Medicinal plants remain as an important resource in the fight against many diseases, especially in developing countries. Antioxidants are substances capable of delaying, retarding, and preventing the oxidation of lipids or substances that delay or prevent free radical reactions during lipid oxidation. Natural antioxidants such as ascorbic acid, tocopherol, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids are a safe alternative to chemical antioxidants. In present work, results of antioxidant activity of raw materials from the cultivated plant Portulaca oleracea are presented. The extraction time was optimized to 780 minutes; the yield of extractive substances was 1.25 in the production of CO₂ extract under subcritical conditions. For the first time, the antioxidant activity of Portulaca oleracea CO₂ extract was determined by the amperometric method. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) chemical analysis of Portulaca oleracea CO₂ extract dissolved in hexane revealed 37 components, including a complex mixture of aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, esters, diterpenes, steroids, vitamin E, and carbohydrates. The investigation results showed that the Portulaca oleracea CO₂ extract was promising for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries and had great potential for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

The composition of the ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of Crocus alatavicus Regel & Semen from southern Kazakhstan spontaneous flora was analyzed together with the determination of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer activity. The phytochemical profile analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS) revealed the presence of multiple kaempferol derivatives. High-performance reverse-phase liquid chromatography combined with a photodiode-array detection (RP-HPLC/PDA) found that kaempferol 3-O-dihexoside and kaempferol 3-O-acyltetrahexoside accounted for 70.5% of the kaempferol derivatives. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the extract for all the tested reference microorganisms were high, reaching 10 mg/mL for yeasts and 20 mg/mL for bacteria. In contrast, antiviral activity was observed at 2 mg/mL, resulting in the inhibition of the HSV-1-induced cytopathic effect and the reduction in virus infectious titer by 1.96 log, as well as the viral load by 0.85 log. Among the tested prostate cancer cell lines, significant cytotoxic activity of the extract was noted only on the LNCaP cell line, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.95 mg/mL. The LNCaP cell line treated with 2 mg/mL of the extract showed a noticeably reduced number of spindle-shaped cells with longer cellular projections, a significant increase in the peak corresponding to the population of apoptotic cells in the sub-G1 phase and a decreased intracellular glutathione (GSH) level, suggesting the prooxidative properties of the extract. The obtained data provide novel information about the flavonoids present in the aerial part of C. alatavicus and suggest its potential application as a source of the compounds active against HSV-1 and metastatic, androgen-sensitive prostate cancer.

The Apiaceae family, which encompasses a variety of economically important vegetables, herbs, and spices, stands out as one of the largest plant families. Crops such as anise, fennel, carrot, coriander, and parsley are not only valued for their culinary uses but also serve as important sources of botanical flavors and fragrances. Members of the Apiaceae family are known for their diverse medicinal properties, including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as benefits for diabetes management and liver protection. In addition, these plants produce a number of unique, specialized metabolites such as volatile phenylpropanoids, furanocoumarins, sesquiterpene coumarins, polyacetylenes, and phthalides. Some of these compounds are rare phytochemicals found exclusively in this family, highlighting their potential for bioprospecting. The objective of this review is to support future research on Apiaceae by providing up-to-date information on their key characteristics, origin and traditional uses. It also collects and analyses the scattered information available in the literature on the chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils and various extracts from selected Apiaceae species, demonstrating their potential for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industrial applications.

This article presents the composition of the components of Lavatera thuringiaca L. (Malvaceae Juss. family), which has a certain antibacterial effect. The plant collection was carried out in the Shamalgan gorge of Mountain Range of the Trans-Ili Alatau in the territory of the Karasay district of the Almaty region, in the flowering phase. A CO₂ extract of the aboveground part of the medicinal plant Lavatera thuringiaca L. was obtained under subcritical conditions and, for the first time, studied for its component composition and antimicrobial activity. Determination of the chemical composition of the extract was carried out by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). To identify the obtained mass spectra, we used the Wiley 7^th edition and the NIST02 data library. To determine the antimicrobial and antifungal activity, standard test strains of microorganisms were used: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538-P, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Streptococcus pneumonia ATCC 660, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. In the composition of thick CO₂Lavatera thuringiaca L. extract, the content of 31 components was proven: spathulenol 6.97, pulegone 5 08, cis-β-farnesene 7.63, verbenone 1.93, α-bisabolol oxide B 9.65, bisabolol oxide A 8.26, α-bisabolol 1.36, linolenic acid, ethyl ether 3.15, phytol 2.49, herniarin 5.61, linolenic acid 9.38, linoleic acid 6.95, myristic acid 2.33, and elaidic acid 2.57. Antimicrobial activity studies have shown that the CO₂ extract of Lavatera thuringiaca L. has a pronounced effect against clinically significant microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Streptococcus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. During testing, the method of serial dilutions proved that the extract of Lavatera thuringiaca L. has a bactericidal effect on Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 0.83μg/μl, on Escherichia coli at a concentration of 3.33μg/μl, on Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a concentration of 0.83μg/μl, on Streptococcus pneumoniae at a concentration of 1.67μg/μl, on a clinical isolate of Staphylococcus haemolyticus at a concentration of 26.65μg/μl, on Staphylococcus saprophyticus at a concentration of 6.67μg/μl, and against Klebsiella pneumoniae at a concentration of 13.36μg/μl. The test result showed that the extract also has fungicidal activity against the test culture of Candida albicans at a concentration of 0.21μg/μl. At tests, the disc diffusion method proved that the extract has antimicrobial activity with high values of the growth suppression zone exceeding 15mm. The zones of growth retardation of the test strains were 19.33±1.15 for Staphylococcus aureus; 17.33±3.21 for Escherichia coli; 15.67±0.57 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 20.0±1.0 for Streptococcus pneumoniae; 16.0±2.64 for Klebsiella pneumoniae; 15.0±1.0 for Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and 22.0±1.73 for Candida albicans. In relation to the clinical isolate of Staphylococcus haemolyticus, the extract has a bacteriostatic effect.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease requiring multifunctional natural agents. Arctium lappa is traditionally used in Eastern and European medicine to address metabolic disorders. This comprehensive narrative review, conducted between 2000 and 2025 using international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar), evaluates the species through its ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, preclinical evidence, and safety. The available evidence suggests that A. lappa exerts antidiabetic effects via multi-layered mechanisms, including AMPK activation, insulin signaling modulation, and increased GLUT4 translocation. Key bioactives (arctigenin, arctiin, and inulin) collectively improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. However, preclinical studies confirm these effects in animal models, while limited clinical data in non-diabetic cohorts focus on systemic inflammation. This highlights a significant gap in randomized controlled trials targeting glycemic control in diabetic populations. In this context, while A. lappa shows promise as a potential metabolic regulator; this evidence is currently derived primarily from in vitro and animal models. Systematic clinical trials are urgently required to establish glycemic efficacy in humans, validate its therapeutic potential, and determine the optimal dosage and safety profile. This review evaluates the multi-targeted biological potential of A. lappa to guide future research and evidence-based application.

Penicillin and its derivatives have remained a cornerstone in combating bacterial infections for decades. However, growing concerns about bacterial resistance and the limitations of conventional penicillin production methods underscore the need for innovative approaches. The aim of this review is to address the challenge of developing penicillin and related compounds by proposing a novel approach to improving the quality of medicines to meet healthcare demand. The discovery and optimization of m