L. (sage) is one of the most appreciated plants for its plethora of biologically active compounds. The objective of our research was a comparative study, in the Mediterranean context, of chemical ...composition, anticholinesterases, and antioxidant properties of essential oils (EOs) from sage collected in three areas (S1-S3) of Southern Italy. EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory properties were investigated by employing Ellman's method. Four in vitro assays, namely, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric-reducing ability power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests, were used to study the antioxidant effects. Camphor (16.16-18.92%), 1,8-cineole (8.80-9.86%), β-pinene (3.08-9.14%), camphene (6.27-8.08%), and α-thujone (1.17-9.26%) are identified as the most abundant constituents. However, the content of these constituents varied depending on environmental factors and pedoclimatic conditions. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. Based on Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI), S2 essential oil exhibited the highest radical potential with an IC
value of 20.64 μg/mL in ABTS test and presented the highest protection of lipid peroxidation with IC
values of 38.06 and 46.32 μg/mL after 30 and 60 min of incubation, respectively. The most promising inhibitory activity against BChE was found for S3 sample (IC
of 33.13 μg/mL).
We present a dual-beam Doppler optical coherence tomography system for visualizing the microvasculature within the retina. The sample arm beams from two identical spectral domain optical coherence ...tomography (SD-OCT) systems are combined such that there is a small horizontal offset between them at the retina. Thereby we record two tomograms which are slightly separated in time. Phase-resolved Doppler analysis is performed between these two data sets. This system allows blood capillary imaging with high flow sensitivity and variable velocity range. To demonstrate the performance of our system we present images of the microvascular network around the fovea and around the optic nerve head of the human eye.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory immune-mediated skin disease. It affects most races, does not have any sexual predilections and can manifest at any age of life. Psoriasis is more frequent in ...certain racial groups and geographical areas. For these reasons, both genetic and environmental factors could be considered. In this review, we discuss promising natural compounds, their molecular targets and mechanisms, which may help the further design of new anti-psoriasis agents. Literature documents the widespread use of herbal remedies worldwide, and the presence of some phytochemicals supports the efficacy of some botanical treatments. The research on natural products has greatly contributed to the progress in the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis and many of these compounds are now being used. Understanding the mechanism of these molecules will contribute to the development of more specific preventive strategies for the treatment of psoriasis.
Dementia is becoming a major public health problem worldwide. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD), characterized by a deficient cholinergic transmission, deposition of ...amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, and neuro-inflammation that result in progressive degeneration and/or death of nerve cells and cognitive impairment. At present, AD cannot be prevented or cured, so the symptomatic relief obtainable by the use of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors is one of the therapeutic strategies. Accumulated evidence suggests that naturally occurring compounds may potentially improve memory and cognitive function, and prevent neurodegeneration. Even today the search for new neuroprotective agents of natural origin is very active. The neuroprotective effects of medicinal plants covering studies of the last years will be summarized and discussed in this review choosing a family classification with particular emphasis on extracts and isolated compounds as promising new drugs. The search of a multifunctional potential anti-AD agent able to act on different crucial targets, such as galanthamine, quercetin and timosaponin AIII, could be a useful approach to recognizing therapeutics against AD.
This study aims at investigating the contribution of two classes of compounds, flavonoids and iridoids, to the bioactivity of
L. leaves and fruits. The impact of different extraction procedures on ...phytochemicals content and hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities of
fresh and dried plant materials was investigated. Ellagic acid 4-
-β-D-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-
-glucoside, and norbergenin were identified for the first time in this genus by using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS). Three iridoids (gardenoside, geniposide, unedoside) are specifically identified in the leaves. Interestingly, asperuloside was extracted only from dried fruits by ethanol with Soxhlet apparatus. Extracts were screened for their potential antioxidant activities by using the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric Reducing Activity Power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests. Based on the Global Antioxidant Score (GAS) calculation, the most promising antioxidant extract was obtained by hydroalcoholic maceration of dried leaves that showed half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
) of 0.42 and 0.98 μg/mL in ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. The hypoglycaemic activity was investigated by α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition tests. Extracts obtained by ethanol ultrasound extraction of fresh leaves and hydroalcoholic maceration of fresh fruits (IC
of 19.56 and 28.42 μg/mL, respectively) are more active against α-glucosidase than the positive control acarbose (IC
of 35.50 μg/mL). Fruit extracts exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory activity.
