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Ethnopharmacological relevance Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The fruits of Viburnum opulus L. have been used to treat gynecological disorders including primary and secondary dysmenorrhea and ovarian cysts. Materials and methods Air-dried and powdered fruits of V. opulus were extracted sequentially with n -hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and methanol (MeOH), respectively for four days. Endometriosis was induced by suturing 15 mm piece of endometrium into abdominal wall of Sprague Dawley rats. In second laparotomy, the dimensions of endometrial implants were measured and intra-abdominal adhesions were scored. The abdomen was closed. Extracts were daily administered to the rats. At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrified and endometriotic foci areas and intra-abdominal adhesions were re-evaluated. The tissues were also histopathologically investigated. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels of peritoneal fluid were measured. HPLC analyses were conducted on the most potent EtOAc and MeOH extracts to determine the amount of the major compound, chlorogenic acid. Results The endometriotic volumes were found to be reduced significantly in the EtOAc extract-administered group to 30.1 mm 3 and in the MeOH extract-administered group to 34.7 mm 3 as compared to the control group. No adhesion was observed in the reference and EtOAc groups. Histopathological data also supported the results. Both EtOAc and MeOH extract-administered groups displayed significant remission in the levels of TNF-α, VEGF and IL-6. When the active extracts were subjected to HPLC analysis, chlorogenic acid was found to be the major compound and the amount of this compound was calculated as 0.5112±0.0012 mg and 1.7072±0.0277 mg/100 mg extract, repectively. Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that the effectiveness of the fruit extract of V. opulus could be partially attributed chlorogenic acid. Other phenolic compounds could potentiate the activity due to their amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm aerial part and root methanolic-water extracts were evaluated for their hepatoprotective activity on carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity and hypoglycemic activity on alloxan-induced diabetic mice. None of the tested extracts exhibited effects on blood glucose levels. However hepatoprotective activity results have revealed that serum ALT levels were significantly lowered by both the aerial part and root extracts at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg. Histopathological examination showed that A. mollis aerial parts and roots induced significant recovery from cellular damage; when compared to the carbon tetrachloride group, the most significant activity was observed with A. mollis aerial part extracts at a dose of 200 mg/kg. There is evidence of a hepatoprotective activity of A. mollis on the phenolic content of the plant, especially in the case of flavonoids, which have potent antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]