Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands.

Trease and Evans' pharmacognosy

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in villages of Çatak (Van-Turkey)

Background Thymus genus has been used since ancient times for their valuable health properties, which could be attributed to their chemical components, especially essential oils (EOs). Among these species, T. vulgaris has a long history of use for different food and medicinal purposes. Scope and approach This paper reviews the chemical composition of Thymus plants EOs, including thyme, describes their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties as well as recent food applications as preservatives. The role of these plants in cancer is also covered, as well as the potential these plants have to manage and treat other diseases. Furthermore, clinical studies are also detailed. Key findings and conclusions Food preservation with naturally occurring compounds is gaining increasing importance due to the consumer demand for safe and high-quality products and to reduce the use of synthetic preservatives. For this purpose, not only thyme but also other thymus plants can be used as such and combined with high-pressure, cold nitrogen plasma, in edible films (active packaging), etc. Moreover, the potential of these plants have to treat several diseases and complications reinforce their use in nutraceuticals and functional foods, but further clinical evidence is required.

Thymus spp. plants - Food applications and phytopharmacy properties

Antidiabetic, anti-Alzheimer, general toxicity, and antioxidant activities of Salvia syriaca were evaluated. Phytochemical composition of the essential oil and methanolic extract of the plant were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector techniques, respectively. Essential oil of S. syriaca exhibited strong cytotoxicity, antioxidant, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that spathulenol (87.4%), isospathulenol (7.6%), and bornyl acetate (2.7%) are the major compounds in essential oil. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that rutin, quercetin, apigenin, rosmarinic acid, and ferulic acid are the most abundant phenolic components. S. syriaca could be considered as a valuable source of bioactive natural compounds for functional foods, medical, and pharmaceutical applications.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10942912.2016.1218893

Functional components, antidiabetic, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, and antioxidant activities of Salvia syriaca L.

We found mistletoe accumulates nutrient elements in its structure as a trap and causes a severe drought stress in the Scots pine in dry summer seasons.
 The mistletoe [Viscum album ssp. austriacum (Wiesbaur) Vollm.] is a hemiparasitic plant, and its infestation is known to play an important role on the mortality of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.), but there is little knowledge about its action mechanism. This study, therefore, tried to gain a better understanding of the destructive effect of the mistletoe on the growth and water uptake mechanism of the Scots pine. Identical needles from neighboring plants (healthy and infested) were harvested in the middle of each month (from April to October 2013) and used as research material. Infestation success of the mistletoe was investigated by evaluating the contents of the endogenous nutrient elements such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, nickel, and sodium in both mistletoe leaves and the needles of healthy and infested Scots pine. Its effects were also evaluated by determining the content of water, chlorophyll, and dry matter, and the length of the newly formed needles of the healthy and infested trees. Mistletoe infestation led to a decrease in the availability of water and mineral nutrients, and caused a powerful inhibition on the growth parameters such as chlorophyll, dry matter, and the length of needles by accumulating the essential nutrient minerals in its structure. The findings of this study indicate that the mistletoe accumulates the nutrient elements in its structure as a trap and causes a severe drought stress in the Scots pine in dry summer seasons, thereby playing a potent role in the increasing mortality rate in the Scots pine.

Mistletoe (Viscum album) reduces the growth of the Scots pine by accumulating essential nutrient elements in its structure as a trap.

We investigated the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities and chemical composition of the hydro-distilled essential oil (0.35% yield) from aerial parts of Thymus spathulifolius. Antioxidant capacity of the oil was assessed by different methods including free radical scavenging (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power (FRAP and CUPRAC) and phosphomolybdenum assay. Inhibitory activities were analyzed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and tyrosinase. Twenty-one constituents were identified representing 97.2% of the total oil with thymol (50.5%), borneol (16.7%) and carvacrol (7.7%) as the major components. The essential oil exhibited good antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 3.82 and 0.22 mg/mL determined by free radical scavenging DPPH and ABTS, respectively. EC50 values of FRAP and CUPRAC were found to be 0.12 and 0.34 mg/mL, respectively. The results of the present study support the uses of T. spathulifolius essential oil as a source of natural antioxidants and bioactivities for functional foods and phytomedicines.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/14756366.2015.1077822

GC-MS analysis and in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of essential oil from aerial parts of endemic Thymus spathulifolius Hausskn. et Velen.

