The study aimed at the metabolite profiling and evaluation of antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanol extracts from flowers, leaves, and tubers of unexplored Eminium intortum (Banks & Sol.) Kuntze and E. spiculatum (Blume) Schott (Araceae). A total of 83 metabolites, including 19 phenolic acids, 46 flavonoids, 11 amino, and 7 fatty acids were identified by UHPLC-HRMS in the studied extracts for the first time. E. intortum flower and leaf extracts had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents (50.82 ± 0.71 mg GAE/g and 65.08 ± 0.38 RE/g, respectively). Significant radical scavenging activity (32.20 ± 1.26 and 54.34 ± 0.53 mg TE/g for DPPH and ABTS) and reducing power (88.27 ± 1.49 and 33.13 ± 0.68 mg TE/g for CUPRAC and FRAP) were observed in leaf extracts. E. intortum flowers showed the maximum anticholinesterase activity (2.72 ± 0.03 mg GALAE/g). E. spiculatum leaves and tubers exhibited the highest inhibition towards α-glucosidase (0.99 ± 0.02 ACAE/g) and tirosinase (50.73 ± 2.29 mg KAE/g), respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that O-hydroxycinnamoylglycosyl-C-flavonoid glycosides mostly accounted for the discrimination of both species. Thus, E. intortum and E. spiculatum can be considered as potential candidates for designing functional ingredients in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.

Micromorphology and anatomy of six Onosma L. species, viz. O. argentata Hub.-Mor., O. neglecta Riedl, O. proballanthera Rech. f., O. rechingeri Riedl, O. sericea Willd. and O. stenoloba Hausskn. ex Riedl from Turky were investigated. Stem anatomy revealed that cuticle layer ranged from 0.6 µm in O. argentata to 1.7 µm in O. proballanthera. Parenchymatous cells of O. neglecta and O. stenoloba possessed more intense starch than the other species studied. In leaf anatomy, the longest palisade parenchyma was found in O. neglecta, while the smallest was noted in O. argentata. Mesophyll structure of O. argentata, O. sericea and O. rechingeri was equifacial (isobilateral), while O. neglecta, O. proballanthera and O. stenoloba presented bifacial (dorsiventral) structure. Rugose nutlet ornamentation was observed in O. argentata, O. neglecta and O. sericea, whereas reticulate type was found in O. proballanthera, O. rechingeri and O. stenoloba. Onosma stenoloba could easily be distinguished from other species by its aesterotrichous indumentum, and in contrary, other species possessed haplotrichous type of indumentum. Micromorphological features of nutlet surface, anatomical features of epidermal surface (trichomes and stomata), and lamina mesophyll structure (dorsiventral and isobilateral) could be useful in solving taxonomic problem of the genus.

The genus Opopanax W. Koch (Apiaceae) is represented by four species in Turkey. The composition of the essential oil of Opopanax genus members (Apiaceae) growing in Turkey was investigated in this study. GC-MS was used to analyze the composition of Opopanax essential oil samples that were taken from their natural environments. The Clevenger apparatus was used to hydrodistill the plant’s aerial parts, and the yields were determined to be between 0.2% v/w (for O. siifolius) and 0.4% (for O. hispidus, O. chironium, and O. persicus). The results and the chemical data provided some information and clues on the chemotaxonomy of the genus Opopanax. In this study, γ-elemene, butanoic acid octyl ester, and cylopropane were the main compounds identified in the essential oils of O. chironium, O. hispidus, and O. persicus. In particular, hexynyl n-valerate was most abundant in the essential oil of O. chironium, cyclopropane in that of O. hispidus, γ-elemene in that of O. persicus, and n-hexadecanoic acid/palmitic acid in that of O. siifolius. In a chemotaxonomic approach, the essential oil analysis of the Opopanax species revealed that these species conformed in a cluster analysis with their morphological classification. The constituents of the essential oils of all examined in the genus Opopanax were determined in this study, which is the most thorough one to date. This study provides new information about the composition of the essential oils of the investigated species.