Ziziphora species represent the prototypical example of the Lamiaceae family. The phytochemicals present in Ziziphora include monoterpenic essential oils, triterpenes and phenolic substances belonging to the flavonoids. In Kazakh traditional medicine, Ziziphora species possess several medicinal uses. In particular, Z. bungeana Lam. and Z. clinopodioides Lam. are used for the treatment of illnesses related to the cardiovascular system or to combat different infections. Unfortunately, the majority of the information about the complex Ziziphora species is only available in Russian and Chinese language, therefore, we decided gather all available information on Kazakhstan Ziziphora, namely its content compounds, medicinal uses and published patents, to draw the attention of scientists to this very interesting plant with high medicinal potential.

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.

Ziziphora species (Lamiaceae) have been used in traditional medicine as sedatives, antiseptics, carminatives, or expectorants. Despite their common applications in phytotherapy, there is still lack of evidence about the composition of their extracts and its impact on biological properties of the plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of Ziziphora bungeana, a less studied species growing in Kazakhstan, using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS instrumentation and to determine its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activity together with inhibitory properties against tyrosinase and toxicity in erythrocyte lysis assay. Extracts from Z. bungeana were found to be sources of flavonoids, phenolic acids, organic acids, and terpenes that determined their antiradical activity. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of extracts were lower for Gram-positive bacteria (1.25–10 mg/mL) than for Gram-negative bacteria and fungi (5–20 mg/mL). The EC₅₀ value calculated for antiradical activity ranged between 15.00 ± 1.06 µg/mL and 13.21 ± 3.24 µg/mL for ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively. Z. bungeana extracts were found to decrease the activity of tyrosinase by 50% (at 200 µg/mL) similarly to kojic acid and were slightly cytotoxic for human melanoma A375 cell line (at 200 µg/mL) with no effect on HaCaT keratinocytes. In the end, Z. bungeana did not reveal toxic effects in hemolytic assay as compared to the positive control Triton X-100. The performed tests show potential application of the plant in the treatment of infectious diseases, disorders caused by free radicals, and skin problems.

This review systematically compiles and evaluates current research on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, and the clinical potential of plants of the genus Ribes L. Ribes species have long been used in traditional medicine for cardiovascular diseases, hepatitis, gastrointestinal ailments, hyperlipidemia, and detoxification, owing to their rich content of phenolic glycosides, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and polysaccharides. We analyze data from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, focusing on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, and vision-protective properties of extracts and isolated compounds. Particular attention is given to R. nigrum, a species recognized in French and British pharmacopeias for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. Our synthesis reveals significant gaps: many Ribes spp. remain poorly characterized chemically; toxicology and pharmacokinetics are seldom studied; clinical trials are limited in number and rigor. We propose that future research should prioritize the comprehensive metabolomic and chemoprofiling of understudied Ribes species; standardized safety and dosage studies; the elucidation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of key bioactives; and well-designed randomized clinical trials to validate traditional uses and establish therapeutic efficacy. Our review demonstrates that Ribes spp. are promising sources for novel phytopharmaceutical agents and functional foods, but that translational and regulatory research is essential to move from traditional claims toward evidence-based medical applications.

This paper provides a comprehensive phytochemical analysis of extracts obtained from the leaves and roots of Hedysarum semenowii using HPLC/PDA-ESI-QToF/MS-MS techniques. The study identified 53 compounds, with flavones and isoflavones as the primary polyphenols. Notably, flavones were predominant in the leaves, while isoflavones were found mainly in the roots, potentially serving as chemotaxonomic markers. Medicarpin and its glucoside were confirmed in the roots, while mangiferin and its derivatives were identified for the first time in both the roots and leaves. Isoflavones like formononetin, calycosin, and afrormosin, along with their glucosides, were exclusive to the roots. Flavonols such as quercetin and its glycosides were abundant in the aboveground parts. Our study also identified flavones like luteolin, flavanones (naringenin), and chalcones (liquiritigenin) in various parts. Additionally, the phenolic acids gallic and ferulic acids, as well as the organic acids malic and citric acid, were also detected. The extracts demonstrated differential antimicrobial and antifungal activities in a microbroth dilution assay, with the aerial part extracts showing superior efficacy, particularly against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both aerial and underground parts exhibited comparable antifungal activity against Candida species. Antioxidant activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^•) radical scavenging test varied significantly, with ethanolic extracts from the aerial parts showing the highest potential (Antioxidant Activity Index (AAI) 2.07 ± 0.13). In contrast, root extracts had consistently low antioxidant activity. The results highlight the aerial parts of H. semenowii as a more promising source of biologically active compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties compared to the roots.