Helichrysum Species Research Articles

Helichrysum emodi (Gnaphalieae: Asteraceae), a new species from the Indian Himalaya

Helichrysum emodi (Gnaphalieae: Asteraceae) is described as new to science from Madhmaheshwar valley of Uttarakhand, India. Morphologically it resembles H. cutchicum and H. kashgaricum, but differs from these two species in having broad, sub-cordate to semi-amplexicaule leaf base with obtuse apex, shape of phyllaries, and absence of female florets, respectively. A detailed morphological description and illustration of H. emodi, together with pollen and habitat photographs and a key to the species of Helichrysum occurring in India are provided for the species identification.

Determination of metabolic profiling by LC-MS/MS, evaluation of antioxidant activities, and enzyme inhibition effects of Helichrysum plicatum subsp. pseudopliacatum

Helichrysum species are traditionally used to treat many diseases. In this study, the antioxidant and enzyme inhibition abilities of methanol (MEHP) and water extracts (WEHP) from Helichrysum plicatum subsp. Pseudopliacatum was evaluated. Also, the phenolic compounds will be assessed and the quantities of total phenols and flavonoids will be calculated. For evaluation of antioxidant activity of both extracts was assessed using DPPH, ABTS and DMPD radical scavenging, FRAP, CUPRAC, and Fe3+ reduction methods were used. The inhibition effects of extracts were spectrophotometrically evaluated on the α-glucosidase (α-Gly), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) enzymes. These inhibition effects were compared to the standard inhibitors The qualitative and quantitative phenolic components in extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), employing both methods. The IC50 value, which is the inhibitor concentration that causes 50% inhibition of MEHP and WEHP, is found as 2.39 and 2.97 μg mL-1 for α-gly, 2.48 and 3.59 μg mL-1 for AChE and 11.95 and 25.67 μg mL-1for CA II. The quantity of phenols in MEHP and WEHP were 46.00 and 33.50 μg GAE mg-1 extract, 62.13 and 103.93 μg QE mg-1 extract flavonoids, respectively. IC50 values of MEHP and WEHP were calculated as 40.77 and 49.51 μg mL-1 for DPPH radical scavenging, 10.50 and 17.77 μg mL-1 ABTS radical scavenging and 99.02 and 77.01 μg mL-1 DMPD radical scavenging. The absorbance values of reducing abilities of MEHP and WEHP were found as 0.555 and 0.495 Fe3+ reducing ability, 0.577 and 0.286 for FRAP reducing ability and 0.402 and 0.315 for Cu2+ reducing ability. As a result of the LC-MS/MS analysis, the levels of phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and quinic acid were found to be high in MEHP and WEHP. In this study, it was observed that MEHP and WEHP have strong antioxidant properties and effectively inhibited the enzymes activities. The findings clearly reveal the antioxidant and enzyme inhibition potential of Helichrysum species, which have been used in traditional medicine for a long time. Helichrysum plicatum extracts used in this study show that they are very effective against diabetes, glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease, which are global and common diseases.

Medicinal Plant-derived Phytochemicals in Detoxification.

The average worldwide human life expectancy is 70 years, with a significantly higher value in Western societies. Many modern diseases are not associated with premature mortality but with a decreased quality of life in aged patients and an excessive accumulation of various toxic compounds in the human body during life. Today, scientists are especially interested in finding compounds that can help increase a healthy lifespan by detoxifying the body. Phytotherapy with specific approaches is used in alternative medicine to remove toxins from the body. Worldwide, research is conducted to identify medicinal plant-derived molecules that, with few or no side effects, may protect the liver and other organs. This review provides updated information about the detoxification process, the traditional and modern use of the most effective medicinal plants, their active metabolites as detoxifying agents, and the mechanisms and pathways involved in the detoxification process. Among medicinal plants with substantial detoxifying properties, a major part belongs to the Asteraceae family (Silybum marianum, Cynara scolymus, Arctium lappa, Helichrysum species, Inula helenium, and Taraxacum officinale). The most widely used hepatoprotective phytocomponent is silymarin, a standardized extract from the Silybum marianum seeds containing a mixture of flavonolignans. Many polysaccharides, polyphenols, and terpenoids have a detoxifying effect. Overall, scientific data on medicinal plants used in phytotherapeutic practice worldwide provides an understanding and awareness of their efficacy in detoxification.

