Hyssopus officinalis L. is a well-known aromatic plant used in traditional medicine and the food and cosmetics industry. The aim of this study is to assess the antioxidant, genotoxic, antigenotoxic and cytotoxic properties of characterized hyssop essential oils and methanol extracts. Chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-MS), respectively. Antioxidant activity was examined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) tests; genotoxic and antigenotoxic activity were examined by the comet assay, while cytotoxicity was evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide dye (MTT) test against tumor cell lines (SW480, MDA-MB 231, HeLa) and non-transformed human lung fibroblast cell lines (MRC-5). The essential oils were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons (e.g., limonene; 7.99–23.81%), oxygenated monoterpenes (1,8-cineole; 38.19–67.1%) and phenylpropanoids (methyl eugenol; 0.00–28.33%). In methanol extracts, the most abundant phenolics were chlorogenic and rosmarinic acid (23.35–33.46 and 3.53–17.98 mg/g, respectively). Methanol extracts expressed moderate to weak antioxidant activity (DPPH IC₅₀ = 56.04–199.89 µg/mL, FRAP = 0.667–0.959 mmol Fe²⁺/g). Hyssop preparations significantly reduced DNA damage in human whole blood cells, induced by pretreatment with hydrogen peroxide. Methanol extracts exhibited selective and potent dose- and time-dependent activity against the HeLa cell line. Results of the current study demonstrated notable H. officinalis medicinal potential, which calls for further investigation.

In this study, antimicrobial activity of essential oils extracted from the aerial flowering parts (herbs) of Hyssopus officinalis subsp. aristatus (Godr.) Nyman (Lamiaceae) collected from five different locations in Montenegro, or purchased in Serbia, were investigated. In addition, their antibacterial activity in combination with antibiotics was studied. The antimicrobial activity against selected standard bacterial and yeast strains was investigated using the broth microdilution method. Two standard antibiotics were used for comparison: the aminoglycoside antibiotic amikacin and the cephalosporin antibiotic ceftriaxone. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil-amikacin combination was investigated using the checkerboard assay. The main components of the essential oils were 1,8-cineole, cis-pinocamphone, β-pinene and limonene in varying quantities. Most of the tested essential oils showed no significant antimicrobial activity. However, an essential oil rich in cis-pinocamphone showed moderate activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (MIC = 400 μg/mL). The overall effect of the essential oils and antibiotic combinations against E. coli or S. aureus ranged from additive (FICI = 0.625) to indifferent (FICI = 1.5), depending on the source of the essential oil.

Fruticin (amorphin) is a constituent of the fruit of the false indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa L.), which belongs to the class of rotenoid glycosides, and shows several interesting pharmacological activities. The aim of this study was to isolate and chemically characterize this natural product, as well as to determine the optimal period of the year for A. fruticosa fruits collection. Fruticin was obtained by re-crystallization of the precipitate that formed after partial evaporation of the extract, prepared by 3-fold extraction of powdered plant material by chloroform - ethanol (1:1, v/v). The structure of the final product was determined by various techniques of instrumental analysis (NMR, UV and MS), and confirmed by comparing the obtained spectra with corresponding data in available literature. The content of fruticin in A. fruticosa fruit was determined by LC-DAD-MS, using the external standard method based on the constructed calibration curve. Limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were also determined. A substantial increase in fruticin content was observed during the ripening period (>50%). It has also been established that the optimal time for fruit collection is mid-December. Obtained results indicate that the content of fruticin in the A. fruticosa fruit is highly dependable on the time of collection. Since the biosynthesis of secondary plant metabolites is influenced not only by the time of collection, but by numerous other factors as well, additional studies are needed to define, with greater certainty, the conditions that are necessary for design of prospective efficient and sustainable production process.