Bilberry leaves are used in many countries in traditional medicine for treating a wide variety of diseases. Due to the high therapeutic potential of Vaccinium myrtillus (VM) leaves, this review aims to present the latest knowledge on the phytochemical profile, as well as the therapeutic effects of this herbal drug. The review was conducted according to the Prisma guidelines, and the scientific databases were searched using combinations of the following keywords: “Vaccinium myrtillus”, “leaves”, “bilberry”. Recent research was focused on the influence of abiotic factors on the phytochemical composition, and it seems that there are significant differences between the herbal drugs collected from different countries. The phytochemical composition is correlated with the broad spectrum of pharmacological effects. The paper outlines the potent antimicrobial activity of VM extracts against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, and also the pathways that are modulated by the unique “cocktail” of phytoconstituents in different metabolic alterations. Reviewing the research articles published in the last 10 years, it seems that bilberry leaves have been slightly forgotten, although their phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics are unique.

Physalin D was isolated from the methanol extract of Physalis alkekengi L. fruits by combination of different chromatographic methods (CPC, TLC, HPLC). The structure was elucidated based on 1H and 13C NMR spectral analysis with the aid of 2D-correlation spectroscopy (1H, 1H-COSY, HSQC and HMBC) and comparison with literature data. The quantity of physalin D in mature and immature fruits and calyces was determined by RP-HPLC-UV method. Among the studied samples, immature calyx showed the highest content of physalin D (0.7880 ± 0.0612%), while mature calyx contained 4 times less amount (0.2028 ± 0.016%). The physalin D content of the fruit was much lower; immature fruits contained 0.0992 ± 0.0083% physalin D and mature fruits 0.0259 ± 0.0021%. The antiproliferative activity of the CHCl3 extract and its fractions was tested on three cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7 and A431). The antiproliferative activity of physalin D is discussed with regard the published data.

Several studies have shown that Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae, bitter melon) has beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome (MetS) parameters and exerts antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-obesity activities. Since the findings of these studies are contradictory, the goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of bitter melon in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, with special emphasis on the anti-diabetic effect. Embase, Cochrane, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched for randomized controlled human trials (RCTs). The meta-analysis was reported according to the PRISMA statement. The primary outcomes of the review are body weight, BMI, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum triglyceride, HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis with 414 patients in total and 4–16 weeks of follow-up. In case of the meta-analysis of change scores, no significant effect could be observed for bitter melon treatment over placebo on fasting blood glucose level (MD = −0.03; 95% CI: −0.38 to 0.31; I² = 34%), HbA1c level (MD = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.35 to 0.11; I² = 56%), HDL (MD = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.17 to 0.09; I² = 66%), LDL (MD = −0.10; 95% CI: −0.28 to 0.08; I² = 37%), total cholesterol (MD = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.17 to 0.09; I² = 66%,), body weight (MD = −1.00; 95% CI: −2.59–0.59; I² = 97%), BMI (MD = −0.42; 95% CI: −0.99–0.14; I² = 95%), systolic blood pressure (MD = 1.01; 95% CI: −1.07–3.09; I² = 0%) and diastolic blood pressure levels (MD = 0.24; 95% CI: −1.04–1.53; I² = 0%). Momordica treatment was not associated with a notable change in ALT, AST, and creatinine levels compared to the placebo, which supports the safety of this plant. However, the power was overall low and the meta-analyzed studies were also too short to reliably detect long-term metabolic effects. This highlights the need for additional research into this plant in carefully planned clinical trials of longer duration.

Diabetes is a serious pathology that affects a significant number of people worldwide. Its progression is rapid and leads to serious complications if glycemic control is missing. The micro and macrovascular complications of diabetes produce disabilities over time that affect the daily lives of patients. The major challenge of diabetes therapy is to reach a stable glycemic state and to delay the onset of specific complications. Aromatherapy is considered an alternative or complementary therapy, but in recent years, there has been a tendency to overuse essential oils. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the effects produced by the topical and oral administration of fennel essential oil to diabetic rats. Eighteen compounds in fennel essential oil were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The major compounds were trans-anethole (64.6%) and fenchone (24.5%). The in vivo study revealed that after a four-week treatment with fennel essential oil, the rats’ glycemic levels were significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, there were no differences between the two routes of administration. In addition, an ex vivo study underlined the potential effect of this essential oil in the prevention of cataract formation.

This is the first study describing phenolics of Momordica charantia L. 'Enaja' cultivar (bitter melon) produced in Romania. Total polyphenol content, total tannin content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of bitter melon stems and leaves, young fruits, and ripe fruits grown in Romania were analysed, along with fruits imported from India. The UPLC-DAD analysis led to the identification of (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, luteolin-3',7-di-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and vanillic acid. (-)-Epicatechin (859 µg/g) and (+)-catechin (1677 µg/g) were the most abundant compounds in stems and leaves, while in the ripe fruits, luteolin-7-O-glucoside (310 µg/g) was the main phenolic. Stems and leaves were the most active for capturing free DPPH radicals (IC₅₀ = 216.9 ± 11.91 µg/ml); the scavenging activity strongly correlated with the flavonoid content (r = 0.8806, r² = 0.7754). Momordica charantia fruits from Romania, both young and ripe, are a source of polyphenols as valuable as those imported from India.