Leech therapy is a biotherapeutic approach that has been traditionally used for centuries and is currently being re-evaluated in modern medicine. The efficacy of this treatment is attributed to various bioactive compounds found in leech saliva, which exhibit anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. It has been demonstrated that leech saliva possesses the potential to modulate inflammatory processes and apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, the therapeutic potential of the saliva of Hirudo verbana was evaluated, and its biological and pharmacological effects were comprehensively investigated. The anticancer effects, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory activity of the crude leech saliva were assessed using human umbilical vein endothelial cells and epithelial ovarian cancer cells. The chemical composition of the saliva was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, while the protein content was determined by the Bradford assay. Antioxidant activity was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay, inflammatory effects were evaluated by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay, and cell viability was determined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The findings revealed that crude leech saliva had a minimal effect on healthy cells but showed a selective effect on the viability of ovarian cancer cells. At low concentrations (3.13%), 99.16% of healthy cells remained viable, whereas this rate decreased to 89.25% in cancer cells; at high concentrations (50%), cell viability in cancer cells declined to 63.02%. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified compounds such as gibberellic acid and 6-[(4-methoxyphenyl)methoxy]-4,4,5,7,8-pentamethyl-3H-chromen-2-one, which demonstrated high affinity for the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Survivin in molecular docking analyses. In conclusion, the crude leech saliva was confirmed to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, further biochemical and clinical research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these biological effects in greater detail.

Aim: To determine the anticancer and antioxidant activity levels of the synthesized heterocyclic molecule named 1-benzyl-1-(2- methyl-3-oxo-3-(p-tolyl)propyl) piperidin-1-ium chloride. Methods: The molecule 1-benzyl-1-(2-methyl-3-oxo-3-(p-tolyl) propyl)piperidin-1-ium chloride was synthesized solvent-free via microwave synthesis. Piperidine purification involved dichloromethane extraction with 2 M HCl, followed by 5% NaHCO3 and precipitation with n-hexane. Anticancer activity on A549 lung cancer cells was assessed using the MTT assay. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and CUPRAC methods at five concentrations (250-15.6 µM), with ascorbic acid as a control. Results: The heterocyclic molecule dissolved in PBS was tested for anticancer activity on A549 cells at concentrations ranging from 6.25 to 100 µM. Cytotoxicity was highest at 66.90% for 100 µM and decreased to 5.57% at 6.25 µM, with an IC50 of 32.43 µM. In DPPH assays, the absorbance for AscA varied from 1.263±0.057 to 0.675±0.093, while the piperidine molecule ranged from 1.339±0.044 to 1.072±0.120. In CUPRAC assays, AscA absorbance was 0.227±0.052 and 1.768±0.176, and for the piperidine molecule, it was 0.132±0.042 and 0.142±0.031. Conclusion: Piperidine is considered a saturated heterocyclic ring and possesses a wide range of biological activities. In this study, it was observed that the synthesized piperidine molecule showed limited DPPH radical scavenging activity. It also showed a high level of cytotoxic effect on A549 cancer cells and could be an important molecule for anticancer studies.

Research continues on the identification of plants with activities such as antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. This study aimed to determine the total phenolic content of the ethanol extract of rosehip (Rosa canina L.) fruits grown in Elazığ, Türkiye, as well as its in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Antibacterial activity was assessed using the Agar Well Diffusion Method; antioxidant activities were evaluated using the DPPH and CUPRAC methods; and anticancer studies were conducted on A549 (ATCC CCL-185), U2OS (ATCC HTB-96), and HUVEC (ATCC CRL-1730) cell lines using the MTT assay. Optimization studies were performed according to Response Surface Methodology. As a result, it was found that the total phenolic content of the extract was 79.013±3.5; it was determined that aqueous alcohol extracts had antimicrobial effects only on B. cereus and did not have any antimicrobial effects on E. coli, P. aeruginosa and Stp. aureus bacteria, and it demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic effect on different cell lines. The most pronounced effect was observed in the HUVEC cell line, while the effects increased with prolonged incubation time in the A549 and U2OS cell lines.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is among the plants used by humans for various purposes. This study aimed to determine the total phenolic content and evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the ethanolic leaf extract of M. officinalis naturally growing in Elazığ (Türkiye). The extract was prepared by ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and antioxidant activity was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Antibacterial activity was tested using the agar well diffusion method, antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH and CUPRAC assays, and anticancer effects were assessed on A549, U2OS, and HUVEC cell lines using the MTT assay. The extract exhibited a high total phenolic content (129.0±3.0 mg GAE/mL). No antibacterial activity was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, or Bacillus cereus. Antioxidant activity increased in a concentration-dependent manner, reaching 51.0% DPPH scavenging and 1.144 CUPRAC absorbance at 60 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity also increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with the strongest effect observed in A549 cells at 200 µg/mL after 48 h (cell viability: 56.6%). RSM modeling showed excellent predictive performance (R² = 0.9704). These findings indicate that M. officinalis from Elazığ is a rich phenolic source with notable antioxidant potential and moderate cytotoxic activity, and that RSM can effectively optimize extraction conditions for enhanced antioxidant performance.