In this study acetonic extracts of leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia (mastiha tree) grown in the south as well as in the north Chios Greek island were isolated and further fractionated to give three different polarity fractions: apolar, medium-polar, and polar. The isolated fractions were assessed as regards their main composition, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory activities, and interference with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, applying cytotoxic assay, luciferase assays, and Western blot analysis of apoptosis-, energy-, and inflammation-associated molecules. Differences in cell viability have been detected among different polarity leaf fractions as well as among fractions of different plant origin with polar fractions showing the highest cytotoxicity. Fractions-induced anti-inflammatory activities and suppressive effects on the dexamethasone (DEX)-induced GR transcriptional activation were unveiled. The partition protocol of leaves fractions applied uncovers the enhanced glucocorticoid-associated biological activities of the medium-polar fractions, which may be associated with their enrichment in the triterpenoids that showed structural similarity with the glucocorticoids. A reduction in GR protein levels is observed by the fraction which is shown to be associated with the medium polar-induced proteolytic degradation of the receptor. In addition, the enhanced cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and potential anti-glycemic activities of the fractions from the Southern P. lentiscus L. that exclusively produce the mastiha resin, is revealed, indicating that leaves fractions from mastiha tree, similarly to mastiha tree resin, may have the potential to be further analyzed for their potent applications in the pharmaceutical cosmetic and nutraceutical fields.

The methoxylated flavone xanthomicrol represents an uncommon active phenolic compound identified in herbs/plants with a long application in traditional medicine. It was isolated from a sample of Achillea erba-rotta subsp. moschata (musk yar-row) flowering tops. Xanthomicrol promising biological properties include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. This study mainly focused on the evaluation of the xanthomicrol impact on lipid metabolism in cancer HeLa cells, together with the investigation of the treatment-induced changes in cell growth, morphology, and apoptosis. At the dose range of 5–100 μM, xanthomicrol (24 h of incubation) significantly reduced viability and modulated lipid profile in cancer Hela cells. It induced marked changes in the phospholipid/cholesterol ratio, significant decreases in the levels of oleic and palmitic acids, and a marked increase of stearic acid, involving an inhibitory effect on de novo lipogenesis and desaturation in cancer cells. Moreover, marked cell morphological alterations, signs of apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase were observed in cancer treated cells. The bioactivity profile of xanthomicrol was compared to that of the anticancer methoxylated flavones eupatilin and artemetin, and structure–activity relationships were underlined.

No abstract

Cannabis is a plant with an astonishing ability to biosynthesize cannabinoids, and more than 100 molecules belonging to this class have been isolated. Among them in recent years cannabidiol (CBD) has received the interest of pharmacology as the major nonpsychotropic cannabinoid with many potential clinical applications. Although the reactivity of CBD has been widely investigated, only little attention has been given to the possible photodegradation of this cannabinoid, and the data available in the literature are outdated and, in some cases, conflicting. The aim of the present work is providing a characterization of the photochemical behavior of CBD in organic solvents, through a detailed GC-MS analyses, isolation, and NMR characterization of the photoproducts obtained.

No abstract