Echinacea purpurea L. (EP) preparations are globally popular herbal supplements known for their medicinal benefits, including anti-inflammatory activities, partly related to their phenolic composition. However, regarding their use for the management of inflammation-related intestinal diseases, the knowledge about the fate of orally ingested constituents throughout the human gastrointestinal tract and the exposition of in vitro digested extracts in relevant inflammatory models are unknown. This study investigated for the first time the impact of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (INFOGEST) on the phenolic composition and anti-inflammatory properties of EP extracts from flowers (EF), leaves (EL), and roots (ER) on IL-1β-treated human colon-derived CCD-18Co cells. Among the seven hydroxycinnamic acids identified using HPLC-UV-MS/MS, chicoric and caftaric acids showed the highest concentrations in EL, followed by EF and ER, and all extracts exerted significant reductions in IL-6, IL-8, and PGE₂ levels. After digestion, despite reducing the bioaccessibility of their phenolics, the anti-inflammatory effects were preserved for digested EL and, to a lesser extent, for EF, but not for digested ER. The lower phenolic content in digested EF and ER could explain these findings. Overall, this study emphasizes the potential of EP in alleviating intestinal inflammatory conditions and related disorders.

Pine resin has been used as a traditional health-promoting medicinal food in Turkey and some countries for centuries. In the present study, the antioxidant potential and the monoterpene profile of 13 pine resin samples purchased from herbalists in different provinces of Turkey were investigated. According to the analysis results, there were differences between the pine resin samples, especially in terms of color and antioxidant properties. The experimental results demonstrated that the pine resin had strong in-vitro antioxidant effects. Total phenolic, FRAP, and DPPH (EC50) values ranged between 23.19 and 379.44 mgGAE g-1, 68.85 and 758.80 µmol Fe2+ g-1, 54.36 and 1006.97 µg g-1, respectively. Total phenolic content values correlated well with the FRAP values. In contrast, it was found that there was a negative correlation between FRAP values and EC50 values (r=-0.719**) and between total phenolic substance and EC50 values (r=-0.688**). Also, the monoterpene compounds of the resin were determined by applying solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Eight monoterpene compounds were identified in different pine resin samples, including α-pinene, camphene, β-pinene, 3-carene, β-myrcene, cymene, D-limonene, and p-cymene. Generally, the main monoterpenes were α-pinene and β-pinene. Çam reçinesi, yüzyıllardır Türkiye'de ve bazı ülkelerde geleneksel, sağlığı geliştirici tıbbi gıda olarak kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'nin farklı illerindeki aktarlardan satın alınan 13 adet çam reçinesi örneğinin antioksidan özellikleri ve monoterpen profili araştırılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre çam reçinesi örnekleri arasında özellikle renk ve antioksidan özellikler açısından farklılıklar tespit edilmiştir. Deneysel sonuçlar, çam reçinesinin güçlü in vitro antioksidan etkilere sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Toplam fenolik, FRAP ve DPPH (EC50) değerleri sırasıyla 23.19 ve 379.44 mgGAE g-1, 68.85 ve 758.80 µmol Fe2+ g-1, 54.36 ve 1006.97 µg g-1 arasında değişmiştir. Toplam fenolik içerik değerleri, FRAP değerleri ile iyi bir korelasyon göstermiştir. Buna karşılık, FRAP değerleri ile EC50 değerleri (r=-0.719**) arasında ve toplam fenolik madde ile EC50 değerleri (r=-0.688**) arasında negatif korelasyon olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca reçinenin monoterpen bileşikleri, katı faz mikroekstraksiyon (SPME) ve gaz kromatografisi-kütle spektroskopisi uygulanarak belirlenmiştir. Farklı çam reçinesi numunelerinde α-pinen, camphene, β-pinene, 3-carene, β-myrcene, cymene, D-limonen ve p-cymene olmak üzere sekiz monoterpen bileşiği tanımlanmıştır. Genel olarak, örneklerdeki başlıca monoterpenler α-pinen ve β-pinendir.

The wild Foxtail lily (Eremurus spectabilis) is a valuable vegetable consumed in different forms as food and employed as a remedy for preventive and curative purposes. In the present study, the physicochemical and antioxidant properties and the volatile compounds of the leaves and stem parts of wild Foxtail lily were determined. The moisture content, ash, pH, crude fibre, crude protein and crude fat were determined as 93.90% and 90.90%; 0.48% and 0.70%; 5.01 and 5.01; 0.62% and 1.06%; 1.4% and 2.27%; and 0.60% and 0.60% in stem and leaf, respectively. L*, a* and b* values were found to be 67.77 and 46.70; -8.99 and -12.85; and 22.54 and 17.48 in stem and leaf, respectively. The total phenolic content, FRAP and DPPH were found in stem and leaf as 897.75 and 1781.83 mg GAE kg-1; 5.26 and 12.29 mmol ISE g-1; and 40.81 and 89.55 mmol TE g-1, respectively. 11 volatile compounds were detected in Foxtail lily stem and leaf, including 3 aldehydes, 3 alcohols, 1 ester, 1 furan, 1 sulfur compound, 1 nitrogen compound and 1 aliphatic hydrocarbon. Acetaldehyde, dimethyl sulfide, methyl isocyanide and ethyl alcohol were the most important volatile compounds detected in the headspace of Foxtail lily. The leaf part presented the highest physico-chemical and antioxidant properties, while the headspace of stem provided the highest volatile compounds.