Anchusa Azurea Research Articles

Hydroalcoholic Extract of Anchusa Italica Protects Global Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Via a Nitrergic Mechanism.

Introduction:In stroke models, Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) expression initiates cellular toxicity due to excessive Nitric Oxide (NO) generation. Anchusa italica is a medicinal herb with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity and NOS mRNA expression of the Hydroalcoholic Extract Of Anchusa Italica (HEAI) in an experimental stroke model in rats.Methods:The stroke model was induced by bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries for 60 min. Twenty-four hours after surgery, HEAI (50 and 100 mg/kg i.p.) was injected daily for 10 consecutive days. mRNA expression levels of NOS subtypes and hippocampal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) were studied using real-time PCR. Besides, hippocampal tissue plus serum concentrations of NO and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured.Results:HEAI decreased MDA in both serum and hippocampal tissue and also reduced serum NO levels. Additionally, in the HEAI-treated groups, a down-regulation of iNOS mRNA expression, and an up-regulation of BDNF mRNA expression were observed.Conclusion:The results indicated that the administration of HEAI even after the onset of ischemia protects the brain from free radical injury and inflammation via a down-regulation of iNOS expression inhibiting NO production and an up-regulation of BDNF mRNA.

Isolation of Kaempferol 3-O-Rutinoside from Kurdish Plant Anchusa Italica Retz. and Bioactivity of Some Extracts

Anchusa italica Retz. is naturally grown in Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and it belongs to the Boraginaceae family. From a phytochemical point of view, the species A. italica has been almost neglected so far but it is worth studying. In this study, the flavonoids were extracted from aerial parts of the plant using ethyl acetate, amyl alcohol, and n-butanol after defatting the plant by n-hexane and removing the pigments by chloroform. The residue obtained from evaporation of ethyl acetate extract was separated by reversed phase Medium Performance Liquid Chromatography (MPLC) to give a polar flavonoid. Standard UV experiments allowed for the identification of the aglycone moiety substituted pattern, while the sugar components and the interglycoside linkage was identified by different NMR spectra. The compound was eventually identified as kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside. The other aim of this investigation is to study the antimicrobial activity for some extracts of the plant. It consists of two parts; the first part was antibacterial activity using four different bacteria (E. coli, Staph. aureus, Bacillus sp. and Pseudo. aeruginosa) via agar diffusion disc method, while the second part includes antifungal activity using two different fungi (Pencillium puberulum and Aspergillus flavus). This study showed that Anchusa italica is a good antibacterial plant especially aqueous and ethanolic extracts, at which the inhibition zone reaches (13 mm), while the aqueous extract was more effective compared with the ethanol extract for antifungal.

Characterization of products obtained from hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass (Anchusa azurea) compared to other thermochemical conversion methods

In this study, biomass was converted into new products with catalyst (H3BO3, Na2CO3, Al2O3) and without catalyst at 300, 325, and 350 °C by the hydrothermal liquefaction method. The products obtained were analyzed by GC-MS, FT-IR, SEM, elemental analysis, and 1H NMR methods. Based on the trials, the highest liquid product yield (total bio-oil) was determined as 29.69% in the trial without catalyst at 350 °C. The higher heating value (HHV) has been calculated by Dulong’s formula, and the HHV values of all the (light bio-oil, heavy bio-oil, and solid residue) were determined to be higher than the HHV value of the feedstock. The highest HHV value was obtained from heavy bio-oil as 31.32 MJ/kg with the catalyst at 350 °C. This HHV value is higher than the HHV value attained by the pyrolysis and supercritical liquefaction method. The products obtained generally consisted of monoaromatics, polyaromatics, oxygen compounds, and aliphatics. Based on the results of the elemental analysis, HHV values varying between 16.22 and 31.78 MJ/kg were found for all products.