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

AbstractHuman land use can have lasting impacts on landscape characteristic, yet there remains a lack of information on how former land use affects plant communities in protected African grasslands. In this study, we investigated how land uses prior to the creation of Kitulo National Park, Tanzania, shaped the presence and abundance of the native shrub, Helichrysum species. We evaluated both plant species composition and soil properties across the park by dividing our sample into three different zones of historical land use based on participatory mapping. We divided the park into three former land uses: (1) livestock grazed and cultivated; (2) grazed only and (3) wild grazing with limited human impact. We observed that former grazed cultivated land use had five times higher Helichrysum abundance than former ‘wild’ land use. Soil pH, magnesium and phosphorus levels varied significantly across zones of historical land use but not between sites with and without Helichrysum species. Helichrysum splendidum was more abundant in soils with low soil phosphorus and magnesium concentrations. Our study demonstrates that historic grazing and cropping land uses through changes in soil nutrient properties can explain current Helichrysum species spread in protected areas. As such, conservation management plans would benefit from integrating mapping of former land uses to target interventions for problematic encroaching shrubs.

An Integrated Molecular Networking and Docking Approach to Characterize the Metabolome of Helichrysum splendidum and Its Pharmaceutical Potentials.

South Africa is rich in diverse medicinal plants, and it is reported to have over 35% of the global Helichrysum species, many of which are utilized in traditional medicine. Various phytochemical studies have offered valuable insights into the chemistry of Helichrysum plants, hinting at bioactive components that define the medicinal properties of the plant. However, there are still knowledge gaps regarding the size and diversity of the Helichrysum chemical space. As such, continuous efforts are needed to comprehensively characterize the phytochemistry of Helichrysum, which will subsequently contribute to the discovery and exploration of Helichrysum-derived natural products for drug discovery. Thus, reported herein is a computational metabolomics work to comprehensively characterize the metabolic landscape of the medicinal herb Helichrysum splendidum, which is less studied. Metabolites were methanol-extracted and analyzed on a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. Spectral data were mined using molecular networking (MN) strategies. The results revealed that the metabolic map of H. splendidum is chemically diverse, with chemical superclasses that include organic polymers, benzenoids, lipid and lipid-like molecules, alkaloids, and derivatives, phenylpropanoids and polyketides. These results point to a vastly rich chemistry with potential bioactivities, and the latter was demonstrated through computationally assessing the binding of selected metabolites with CDK-2 and CCNB1 anti-cancer targets. Molecular docking results showed that flavonoids (luteolin, dihydroquercetin, and isorhamnetin) and terpenoids (tiliroside and silybin) interact strongly with the CDK-2 and CCNB1 targets. Thus, this work suggests that these flavonoid and terpenoid compounds from H. splendidum are potentially anti-cancer agents through their ability to interact with these proteins involved in cancer pathways and progression. As such, these actionable insights are a necessary step for further exploration and translational studies for H. splendidum-derived compounds for drug discovery.

Genetic and morphological assessment of Helichrysum Mill. from Tuscan Archipelago (Italy)

In the Mediterranean area, the species of the genus Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae) have very similar genetic traits despite they may show different morphological characteristics. A first genetic and morphological assessment on twelve populations of Helichrysum from Elba, Capraia and Giglio Islands, in the Tuscan Archipelago (Italy) was carried out. To determine their taxonomic identity, additional reference specimens belonging to the three Helichrysum species reported from the Tuscan Islands in the literature -H. italicum (Roth) G. Don subsp. italicum, H. litoreum Guss., and H. stoechas L.-, were also included in the assessments. Our results show that the Tuscan Archipelago populations have low levels of morphological and genetic variation. In particular, the variability was mainly observed at the intra-population level, as revealed by the coefficient of variation and AMOVA-Gst in the morphological and genetic analyses, respectively. Basing on our results, all examined populations from the Tuscan Archipelago seem fit in H. italicum subsp. italicum. However, we detect and discuss the existence of some intermediate specimens, mainly with H. litoreum, reflecting the complexity of Helichrysum’s taxonomy and highlighting the need for additional studies to fully understand the various patterns and the underlying evolutionary events that originated them.

