The aim of this study was to reveal the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic lyophilized extract ofAchillea arabicaflower extract against streptozotosine (STZ)-induced in diabetic rats and to determine its phytochemical content by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After toxicity test, 35 female rats were divided into five groups. Control, diabetes mellitus (DM),A.arabica(400 mg/kg) extract, DM + A. arabica(400 mg/kg) extract and DM + Glibenclamide (2 mg/kg). It was determined that while diabetic rats treatedA.arabicaplant extract significantly decreased blood glucose level, serum glucose, HbA1c, liver and kidney damage biomarker levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared to the DM group, it caused fluctuations in antioxidant enzyme levels. According to LC-MS/MS results ofA. arabicaflower extract, quinic acid (2439.9 μg/g), cyranoside (858.4 μg/g), chlorogenic acid (698.7 μg/g), and cosmosiin (347.8 μg/g) were determined as major compounds, respectively. In addition, two new compounds were determined in this extract according to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Mass analyses and these compounds were named edremitine and achillosine, respectively. Thus,A.arabicaflower extract has possible therapeutic effects to prevent high blood glucose level and oxidative stress caused by DM in liver and kidney via its high phenolic content.

Backgrounds: Scutellaria Pinnatifida subsp. pichleri (Stapf) Rech.f. (SP) is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of the study was to determine the phenolic profile of SP extract (SPE) by LC-MS/MS and to investigate the antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects of SPE in streptozotosin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Methods: Forty-two rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7): Control (nondiabetic), diabetes mellitus (DM), DM + SP-100 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 100 mg/kg/day), DM + SP-200 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 200 mg/kg/day), DM + SP-400 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 400 mg/kg/day) and DM + Gly-3 (diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide, 3 mg/kg/day). Live body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, antidiabetic, serum biochemical and lipid profile parameters, antioxidant defense system, malondyaldehyde (MDA) and histopathological examinations in liver, kidney and pancreas were evaluated. Results: Apigenin, luteolin, quinic acid, cosmosiin and epigallocatechin were determined to be the major phenolic compounds in the SPE. Administration of the highest dose of SP extract (400 mg/kg) resulted in a significant reduction in FBG levels and glycosylated hemoglobin levels in STZ-induced diabetic rats, indicating an antihyperglycemic effect. SPE (200 and 400 mg/kg) and glibenclamide significantly improved MDA in liver and kidney tissues. In addition, SPE contributed to the struggle against STZ-induced oxidative stress by stimulating antioxidant defense systems. STZ induction negatively affected liver, kidney and pancreas tissues according to histopathological findings. Treatment with 400 mg/kg and glibenclamide attenuated these negative effects. Conclusions: In conclusion, the extract of the aerial part of Scutellaria pinnatifida subsp. pichleri has hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and insulin secretion stimulating effects against STZ-induced diabetes and its complications due to its antidiabetic and antioxidant phytochemicals such as apigenin, luteolin, quinic acid, cosmosiin and epigallocatechin.

All organisms in nature interact and compete with each other. Various groups of organisms such as algae, lichens, crops and weeds have been found as allelopathic interaction and it is known that lichens have many potent secondary metabolites. The aim of this study was to determine the allelopathic effects of lyophilized ethanolic extract of Xanthoparmelia somloensis (Gyelnik) Hale lichen (XS) on tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) germination and early development stage. Obtained lyophilized ethanolic extracts of XS lichen at concentrations of 50 ppm (XS-50), 100 ppm (XS-100), 200 ppm (XS-200) and 400 ppm (XS-400) were applied to tomato seeds and seedlings. In order to determine the effects caused by the extracts, germination rate and seedling growth parameters (vigor index, length, fresh weight, relative water content and pigment contents) were analyzed. According to the obtained data, there were significant decreases in germination rate and vigor index values depending on the increase in lichen extract concentration. Similar effects were also observed in root and shoot length and pigment contents. However, results of the lowest application (XS-50) were similar to control except root length and carotenoid content. The data obtained from this study exhibited that the lichen Xanthoparmelia somloensis has allelopathic effects and has the potential to be used for agricultural purposes.