Resistance of ten common medicinal plants to the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica

Summary A preliminary survey indicated that the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica is widely distributed in the rhizosphere of medicinal plants in Boyer-Ahmad region (Iran). Host suitability of ten species of medicinal plants to M. javanica was examined in a pot experiment under controlled greenhouse conditions: alkakengy (Physalis alkekengi L.), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), garden anchusa (Anchusa italica Retz.), horehound (Marrubium vulgare L.), lovage (Levisticum officinale L.), sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.), thistle (Echinops adenocaulos Boiss.) and woundwort (Stachys pilifera Benth.). According to the scheme of Canto-Saenz, seven species, namely garden anchusa, fennel, horehound, alkakengy, English plantain, woundwort and sorrel can be considered susceptible hosts with gall index (GI) > 2 and reproduction factor (RF) > 1, and thistle, lovage and chamomile, can be considered as hyper-susceptible with GI > 2 and RF ≤ 1.

Anchusa italica extract: phytochemical and neuroprotective evaluation on global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion

Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality and disability in industrial countries. Treatment with herbs with antioxidant properties has been reported to be an alternative to the conventional treatments. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Anchusa italica extract on hippocampal injury induced by transient global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in the rat. To do so, 50 rats were randomly assigned to five groups; control, sham, ischemia, and 50 or 100 mg/kg of Anchusa italica treated animals. Ischemia was induced by occlusion of carotid artery for 30 minutes. Afterward, behavioral tests and biochemical analyses were conducted. Induction of ischemia/reperfusion caused a decline in learning and passive avoidance memory in rats. Moreover, Anchusa italica caused an increase in learning and improved the passive avoidance memory. Induction of ischemia/reperfusion caused a decrease in the antioxidant capacity of the brain and serum as well as an increase in the malondialdehyde of the brain and serum. Anchusa italica led to an increase in the antioxidant capacity of the brain and serum and decrease in the malondialdehyde of the brain and serum. Overall, because of its protective effects on spatial memory, passive avoidance learning, antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation during ischemia/reperfusion, Anchusa italica might be beneficial in ischemic patients.

FLOWERING PLANTS PREFERRED BY NATIVE WILD BEES (HYMENOPTERA, APOIDEA, APIFORMES) IN THE ALGERIAN LITTORAL REGION

This study considered the plant floral resources visited by native wild and honey bees in Algiers (northern Algeria). Three botanical families accounted for almost 2/3 of all visits: Asteraceae (44.1%), Boraginaceae (15.3%) and Brassicaceae (13%). Plants in other families were visitedless frequently (e.g.Ranunculaceae (0.1%)). At the species level, the most frequently visited plant was Anchusa azurea (Boraginaceae), reaching 15.2% of the total bee visitation. Our work showed that Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 is, typically, a polylectic species and that the majority of solitary bees exhibited the more specialised trait of oligolectics. The narrowest trophic niche varied between 0.01 and 0.06 bits for Halictus rufipes (Fabricius, 1793), Halictus scabiosae (Rossi, 1790) (Halictidae), Osmia pinguis Perez, 1895 and Osmia tricornis Linnaeus, 1811 (Megachilidae).

Anti-complementary constituents of Anchusa italica

Activity-guided fractionation for complement inhibitors led to the isolation of 24 known compounds from Anchusa italica. Chemical types include eight megastigmane compounds, five triterpenoid compounds, five lignan compounds, three flavonoid compounds, two alkaloid compounds and one phenthyl alcohol compound. Among which, a lignan (medioresinol), an alkaloid (5-hydroxypyrrolidin-2-one) and a flavonoid (5-hydroxyl-3', 4', 6, 7-tetramethoxy flavone) exhibited better anticomplementary effects with CH50 values ranging from 0.07 to 0.82 mM, which are plausible candidates for developing potent anticomplementary agents.

GC-MS Determination and Identification of Eleven Fatty Acids in Triglycerides Isolated from the Seeds of Traditional Kurdish Medicinal Plant Anchusa azurea Mill.

