovese’ (plus eugenol, 1.19 mg/mL), ‘Red Rubin’ (plus linalool and eugenol, 0.46 and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively), and ‘Mánes’ (plus linalool and eugenol, 0.58 and 0.40 mg/mL, respectively). When considering superior extraction yield (ca. 17 mL·kg−1, i.e., two to five times higher than other examined varieties) and consistent amounts (yields) of essential oil when comparing inter-seasonal or inter-year data (RSD and inter-year difference in mean yield values ˂2.5%), this new basil variety is very promising for use in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.

In traditional medicine, several medicinal plants or their extracts have been used to treat diabetes. Zingiber officinale Roscoe, known commonly as ginger, is consumed worldwide in cookeries as a spice and flavouring agent. It has been used as the spice and medicine for thousands of years. The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential protective effect of Zingiber officinale Rosc. in a model of oxidative damage to pancreatic β cells. The free radical scavenging activities and composition of the isolated n-hexane and ethanolic extracts were confronted with their protective, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects in INS-1E β cells. Unlike the n-hexane extract (exerting, paradoxically, stronger antiradical capacity), both low cytotoxicity and remarkable protective effects on β cell viability, followed by lowering oxidative stress markers were found for the ethanolic extract Zingiber officinale Rosc. The present study is the first pilot study to assess the protective potential of Zingiber officinale Rosc. in a model of cytotoxic conditions imposed by diabetes in β cells.

This study deals with the formulation of natural drugs into hydrogels. For the first time, compounds from the sage essential oil were formulated into chitosan hydrogels. A sample preparation procedure for hydrophobic volatile analytes present in a hydrophilic water matrix along with an analytical method based on the gas chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed and applied for the evaluation of the identity and quantity of essential oil components in the hydrogels and saline samples. The experimental results revealed that the chitosan hydrogels are suitable for the formulation of sage essential oil. The monoterpene release can be effectively controlled by both chitosan and caffeine concentration in the hydrogels. Permeation experiment, based on a hydrogel with the optimized composition [3.5% (w/w) sage essential oil, 2.0% (w/w) caffeine, 2.5% (w/w) chitosan and 0.1% (w/w) Tween-80] in donor compartment, saline solution in acceptor compartment, and semi-permeable cellophane membrane, demonstrated the useful permeation selectivity. Here, (according to lipophilicity) an enhanced permeation of the bicyclic monoterpenes with antiflogistic and antiseptic properties (eucalyptol, camphor and borneol) and, at the same time, suppressed permeation of toxic thujone (not exceeding its permitted applicable concentration) was observed. These properties highlight the pharmaceutical importance of the developed chitosan hydrogel formulating sage essential oil in the dermal applications.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are the main metabolites produced by bacterial fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract. They can be seen as the major flow of carbon from the diet, through the microbiome to the host. SCFAs have been reported as important molecules responsible for the regulation of intestinal homeostasis. Moreover, these molecules have a significant impact on the immune system and are able to affect inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type II, or oncological diseases. For this purpose, SCFAs could be used as putative biomarkers of various diseases, including cancer. A potential diagnostic value may be offered by analyzing SCFAs with the use of advanced analytical approaches such as gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), or capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). The presented review summarizes the importance of analyzing SCFAs from clinical and analytical perspective. Current advances in the analysis of SCFAs focused on sample pretreatment, separation strategy, and detection methods are highlighted. Additionally, it also shows potential areas for the development of future diagnostic tools in oncology and other varieties of diseases based on targeted metabolite profiling.

The content of phenolic compounds (total phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids and anthocyanidins) of three species of thyme (Thymus pulegioides, Thymus pannonicus, Thymus praecox) of different origin (Bohemian-Moravian highlands, Křivoklát and Považský Inovec) was determined using spectrophotometric methods of European Pharmacopoeia 8 th edition. Furthermore, the determination of the content of essential oil and analysis of its constituents was realised. The amount of total phenolics was determined by a spectrophotometric method using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Their content ranged from 3.87 to 8.86%. The content of tannins was established on a preliminary determination of the total phenolics, followed by adsorption of tannins on hide powder. The amount of tannins in our samples varied from 1.96 to 5.65%. The content of total flavonoids was determined by a spectrophotometric method using aluminium chloride. Quantitative analysis of flavonoids has shown that content in our samples ranged from 0.59 to 1.52% expressed as luteolin-7-O-glucoside (λ = 392 nm) and from 0.41 to 1.12% expressed as rutin (λ = 420 nm). Anthocyanins represent a small amount of total polyphenol content in Thymus species. In our samples, the content of anthocyanins expressed as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside varied from 0.02 to 0.1%. The determination of essential oil was realised by method of European Pharmacopoeia 8 th edition. Its contents in our samples ranged from 0.2 to 0.75%. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for essential oil analysis. According to the presence of main monoterpene in Thymus essential oil, we can distinguish three chemotypes: thymol, carvacrol and linalool. Due to variations of chemical constituents of thyme essential oil, it was possible to observe a relationship between occurrence of certain chemotype and origin of sample. Differences in content of flavonoids have not shown a significant relationship to locality of origin.Predložená práca bola zameraná na stanovenie obsahu vybraných fenolových zlúčenín (celkové fenoly, triesloviny, flavonoidy a antokyány) troch rôznych druhov rodu Thymus (T. pulegioides, T. pannonicus, T. praecox) s rozdielnym pôvodom (Českomoravská vrchovina, Křivoklát a Považský Inovec). Na stanovenie týchto zložiek boli využité spektrofotometrické metódy Európskeho liekopisu, 8. vydanie. Zároveň bol stanovený aj obsah silice a bola vykonaná analýza jej zložiek. Obsah celkových polyfenolov bol stanovený spektrofotometrickou metódou s využitím Folin-Ciocalteovho činidla. Obsah kolísal od 3.87 % do 8,86 %. Obsah trieslovín bol realizovaný na základe predošlého stanovenia obsahu celkových fenolov, a to adsorpciou trieslovín na kožný prášok. Ich obsah sa pohyboval v rozmedzí 1,96 % do 5,65 %. Na stanovenie obsahu flavonoidov bola využitá spektrofotometrická metóda s chloridom hlinitým. Obsah flavonoidov vyjadrených ako luteolín-7-O-glukozid (λ = 392 nm) kolísal od 0,59 % do 1,52 % a obsah flavonoidov vyjadrených ako rutín (λ = 420 nm) sa pohyboval v rozmedzí od 0,41 % do 1,12 %. Antokyány zaber...