This study was carried out to screen the amount and the classes of secondary metabolites and to evaluate the antioxidant, cytotoxic, antifungal, and antibacterial activities of the methanolic, ethanolic, and water extracts of the roots, leaves, and flowers of Nepeta juncea Benth. The results show that the highest total phenol (69.54 ± 0.31 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight), total flavonoid (41.37 ± 0.17 mg quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry weight), anthocyanin (6.52 ± 0.21 mg cyanidin/100 g dry weight), and tannin (47.36 ± 0.33 mg catechin/g dry weight) concentrations were recorded in the methanolic extract of the leaves of N. juncea. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of the extracts showed that 1,8-cineole, 4aα-7α-7aα-nepetalactone, β-pinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol were the major compounds, respectively. The best 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant, cytotoxic, antifungal, and antibacterial activities were observed for the methanolic extract of the leaves. For the two latter activities, the best activity was revealed on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the antimicrobial of the methanolic extract from the leaves were in the range of 25–100 µg/mL, whereas the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were in the range of 50–200 µg/mL. The results reported herein show that, for the first time in the literature, N. juncea is a remarkable source of antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial compounds.

In patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), hyperactivated inflammation in the brain, particularly microglial hyperactivation in the substantia nigra (SN), is reported to be one of the triggers for the delayed loss of dopaminergic neurons and sequential motor functional impairments. We previously reported that (1) auraptene (AUR), a natural prenyloxycoumain, suppressed inflammatory responses including the hyperactivation of microglia in the ischemic brain and inflamed brain, thereby inhibiting neuronal cell death; (2) 7-isopentenyloxycoumarin (7-IP), another natural prenyloxycoumain, exerted anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects against excitotoxicity; and (3) 4′-geranyloxyferulic acid (GOFA), a natural prenyloxycinnamic acid, also exerted anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, using an intranigral lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PD-like mouse model, we investigated whether AUR, 7-IP, and GOFA suppress microglial activation and protect against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the SN. We successfully showed that these prenyloxyphenylpropanoids exhibited these prospective abilities, suggesting the potential of these compounds as neuroprotective agents for patients with PD.

Umbelliprenin has recently been shown to have great potential as a skin whitening agent. Wishing to investigate the same effect in plant species known to biosynthesize this coumarin, three plants belonging to the Apiaceae family, namely Anethum graveolens L. (dill), Pimpinella anisum L. (anise), and Ferulago campestris (Besser) Grecescu (field ferula) were screened by HPLC analysis for their respective content of umbelliprenin in extracts obtained with different solvent mixtures and by maceration and ultrasound-assisted processes. EtOH was shown to be the best solvent, providing umbelliprenin yields ranging from 1.7% to 14.4% (with respect to the total amount of extract obtained). Extracts with the highest content of this farnesyloxycoumarin were then assayed as modulators of melanogenesis in cultured murine Melan A cells employing the same umbelliprenin obtained by chemical synthesis as the reference. A parallelism between the content of the coumarin and the recorded depigmenting effect (60% for the EtOH extract of F. campestris as the best value) was revealed for all plants extracts when applied at a dose of 100 μg/mL. Our results demonstrate that the same potential of umbelliprenin can be ascribed also to umbelliprenin-enriched plant extracts which reinforces enforce the widespread use of phyto-preparations for cosmetic purposes (e.g., A. graveolens).

In the present study we investigated the capacities of a panel of 25 solid sorbents represented by layered structures, inorganic oxides and hydroxides, and phyllosilicates, to effectively remove in high yield Tartrazine (E102) and Brilliant Blue FCF (E133) from aqueous solutions, and more notable, green colored food matrices. Quantification of the title compounds have been achieved by HPLC-DAD analyses. Contents of E102 and E133 in real samples were in the range 1.3-36.5 μg/mL and 1.0-20.1 μg/mL, respectively. After a treatment of 1 min., in most cases a complete bleaching of solutions and deep coloring of the solid phase was recorded. The most effective solids to this aim were seen to be aluminium based ayered double hydroxides. In the case of magnesium oxide for E102, and magnesium aluminium D. benzensulfonate SDS 01 H8L and Florisil for E133, a selective adsorption (>99.9 %) of only one dye was observed. The adsorption recorded was strictly dependent on the loading of the sorbent. Related values were 300 mg for the separation of E102 by magnesium oxide from all the five food matrices under investigation, and in the range 200 mg-300 mg for magnesium aluminium D. benzensulfonate SDS 01 H8L and Florisil in the case of E133. The application of Langmuir and Freundlich models suggested that the adsorption may take place in the inner layers of the solids with a favourable thermodynamique outcome. Findings described herein offer the concrete possibility of quantifications of individual dyes in matrices containing more than one food colorant.

As a continuation of our ongoing studies aimed to reveal the presence of oxyprenylated anthraquinones in plants claimed to have a laxative effect, in this article, we describe the extraction and HPLC separation of madagascin (3-isopentenyloxyemodin) and 3-geranyloxyemodine from dried leaves and fruits of Senna alexandrina Mill. (Leguminosae) and leaves and gel of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F. (Xanthorrhoeaceae). Both compounds are described herein for the first time as components of extracts of the title plants.

Bone physiology is regulated by osteoblast and osteoclast activities, both involved in the bone remodeling process, through deposition and resorption mechanisms, respectively. The imbalance between these two phenomena contributes to the onset of bone diseases. Among these, osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disorder. The therapies currently used for its treatment include antiresorptive and anabolic agents associated with side effects. Therefore, alternative therapeutic approaches, including natural molecules such as coumarin and their derivatives, have recently shown positive results. Thus, our proposal was to investigate the effect of the coumarin derivative umbelliferon (UF) using an interesting model of human osteoblasts (hOBs) isolated from osteoporotic patients. UF significantly improved the activity of osteoporotic-patient-derived hOBs via estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and the downstream activation of β-catenin pathway. Additionally, hOBs were co-cultured in microgravity with human osteoclasts (hOCs) using a 3D system bioreactor, able to reproduce the bone remodeling unit in bone loss conditions in vitro. Notably, UF exerted its anabolic role by reducing the multinucleated cells. Overall, our study confirms the potential efficacy of UF in bone health, and identified, for the first time, a prospective alternative natural compound useful to prevent/treat bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis.