Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an important enzyme catalyzing the hydroxylation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid which is excreted by kidneys. Excessive production and/or inadequate excretion of uric acid results in hyperuricemia. This paper presents a detailed review of methods of isolation, determination of xanthine oxidase activity, and the effect of plant extracts and their constituents on it. Determining the content and activities of XO can be used for diagnostic purposes. Testing inhibition of XO is important for detection of potentially effective compounds or extracts that can be used to treat diseases that are caused by increased activity of XO.In vitrobioassays are used to examine test material for XO inhibition, as inhibitors of XO may be potentially useful for the treatment of gout or other XO induced diseases. Several authors reported on the XO inhibitory potential of traditionally used medicinal plants.

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The chemical composition of the essential oil of Micromeria cristata and Micromeria juliana was determined by GC-MS analysis. Among the 36 identified compounds of the M. cristata essential oil, isoborneol (11.3%), borneol (8.5%), verbenone (8.2%), 10-epi-α α α α α-cadinol and thujan-3-ol, were found to be major components. The main constituents of the M. juliana oil were verbenol (11.8%), thymol (10.8%), caryophyllene oxide (10.5%), borneol (9.3%) and myrtenal (7.1%). The in-vitro antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic solution of the essential oils was investigated by the disk diffusion method with ampicillin as the standard antibiotic against six microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella enteritidis and Aspergillus niger). At 1:20 dilution the activity of both oils was moderate while at 1:40 dilution the oils showed weak or no activity.

The essential oils from dried aerial parts of Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff., collected at three various sites in Serbia, were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-three components were identified in all investigated samples, 132 components in the oil from the site Devojački grob, 124 components in the oil coming from Sićevačka klisura site, and 146 components in the oil from the site Visočka Ržana, accounting 97.3, 93.9, and 95.6% of the total oils, respectively. The most abundant component in the essential oils was geraniol amounting from 24.0 to 30.3%, making up about one-quarter of the total oils. Other representative compounds were identified as linalool (5.0-14.8%), limonene (4.3-7.9%), and caryophyllene oxide (4.4-5.2%) in all tested samples. The results suggested that essential oils of S. kitaibelii belong to the aliphatic monoterpene chemotype.

Purpose: To assess some terpenes from herbal products for possible inhibitory effects on serum α-amylase in order to ascertain their potential usefulness in the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes Type 2. Methods: Solutions of terpenes (citral, eukalyptol, β-pinene, myrcene, eugenol and terpineol)