Anchusa azurea Mill. is naturally grown in Iraqi Kurdistan, and it belongs to the Boraginaceae family. The species A. azurea is eaten by Kurdish people and from a phytochemical point of view it has been almost neglected so far and it was thus considered worthy of study. In this investigation the lipids were extracted from seeds and leaves of A. azurea plant with petroleum ether, followed by chloroform and methanol using soxhlet apparatus. The lipid percentage from seeds and leaves were (7.03%) and (1.17%) respectively. Preliminary work on the first extract allowed for the isolation of a mixture of triglycerides, which were submitted to hydrolysis, followed by methylation of free fatty acids. GC-MS analysis showed that the main components were oleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, 11-eicosenoic, erucic and two ω-9 acids. Totally, eleven fatty acids were analyzed from the seeds of the studied plant using GC-MS analysis. The results showed that the plant seeds contain high percentage of elaidic acid (46.42%), palmitic acid (18.9%), linoleic acid (14.59%), and the other main fatty acids (FAs) are erucic acid (6.33%), 11-eicosenoic acid (5.02%), stearic acid (4.55%) and 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid (2.43%). The percentage of minor FAs is (0.78%) nervonic acid, (0.46%) myristic acid, (0.38%) palmitoleic acid and (0.14%) for 11-hexadecenoic acid. The total percentages of polyunsaturated (PUFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs) and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) from the seeds of A. azurea are (17.02, 59.07, 23.91%) respectively. It was found that the percentage and type of fatty acid constituents from A. azurea seeds oil in the present study varied from the same plant in other places and countries.

Evaluating potential olive orchard sugar food sources for the olive fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor

Olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major olive pest in the Mediterranean basin where increasing insecticide resistance has enhanced damage and necessitates more reliance on other control strategies, such as biological control. Provision of floral resources has been reported to improve the effectiveness of natural enemies. Here, we tested the effect of six plant nectars and two honeydew sources on the survival of Psyttalia concolor (Szepligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp used in the biological control of olive fruit fly. Our results showed a positive effect on survival associated with nectars of Anchusa azurea Mill., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lavatera cretica L. and Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi, while honeydew proved to be a valuable alternative food source. When offering flowers directly to insects, Anchusa azurea, Lavatera cretica, and Foeniculum vulgare L. were found to be the most beneficial species, indicating also that P. concolor feeds predominantly on shallow corollas.

Weed seed bank as affected by crop rotation and disturbance

An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of crop rotations on soil seed bank to provide a comparison between crop fields and non-crop lands. Crop rotations were continuous dryland wheat (Wd), continuous irrigated wheat (Wi), wheat-sugarbeet (WS) and wheat-chickpea (WCh). Nearby pastures (P) and orchards (Or) were also studied for comparison purposes. Estimates of the density of seed banks ranged from 52779 seed m−2 in P to 9906 seeds m−2 in Wd. A total of 114 plant species from 24 families were identified from seeds collected from different farms. 33 weed species were at high frequency in weed communities. Crop rotations were dominated by annual weed species, while the weed species dominated in P were mostly not found in any crop rotation. The two weed species Roemeria refracta and Eragrostis cilianensis were frequently present in all the study sites. Amaranthus chlorostachys and Euphorbia esula were more abundant in the areas of moderate to high disturbance. In SW and WS rotations, due to use of grass herbicides and hand weeding, winter annual broadleaves such as Lactuca serriola and Anchusa italica were the prominent species in the seed bank. Results showed that a number of weed species are adapted to a specific crop sequences and disturbance levels. Weed species richness, seed bank abundance and diversity in soil depths are highly dependent on disturbance levels. The current study highlights the importance of agricultural practices including crop sequences or disturbance levels in determining the characteristics of weed populations. This provides useful information to improve methods for maintaining plant population balance.