Comparison of different helichrysum species in terms of agro-morphological characteristics and essential oil content

Helichrysum species belonging to the Asteraceae family are popularly known as goldengrass, mantuvar, guddeme flower and immortelle in our country. Helichrysum species, which are commonly found in nature in Anatolia, are consumed as herbal tea. Helichrysum essential oils are used in folk medicine to protect against colds, kidney stones, stomach ailments, coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancer derivatives, thanks to their antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties and phenolic compounds. This research was carried out to compare agro-morphological characteristics and essential oil ratio between cultured Helichrysum italicum (HI) and naturally distributed Helichrysum stoechas (HS) species. The experiment was established in Ege University Ödemiş Vocational School’s land in April 2022 with HS and HI species according to the Random Blocks Trial Design with 3 replications. In the study, plant height, green herb yield, dry herb yield, fresh flower yield, dry flower yield and essential oil ratio parameters were investigated. The results of the analysis of variance with the data of the investigated characteristics, it was determined that the culture form HI may be a more suitable medicinal plant for the ecological conditions of İzmir-Ödemiş compared to HS, which spreads in the flora.

Bioprospecting of Helichrysum Species: Chemical Profile, Phytochemical Properties, and Antifungal Efficacy against Botrytis cinerea.

Variation in plant species and extraction solvents play a crucial role in the recovery of their bioactive compounds and antifungal efficacy. Thus, in this study, a comparative investigation was carried out using extraction solvents: 70% acetone and 95% ethanol to obtain crude aqueous extracts from Helichrysum odoratissimum and H. patulum. Crude aqueous extracts were screened using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), to gain insight into their chemical composition. Phytochemical properties (total polyphenols (TP) and radical scavenging capacity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)), and antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea of the crude extracts were evaluated. Fungicide (Rovral® WP) and extraction solvents were used as controls. Variation in Helichrysum spp. and extraction solvent had influence on the chemical composition, phytochemicals, and antifungal activities. Metabolites such as γ-terpinene (≈0.1%), α-amorphene (≈0.6%) α-gurjunene (≈1.4%), β-selinene (2.2-3.2%), γ-gurjunene (≈3.3%), and methyl cinnamate (≈20%) were detected only in extracts of H. patulum. Crude extract of H. odoratissimum using 70% acetone had the highest TP (19.3 ± 0.76 g GA 100 g-1), and DPPH capacity (13,251.5 ± 700.55 µmol Trolox g-1) compared to H. patulum (p ≤ 0.05). Ethanolic extracts of H. patulum showed highest antifungal efficacy (≈65%) against B. cinerea (p ≤ 0.05) compared to other crude extracts. This study showed that Helichrysum spp. differ in their potential as a source for bioactive compounds and antifungal treatments/formulations.

Helichrysum arenarium: From Cultivation to Application

Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is known in traditional medicine for its diuretic, choleretic, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review focuses on the superiority of Helichrysum arenarium (sandy everlasting) over other known plants as a source of active pharmacological compounds used in complementary medicine to prevent digestive and hepatobiliary illnesses. Because the species exists both in spontaneous flora and in crops, this article highlights the development of a controlled culture of H. arenarium, following the reproducible quality of the plant as a biological material. The diversity of phytocompounds, especially well-characterized flavonoid extracts, and the differences between extraction procedures are discussed. Antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities against human pathogens proved by different plant extracts and their mechanisms of action are analyzed. This study aims to contribute to the insufficient knowledge regarding the effects of Helichrysum species and to reveal that their extracts can be a valuable source for new active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Chemical Study and Comparison of the Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of Helichrysum petiolare, H. cymosum, and H. odoratissimum.

