This present study aims to characterize the essential oil compositions of the aerial parts of M. spicata L. and endemic M. longifolia ssp. cyprica (Heinr. Braun) Harley by using GC-FID and GC/MS analyses simultaneously. In addition, it aims to perform multivariate statistical analysis by comparing with the existing literature, emphasizing the literature published within the last two decades, conducted on both species growing within the Mediterranean Basin. The major essential oil components of M. spicata were determined as carvone (67.8%) and limonene (10.6%), while the major compounds of M. longifolia ssp. cyprica essential oil were pulegone (64.8%) and 1,8-cineole (10.0%). As a result of statistical analysis, three clades were determined for M. spicata: a carvone-rich chemotype, a carvone/trans-carveol chemotype, and a pulegone/menthone chemotype, with the present study result belonging to the carvone-rich chemotype. Carvone was a primary determinant of chemotype, along with menthone, pulegone, and trans-carveol. In M. longifolia, the primary determinants of chemotype were identified as pulegone and menthone, with three chemotype clades being pulegone-rich, combined menthone/pulegone, and combined menthone/pulegone with caryophyllene enrichment. The primary determinants of chemotype were menthone, pulegone, and caryophyllene. The present study result belongs to pulegone-rich chemotype.

Non-polar and polar compounds were isolated from the leaves and chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Sideritis cypria endemic in Northern Cyprus was also determined. The structures of all the isolated compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic (UV, NMR: 1D and 2D-NMR: 1H, 13C, COSY, HSQC, HMBC) methods and comparison with literature data. The essential oil composition of the plant material was analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS, simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, secondary metabolites of this endemic species were determined for the first time. As a result, two mixtures of four ent-kaurane diterpenes; sidol (1) and isosidol (2), linearol (3) and isolinearol (4); four phenylethanoid glycosides; verbascoside (5), lavandulifolioside (6), leonoside A (7), leucoseptoside A (8); four flavone glycosides, apigenin-7-O-glucopyranoside (9), isoscutellarein-7-O-[6'''-O-acetyl-allopyranosyl-(1->2)-glucopyranoside] (10) and a mixture of apigenin-7-O-(4''-O-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (11) and apigenin-7-O-(3''-O-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (12) were elucidated. 7-O-acetyl-8-epi-loganic acid (13), an iridoid glycoside, was reported herein for the first time for genus Sideritis. In addition, major compounds of the essential oil were determined as a-pinene (14.73±0.15%), b-pinene (16.60±0.20%), b-phellandrene (17.83±0.23%) and epi-cubebol (7.70±0.20%), respectively.

Background: The utilization of herbal medicine (HM) as a component of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. Little is known about justifications for its use and the factors associated with it. This study gains insights into the use of herbal medicines in Northern Cyprus, concentrating on targets for its use, the role played by disease type, reasons for its use, and sources of information. Methods: A questionnaire was utilized to achieve the aim of the study. The questionnaire was distributed to a random sample comprised of people in two different regions in Northern Cyprus over a 12-week period from August to November 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Moreover, qualitative research explored individuals’ decision making regarding CAM, which aimed to examine 20 patients as a context for beliefs, decision making, and dialogue about CAM. After audio-taping and verbatim transcription, the data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The findings show that the majority of respondents learned about herbal products (HPs) and CAM from other patients, the Internet, friends, and family. The results indicate that almost half of the respondents were aware of how CAMs, especially herbal preparations, are used to treat common illnesses. Fennel, ginger, and echinacea were the most commonly used HMs, mainly for the treatment of the common cold. Furthermore, nearly 50% of the participants expressed the belief that HMs are safe, have fewer side effects than conventional medicines, and are also effective for treating minor health conditions. The prevalence was strongly associated with education level based on a Pearson Chi-square analysis. Conclusions: Although herbal medicines were mostly used to treat mild to moderate ailments and the participants were aware of their limitations, the combination of self-medication, inexperienced counseling, and lack of awareness of the risks of herbal medicines is potentially harmful. This is particularly important for elderly users, because although they seemed to be more aware of health-related issues, they generally used more medication than younger people. Given our finding that dissatisfaction with modern medicine is the most important reason for the preferred use of herbal medicines, government agencies, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies should be aware of this issue and should aim to create some level of awareness among users.

Objective: To identify the herbal medicinal products used in pregnancy in community pharmacies, the approach of pharmacists in Northern Cyprus and to compare the availability of the most commonly mentioned medicinal plants in accessible databases, in Northern Cyprus. Design: Questionnaire was designed and administered to 263 community pharmacists in Northern Cyprus and gathered the data on herbal medicinal products they had and recommended to pregnant women. Databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, OpenAcces Journals were searched through the Near East University Grand Library’s Online Resources for keywords relating to the ‘herbal medicine’, ‘pregnancy’ ‘pregnant women’, ‘herbal products’. Descriptive statistics was used with IBM^® Statistical product and service solutions software platform. Location/Setting: Northern Cyprus Outcome Measures: Herbal medicinal products used and recommended in pregnancy by community pharmacists in Northern Cyprus were identified. It has also been determined which of the most used plants in the world are grown in Northern Cyprus. Results: The most recommended herbal pharmaceutical forms were herbal lozenges (n = 76, 31%), then herbal form of teas (n = 60, 24%), herbal oils (n = 57, 23%), herbal capsules (n = 36, 14%), other pharmaceutical forms (n=20, 8%). Within the limitation of our literature search, totally 650 medicinal plants (single or formula) used in pregnancy were determined. Out of these 74 were mostly used worldwide, and it was discovered that 56 species out of these plants are grown or cultivated; 18 of the compiled species were imported species some of the genera have species growing naturally growing in Cyprus. Conclusion: Pregnant women in Cyprus also follow their counterparts in other countries in developing interest in herbal medicines. The number of herbal medicines in the pharmacies owned by Turkish Cypriots is small. Interestingly, the result of this study showed that the pharmacists that were mainly Turkish Cypriots were found not to be selling herbal medicinal products to pregnant women without doctor’s prescriptions. This study recommends that the herbal medicines use in pregnancy should be the ones that have undergone in-depth evidence-based scientific researches with clinically proven efficacy that are known not only to the healthcare professionals such as medical doctors, midwives but also the pharmacists and the general public.

Thymus capitatus,essential oil,apoptosis,colon cancer