Gundelia species are known as “Kenger‐kereng dikeni” in Anatolia, and their aerial parts are consumed as food. Also, roots and seeds (disseminules) of the Gundelia species are used to prepare gum and coffee. The chemical contents of ethanol and hexane extracts of disseminules of 17 Gundelia species, 13 of them are endemic, were studied using LC/MS/MS and GC/MS. Additionally, their antioxidant potential and enzyme inhibitory capacity against acetyl‐ and butyryl‐cholinesterase, urease, and tyrosinase were determined. The unsaturated fatty acid ratios of Gundelia species were higher than their saturated fatty acid ratio. The highest sum of oleic and linoleic acid was detected in G. tournefortii var. tenuisecta (70.42 %). β‐Sitosterol, α‐amyrin, 3‐acetyllupeol were identified in 17 Gundelia species by GC/MS, while chlorogenic acid and luteolin by LC/MS/MS as major compounds. The ethanol and hexane extracts of G. siirtica, G. rosea, and G. mesopotamica indicated good cholinesterase inhibitory activity. Among all species, ethanol extract of G. colemerikensis exhibited the best activity in ABTS (IC50: 32.30±0.98 μg/mL), DPPH (IC50: 59.91±0.89 μg/mL), and CUPRAC (A0.5: 57.41±1.03 μg/mL) assays. Ethanol extract of G. colemerikensis also displayed the highest inhibitory activity against butyrylcholinesterase (51.14±0.25 % at 200 μg/mL), urease (51.71±1.75 % at 200 μg/mL), and tyrosinase (39.50±0.85 % at 200 μg/mL) enzymes. According to the chemometric analysis of fatty acids, four groups were observed. Therefore, it is suggested that G. colemerikensis can be used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries due to its antioxidant and enzyme inhibition properties.

Ethnopharmacology has been an important starting point in medical and pharmaceutical sciences for discovering drug candidates from natural sources. In this regard, the genus Salvia L., commonly known as sage, is one of the best-known medicinal and aromatic plants of the Lamiaceae family; it has been recorded as being used for memory enhancement in European folk medicine. Despite the various uses of sage in folk medicines, the records that have pointed out sage’s memory-enhancing properties have paved the way for the aforementioned effect to be proven on scientific grounds. There are many preclinical studies and excellent reviews referring to the favorable effect of different species of sage against the cognitive dysfunction that is related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Hence, the current review discusses clinical studies that provide evidence for the effect of Salvia species on cognitive dysfunction. Clinical studies have shown that some Salvia species, i.e., hydroalcoholic extracts and essential oils of S. officinalis L. and S. lavandulaefolia leaves in particular, have been the most prominently effective species in patients with mild to moderate AD, and these species have shown positive effects on the memory of young and healthy people. However, the numbers of subjects in the studies were small, and standardized extracts were not used for the most part. Our review points out to the need for longer-term clinical studies with higher numbers of subjects being administered standardized sage preparations.

In this study, some phytochemical properties of six seeded raisin species that are mainly cultivated in Southeastern Anatolia were investigated. Additionally, some physical and quality characteristics, phenolic contents (by LC‐MS/MS; Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass/Mass Spectrometer System), anticholinesterase, and antioxidant capacities (DPPH; 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free‐radical scavenging, ABTS; 2,2‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid cation‐radical scavenging activity and CUPRAC; cupric reducing antioxidant capacity) of the cultivars were investigated on ground raisins. In all three methods, the antioxidant activity values of seed extracts were determined to be higher than those of leaf and pulp extracts. Remarkably, the seed extract of Banazı Siyahı showed the highest antioxidant activity in ABTS (IC50: 4.35±0.02 μg/mL), DPPH (IC50: 10.78±0.78 μg/mL), and CUPRAC (A0.5: 9.33±0.45 μg/mL) methods. Additionally, the ethanol extracts of all pulp samples showed higher anticholinesterase activity against acetyl‐(AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes than galantamine. According to the LC‐MS/MS results, catechin (21.362 mg analyte/g extract) and epicatechin (44.667 mg analyte/g extract) found to be quite rich in Kerküş seed extract and isoquercitrin (116.873 mg analyte/g extract) and astragalin (31.915 mg analyte/g extract) detected to be quite rich in Banazı Siyahı leaf extract. Considering the mineral content of the varieties and the soil samples they grow in, all of the grape varieties analyzed in the study was found to be rich. Based on these findings, it might be suggested that Banazı Siyahı and Kerküş varieties have potential to be utilized in pharmaceutical and food industries, due to their contents of catechins, isoquercitrin and astragalin.

No abstract

High cholesterol and triglyceride levels are mainly related to further generation of lifethreating metabolism disorders including cardiovascular system diseases. Therefore, hypercholesterolemia (i.e., also referred to as hyperlipoproteinemia) is a serious disease state, which must be controlled. Currently, the treatment of hypercholesterolemia is mainly achieved through the employment of statins in the clinic, although there are alternative drugs (e.g., ezetimibe, cholestyramine). In fact, the original statins are natural products directly obtained from fungi-like molds and mushrooms and they are potent inhibitors of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase, the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cholesterol. This review focuses on the first identification of natural statins, their synthetic and semi-synthetic analogues, and the validation of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase as a target in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, other natural products that have been shown to possess the potential to inhibit hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase are also reviewed with respect to their chemical structures.