Helichrysum species are prominent South African medicinal plants. From the essential oils (EOs) of three Helichrysum species, H. petiolare, H. odoratissimum, and H. cymosum, sixty-three constituent components were identified, with hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes as major components. The compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In H. petiolare EO, the major components were faurinone (20.66%) and (E)-β-ocimene (17.21%). Faurinone was isolated from this EO for the first time. In H. odoratissimum, 1,8-cineole (17.44%) and α-pinene, and γ-curcumene (15.76%) were the major components whereas, in H. cymosum, α-pinene (29.82%) and (E)-caryophyllene (19.20%) were the major components. In the antibacterial activity study, the EOs were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The EOs were found to possess low antibacterial, anti-tyrosinase, and photoprotection activities and moderate antioxidant capacities, thus establishing these Helichrysum EOs as valuable antioxidant agents.

Reproductive, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, protective and antidiabetic activities of Helichrysum Mill. species

South African Helichrysum species are known for diverse medicinal use and treatment of different illnesses. Ethnopharmacological studies have revealed the potential use of Helichrysum plants in drug discovery. Although some of these species have been documented, there is still paucity of information on most species. This review seeks to provide a compilation of documented traditional uses, reproductive potential, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, protective and antidiabetic activities and other therapeutic properties of some Helichrysum species of South Africa. Information on Helichrysum cymosum, H. foetidum, H. odoratissimum, H. patulum and H. petiolare were collected from such scientific databases as Google scholar, Scifinder, PubMed, Elsevier, Scopus, Science direct in the form of journal articles, scientific reports, theses and books from the Library of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Our findings show that these species have historic values in traditional medicine through their diverse use for the management and treatment of such illnesses as cold, diabetes, headaches, digestive problems, sores and wounds, HIV, cancer etc. Additionally, the reported bioactive constituents isolated from these species have been shown to indicate several activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, neuroprotection, reproductive potentials and others. Thus, the current review highlights the phytochemical and bioactive constituents as well as some of the pharmacological properties of the five selected Helichrysum species with a view to providing validation for their use in the pharmaceutical drug development process.

Identification of Anti-HIV Biomarkers of Helichrysum Species by NMR-Based Metabolomic Analysis.

Several species of the Helichrysum genus have been used ethnobotanically to treat conditions that we today know have been caused by viral infections. Since HIV is a modern disease with no ethnobotanical history, we commenced with a study on the anti-HIV activity of several Helichrysum species. Drug discovery of small molecules from natural resources that is based on the integration of chemical and biological activity by means of metabolomical analyses, enables faster and a more cost-effective path to identify active compounds without the need for a long process of bioassay-guided fractionation. This study used metabolomics to identify anti-HIV compounds as biomarkers from 57 Helichrysum species in a combined study of the chemical and biological data of two previous studies. In the OPLS-DA and hierarchical cluster analyses, anti-HIV activity data was included as a secondary observation, which assisted in the correlation of the phytochemical composition and biological activity of the samples. Clear grouping revealed similarity in chemical composition and bioactivity of the samples. Based on the biological activity of polar extracts, there was a distinct phytochemical difference between active and non-active groups of extracts. This NMR-based metabolomic investigation showed that the chlorogenic acids, compounds with cinnamoyl functional groups, and quinic acid were the most prominent compounds in the Helichrysum species with anti-HIV activity. This study further revealed that the chlorogenic acid type compounds and quinic acid are biomarkers for anti-HIV activity.

Helichrysum Genus and Compound Activities in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus.

The global management of diabetes mellitus (DM) involves the administration of recommended anti-diabetic drugs in addition to a non-sedentary lifestyle upon diagnosis. Despite the success recorded from these synthetic drugs, the traditional method of treatment using medicinal plants is increasingly accepted by the locals due to its low cost and the perceived no side effects. Helichrysum species are used in folk medicine and are documented for the treatment of DM in different regions of the world. This study reviews Helichrysum species and its compounds’ activities in the management of DM. An extensive literature search was carried out, utilizing several scientific databases, ethnobotanical books, theses, and dissertations. About twenty-two Helichrysum species were reported for the treatment of diabetes in different regions of the world. Among these Helichrysum species, only fifteen have been scientifically investigated for their antidiabetic activities, and twelve compounds were identified as bioactive constituents for diabetes. This present review study will be a useful tool for scientists and health professionals working in the field of pharmacology and therapeutics to develop potent antidiabetic drugs that are devoid of side effects.