In this study, immunotoxic and neurotoxic effects of leaf infusion of Platanus orientalis L. (PO) were investigated in rats ethanol-induced toxicity. Neurotoxic effects of ethanol were evaluated by measuring acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in rat brain tissue. Immunotoxic effects were evaluated by adenosine deaminase (ADA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) biomarkers in rat liver, lung, erythrocyte and spleen tissues. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups after toxicity study. The groups are explained as follow: Control, Ethanol 20 %, Ethanol 20 % + Silymarin (10 mg kg-1), Ethanol 20 % + PO-20 mg mL-1 infusion and Ethanol 20 % + PO-60 mg mL-1 infusion. The results showed that AChE and BChE activities statistically decreased in the groups treated with PO leaf infusion. While there was a statistically significant decrease in ADA and MPO activities in liver tissue of groups treated with PO leaf infusion. Also, MPO activity of erythrocyte in ethanol group was significantlly increased according to silymarin and PO-60 groups. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant finding was found in lung and spleen tissues. It was concluded that the infusion prepared from P. orientalis leaves suppressed to ethanol-induced neurotoxicity and immunotoxicity.

Malvaceae familyasının üyelerinden biri olan Alcea cinsi tıbbi öneme sahip bazı türleri içermektedir. Alcea kurdica Alef. (Devegülü Hatmi) tonsilite, gastrik ülsere, zatürreye, boşaltım sistemi enfeksiyonlarına ve saç kırana karşı kullanılan tıbbi bir bitkidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, devegülü hatmi bitkisi için steril şartlar altında etkili bir çimlendirme yönteminin geliştirilmesi ve bu bitkinin doku kültürü çalışmalarında kullanılabilir hale getirilmesidir. Bu amaç için, steril bir ajan olan sodyum hipokloritin üç farklı konsantrasyonu (%5, %7.5 ve %10), 42°C sıcaklıkta inkübasyonu ve tohum kabuğunun bistüri ile çentiklenmesi uygulamaları test edilmiştir. %5 ve %7.5 sodyum hipoklorit konsantrasyonlarının sterilizasyon için yeterli olmadığı belirlenirken, %10 sodyum hipoklorit konsantrasyonun ise yeterli olduğu gözlenmiştir. Çimlenme indeksi sonuçlarına göre, kabuğu çentiklenen tohumlar hızlıca çimlenirken, 42°C de inkübasyonun çimlenmeyi etkilemediği gözlenmiştir. Yedinci günde, kotiledon, kotiledon sapı ve hipokotil dokuları doku kültürü için kullanılabilir duruma gelmiştir. Sekizinci günde, yapraklar oluşmaya başlamıştır. Yaprak, yaprak sapı ve sürgün ucu eksplantları ise otuzuncu günde doku kültüründe kullanılabilecek duruma gelmiştir. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma ile tıbbi öneme sahip devegülü hatmi için etkili bir çimlendirme yöntemi geliştirilmiştir.

Cadmium (Cd) is omnipresent trace element in environmental that is unessential in plants. Cd levels rise because of anthropogenic activity such as the combustion of fossil fuels, phosphate fertilizer manufacturing, mineral fertilizers, batteries technology. It is extremely toxic metal and reduces plant growth. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations (5/10/20/40 ppm) of Cd on germination of seeds and physiological effects in early developmental stage of tomato Solanum lycopersicum Lam. seedlings. 20 ppm (80%) and 40 ppm (83.3%) Cd concentrations caused significantly decrease in germination percentage. All Cd treatments were resulted with decrease in Vigor Index, especially in 20 ppm (42% decrease compared to control). Application of 5 ppm Cd caused decreases in chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in seedlings. Finally, significant decrease in protein content of 5 ppm, 10 ppm and 20 ppm treated seedlings were determined compared to control. As a conclusion, Cd negatively affected germination and physiological parameters of tomato in early developmental stage. Overall, these results indicate that Cd affects different physiologic processes and pathways according to concentration.