Objectives: Tanacetum L. belongs to Asteraceae family and is represented by 46 species in Turkiye. Tanacetum genus is known for its insecticide and insect repellent effect. T. argyrophyllum contains sesquiterpene lactone derivatives. These compounds are responsible for its various activities, especially cytotoxic, antitumor, phytotoxic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. There are not enough biological activity studies on the plant that are likely to have a wide variety of activities in terms of the compounds it contains. The aim of the present study is to evaluate various biological activities of 80% aqueous methanol extract prepared from aerial parts of T. argyrophyllum (K. Koch) Tzvelev var. argyrophyllum collected from Sivas province of Turkey. Materials and Methods: Antioxidant activity of the methanol extract was determined by 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl and 2,2-azinobis (3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, total phenolic, and total flavonoid content tests. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities were investigated via Ellmans spectrometric method. Results: Total phenolic content was found as 71.67 mg/gallic acid equivalent g and total flavonoid content was 25.225 mg/quercetin equivalent g on dry extract weight basis. In this work, AChE, BChE, and alpha-glycosidase enzymes were inhibited by the extract of T. argyrophyllum var. argyrophyllum. IC50 values for these enzymes were found as 266.79 mu g/mL for AChE and 176.91 mu g/mL for BChE. Also, the alpha-glycosidase activity exhibited a dose-dependent manner with increasing concentration. Conclusion: According to the results, T. argyrophyllum var. argyrophyllum can be used as an ingredient of functional foods as well as herbal products for diabetic and Alzheimer's disease patients.

Medicinal plants have a long history of use as food and remedy in traditional and modern societies, as well as have been used as herbal drugs and sources of novel bioactive compounds. They provide a wide array of chemical compounds, many of which can not be synthesized via current synthesis methods. Natural products may provide aromatase inhibitory activity through various pathways and may act clinically effective for treating pathologies associated with excessive aromatase secretion including breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers, endometriosis, uterine fibroid, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer, infertility, and gynecomastia. Recent studies have shown that natural products with aromatase inhibitory activity, could also be good options against secondary recurrence of breast cancer by exhibiting chemopreventive effects. Therefore, screening for new plant-based aromatase inhibitors may provide novel leads for drug discovery and development, particularly with increased clinical efficacy and decreased side effects.

Aims: This study explores the therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa L. and its key bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ). Background: Pancreatic cancer presents a significant health challenge due to its aggressiveness and limited treatment options. N. sativa and its component TQ have demonstrated anticancer properties in other cancers, warranting exploration in pancreatic cancer models. Objective: To assess the antiproliferative, apoptotic, and anti-invasive effects of N. sativa extracts and TQ on pancreatic cancer cells, with a focus on modulating the NRF2/HO-1 and TNF-α signaling pathways. Methods: MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with essential and fixed oils, methanol extracts (from Türkiye and Syria), and TQ. Cell viability, apoptosis, and invasiveness were assessed via XTT, Annexin V, and Matrigel assays, respectively. Gene expression and cytokine levels were evaluated using RTqPCR and ELISA. HPLC was conducted to confirm TQ concentrations in extracts. Results: The methanol extract of Türkiye-originated N. sativa seeds (TM) exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect, reducing cell viability in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 at 0.05 mg/mL, while TQ significantly decreased viability at 20 μM. TM reduced MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 invasiveness (42±1.23 and 35±0.73, respectively) and contained a higher concentration of TQ (7.9168 ± 0.0561%) compared to the Syria-originated extract (SM). Conclusion: The findings suggest that TM and TQ exhibit strong anticancer potential by modulating key signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer cells, supporting their potential for further development as therapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer treatment.

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer remains difficult to treat, driving the search for new therapeutic agents. Juncus effusus L., a medicinal plant rich in bioactive constituents, has shown preliminary anticancer activity, yet its efficacy in hormone-responsive tumor models in vivo has not been established. We evaluated the antitumor effects of the ethyl acetate sub-extract of J. effusus L. subsp. effusus in an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU)-induced rat mammary tumor model, assessing tumor burden, histopathology, and molecular markers. Thirty-six Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups (n = 6): sham, control, reference, and three groups receiving the sub-extract at 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg. After NMU induction (50 mg/kg), treatment began once tumor volumes reached approximately 2000 mm³ and continued for eight weeks. The 200 mg/kg dose markedly reduced tumor volume relative to control (p < 0.0001) and lowered both ERα and PCNA expression (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001). The 100 and 200 mg/kg groups also showed lower p53 and ERα mRNA levels than the other treatment groups. HIF-1α, though elevated in control tumors, declined only modestly and without statistical significance after treatment. These results indicate that J. effusus subsp. effusus, particularly at 200 mg/kg, suppresses proliferation and modulates ERα- and p53 expression, supporting its potential for further preclinical investigation.

Antimicrobial resistance remains a significant global challenge across various fields. To solve this problem, researchers are working on developing antimicrobial agents, antiseptics, and disinfectants with different formulations. In this study, methanol (MeOH) extracts of Phytolacca americana L. fruits and leaves, were evaluated for their both antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities using microdilution method and antibiofilm assay against bacteria and fungi including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, Trichophyton rubrum, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum gypseum.. According to the activity studies, extracts displayed 32-128 µg/mL MICs against tested bacteria and fungi. In the microduliton method; inhibition curves of IC50 obtained by the resazurin microplate assay for the extracts showed results in the range of 12-41 μg/mL.