Comparative Study of the Antioxidant Constituents, Activities and the GC-MS Quantification and Identification of Fatty Acids of Four Selected Helichrysum Species.

Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae) is a plant genus comprising distinctively of aromatic plants of about 500–600 species. Since most of these plants have not been previously studied, extensive profiling helps to validate their folkloric uses and determine their potential value as sources of plant-derived drug candidates. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the antioxidant activity (DPPH, NO, FRAP); total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, total flavonoid, and fatty acid compositions of the aqueous acetone extracts from four Helichrysum plants namely, Helichrysum pandurifolium, Helichrysum foetidum, Helichrysum petiolare, and Helichrysum cymocum. The results obtained showed that the H. cymocum extract had the best DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 11.85 ± 3.20 µg/mL) and H. petiolare extract had the best nitric oxide scavenging activity (IC50 = 20.81 ± 3.73 µg/mL), while H. pandurifolium Schrank extract (0.636 ± 0.005 µg/mL) demonstrated the best ferrous reducing power, all of which are comparable with results from ascorbic acid used as the standard. The IC50 values of the radical scavenging activity ranged from 11.85–41.13 µg/mL (DPPH), 20.81–36.19 µg/mL (NO), and 0.505–0.636 µg/mL (FRAP), for all the plants studied. The H. petiolare has the highest total antioxidant capacity (48.50 ± 1.55 mg/g), highest total phenolic content (54.69 ± 0.23 mg/g), and highest total flavonoid content (56.19 ± 1.01 mg/g) compared with other species. The fatty acid methyl esters were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results obtained showed variations in the fatty acid composition of the plant extracts, with H. petiolare having the highest saturated fatty acid (SFA) content (7184 µg/g) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content (7005.5 µg/g). In addition, H. foetidum had the highest monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content (1150.3 µg/g), while H. cymocum had the highest PUFA:SFA ratio of 1.202. In conclusion, the findings from this study revealed that H. pandurifolium Schrank, H. foetidum, H. petiolare, and H. cymocum are repositories of natural bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting benefits that need to be investigated, for both their antioxidant activity in a number of disease conditions and for further exploration in drug discovery and development projects.

Antioxidant and Toxic Activity of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench and Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don Essential Oils and Extracts.

Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench (sandy everlasting) is the only species from genus Helichrysum Mill that grows spontaneously in Lithuania. The chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) from inflorescences and leaves of H. arenarium wild plants was analysed by GC-MS. Palmitic (≤23.8%), myristic (≤14.9%) and lauric (6.1%) acids, n-nonanal (10.4%), and trans-β-caryophyllene (≤6.5%) were the major constituents in the EOs. For comparison, the main components in EO from flowers (commercial herb material) of H. italicum were γ-curcumene (21.5%), β-selinene (13.6%), α-selinene (8.1%), β-eudesmol (8.3%), and α-pinene (6.5%). Composition of H. arenarium methanolic extracts was investigated by HPLC-DAD-TOF. The main compounds were the following: luteolin-7-O-glucoside, naringenin and its glucoside, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, arenol, and arzanol. Antioxidant activity of EOs and extracts was tested by DPPH● and ABTS●+ assays. Sandy everlasting extracts exhibited significantly higher radical scavenging activities (for leaves 11.18 to 19.13 and for inflorescences 1.96 to 6.13 mmol/L TROLOX equivalent) compared to those of all tested EOs (0.25 to 0.46 mmol/L TROLOX equivalent). Antioxidant activity, assayed electrochemically by cyclic and square wave voltammetry correlated with total polyphenolic content in extracts and radical scavenging properties of EOs and extracts. The toxic activity of EOs of both Helichrysum species was evaluated using a brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay. H. italicum inflorescence EO was found to be toxic (LC50 = 15.99 µg/mL) as well as that of H. arenarium (LC50 ≤ 23.42 µg/mL) oils.

