Heracleum sphondylium subsp. cyclocarpum (K. Koch) P.H. Davis from Heracleum L. genus, which is one of the widest genera of the Apiaceae family and known as “Hogweed or Tavşancılotu”. This genus has a variety of traditional uses, including treating gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, gynecological, and cognitive disorders, skin problems, rheumatism, and inflammation. In particular, these plants are commonly used for inflammatory diseases. This research aimed to examine in detail the anti‐inflammatory properties of Heracleum sphondylium subsp. cyclocarpum roots. Bioactivity‐guided fractionation was used to isolate the active compounds. Carrageenan‐ and prostaglandin E2‐induced inflammation models were employed to test the activity. Dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of the plant material were tested for activity and found to be effective in inhibiting inflammation. The subfractions obtained by column chromatography were further evaluated for their activities. The active fractions were used to obtain responsible compounds by using semipreparative HPLC. Five coumarin derivatives were isolated and identified as heraclenol (1), byakangelicin (2), heraclenol‐3″‐O‐β‐glucoside (3), byakangelicin‐3″‐O‐β‐glucoside (4), and meranzin hydrate III (5). The isolated compounds were investigated for their anti‐inflammatory activities, and heraclenol‐3″‐O‐β‐glucoside was found to inhibit the carrageenan and prostaglandin E2‐induced edema significantly compared to the control group and have higher activity than the extracts.

Mespilus germanica L. is one of the two species of the genus Mespilus L., and is distributed in several regions, including Southeastern Europe, Anatolia, the Caucasus, and parts of the Middle East. The fruits of the plant are consumed as food, and the fruits, leaves, and stem bark are traditionally used for various systemic disorders, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary tract, and skin conditions, as well as menstrual irregularities. In our study, the anti-inflammatory potential and antimicrobial activities of aqueous-methanolic extracts prepared from ripe (MGRF) and unripe fruits (MGUF), leaves (MGL), and stem bark (MGB) of M. germanica were evaluated in vitro. Quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. MGL exhibited the strongest activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 8 µg/mL), while MGB was most active against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 4 µg/mL), and fruit extracts were effective against resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MIC = 16–32 µg/mL). Membrane-protective effects were more pronounced in MGUF and MGB, whereas MGL demonstrated the highest protein stabilization activity. Leaves also contained the highest levels of chlorogenic acid and epicatechin. These findings support the traditional use of M. germanica, though further studies are required to explore its therapeutic potential.

Objective: The current study evaluated Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae) species, which are used as vegetables and medicinal plants in different countries where they grow naturally, such as Türkiye, Europe, Mongolia, and China, for their phenolic composition. Material and Method: The twenty-five members of the Scorzonera genus, collected from different parts of Turkey, were investigated using a newly developed and validated High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method using some standard compounds, including chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, isoorientin, orientin, 7-O-methyl-isoorientin, isoquercetin, luteolin-7-O-β-glycoside, rutin, swertisin, and vitexin. The limit of detection and quantification levels were determined for each standard compound. Result and Discussion: This study has revealed that the aerial parts are rich in phenolic compounds, with significantly higher amounts than the roots. Chlorogenic acid was detected in aerial parts and roots of all tested species and Scorzonera kotschyi aerial parts contained the highest amount (1787.26±32.88 µg/g). Most of the tested species contained varying amounts of hyperoside, isoorientin, isoquercetin, and orientin. Scorzonera aucheriana (572.93±0.04 µg/g), Scorzonera laciniata ssp. laciniata (524.07±5.06 µg/g), Scorzonera tomentosa (892.00±4.58 µg/g) and Scorzonera cana var. jacquiniana (309.23±1.69 µg/g) aerial parts contain these compounds respectively in higher amount. In contrast, vitexin, rutin and luteolin-7-O-β-glycoside were detected in a relatively small number of the tested species.