Maclura pomifera (Rafin.) Schneider is a widespread species all around the world, which is also frequently cultured for ornamental purposes. Previous studies revealed that M. pomifera fruits are rich in prenylated isoflavonoids, exhibit noteworthy biological activities, and have probable benefits, particularly, when applied topically. Considering that phenolic compounds are important sources in the development of anti-aging cosmetic products, this study investigated the anti-aging potential of M. pomifera 80% methanolic extract (MPM) by evaluating antioxidant and extracellular matrix degrading enzymes inhibiting activity. For this study, the inhibitory potential of 80% MPM against different enzymes associated with the aging process was evaluated. Given the unequivocal role of oxidative stress in aging, in vitro antioxidant tests were employed as well. Moreover, osajin was determined as the major bioactive isoflavonoid of the sample by high performance thin layer chromatography analysis. Results of the mechanistically different antioxidant assays exhibited notable antioxidant potential of the extract. Inhibition potential of MPM against hyaluronidase, collagenase, and elastase enzymes, which are directly linked to acceleration of the aging process, was investigated and results revealed that MPM inhibited the aforementioned enzymes explicitly. MPM had notable phenolic and flavonoid content; 113.92 ± 2.26 mg gallic acid equivalent/g and 66.41 ± 0.74 mg QE/g, respectively. When total antioxidant capacity assays were considered, it is possible to suggest that MPM is a promising anti-aging agent. As a result, this study discloses that extracts of fruits of M. pomifera have significant anti-aging potential and may be used for this purpose.

Background/Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anti-quorum sensing, and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils extracted from the leaves of Dorystoechas hastata Boiss & Helder. ex Bentham (Lamiaceae) (DHL-EO) as well as to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from both the leaves and roots. Methods: The essential oils of the root and leaf were extracted by the hydrodistillation method. The chemical composition of the two oils was determined by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antimicrobial activity of DHL-EO was determined against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and various Candida species using the broth microdilution method. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 were used for antibiofilm and anti-quorum sensing activities, respectively. The cytotoxic activity of the DHL-EO was examined by MTT assay. Results: Eucalyptol (21.3%), 2-bornanone (17.0%), and α-pinene (10.3%) were the main compounds of the DHL-EO. The root essential oil (DHR-EO) had trans-ferruginol (19.2%), guaiol (14.1%), and ar-abietatriene (14.0%) as the main components. The DHL-EO displayed weak and moderate antimicrobial activity. The DHL-EO showed moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (methicillin-susceptible, MSSA) and S. aureus ATCC 43300 (methicillin-resistant, MRSA), with a MIC value of 12.5 mg/mL. The DHL-EO exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against Candida parapsilosis RSKK 994, with a MIC value of 0.78 mg/mL. It also demonstrated antifungal activity against C. parapsilosis ATCC 22019 and Candida krusei RSKK 3016, with MIC values of 3.12 mg/mL. The DHL-EO showed antibiofilm activity in a concentration-dependent manner, particularly at higher concentrations, and inhibited violacein production in a dose-dependent manner, with anti-quorum sensing activity. The DHL-EO displayed moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 (IC₅₀: 110.3 μg/mL) and A549 (IC₅₀: 120.4 μg/mL) cell lines. Conclusions: The chemical composition of DHL-EO and DHR-EO showed qualitative and quantitative differences from each other in the present study. The essential oil of the leaves showed moderate cytotoxic and antibacterial activities.

Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. (great horsetail) belongs to the Equisetaceae family and its aerial parts have been traditionally used for skin conditions and to achieve healthy and resilient skin, nails, and hair. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibition of skin-related enzymes by, the antioxidant capacity of, and the phytochemical composition of E. telmateia. Additionally, a novel emulgel was formulated from the main methanolic extract and characterized in terms of pH, viscosity, determination of content quantification, textural profile analysis, and spreadability. After the characterization studies, in vitro release and ex vivo permeation and penetration studies were performed. Firstly, the dried aerial parts of E. telmateia were macerated in methanol, followed by partitioning with solvents of increasing polarity: n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC, and TOAC assays, while enzyme inhibition was analyzed for collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase. LC-MS/MS analysis identified 53 phytochemical compounds. Protocatechuic acid, the main phenolic compound, was quantitatively analyzed in each subfraction by HPTLC. The in vitro release studies showed sustained release of the reference substance (protocatechuic acid) and the kinetic modeling of the release was fitted to the Higuchi model. The ex vivo permeation and penetration studies showed that the formulation exhibited a retention of 3.06 ± 0.21 µg.cm⁻² after 24 h, whereas the suspended extract demonstrated a skin retention of 1.28 ± 0.47 µg.cm⁻². Both the extracts and the formulated emulgel exhibited inhibitory effects on skin-related enzymes. Our finding suggested that E. telmateia might be a valuable ingredient for wrinkle care and skin-regenerating cosmetics.

Background: Mitophagy is a mitochondrial quality-control pathway whose contribution to cancer stress tolerance may vary by cellular context. For essential oils, mechanistic interpretation is often limited by compositional variability and the limited number of studies addressing malignant and non-malignant comparisons under matched exposure conditions. Methods: Ylang Ylang essential oil (YY EO) was characterized by GC-MS-FID. Lung cancer cells (A549) and a salivary gland carcinoma model (HTB-41), together with non-malignant lung-related cells (BEAS-2B, MRC-5), were exposed to YY EO. Functional outcomes were assessed by WST-1 and LDH assays. Mitophagy-related and mitochondrial quality-control-associated genes were quantified by RT-qPCR (2^−ΔΔCt). Results: GC-MS-FID identified a terpenoid-rich mixture (99.31%), with germacrene D and β-caryophyllene among the major constituents. YY EO was associated with dose- and cell-type-dependent functional responses, with malignant cells showing reductions in WST-1 signal and stronger LDH-associated responses under the tested conditions, while non-malignant cells showed less pronounced functional changes. Transcriptional responses were context-dependent, with differential changes in mitophagy-related genes across cell lines. Conclusions: These findings provide comparative evidence of greater functional sensitivity in malignant cells, alongside cell-context-dependent mitophagy-related transcriptional responses. These observations are hypothesis-generating and remain limited to functional readouts and mRNA-level data. Within these limits, the present study provides a composition-anchored comparative dataset that may support future mechanistic studies in this area.

Pine turpentine essential oil (PTEO) obtained from Pinus pinaster Ait. is known to be used in many fields such as medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, and art. The medicinal use of essential oils puts pressure on industry to produce high-quality products. Pure essential oils derived from natural sources are mistakenly recognized as safe on the grounds of their natural origin. Unless they meet international standards, their safety remains questionable. Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to evaluate the quality of 14 different pine turpentine essential oil samples purchased from various sources on the Turkish market, based on the legally recognized pharmacopoeia in Türkiye, the European Pharmacopoeia (EP). As stated in the “Turpentine Oil” monograph, appearance, relative density, refractive index, optical rotation, acid value, peroxide value, fatty oils, and resinified essential oils analyses were performed for each sample. Additionally, phytochemical profiles were analyzed by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that none of the samples were compliant with EP standards. With this in mind, it is found necessary to impose strict regulations on the production of commercial essential oils. Nevertheless, pharmacies emerge as preferable options for obtaining such products.