Basil (Ocimum spp.) is a traditional herbal medicine abundant in antioxidants such as phenolic compounds. As part of a diet, this herb is proved to have some roles in decreasing the risk of cancer, and in the treatment of inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to explore the total phenolic and flavonoid content of two new basil hybrids growing in Romania, namely “Aromat de Buzau” (AB) and “Macedon” (MB). The antioxidant capacity of those two species was also analyzed by DPPH and cyclic voltammetry. Six different flavonoids, such as catechin (+), rutin, hyperoside, naringin, naringenin, and genistein, were separated, identified, and quantified by HPLC–DAD chromatography, for the first time, from romanian basil hybrids. The main flavonoid of the extracts was found to be naringin which is present in the highest amount (26.18 mg/kg) in “Aromat de Buzau” (O. basilicum) methanolic extract. These results suggest that dietary intake of these new hybrids can be a source of antioxidant compounds.

Helix aspersa (HA), Helix pomatia (HP) and Symphytum officinale are common organisms in Romania’s biosphere, widely known for their allantoin content and their therapeutic properties. Herein, the allantoin was separated and quantified from the aqueous extracts of Romanian comfrey root and the secretions of HA and HP snails. This study also focused on determining the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of these Romanian allantoin-rich samples. The plant extracts were obtained through two methods: ultrasonic extraction and enzymatic ultrasonic extraction. A microplate method was used for the quantitative determination of allantoin content. The antioxidant activity was measured by using the DPPH radical scavenging method. The antioxidant capacity of the samples was studied in order to observe the type of interactions generated by the chemical complex present in their composition. High concentrations of allantoin were obtained by enzymatic ultrasonic extraction method (EUE—102 ± 0.74 μg/mL), and also in the water-soluble fraction of the snail secretion (FS1—22.051 μg/mL). The antioxidant screening suggests that Symphytum officinale and snail mucus extracts could be used as promising natural substitutes for synthetic antioxidants in products used for therapeutic purposes. The evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity was also investigated, allantoin-rich samples showing a promising action (FS1—81.87 ± 2.34%). In future, the inclusion of allantoin-rich extracts in various novel pharmaceutical forms for new therapeutic applications could be achieved. The study will continue with the formulation of a nutricosmetic product with snail mucus and Symphytum officinale extract as principal bioactive ingredients.

This study investigated the phytochemical content of alcoholic extracts and essential oil of a new variety of medicinal plants, Agastache foeniculum (Pursh), which Kuntze adapted for cultivation in Romania, namely “Aromat de Buzău”. The essential oil was investigated by GC-MS, while the identification and quantification of various compounds from alcoholic extracts were performed by HPLC-DAD. The total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were evaluated by using standard phytochemical methods. The antioxidant activities of ethanol, methanol extracts, and essential oil of the plant were also assessed against 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS•+), and by ferric reducing power (FRAP) using spectroscopic methods. Cyclic voltammetry was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the essential oil. The concentrations of phenolic compounds were higher in methanolic extract compared to ethanolic extract. A significant correlation was found between total phenol and total flavonoid contents (r = 0.9087). Significant high correlations were also found between the total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activities of the extracts (r ≥ 0.8600, p < 0.05). In addition, the extracts and essential oil showed good antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. Estragole was detected as the major constituent of the essential oil (94.89%). The cytotoxic activity of the essential oil was evaluated by the MTT assay. At lower concentrations (1 µg/mL) high cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells was observed but not on the non-tumoral dermal fibroblasts (HDF) which indicated selectivity for cancer cells and suggests the presence of biologically active components that contribute to the observed high cytotoxic effect. Findings from the present study offer new perspectives on the use of A. foeniculum as a potential source of bioactive compounds and a good candidate for pharmaceutical plant-based products.

A series of yeast strains was tested in order to evaluate their catalytic potential in biocatalysis of one-pot indolizine’s synthesis. Yeast cultivation was performed in a submerged system at 28 °C for 72 h at 180 rpm. An assessment of the reagents’ toxicity on yeast viability and metabolic functionality concluded that the growth potential of three Yarrowia lipolytica strains were least affected by the reactants compared to the other yeast strains. Further, crude fermentation products (biomass and cell-free supernatant)—obtained by submerged cultivation of these yeasts—were used in multistep cascade reactions for the production of fluorescent indolizine compounds with important biologic activities. A whole–cell catalyzed multicomponent reaction of activated alkynes, α-bromo-carbonyl reagents and 4,4′-bipyridine, at room temperature in buffer solution led to the efficient synthesis of bis-indolizines 4a, 4b and 4c, in good-to-excellent yields (47%–77%). The metabolites of the selected Y. lipolytica strains can be considered effective biocatalysts in cycloaddition reactions and the high purity and bioconversion yields of the synthesized indolizines indicates a great potential of this type of “green” catalysts. Seeds of Triticum estivum L. were used to investigate the impact of the final products on the germination and seedling growth. The most sensitive physiological parameters suggest that indolizines, at the concentrations tested, have non-toxic effect on germination and seedling growth of wheat, fact also confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy images.

The study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of sprout and seed extracts from three species of plants, namely Glycine max (GMsp-sprouts, GMsd-seeds), Anethum graveolens (AGsp-sprouts, AGsd-seeds) and Pimpinella anisum (PAsp-sprouts, PAsd-seeds), which are widely accepted by consumers and have various applications in food flavoring, and also in natural medical treatments in the pharmaceutical industries. These plants are rich in valuable compounds that show a remarkable antioxidant power and are associated with many health benefits. Ethanol extracts were obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction and they were comparatively evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant properties. The extracts were characterized by HPTLC, HPLC-DAD, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) analysis and antioxidant activities with different assays, such as total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 2,2′-azino-bis (3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation decolorization assay (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl 1-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and iron binding ability of chelators. Our results showed that the sprout and seed extracts of the studied plants exhibited a high content of phytochemicals and promising antioxidant properties. The highest polyphenols content was detected for AGsd (53.02 ± 0.57 mg/g DW), PAsd (48.75 ± 0.34 mg/g DW) and the highest flavonoids content for PAsp (26.84 ± 0.57 mg/g DW). Moreover, the presence of valuable compounds was demonstrated by using HPTLC, FT-IR and HPLC-DAD techniques. In order to have a better understanding of the relationship between the biological properties and the electronic structure, a molecular modelling study of genistein was also conducted. Our approach to the comparative assessment of these three plant species was based on a priori knowledge from literature data; however, this study demonstrated that these plant extracts of seeds and also sprouts are excellent sources of natural antioxidants. Significant additional differences that were found in the phytochemical composition could be exploited in future research for pharmaceutical purposes.