Sideritis sipylea Boiss. is an endemic plant of the Mediterranean basin that is distributed in the Greek islands of the North Aegean Sea, i.e., Lesvos, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria, and in the West and Middle peninsula of Turkey. It is considered an endangered species because of its uncontrolled collection from its original habitat. Although the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties have been previously reported, the total chemical profile has not yet been explored. In this context, the chemical profiles of the water/methanol (HA), methanol (ME), and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). In parallel, analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed for the dichloromethane extract (DCM) as well as for the essential oil (EO) and the extract obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) along with the in vitro tyrosinase and elastase enzyme inhibitory activity of different extracts was evaluated, towards the discovery of new active agents for cosmetic formulations. These activities are in accordance with its well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, confirming the importance of ethnopharmacological references for S. sipylea in Greece and Turkey.

Cymbidium is one of the most popular genera in Orchidaceae family, commercialized either as loose flowers or as potted plants in floriculture worldwide. The non-marketable parts are typically discarded (e.g., unsuitable flowers, leaves, pseudobulbs, roots), generating an enormous quantity of unutilized biomass. The above by-products were studied through phytochemical analysis and investigated for their dermo-cosmetic potential. The initial antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, anti-elastase, and anti-collagenase assays of the total extracts indicated that the pseudobulb and root ethyl acetate extracts were the most potent. Those extracts were then submitted to chromatographic separation leading to the isolation of 16 secondary metabolites (four phenanthrenes, three 1,4-phenanthrenquinones, three dibenzyls, two phenolic acid derivatives, two sterols, one dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol derivative, and one simple phenolic compound), including 6-hydroxy-5,7-dimethoxy-1,4-phenanthrenequinone (cymbisamoquinone), which was identified as a new natural product. In parallel, 48 metabolites were identified by UPLC-HRMS analysis of the extracts. The biological evaluation of the isolated compounds revealed that gigantol and tristin present important anti-tyrosinase activity, while bulbophyllanthrin, 3-hydroxy-2,4,7-trimethoxy-phenanthrene, marylaurencinol A, 5-hydroxy-2-methoxy-1,4-phenanthrenequinone, and ephemeranthroquinone B show dose-dependent anti-collagenase activity. In contrast to isolated metabolites, which may act selectively on specific enzymes, the initial total extracts exhibited inhibitory activity against tyrosinase, elastase, and collagenase enzymes, thus showing better prospects for use in dermo-cosmetic formulations.