Ziziphus jujuba has been used since ancient times in traditional Eastern medicine. It is widely cultivated in numerous countries between the tropical and temperate climatic zones due to its high ecological plasticity and resilience to adverse weather. The different classes of chemical compounds contained in the plant are the reason for its medicinal properties. Research shows that every part of Ziziphus jujuba, the leaves, fruits and seeds, demonstrate therapeutic properties. This review focuses on the chemical composition in order to establish the relationship between the plant and its clinical use. Various biological effects are summarized and discussed: anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, gastrointestinal, etc. Apart from medicinal uses, the fruits of Ziziphus jujuba are edible and used in fresh and dried form. This literature review reveals possible medical applications of Ziziphus jujuba and its great potential for improving the diet of people in areas where the plant is abundant.

At present, there are no data in the scientific literature on studies aimed at characterizing Passiflora caerulea L. growing in Bulgaria. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolic profile and elemental composition of the leaves and pulp of this Passiflora, as well as to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of its leaf and pulp extracts. The results showed that the pulp predominantly contained the essential amino acid histidine (7.81 mg g⁻¹), while it was absent in the leaves, with the highest concentration being tryptophan (8.30 mg g⁻¹). Of the fatty acids, palmitoleic acid predominated both in the pulp and in the leaves. A major sterol component was β-sitosterol. Fructose (7.50%) was the predominant sugar in the pulp, while for the leaves, it was glucose—1.51%. Seven elements were identified: sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc. The highest concentrations of K and Mg were in the pulp (23,946 mg kg⁻¹ and 1890 mg kg⁻¹) and leaves (36,179 mg kg⁻¹ and 5064 mg kg⁻¹). According to the DPPH, FRAP and CUPRAC methods, the highest values for antioxidant activity were found in 70% ethanolic extracts of the leaves, while for the ABTS method, the highest value was found in 50% ethanolic extracts. In the pulp, for all four methods, the highest values were determined at 50% ethanolic extracts. Regarding the antibacterial activity, the 50% ethanolic leaf extracts were more effective against the Gram-positive bacteria. At the same time, the 70% ethanolic leaf extract was more effective against Gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076. The leaf extracts exhibited higher anti-inflammatory activity than the extracts prepared from the pulp. The obtained results revealed that P. caerulea is a plant that can be successfully applied as an active ingredient in various nutritional supplements or cosmetic products.

In recent years, the essential oil of Satureja species has been studied as a source of biocidal activity with potential applications in organic farming such as bio-pesticides. The present study aims to determine the potential of essential oil (EO), exudate fraction (EF) and methanolic extract (ME) of Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. to inhibit the mycelial growth of phytopathogenic fungi and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Additionally, ME was tested for inhibitory activity on seed germination and root elongation. Phytochemical analysis was conducted using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Biological activities were studied using in vitro methods. p-Cymene, limonene, geraniol, carvacrol and borneol were identified as the main components of EO. Oleanolic and ursolic acid, carvacrol and flavonoid aglycones were determined as the most abundant bioactive compounds of EF, whereas rosmarinic acid and flavonoid glycosides were found in ME. EO reduced the growth of all tested plant pathogens, indicated by 40% to 84% inhibition of mycelial growth (IMG). The growth rates of oomycetes Phytophthora cryptogea Pethybr. & Laff. and Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan were affected to the greatest extent with 84% and 68% IMG. EF showed the most potent AChE inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ value of 0.18 mg/mL. Aqueous solutions of the ME with a concentration above 5 mg/mL were found to inhibit seed germination by more than 90%, whereas a reduction in root elongation was observed at 3 mg/mL. The present study provides for the first time data for the pesticidal properties of EO, EF and ME of S. kitaibelii.

The aim of the presented study is to investigate whether raw herbal products containing herbal substances of poisonous medicinal plants are freely accessible on the Bulgarian digital market and, if so, to perform a brief analysis of the main flaws in the legislative framework that fails to prevent that. Twenty herbal substances enlisted as poisonous in Ordinance №5 (2004) on the requirements for the herbal procurement facilities and warehouses for herbal drugs were randomly selected, and the related herbal products that appear in a browser’s top eight suggestions were analyzed. The study found that herbal products containing raw herbal drugs of poisonous plants, according to the mentioned Ordinance №5 (2004), are offered with varying frequency on Internet sites. These products have an unclear status because they violate specific legislative rules to be registered as food supplements or herbal medicinal products. Serious flaws regarding the consistency of the label information were also found. The results of our study indicate that a revision of the legislative framework related to the status, use, and control of these products is necessary.

This study investigates the essential oil composition of Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff., a Balkan endemic species with notable medicinal properties, from the central Danubian Plain, an unexplored region in Bulgaria. Essential oil were extracted using a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed via GC/MS, revealing p-cymene, limonene, carvacrol, and borneol as dominant compounds. Differences between localities (Kaylaka and Kartozhabene) were identified, alongside similarities with populations from other parts of Bulgaria and Serbia. These findings contribute to understanding phytochemical variability and hold implications for standardizing S. kitaibelii essential oil for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Arnica flower (Arnica montana L.) is a valuable ingredient in many herbal and pharmaceutical products with anti-inflammatory properties. However, the pharmacopoeial herbal substance is often replaced by flower heads from other species, most often Heterotheca inuloides Cass. According to the European Pharmacopoeia one of the ways to distinguish drugs containing these two species is by TLC analysis of the rutin content in an aqueous ethanol extract. The present work proposes a method of distinguishing the two species based on exudate flavonoid profile, detected by HPTLC. Exudate flavonoid profiles of both species are distinguishable visually under UV light based on the different colouration of the main components. Methylated derivatives mainly of flavones were identified as the main component in the exudate of A. montana, whereas methylated flavonol derivatives were detected in the exudate of H. inuloides. The main components in H. inuloides are flavonoid aglycones coloured yellow (quercetin-3',3,7-trimethyl ether, quercetin-3,3',4',7-tetramethyl ether) or orange (quercetin, quercetin-3,7-dimethyl ether) under UV light. On the other hand, the main components found in A. montana (scutellarein-6-methyl ether, scutellarein-6,4'-dimethyl ether) are predominantly brown coloured. The proposed method is suitable for rapid identification of the Arnica flower containing drugs based on the profile of exudate flavonoid aglycones by the HPTLC technique.