The phytochemical composition of essential oils and extracts of Tanacetum haussknechtii were investigated with GC–FID–MS and LC–MS/MS techniques and evaluated against oxidation, acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-amylase enzymes. The major volatile constituents of T. haussknectii were found to be α- and β-pinene, and borneol. Caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoids were detected in the aqueous, alcohol, and ethyl acetate extracts. In DPPH assay, the methanol extracts exhibited the highest activity. TEAC assay resulted with superiority of all methanol and the capitula ethyl acetate extract. In β-carotene bleaching assay, linoleic acid was the best protected by the ethyl acetate extract of flower. The flower oil inhibited higher acetylcholinesterase activity than the remaining extracts. The flower ethyl acetate extract was found as the most effective inhibitor of α-amylase. The herb and the leaf+stem water extracts possess highest inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.

In the present work, essential oil and fatty acids and extracts obtained from aerial parts of Phlomis linearis Boiss. & Bal. were investigated for chemical composition and biological activities. The phytochemical analyses were conducted with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionisation detector (GC-MS/FID) and liquid chromatography-mass spectromtetry (LC-MS/MS) techniques. The extracts and essential oil were studied for α-amylase and acetylcholinesterase activities with two different spectrophotometric methods. Antimicrobial activities of the extracts were investigated by microdilution. The extracts were evaluated in vitro for cytotoxic effects against cancer and normal cell lines by MTT assay. The essential oil (EO) contained α-pinene (12.5%) and β-caryophyllene (10.7%) as main compounds. Palmitic (26.5%) and nonadecanoic acids (26.6%) were determined as fatty acids. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts found phenolic acids, phlinosides, verbascoside, and flavonoids. The extracts and essential oil demonstrated poor α-amylase inhibitory activity. The best acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was obtained for diethly ether extract of P. linearis (67.2 ± 3.4%) at 10 mg /mL concentration. Ethyl acetate extract found to be effective against Staphlococcus aureus at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 156.26 µg/mL. Diethyl ether extract of P. linearis was active on A549 cell lines with an IC50 = 316 ± 4.16 µg/mL when compared with cisplatin IC50 = 24.43 ± 0.14 µg/mL. To the best of our knowledge, the present work is the first comprehensive report on anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-α-amylase, and antimicrobial activities, as well as cytotoxic effects of P. linearis.

Hexane extracts of Heracleum verticillatum, H. sibiricum, H. angustisectum, and H. ternatum were studied for their furanocoumarin content antioxidant potential and acetylcholinesterase and α‐amylase inhibitory activities. Quantification of the furanocoumarins was performed by ¹H‐NMR. Pimpinellin was found to be the main component in the roots of all studied species. Bergapten and imperatorin were the major compounds in the fruits of H. sibiricum and H. verticillatum, respectively, while byakangelicol dominated in H. angustisectum and H. ternatum fruits. The leaf and fruit extracts of H. angustisectum demonstrated the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and TEAC (IC₅₀ 0.58 mg/mL and 1.83 mm, respectively). The root extracts of H. verticillatum and H. angustisectum were found to be the most effective against acetylcholinesterase (IC₅₀ 0.30 and 0.34 mg/mL, respectively). The studied extracts were not active or demonstrated a weak inhibitory effect (%Inh. up to 29.7) towards α‐amylase.

In this study two different extraction techniques namely, conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and micro-steam distillation-solid-phase microextraction (MSD-SPME), were used to analyze the volatile constituents from the leaves and the galls of Salvia fruticosa Mill. by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The oxygenated monoterpenes (62.4-69.3%) were found to be predominating compound group with 1,8-cineole and camphor as the main constituents in all the tested samples with the exception of the gall oil in which oxygenated sesquiterpenes (25.6%) and diterpenes (17.3%) were detected in high percentages. Qualitative differences of the volatiles obtained by HD and MSD-SPME techniques from the leaf and the galls are discussed. The resulting leaf essential oils were evaluated for their in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition potential. In vitro DPPH scavenging, and Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC) assays were used to evaluate the leaf essential oils. AChE inhibition 41.2% and antioxidant 36.8% assays results showed moderate levels of activity. In this present study, to the best of our knowledge comparative leaf and gall volatiles of S. fruticosa was reported for first time.

Pentzia incana is one of the most important of all natural pasture plants in the dry interior (Karoo) region of South Africa. This highly aromatic shrub is thought to be responsible for the distinctive flavour of Karoo lamb (a registered geographical indication), yet the essential oil is here characterised for the first time. Leafy twigs are traditionally chewed for relief of stomach ache. Essential oil is associated with numerous small, multicellu- lar glands. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of 17 essential oil samples from five populations showed considerable variation in both yield (0.12% to 0.88% dry weight) and composition. Of interest was the presence of one major biosynthetic group comprising yomogi alcohol (to 38.9%), artemisia alcohol (to 26.1%), artemisia ketone (to 35.0%) and artemisyl acetate (to 9.4%). High levels of fragranol (26.9%) and fragranyl acetate (27.1%) were observed only in a single specimen. Other main compounds were 1,8-cineole (to 16.7%), sa...