Volatolomics of Three South African Helichrysum Species Grown in Pot under Protected Environment.

Helichrysum decorum DC, Helichrysum lepidissimum S. Moore, and Helichrysum umbraculigerum are three species traditionally used in the South African medicine. The present work deals with the investigation of the spontaneous emission and the essential oils obtained from these plants cultivated in open field under uniform conditions. Fractions of the volatile organic compounds of the three species were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, representing more than 70% of the total composition. Pinene isomers were the most representative compounds: β-pinene in H. decorum (53.0%), and α-pinene in H. lepidissimum (67.9%) and H. umbraculigerum (54.8%). These latter two species evidenced an important amount of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SH) especially represented by γ-curcumene (H. lepidissimum) and α- and β-selinene (H. umbraculigerum). On the contrary, in the EOs, sesquiterpenes compounds prevailed, representing more than 64% of the identified fraction to reach more than 82 and 87% in H. umbraculigerum and H. lepidissimum, respectively. Although the chemical classes and their relative abundances were comparable among the three species, the individual compounds of EOs showed large differences. In fact, caryophyllene oxide (26.7%) and γ-curcumene (17.4%) were the main constituents in H. decorum, and H. lepidissimum respectively, while neo-intermedeol (11.2%) and viridiflorol (10.6%) characterized H. umbraculigerum.

Metabolite profiling and antiprotozoal activity of three endemic Iranian Helichrysum species

Tropical diseases such as leishmaniosis constitute a major health concern in developing countries. Multiresistance of pathogens against classical antibiotics is a growing problem in treating infectious diseases. Thus, the search for new antibiotics is an urgent challenge. Helichrysum spp., mainly distributed in African countries, have been used in traditional and folk medicine for the treatment of several disorders including infectious diseases such as protozoal problems. In an ongoing project on the beneficial effects of Helichrysum spp., we aim to investigate and compare the anti-protozoal activities and phytochemical components of Helichrysum oligocephalum DC. and Helichrysum leucocephalum Ausfeld. Previously, we discovered pyrone and phloroglucinol derivatives as the active anti-protozoal components in Helichrysum oocephalum Boiss. [IC50 values 5.08 µg/mL and 4.01 µg/mL against Leishmania donovani and Plasmodium falciparum, respectively for dichloromethane (DCM) fraction]. As the former plants also showed similar activities to some extent [IC50 values 5.19 µg/mL and 5.42 µg/mL against L. donovani and P. falciparum respectively for DCM fraction of H. oligocephalum, IC50 value 3.8 µg/mL against P. falciparum for DCM fraction of H. leucocephalum], we decided to compare the metabolite profiles of those plants with H. oocephalum for dereplication purposes. A sensitive method coupling high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode-array detector (PDA) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) was optimized for separation and metabolite profiling. The LC-ESIMS metabolite profiles of the fractions from the plants were compared by applying a two-step workflow using an ACD/MS workbook suite add-in, and data clustering on an open-source web platform freeclust. The metabolites were identified by NMR and LC-PDA-ESIMS techniques. The metabolites can be categorized into major types namely flavonoids, phenolic acids, pyrone, and phloroglucinol derivatives. Phloroglucinol derivatives were mainly present in DCM fractions. DCM extract of H. oligocephalum showed the most similar profile to our previously studied extract of H. oocephalum and seems to be even much richer in pyrone and phloroglucinol derivatives. The data could emphasize the potential of Helichrysum spp. for the treatment of infectious diseases. However, more studies on the other species around the world are needed to have a much better insight.

Medicinal Properties and In Vitro Biological Activities of Selected Helichrysum Species from South Africa: A Review.