Optimization and Application of FL-HPLC for Folates Analysis in 20 Species of Mediterranean Wild Vegetables

Folic acid and folates (vitamin B9) are essential for human metabolism. Their nutritional importance mainly lies in the prevention of neural tube formation defects, and other degenerative diseases. The determination of folates in food matrices is a very complex task due to the large number of chemical compounds included under the definition of folates. In the present study, an HPLC-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) methodology was optimized and validated to characterize total folates in vegetables. Its application to Mediterranean wild vegetables, provide new data on folates content on these species, scarcely studied so far. The highest folates contents were found in the leaves of Rumex pulcher L., Beta maritima L. and Anchusa azurea Mill. (506, 302 and 278 μg/100 g, respectively), as well as in the tender leaves and stems of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Silene vulgaris (Moench.) Garcke (272 and 268 μg/100 g, respectively). These data show that the studied wild vegetables are mostly a very good source of folates, compared to other folate-rich plants, such as spinach, parsley or chard. These under-utilized plants deserve attention for their potential value in current diets, as they are a good alternative for the diversification of our vegetable intake and represent an important added value as rich sources of vitamin B9.

English

Anchusa italica Rezet. is an important medicinal plant belonging to the Boraginaceae Family. It is an herbaceous, perennial and monocarp plant. Flowers appear only once during the life cycle of the plant. Over ground is of medicinal properties. This plant and its products are used in heart strengthening, and eliminating headache and cold. In the research, Anchusa italica biomass was studied in under-over ground plant biomass; vegetal sample was collected from the study area with random plot 1 m*m statistical plant during one of the vegetative seasons in this research. Results of this research showed that plant average root dept is about 13.50 cm, average stem height is about 33 cm and average over ground of plant biomass is about 0.76 g/m2 and average over ground of plant biomass is about 3.24 g/m2.   Key words:  Anchusa italica, over ground biomass, medicinal, soil.

Effect of floral resources on longevity and nutrient levels of Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae)

The availability of floral resources for hoverflies is important for growth, development and maintenance of adult individuals in crop fields in order to maximize their function as natural enemies. The objective of this study was to test the effect of five non-crop plant species – Anchusa azurea Mill. and Echium plantagineum L. (Boraginaceae), Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagr.-Foss. (Brassicaceae), Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) and Malva sylvestris L. (Malvaceae) – on longevity and nutrient status of Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer) (Diptera: Syrphidae). Compared to hoverflies fed on water only, M. sylvestris and A. azurea significantly increased longevity of females and males. In terms of nutrient levels, A. azurea and M. sylvestris were correlated with the highest levels of total sugars measured in E. balteatus body. Fructose levels were determined in few individuals fed on A. azurea and M. sylvestris and confirm foraging of nectar. H. perforatum and E. plantagineum provided the highest levels of lipids whereas M. sylvestris, H. perforatum and A. azurea generated the highest levels of glycogen. These results indicate that adult hoverflies could potentially forage on the five plant species tested, but M. sylvestris was that showed better overall results. Thus, conservation or implementation of this species in the field may promote E. balteatus lifespan and thereby, its impact as a biological control agent against pests.