The genotypes of Ergan mountain, Erzican, Turkey were studied and documented. A total of 25 taxa belonging to 14 genera and 9 families have been collected in this study. Local name, used plant parts and the ethnobotanical uses of the geophyte - species were determined. Of the recorded taxa, 48% belonged to Irano- Twianian phytogeographic region, 12% to Europe-Siberian region and 4% to Mediterranean region. Five taxa namely, Allium armenum Boiss. & Kotschy, A. sintenisii Freyn, Muscentoiceleste Formin, Fritillaria pinardii Boiss. and Tulipa armena sbusp. Lyia (Baker) Marais recorded from the study area are endemic to Turkey. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v43i3.21604 Bangladesh J. Bot. 43 (3): 315-321, 2014 (December)

/pdf/ethnobotanical-aspects-of-some-geophytes-from-ergan-mountain-4v62wfveju.pdf

Ethnobotanical aspects of some geophytes from Ergan Mountain, Turkey

This study sought to contribute to the understanding of the detrimental effect of the mistletoe (Viscum albumL.), a hemiparasitic plant, on the mortality of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.). Fieldwork was conducted in the town of Kelkit (Gumushane province, Turkey) from April to October in 2013. Pine needles of similar ages were removed from the branches of mistletoe-infested and noninfested Scots pine plants, then transported to the laboratory and used as research materials. The effects of the mistletoe on the Scots pine during infestation were evaluated by determining the levels of water, electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA, being a product of lipid peroxidation) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion (O2 (-•)), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radical ((•)OH). In addition, the activities of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX) were measured in the same samples. The highest level of drought stress was found in summer (especially in August) as a result of the lowest water content in the soil and the highest average temperature occurring in these months. The drought stress induced by mistletoe infestation caused a regular decrease in water content, while it increased the levels of EL, MDA and ROS (H2O2, O2 (-•)and(•)OH). The infestation also stimulated the activities of CAT and POX, with the exception of SOD. On the other hand, in August, when the drought conditions were the harshest, the levels of EL and MDA, which are two of the most important indicator parameters for oxidative stress, as well as the levels of H2O2and(•)OH, which are two of the ROS leading to oxidative stress, reached the highest values in both infested and noninfested needles, whereas the O2 (-•)level decreased. For the same period and needles, CAT activity increased, while SOD activity decreased. Peroxidase activity, however, did not exhibit a significant change. Our findings indicate that the increased mortality of the Scots pine may result from the mistletoe-induced very severe drought stress, and that the increase in the capacity of antioxidative enzyme system does not protect the plant against oxidative stress in dry summer seasons.

/pdf/mistletoe-viscum-album-infestation-in-the-scots-pine-2b1gprzlit.pdf

Mistletoe (Viscum album) infestation in the Scots pine stimulates drought-dependent oxidative damage in summer.

Typha domingesis is a herbaceous plant growing around the swaps, lakes, and riverbeds. In this study, concentrations of heavy metals and mineral elements in root, stem, leaf, and sediment samples of T. domingensis were analyzed. Samples were collected from four different locations around Karasu River (Ulukoy, Bessaray, Saztepe, Kilimli) as one of the most important tributaries of the River Euphrates. Additionally, chlorophyll and carotenoid levels and lipid peroxidation features of the plant samples were investigated. Variations between the sampling locations and the correlation between the parts of plants were statistically evaluated. As revealed by the data, there were no significant differences between chlorophyll and carotenoid levels or lipid peroxidation in samples collected from different locations. Al showed the highest concentration in sediments, and K was the highest in samples obtained from different parts of the plants that were studied. It was observed that T. domingesis was acceptable as a good biomonitor plant for different metals.

Veli Ilhan

Papers

Mistletoe (Viscum album) reduces the growth of the Scots pine by accumulating essential nutrient elements in its structure as a trap.

GC-MS analysis and in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of essential oil from aerial parts of endemic Thymus spathulifolius Hausskn. et Velen.

Ethnobotanical aspects of some geophytes from Ergan Mountain, Turkey

Mistletoe (Viscum album) infestation in the Scots pine stimulates drought-dependent oxidative damage in summer.

Heavy metals accumulation causes toxicological effects in aquatic Typha domingensis Pers