The genus Helichrysum Mill comprises hundreds of species that are mostly flowering perennial shrubs. Some of these plants that belong to the Helichrysum species are used in traditional medicine to treat cough, back pain, diabetes, asthma, digestive problems, menstrual pain, chest pain, kidney disorders, skin disorders, wounds, open sores, among other conditions, but, only a few scientific studies are reported in the literature with sufficient information that validates the acclaimed folkloric benefits of these plants. This review, therefore, provides a comprehensive update of the available information on the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, anti-proliferative, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-HIV, anti-malarial, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-tyrosinase, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant activities of selected Helichrysum species of interest: H. petiolare, H. cymocum, H. foetidum, and H. pandurifolium Schrank, using scientific databases as well as electronic and print sources. The ethnobotanical and morphological characteristics as well as the phytochemical composition and biological activities of these plants are elucidated. The scientific rationale for their current use is discussed based on the evidence in the literature. This review highlights the putative use of the Helichrysum species as a reliable source of bioactive compounds for the production of standard commercial drugs to treat many ailments, including those reported in folkloric uses. Further research on the many plants in the genus Helichrysum is recommended to explore their economic importance both as edible crops and medicinal botanicals.

Evaluation the Effects of Helichrysum plicatum Subsp. pseudoplicatum on an In-Vitro Wound Model Using Human Dermal Fibroblast Cells.

Wound is tissue damage that occurs in the skin. Helichrysum species (Altınotu) are rich in phenolic compounds used in traditional medicine for wound healing. The main component in their flower head (capitulum) is phenolic compounds. The present study investigates the proliferative, oxidative stress, and wound healing properties of the methanolic extract of Helichrysum plicatum subsp. pseudoplicatum capitulum on a human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line in this study. H plicatum subsp. pseudoplicatum capitulums were collected in Erzurum, Turkey (altitude 1950 m), dried, pulverized, and extracted with methanol. Firstly, total phenolic contents were determined and secondly, the proliferative effect, oxidative stress activities, and wound healing effects on HDF cells were evaluated by the cell proliferation kit (XTT) test, total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) commercial kits, and the scratch experiment by taking microscopic images of the cells at 0, 12, 18, and 24 h, respectively. Total phenolic content was found to be 142.00 ± 0.73 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram (GAE/g) extract. The capitulum extract has a proliferative effect at 0.5 to 10 µg/mL concentrations according to the XTT test results. It was observed that TAS levels significantly increased in the plant extract at the concentration ranges 1 to 10 µg/mL (P < .01). About 1 to 5 µg/mL plant extract started to increase cell migration at the 12 h and significantly closed the wound area at the 24 h. At the doses between 1 to 5 μg/mL, it has the most substantial effect on both cell viability and antioxidant effect, and wound healing was found to be in this concentration range. These findings suggested that the H plicatum subsp. pseudoplicatum capitulum is a valuable source of phenolic content with important antioxidant activity at wound healing and it was concluded that the capitulum extract accelerates wound healing by increasing cell migration in low doses.

Determination of Volatile Components of Helichrysum arenarium subsp. aucheri Naturally Distributed in Two Different Regions

The aim of this study was to determine the volatile components of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench subsp. aucheri that belongs to the Helichrysum genus, belonging to the Asteraceae family, one of the important families for Turkey and generally known as ‘ölmez çiçek, altın otu or mantuvar’ in Turkey. To determine volatile components, leaves and flowers of Helichrysum arenarium subsp. aucheri specimens were collected from Isparta Aksu and Adana Feke villages in Turkey, and dried at room temperature. Then, volatile components were determined with HS-SPME/GC-MS analysis. As a result of the findings obtained, a total of 86 volatile components were found for Helichrysum species. A total of 64 volatile components were determined for Helichrysum arenarium subsp. aucheri specimens collected from Isparta Aksu region, whereas the main components were found as trans-Caryophyllene (24.33%), .α.-humulene (16.14%), α- pinene (14.79%); and dl-limonene (11.98%), respectively; and a total of 87 volatile components for specimens collected from Adana Feke region, whereas the main components were found as trans-caryophyllene (24.57%), α-pinene (22.5%), β-pinene (8.98%), limonene (8.21%), respectively.