Concentrates of polyunsaturated fatty acids from Lappula squarosa seed oil

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), gamma-linolenic (GLA), alpha-linolenic (ALA), and stearidonic (SA), exhibit high biological activity [1]. Various attempts have been made to prepare PUFA fractions enriched in one PUFA or another for use in drugs and dietary products. A method based on the different solubilities of sodium salts of FA in EtOH that was used for this enabled PUFA concentrates to be obtained from seed oil of Echium fastuosum, Borago officinalis, and Anchusa azurea (Boraginaceae) [2]. We obtained good results for the isolation of FA fractions enriched in ALA and GLA from linseed oil and seed oil of B. officinalis by using low-temperature crystallization at –80°C from CH3CN:Me2CO (7:3) [3]. The resulting fraction (mother liquor) from linseed oil, which contains 55% ALA, consisted of 88.5% ALA; from total FA of B. officinalis with 23.4% GLA, 88.3% of this FA. Crystallization of FA from hexane solution (10%) at –70°C enabled GLA and SA concentrates to be obtained from E. fastuosum seed oil. This method could be used on an industrial scale [4]. Fractions with high GLA and SA contents could be obtained by chromatographic methods such as HPLC, CC over silica gel and over silica gel impregnated with AgNO3, and centrifugal preparative chromatography (CPC). However, they are suitable only for laboratory studies [5]. Extraction by supercritical CO2 in order to isolate and enrich oils in GLA and SA did not give the desired result [6–8]. Fractionation of urea complexes of FA was used to isolate epoxytetraenoic acid from total FA of fish and microalgae [9]; a mixture of GLA with ALA, from FA of Ribes nigrum seed oil [10] and from FA of seed oil of A. azurea, E. fastuosum, and S. scophila [11]. As a rule, a urea:FA ratio of 4:1 (by mass) is used [9]. Production of FA fractions enriched with PUFA using urea complexes (clathrates) depends primarily on the initial set of PUFA and their content in the oil. The main difficulty in producing FA fractions with a high SA content is the presence in oils of SA and its precursor ALA. Until now, plants with oil that contains only SA have not been found [1]. Studies of seed lipids from several species of the family Boraginaceae indigenous to the Republic of Bashkortostan found that Lappula squarosa seed lipids contained >70% PUFA including >16% SA [12]. Separation of the FA from Lappula seed oil as the urea clathrates afforded fractions enriched with PUFA. For this, mild alkaline hydrolysis (10% KOH solution in MeOH, 70–80°C, 30 min) isolated from the oil the total FA. EtOH was used as the solvent to prepare the urea complexes because it was shown earlier that enrichment of PUFA in it occurred better by using FA from B. officinalis seed oil as an example [13]. FA were separated in two steps [13]. In the first step, a mixture of FA (0.8 g) was treated with a saturated solution of urea in EtOH (FA:urea ratio 1:3 by mass), stirred on a magnetic stirrer with heating (60°C) until totally dissolved, and left at room temperature for 3 h and then at 10°C for 24 h. The resulting clathrate crystals were separated on a Schott filter and washed with cold saturated urea solution in EtOH to produce mother liquor 1 and a precipitate of crystalline FA urea complexes, clathrates 1. The yield of FA fractions (mass% of starting FA) was 36.25 and 57.5, respectively (Table 1). Next, the FA compositions of the mother liquor and clathrates were analyzed. The mother liquor was evaporated to half the volume in a rotary evaporator, diluted with H2O, and extracted with Et2O in order to isolate the FA from it. The Et2O extracts were washed with H2O and dried over anhydrous Na2SO4. The solvent was evaporated. The resulting FA (0.29 g, mother liquor 1) were methylated by diazomethane and studied by GC (Table 1).

