The whole, fresh involucral bracts of cardoon, Cynara cardunculus L. (Compositae), were extracted with EtOH and aqueous suspension of obtained EtOH extract was partitioned successively with CHCl 3 , EtOAc and n-BuOH, leaving residual water extract. All obtained extracts were evaluated on their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using following in vitro methods: FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) assay, and scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Antimicrobial activity was estimated using microdilution technique against food-borne, mycotoxin producers and human pathogenic bacteria and micromycetes. Following bacteria were tested: Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, as well as micromycetes: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium ochrochloron, Penicillium funiculosum, Trichoderma viride, Fusarium tricinctum and Alternaria alternata. Results showed that all extracts possess concentration dependent antioxidant activity. In biological assays, C. cardunculus extracts showed antimicrobial activity comparable with standard antibiotics.

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Methanol extracts of aerial flowering parts of four endemic Stachys taxa: S. anisochila VIS. et PANČIĆ, S. beckeana DÖRFLER & HAYEK, S. plumosa GRISEB. and S. alpina L. ssp. dinarica MURB. were investigated on their antioxidant activity. The extracts were studied for total antioxidant activity (TAA), along with 1,1-diphenyl 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and OH radical scavenging activity, and lipid peroxidation (LP). High correlations between total phenolics content, TAA and scavenging DPPH radical indicate that polyphenols are the main antioxidants. All Stachys extracts, with the exception of S. plumosa, exhibited high anti-DPPH activity (IC 50 Ͻ50 m mg/ml). In concentration range from 6.25 to 50 m mg/ml, all extracts scavenged OH radical above 40%, with maximal inhibitions for S. anisochila, S. alpina ssp. dinarica and S. beckeana extracts of 50.22%, 50.94% and 64.97%, respectively. Only S. plumosa extract achieved maximal activity of 60.67% at 100 m mg/ml. As for LP, IC 50 values for S. beckeana and S. alpina ssp. dinarica extracts were 25.07 and 49.00 m mg/ml, respectively, while S. anisochila and S. plumosa extracts did not reach 50% of LP inhibition.

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The natural products industry is currently looking for natural therapeutics and preservatives that can replace synthetic preparations. The scientific literature has identified new applications and uses of both traditional and exotic essential oils.Fungal and bacterial infections are important problems in phytopathology, agriculture, the food industry, and especially in medicine. Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents has become a serious problem worldwide, with resistance mechanisms having been identified and described for all the known antibiotics currently available for clinical use [1].Free radicals cause the oxidation of biomolecules (e.g., protein, amino acids, lipid, and DNA), which leads to cell injury and death [2,3]. The cytotoxic effect of free radicals is deleterious to mammalian cells [4].Plants belonging to Apiaceae family are widespread and they are represented by 455 genera and 3750 species [5]. This family is represented by 82 genera and 334 species in the flora of Balkan peninsula; 49 species are Balkan endemits [6].The latin name of the genus Seseli L. originates from the words seseli, seselis, or sesili and it was used by Hippocrates and Dioscorides [7]. Plants of this genus are perennials [6], with numerous species that have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times [8]. Three angular-type pyranocoumarins and two linear-type furocoumarins were isolated from the n-hexane extract obtained from the roots of S. resinosum [9]. Coumarin compounds were also isolated from different plant tissues of S. rigidum (coumarins osthol, suberosin, and furocoumarins psoralen, pranferol) [10]. A new tetrahydrofuranoid lignan seselinone and one known lignan eudesmin have been isolated from S. annuum and showed cytotoxic activity against C6 rat glioma cell cultures [11]. It has been reported that ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of different Seseli species possess anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities [12]. Seselidiol, a new polyacetylene, has been isolated from the roots of S. mairei. Seselidiol and its acetate have demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity against KB, P-388, and L-1210 tumor cells [13].However, there are no data on the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of S. rigidum essential oil. The objectives of this study were to investigate the chemical composition and antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from the flowers of S. rigidum.The yield of the S. rigidum essential oil was 0.6% (v/w). The results of chemical analysis of the isolated essential oil are presented in Table 1. Fifty-four components (98.6% of the oil) were identified. The most abundant component was α-pinene (48.5%), followed by camphene (4.6%), β-pinene (4.2%), and limonene (4.1%).Previous chemical analyses had shown that the main component of the S. rigidum var. rigidum essential oil was also α-pinene [14,15]. The main components of the essential oil of S. annuum were: germacrene D (29.8%), sabinene (10.3%), β-o-cymene Z (9.8%), and limonene (8.6%) [16]. ...