The chemical composition of the essential oil from
Spenn. collected in Calabrian Ionian (R1) and Tyrrhenian (R2) coast (Southern Italy) was examined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas ...chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Essential oils are mainly characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons (39.32-40.70%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (36.08-39.47%). The 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, camphor, and
-caryophyllene are the most representative compounds.
essential oils were investigated for their antioxidant activity by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing ability power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests. Additionally, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity assays were used to screen the neuroprotective effects of
. R2 showed the highest antioxidant potential as confirmed by relative antioxidant capacity index (RACI) and exhibited a selective activity against AChE (half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC
, value of 41.86 μg/mL). These results suggest
essential oil as a potential source of bioactive compounds.
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) includes more than 450 species, which mainly grow in cooler areas of the northern hemisphere. Vaccinium species have been used in traditional medicine of different ...cultures and the berries are widely consumed as food. Indeed, Vaccinium supplement-based herbal medicine and functional food, mainly from V. myrtillus and V. macrocarpon, are used in Europe and North America. Biological studies support traditional uses since, for many Vaccinium components, important biological functions have been described, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and endothelium protective activities. Vaccinium components, such as polyphenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids, are widely recognized as modulators of cellular pathways involved in pathological conditions, thus indicating that Vaccinium may be an important source of bioactive molecules. This review aims to better describe the bioactivity of Vaccinium species, focusing on anti-inflammatory and endothelial protective cellular pathways, modulated by their components, to better understand their importance for public health.
The essential oils of
Origanum ehrenbergii and
O. syriacum collected in Lebanon were analysed by GC and GC–MS and evaluated for their anticholinesterase, NO production inhibitory activities, and ...antioxidant properties.
O.
ehrenbergi essential oil was characterised by the presence of 37 components, representing 94.9% of the total oil of which thymol (19%) and
p-cymene (16.1%) were the main abundant compounds. Thirty-six compounds characterised the
O.
syriacum essential oil, representing 90.6% of the total oil. The most abundant components were thymol (24.7%) and carvacrol (17.6%).
O. ehrenbergii demonstrated interesting scavenging effects on DPPH with an IC
50 value of 0.99
μg/ml. In addition, both
O. ehrenbergii and
O. syriacum oils inhibited oxidation of linoleic acid after 30
min of incubation, as well as after 60
min of incubation with IC
50 values of 42.1 and 33.6
μg/ml, and 46.9 and 58.9
μg/ml, respectively. Interestingly,
O. ehrenbergii oil inhibited NO production in the murine monocytic macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with an IC
50 value of 66.4
μg/ml. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition was assessed by modifications of the Ellman’s method.
O. ehrenbergii exhibited a strong activity against both cholinesterases with IC
50 values of 0.3
μg/ml. The data suggest that
O. ehrenbergii and
O. syriacum oils could be used as a valuable new flavour with functional properties for food or nutriceutical products with particular relevance to supplements for the elderly.
Even though
is one of the most known genera of the Lamiaceae family, some traditionally used
species are still now less investigated. To that end, the present study aims to evaluate the chemical ...profile and the potential bioactivities of extracts and related fractions obtained from the endemic sage
L. by applying a traditional extraction method such as Soxhlet apparatus (SHS) and the rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE) by Naviglio extractor
(SHN), considered among the "green techniques" operating at room temperature and with minimum solvent employment and minimum energy. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity was measured by a modified Ellman's method. The antioxidant activity was investigated by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing ability power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests. The SHN methanol fraction resulted the most active in all assays in particular in inhibiting lipid peroxidation with IC
of 1.7 and 1.6 μg/mL, respectively, after 30 and 60 min of incubation. The SHN
-hexane fraction exhibited a selective activity against AChE with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
) of 22.9 μg/mL, while the SHS
-hexane extract was more active against BChE (IC
of 30.9 μg/mL). Based on these results, these fractions were subjected to further bio-fractionation by Medium Pressure Liquid Chromatography (MPLC) and the relative obtained fractions were investigated for their AChE and BChE inhibitory activity. A comparative analysis with bio-activity and chemical profile was performed. The observed biological effects provided us with a good starting point for further studies on
extracts and fractions such as agents beneficial for the treatment of AD.
We present a new method to automatically segment the thickness of the choroid in the human eye by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). A swept source PS-OCT instrument ...operating at a center wavelength of 1040 nm is used. The segmentation method is based entirely on intrinsic, tissue specific polarization contrast mechanisms. In a first step, the anterior boundary of the choroid, the retinal pigment epithelium, is segmented based on depolarization. In a second step, the choroid-sclera interface is found by using the birefringence of the sclera. The method is demonstrated in five healthy eyes. The mean repeatability (standard deviation) of thickness measurement was found to be 18.3 µm.
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