Lipids and lipophilic components from seeds of three Boraginaceae species

In continuation of the search for lipid-bearers containing -3 and -6 acids, we studied lipids from seeds of Lindelofia macrostyla, Trichodesma incanum, and Anchusa italica (Boraginaceae) collected in Tashkent Oblast. These plants have attracted interest because many of their seed oils contain very active essential -3 and -6 fatty acids. Total neutral lipids were isolated by extraction with benzine (bp 72–85°C) in a Soxhlet apparatus. Bound lipids were extracted from the remaining pulp according to Folch [1]. Because a part of the NL was found in the bound fraction, they were separated from the latter by column chromatography with elution by CHCl3; GL, by acetone; PL, by MeOH. The NL obtained from the bound fraction were combined with those previously extracted. The yield of NL from oil of L. macrostyla was 13.9%; from T. incanum, 10.8; from A. italica, 22.6. The maximum content of NL was found in seed oil of A. italica. GL and PL dominated oil from T. incanum seeds. NL from the three studied species contained hydrocarbons, triacylglycerides, esters of cyclic alcohols with fatty acids, free fatty acids, sterols, and diacylglycerides according to TLC on silica gel using hexane:Et2O (4:1 and 1:1). GL were analyzed by TLC on silica gel using CHCl3:(CH3)2CO:MeOH:HOAc:H2O (65:20:10:10:3). It was found that GL from L. macrostyla seed oil consisted of sterolglycosides, esters of sterolglycosides, cerebrosides, esters of cerebrosides, digalactosyldiglycerides, and monogalactosyldiglycerides. GL from seed oil of T. incanum and A. italica had the same composition as that from L. macrostyla but did not contain cerebrosides and their esters. Two-dimensional chromatography was used to separate PL. The first direction used CHCl3:MeOH:NH4OH (25%) (65:25:5); the second, CHCl3:MeOH:HOAc:H2O (14:5:1:1). Phhosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylinositols (PI), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), phosphatidic acids (PA), and N-acyl-lyso-phosphatidylethanolamines were observed in PL of L. macrostyla seed oil. PL from T. incanum and A. italica had the same composition with the exception of N-acyl-lyso-phosphatidylethanolamines. The emulsions obtained after alkaline hydrolysis of NL, GL, and PL were decomposed by H2SO4 (10%). The released fatty acids were extracted with Et2O, methylated by diazomethane, and analyzed by GC on a Chrom-2 instrument [2]. Table 1 lists the composition of the fatty acids. It can be seen that the qualitative fatty-acid compositions of L. macrostyla and T. incanum seed oils were identical and consisted of 13 components whereas fatty acids from A. italica seed oil numbered 9 components. The principal saturated acid was 16:0; unsaturated, 18:1 and 18:2. Furthermore, seed oil of T. incanum and A. italica also contained significant quantities of -6 and -3-octadecatrienoic acids.

Suitability of weed species prevailing in Spanish vineyards as hosts for root-knot nematodes

Commercial vineyards in southern Spain were surveyed and sampled during October to December 2004 to determine the extent to which common weeds present were suitable hosts of root-knot nematodes infesting soils of those vineyards. Seven weed species commonly growing in grapevine soils in southern Spain were found infected by either Meloidogyne incognita or M. javanica: Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed), Anchusa azurea (ox-tongue), Chenopodium album (goosefoot), Erodium moschatum (musk stork’s bill), Malva rotundifolia (low mallow), Sinapis alba (white mustard), and Solanum nigrum (black nightshade). The host suitability of the weeds to root-knot nematodes was evaluated on the basis of root galling severity and nematode population densities in soil and roots. Also, the host–parasite relationship in these naturally Meloidogyne-infected weeds was examined. All the weed species in the study were considered suitable hosts for M. incognita and M. javanica because: (a) high Meloidogyne spp. populations occurred in roots and surrounding soil of the weed species; (b) the severity of root galling was high, and (c) well-established permanent feeding sites were observed in the histopathological studies of infected root tissues. In addition, this study presents the first reports of S. alba and A. azurea as hosts for M. incognita, and of E. moschatum as a new host for M. javanica, thus increasing the list of reported weed hosts for Meloidogyne spp. These results indicate that noticeable population densities of M. incognita and M. javanica can be maintained or increased in these weeds, at population levels higher than those previously reported for the same nematodes infecting grapevine roots. The weeds infesting vineyards thus represent an important source of inoculum of Meloidogyne spp., and furthermore may act as reservoirs of these nematodes which can be disseminated within or among vineyards by agricultural operations.

