Knowledge within the field of phytochemistry research has accelerated at a tremendous speed. The excess of literature reports featuring plants of high ethnopharmacological importance, in combination with our interest in the Asteraceae family and traditional medicine, led us to acknowledge the value of the Achillea L. genus. In a broad context, the various Achillea species are used around the globe for the prevention and treatment of different diseases, including gastrointestinal problems, haemorrhages, pneumonia, rheumatic pains, diuresis, inflammation, infections, and wounds, as well as menstrual and gynaecologic abnormalities. The present review aims to provide and summarize the recent literature (2011–2021) on the phytochemistry of the Achillea genus. In parallel, this study attempts to bridge the reports on the traditional uses with modern pharmacological data. Research articles that focused on secondary metabolites, traditional uses and pharmacological activities were collected from various scientific databases such as Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Reaxys and Google Scholar. This study revealed the presence of 141 phytochemicals, while 24 traditionally used Achillea spp. were discussed in comparison to current data with an experimental basis.

Hypericum genus, considered to comprise over 500 species that exhibit cosmopolitan distribution, has attracted human interest since ancient times. The present review aims to provide and summarize the recent literature (2012–2022) on the essential oils of the title genus. Research articles were collected from various scientific databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Reaxys, and Google Scholar. Scientific reports related to the chemical composition, as well as the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities, are presented, also including a brief outlook of the potential relationship between traditional uses and Hypericum essential oils bioactivity.

The volatile compositions of three closely related Hypericum species growing wild on the island of Crete were studied, all belonging to the section Coridium. Hydro-distillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus was performed according to the Hellenic Pharmacopoeia in order to obtain the essential oils, which were analyzed by GC-MS. Identification of the compounds was carried out by comparison of MS spectra and retention indices with literature data, as well as by co-chromatography with authentic samples. In total, 123 different compounds were identified and the main compounds were by order of their abundance as follows: H. empetrifolium: α-pinene, germacrene D, β-pinene, E-caryophyllene; H. amblycalyx: β-elemene, β-selinene, α-pinene, E-caryophyllene, α-selinene; H. jovis: trans-calamenene, α-selinene, β-elemene. The chemical results revealed the differences and similarities (qualitative and quantitative) between the studied oils, supporting the hypothesis that essential oils from Hypericum spp. do not serve as chemotaxonomic markers. Moreover, the essential oils were subjected to antimicrobial screening. According to the given results, the essential oils possessed better antifungal and anticandidal activities than antibacterial activities.

The microbiota, comprising all the microorganisms within the body, plays a critical role in maintaining good health. Dysbiosis represents a condition resulting from an imbalance or alteration of the microbiota. This study comprehensively investigates the patent literature on dysbiosis over the past 20 years.

This study was designed to evaluate the chemical fingerprints and the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic activity of selected Crepis species collected in Greece, namely, C. commutata, C. dioscoridis, C. foetida, C. heldreichiana, C. incana, C. rubra, and Phitosia crocifolia (formerly known as Crepis crocifolia). For the phytochemical analyses, sample measurements were carried out by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Τhe extracts were evaluated both in vitro (radical scavenging activity: DPPH assay and total phenolic content: Folin–Ciocalteu) and in vivo (paw edema reduction and hypolipidemic activity: experimental mouse protocols). Among the tested extracts, C. incana presented the highest gallic acid equivalents (GAE) (0.0834 mg/mL) and the highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 0.07 mg/mL) in vitro, as well as the highest anti-inflammatory activity with 32% edema reduction in vivo. Moreover, in the hypolipidemic protocol, the same extract increased plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by 48.7%, and decreased cholesterol (41.3%) as well as triglycerides (37.2%). According to fractionation of the extract and the phytochemical results, this biological effect may be associated with the rich phenolic composition; caffeoyl tartaric acid derivatives (cichoric and caftaric acid) are regarded as the most prominent bioactive specialized metabolites. The present study contributes to the knowledge regarding the phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Crepis spp.