Context: Ferulago (Apiaceae) species have been used since ancient times for the treatment of intestinal worms, hemorrhoids, and as a tonic, digestive, aphrodisiac, or sedative, as well as in salads or as a spice due to their special odors. Objectives: This study reports the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of dichloromethane extract and bioactive compounds isolated from Ferulago bracteata Boiss. & Hausskn. roots. Materials and methods: The isolated compounds obtained from dichloromethane extract of Ferulago bracteata roots through bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation process were evaluated for their in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities at 5000–400 µg/mL concentrations. Compound structures were elucidated by detailed analyses (NMR and MS). Results: A new coumarin, peucedanol-2′-benzoate (1), along with nine known ones, osthole (2), imperatorin (3), bergapten (4), prantschimgin (5), grandivitinol (6), suberosin (7), xanthotoxin (8), felamidin (9), umbelliferone (10), and a sterol mixture consisted of stigmasterol (11), β-sitosterol (12) was isolated from the roots of F. bracteata. Felamidin and suberosin showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 0.42 and 0.89 mg/mL, respectively) when compared to the reference standard acarbose (IC₅₀ 4.95 mg/mL). However, none of the tested extracts were found to be active on α-amylase inhibition. Discussion and conclusions: The present study demonstrated that among the compounds isolated from CH₂Cl₂ fraction of F. bracteata roots, coumarins were determined as the main chemical constituents of this fraction. This is the first report on isolation and characterization of the bioactive compounds from root extracts of F. bracteata and on their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

Coumarins and essential oils are the major components of the Apiaceae family and the Zosima genus. The present study reports anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities of extracts and essential oils from aerial parts, roots, flowers, fruits and coumarins—bergapten (1); imperatorin (2), pimpinellin (3) and umbelliferone (4)—isolated of the roots from Zosima absinthifolia. The investigation by light and scanning electron microscopy of the structures of secretory canals found different chemical compositions in the various types of secretory canals which present in the aerial parts, fruits and flowers. The canals, present in the aerial parts, are characterized by terpene hydrocarbons, while the secretory canals of roots, flowers and fruits include esters. Novel data of a comparative study on essential oils constituents of aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits of Z. absinthfolia has been presented. The roots and fruits extract showed a high content of total phenolics and antioxidant activity. The GC-FID and GC-MS analysis revealed that the main components of the aerial parts, roots, flowers and fruits extracts were octanol (8.8%), octyl octanoate (7.6%), octyl acetate (7.3%); trans-pinocarvyl acetate (26.7%), β-pinene (8.9%); octyl acetate (19.9%), trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol (4.6%); octyl acetate (81.6%), and (Z)-4-octenyl acetate (5.1%). The dichloromethane fraction of fruit and flower essential oil was characterized by the highest phenolics level and antioxidant activity. The dichloromethane fraction of fruit had the best inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase enzyme (82.27 ± 1.97%) which was higher then acetylcholinesterase inhibition (61.09 ± 4.46%) of umbelliferone. This study shows that the flowers and fruit of Z. absinthifolia can be a new potential resource of natural antioxidant and anticholinesterase compounds.

The present research was conducted to document the usage of medicinal plants, plant parts utilized, and methods of preparation by the people living in Aziziye district, situated in the western part of Erzurum. The medicinal plant species utilized by local public for remedial aims were collected and identified. The related knowledge about conventional herbal medicine was collected, herbarium materials were prepared, and they were deposited in the Herbarium of the Faculty of Science, Atatürk University. A total of 77 medical plants pertaining to 30 families were defined in this research. Amongst these, 62 species grew naturally and 15 species were cultivated. The most widespread medicinal plant families were Asteraceae (14), Rosaceae (7), Lamiaceae (5), and Apiaceae (5). The most widespread preparation was decoction. The ethnobotanical outcomes documented in this study provide practical evidence about the use of medicinal plants among the inhabitants of Aziziye District. Furthermore, the results revealed that the medicinal plants of the region are a major source of herbal drugs for primary healthcare utilized among the rural communities. This study can be utilized as baseline knowledge for further scientific research to improve new plant-based commercial drugs, and may transfer the traditional information as regards usage of medicinal herbs to new generation.

Hypericum (Hypericaceae) is a genus that comprises a high number of species around the world. In this study, the roots, aerial parts, flowers, fruits, and aerial parts with flowers from Hypericum scabrum were macerated separately by methanol and water and then fractionated by different solvents of, such as ethyl acetate, n-hexane, butanol, dichloromethane, aqueous residue sub-extracts, and ethnobotanical use. All the extracts, sub-extracts and essential oils of H. scabrum were investigated for the first time in detail for their antimicrobial, total phenolics, and antioxidant activities. Anatomical structures of the root, stem, leaf, upper and lower leaf surface, stamen, sepal, and petal of H. scabrum were examined. The biochemical layout of essential oils was determined by GC and GC/MS. The antioxidant activity was determined by free radical scavenging activity (by DPPH). Antimicrobial activity was applied against Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659, and C. tropicalis ATCC 750 using microdilution methods. The essentials of the aerial parts, flower, and fruit are characterized by the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons, whereas roots oil include alkanes. The GC-FID and GC-MS analysis showed that major components of roots, aerial parts, flowers, and fruits oils were undecane (66.1%); α-pinene (17.5%), γ-terpinene (17.4%), and α-thujene (16.9%); α-pinene (55.6%), α-thujene (10.9%), and γ-terpinene (7.7%); α-pinene (85.2%), respectively. The aerial part sub-extracts indicated a greater level of total phenolics and antioxidant potential. The n-hexane sub-extracts (from aerial part, flower, and aerial part with flower) showed the best activity against B. subtilis, with 39.06 µg/mL MIC value. The presented research work indicates that H. scabrum can be a novel promising resource of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds.

Ferulago species have been utilized since ancient times as digestive, sedative, aphrodisiac, along with in salads or as a spice due to their special odors. The study reports isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds of Ferulago pachyloba (F. pachyloba), Ferulago trachycarpa (F. trachycarpa), Ferulago bracteata (F. bracteata), and Ferulago blancheana (F. blancheana) via bioassay guided fractionation and isolation process. The structures of compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses. They were also assessed for their activities at 1000-31.25 mu g/mL concentrations by microbroth-dilution methods. Antimicrobial activity of aqueous, methanol extracts and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous residue fractions of methanol extracts from aerial parts and roots of species along with isolated compounds [osthole, imperatorin, bergapten, prantschimgin, peucedanol-2'-benzoate, grandivitinol, suberosin, xanthotoxin, felamidin, marmesin, umbelliferone, ulopterol and a sterol mixture consisted of stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol] were evaluated. Antimicrobial effect has been seen against Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and a yeast C. albicans at a concentration between 31.25 and 62.5 mu g/mL. Especially, C. albicans (MIC = 31.25 mu g/mL) was the most inhibited microorganism. Moreover, growth of P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, E. coli, and S. aureus were inhibited at 62.5 mu g/mL MIC values. Among tested samples prantschimgin and dichloromethane fraction of aerial parts from F. pachyloba showed the best activity against C. albicans (MIC = 31.25 mu g/mL). However, among aqueous extracts and residue fractions, only F. blancheana aerial parts, F. trachycarpa aerial parts, and roots and F. bracteata roots showed activity against C. albicans. Among microorganisms E. coli was found to be the least affected.