Evaluation of Some Plants Used in Turkish Folk Medicine for Their Anti-inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activities

Ethanol and aqueous extracts obtained from 11 plant species from 11 families selected based on their use in Turkish folk medicine, including Isatis glauca. Aucher x Boiss. subsp glauca. (herb) (Brassicaceae), Tamus communis. L. (herb and root) (Dioscoreaceae), Rumex crispus. L. (herb) (Polygonaceae), Daphne oleoides. Schreber (aerial parts) (Thymeleaceae), Laurus nobilis. L. (leaves and seeds) (Lauraceae), Ranunculus tricophyllus. Chaix (herb) (Ranunculaceae), Anchusa azurea. Miller var. azurea. (herb) (Boraginaceae), Calluna vulgaris. L. (herb) (Ericaceae), Prunella vulgaris. L. (herb) (Lamiaceae), Scabiosa rotata. Bieb. (herb) (Dipsacaceae), and Arceuthobium oxycedri. (DC.) Bieb. (herb) (Loranthaceae), were evaluated for their in vivo. anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. Among the plant extracts studied, the ethanol extracts of Laurus nobilis. seed and Calluna vulgaris. herb and the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Arceuthobium oxycedri. herb displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model in mice without inducing any gastric damage. The ethanol extracts of Isatis glauca. subsp. glauca., Calluna vulgaris., Laurus nobilis. (seeds) as well as the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Arceuthobium oxycedri. were also shown to possess significant antinociceptive activity in varying degrees against p.-benzoquinone-induced abdominal contraction test in mice.

Ecological and simultaneous seed oil extraction/saponification/γ‐linolenic acid concentration

The essential fatty acid γ-linolenic (GLA, C18:3n-6), which has several pharmaceutical properties, has been concentrated from the seed oil of three plant species, Borago officinalis, Anchusa azurea and Echium fastuosum. The process was effected through one single and ecological step: simultaneous seed oil extraction/saponification/GLA concentration. Finally, the mother liquor containing the GLA concentrate was stored at low temperature to crystallize saturated fatty acids and further increase GLA purity. Two variables affecting the process were found: water content in the saponification mixture and filtration temperature. Best results were obtained from B. officinalis (GLA purity 68%, GLA yield 64%), although closely followed by the concentrates from the other species.

γ‐Linolenic acid content and fatty acid composition of Boraginaceae seed oils

AbstractEleven species of the Boraginaceae family collected in Turkey were analyzed with respect to the amount of γ‐linolenic acid as well as fatty acid composition. γ‐Linolenic acid was found in all species, except for Heliotropium lasiocarpum Fisch. & Mey. and Heliotropium dolosum De Not. Seed oil content ranged from 1.5% in H. lasiocarpum to 22.0% in Anchusa leptophylla ssp. leptophylla. The content of γ‐linolenic acid ranged from 1.7% of total fatty acids in Paracaryum racemosum (Schreber) Britten var. racemosum to 13.7% in A. leptophylla Roemer & Shultes ssp. leptophylla. According to data from our study, A. leptophylla ssp. leptophylla (13.7%), Anchusa azurea Miller var. azurea (11.9%) and Echium plantagineum L. (12.2%) might be considered as new sources of γ‐linolenic acid.

Radical scavenging and iron-chelating activities of some greens used as traditional dishes in Mediterranean diet

This study aimed at evaluating the antioxidative activity of nine different families of greens. Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish), Anchusa azurea (bugloss), Daucus carota (wild carrot), Sonchus oleraceus (sowthistle), Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy), Malva sylvestris (blue mallow), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Cichorium intybus (chicory) and Salicornia europaea (jointed glasswort) are native to the Mediterranean and are commonly consumed as a salad or an ingredient in some recipes. The antioxidative activities, including the radical scavenging effects, inhibition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Fe2+-chelating activity, were studied. All samples showed antioxidant activity as a radical scavenger in the experiment using the DPPH• radical. The ratio between the slopes of the kinetic model was used to compare antioxidant efficiency of different greens. Greens also possessed antioxidative activity toward H2O2. Especially, greens exhibited a marked scavenging effect on H2O2 at 0.2 g/ml concentration. The Fe2+ ion-chelating activities of the samples except jointed glasswort were greater than 70%. The antioxidant activity of samples with different methods based on the inhibition of different reactions could not be compared. The current dietary guidelines include recommendations for an increase in the consumption of plant foods. Greens should provide an optimal supply of antioxidant substances in the diet.