Many anticancer active compounds are known to have the capacity to destroy pathologically proliferating cancer cells in the body, as well as to destroy rapidly proliferating normal cells. Despite remarkable advances in cancer research over the past few decades, the inclusion of natural compounds in researches as potential drug candidates is becoming increasingly important. However, the perception that the natural is reliable is an issue that needs to be clarified. Among the various chemical classes of natural products, anthraquinones have many biological activities and have also been proven to exhibit a unique anticancer activity. Emodin, an anthraquinone derivative, is a natural compound found in the roots and rhizomes of many plants. The anticancer property of emodin, a broad-spectrum inhibitory agent of cancer cells, has been detailed in many biological pathways. In cancer cells, these molecular mechanisms consist of suppressing cell growth and proliferation through the attenuation of oncogenic growth signaling, such as protein kinase B (AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), HER-2 tyrosine kinase, Wnt/-catenin, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). However, it is known that emodin, which shows toxicity to cancer cells, may cause kidney toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity especially at high doses and long-term use. At the same time, studies of emodin, which has poor oral bioavailability, to transform this disadvantage into an advantage with nano-carrier systems reveal that natural compounds are not always directly usable compounds. Consequently, this review aimed to shed light on the anti-proliferative and anti-carcinogenic properties of emodin, as well as its potential toxicities and the advantages of drug delivery systems on bioavailability.

Epidemic diseases have been observed in every period of human history, and the treatment process has taken time. Causative microorganisms reproduce as biofilm and contribute to the emergence of various infectious diseases. The process that starts with respiratory disorders causes serious lung infections due to bacteria and viruses that accumulate and multiply. The biofilms are difficult to eliminate and show increased resistance to available antimicrobial agents. There is a need to identify and develop potential resources used in treatment. The search for novel biological agents from plants is gaining popularity due to the high abundance, accessibility with consequent lower cost for discovery, and lesser side effects and toxicity. Saponins found in some plants can be alternative to antibiotics, with antimicrobial activities. This review focused on the potency of saponin-containing plants with antimicrobial properties as antibiofilm agents against these infections. For this purpose, keywords were scanned in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google academics databases, and the related literature was compiled. Approximately, 25 plant taxa belonging to 18 families traditionally used in the treatment of respiratory diseases are listed. These taxa mostly belong to Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, and Asparagaceae families, respectively. Most of these taxa have antibacterial, antifungal, antitussive, and anti-inflammatory activities. Especially, plants with antibiofilm activity that can be effective against many microorganisms are compiled in this study. These plants can prevent or treat upper respiratory tract diseases caused by bacteria due to the phytochemicals they contain, especially saponins.

Approximately 70% of the world’s population has been using medicinal herbs as a complementary or alternative medicine that has grown tremendously in both developed and developing countries over the past 20 years (World Health Organization Drugs Strategy 2002–2005). This increase in consumer demand for medicinal plants continues, although scientific data are rare to create safety and efficacy profiles. Its popularity is also related to easy availability, cost-effectiveness leading to better purchasing power, and various factors that perceive that they are generally safe. Herbs are often administered simultaneously with therapeutic drugs for the treatment of major ailments, and herb-drug interactions (HDIs) increase their potential. The main routes proposed for HDIs include cytochrome P450 (CYP450)-mediated inhibition or induction and transport and flow proteins. In our review, we highlighted herbal medicines used for the treatment of various diseases with pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic analysis and case reports together with their adverse effects and herb-drug interactions. Therefore, this review can be used as a quick reference database for physicians and healthcare professionals involved in therapy, aiming to maximize clinical outcomes by reducing the negative and toxic effects of plants along with avoiding herb-drug interactions.

Neurological disorders are becoming more common, and there is an intense search for molecules that can help treat them. Several natural components, especially those from the flavonoid group, have shown promising results. Ginkgetin is the first known biflavonoid, a flavonoid dimer isolated from ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.). Later, its occurrence was discovered in more than 20 different plant species, most of which are known for their use in traditional medicine. Herein we have summarized the data on the neuroprotective potential of ginkgetin. There is evidence of protection against neuronal damage caused by ischemic strokes, neurotumors, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Beneficial effects in ischemic strokes have been demonstrated in animal studies in which injection of ginkgetin before or after onset of the stoke showed protection from neuronal damage. AD protection has been the most studied to date. Possible mechanisms include inhibition of reactive oxygen species, inhibition of β-secretase, inhibition of Aβ fibril formation, amelioration of inflammation, and antimicrobial activity. Ginkgetin has also shown positive effects on the relief of PD symptoms in animal studies. Most of the available data are from in vitro or in vivo animal studies, where ginkgetin showed promising results, and further clinical studies should be conducted.

Aromaterapi, tamamlayıcı tıp uygulamaları arasında çeşitli hastalıkları önlemek ve tedavi etmek amacıyla terapötik ajanlar olarak uçucu yağları kullanan terapilerden biridir. Uçucu yağlar, aromatik bitkilerin çeşitli kısımlarından genellikle distilasyon yöntemi elde edilen sekonder metabolitlerdir. Fiziksel ve psikolojik düzeyde vücudun doğal dengesini korumak ve onarmak için, etkisini koku duyusu yani inhalasyon ve bununla birlikte masaj, kompres ve banyo uygulamaları ile göstermektedir. Aromaterapi eski Mısır Uygarlığı’na kadar uzanan yaklaşık 6000 yıllık bir geçmişe sahiptir. Aromaterapide kullanılan her bir uçucu yağın kendine has kokusu ve tedavi edici özelliği vardır. Uçucu yağlar, anksiyete, depresyon, dikkat ve konsantrasyon problemleri, uykusuzluk gibi psikolojik rahatsızlıklar, sindirim problemleri, baş ağrısı, kas ve eklem ağrıları, solunum yolu enfeksiyonları, yara, yanık, alopesi, egzema ve diğer bazı cilt rahatsızlıkları gibi çok sayıda hastalıkların tedavisinde çeşitli kombinasyonlarda kullanılmaktadır. Aromaterapide kullanılan uçucu yağlardan antiviral ve antimikrobiyal özellikleri taşıyanlara çay ağacı ve ökaliptus uçucu yağları; anksiyete, depresyon, uykusuzluk problemleri ve konsantrasyon artışı için tıbbi papatya, lavanta, limon ve gül uçucu yağları, astım ve nefes darlığında günlük uçucu yağı, migrende ise tıbbi nane uçucu yağı örnek verilebilir. Uçucu yağlar, genellikle, minimum yan etkileri ile kullanımı güvenli kabul edilen sekonder metabolitlerdir. Ancak aromaterapi uygulamaları haricen gerçekleştirilmekte olup uçucu yağlar bu terapi biçiminde dahilen kullanılmazlar. Bu çalışma ile günümüz sağlık hizmetlerinde, aromaterapi uygulamalarında en çok kullanılan uçucu yağlar ve özellikleri derlenmiştir.