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Objective: Cydonia oblonga Mill. leaves ethanolic extract (CydOL-EE) has shown different cardioprotective effects. However, no previous studies investigated its direct effect on the vascular smooth muscle tone. Therefore, the study aimed to test the potential vasodilator activity of CydOL-EE in ex-vivo rat thoracic aorta preparations with an additional investigation of its mechanistic effects. Methods: CydOL-EE phytochemical profile was first investigated by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and then tested for the vasorelaxation/vasoreactivity effects in rat aortic rings. The NO synthase inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) were used to explore of the involvement of NO-dependent pathways. Results: Chromatographic analysis of CydOL-EE revealed the presence of six flavonols and seven hydroxycinnamic acids. Moreover, CydOL-EE showed a decrease in vasoreactivity caused by dose-dependent phenylephrine (PE) (Control, Emax = 104.29 ± 3.67 vs CydOL-EE, Emax = 70.73 ± 3.67, P <.0001) and a direct relaxing activity to precontraction with PE (Emax = 79.63 ± 3.67%). These responses were abolished during e-NOS inhibition, demonstrating that the mechanism of action was predominately controlled by the participation of an endothelium-dependent system. Conclusion: The results of our study show that CydO-EE demonstrates vasorelaxation and reduction of vasoreactivity through a NO-dependent pathway. These findings provide scientific evidence for further understanding of CydOL-EE use in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypericum perforatum transformed shoot lines (TSL) regenerated from corresponding hairy roots and non-transformed shoots (NTS) were comparatively evaluated for their phenolic compound contents and in vitro inhibitory capacity against target enzymes (monoamine oxidase-A, cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase, lipase, and cholesterol esterase). Molecular docking was conducted to assess the contribution of dominant phenolic compounds to the enzyme-inhibitory properties of TSL samples. The TSL extracts represent a rich source of chlorogenic acid, epicatechin and procyanidins, quercetin aglycone and glycosides, anthocyanins, naphthodianthrones, acyl-phloroglucinols, and xanthones. Concerning in vitro bioactivity assays, TSL displayed significantly higher acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase, pancreatic lipase, and cholesterol esterase inhibitory properties compared to NTS, implying their neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and antiobesity potential. The docking data revealed that pseudohypericin, hyperforin, cadensin G, epicatechin, and chlorogenic acid are superior inhibitors of selected enzymes, exhibiting the lowest binding energy of ligand–receptor complexes. Present data indicate that H. perforatum transformed shoots might be recognized as an excellent biotechnological system for producing phenolic compounds with multiple health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey contaminated with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) could pose a risk for human consumption, being a widely consumed food product. A fast and simple LC/MS method for the analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey was optimised to collect occurrence data. The extraction efficiency was evaluated by a systematic study of multiple solvent mixtures and clean-up procedures. The best results for PA extraction were obtained using a formic acid/methanol mixture with subsequent clean-up by the QuEChERS method, resulting in a mean recovery range of 91.8–102%. The method validation showed satisfactory intra-day (RSD < 5.1%) and inter-day precision (RSD < 9.1%). The proposed method was applied to 14 samples. A total of six PAs and two N-oxides were detected, with levels between 89 and 8188 µg/kg. This assessment highlights the potential risk of intoxication and the need for further investigations regarding an effective quality system for manufacturers to control PAs in honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are secondary plant metabolites, and their 1,2-unsaturated derivatives, which contain the retronecine, heliotridine, or otonecine type of the necine base, have raised concern due to their ability to form hepatotoxic intermediates and exhibit serious toxic effects. Several hundred individual pyrrolizidine alkaloids and their N-oxides have been identified mostly using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, although the number of available reference standards is limited. In this work, characteristic fragment ions and their abundance in the mass spectra of different PAs were used to reveal typical fragmentation patterns for various classes of PAs that can be further employed to distinguish monoesters (retronecine, heliotridine type), open chain diesters and macrocyclic diesters, and corresponding N-oxides. Fragment ions at m/z 120 and 138 were found in all types of PAs with a different relative abundance. Additional observation of fragment ions at m/z 94 and 156 was found to be typical for monoester PAs esterified at position C9 of the necin base, whereas fragment ions at m/z 111 and 172 were characteristic for monoester N-oxides. Fragment ions at m/z 180 and 220 were found to be typical for open chain diesters with esterification at C7 with acetic and angelic acid, respectively, whereas fragment ions at m/z 214 and 254 were characteristic for the respective N-oxides. For the 3'-acetyl PA monoester or open chain diester derivatives, characteristic fragment ions were observed after loss of the acetyl moiety ([M+H]+-60), whereas for macrocyclic diesters and their N-oxides, fragment ions due to the neutral loss of CO were found ([M+H]+-28). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis is used as a constituent in over-the-counter preparations, food additives, cosmetics, etc. Bulgarian and Macedonian propolis samples were analyzed by gas chromatography -- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of ethanol extracts after silylation, in order to determine the presence of bioactive substances with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and their chemical profiles were compared. Bulgarian and Macedonian propolis demonstrate very similar chemical profiles and belong to the Poplar type propolis, which has well-characterized qualitative composition and high content of bioactive substances. These results allow the standardization of Macedonian propolis to be approached on the basis of the recommendations by the International Honey Commission for poplar propolis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study which determined the phenolic compounds in the methanolic extracts of spontaneous and cultivated flowering stems of Sideritis scardica through liquid chromatography/diode-array detection/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/DAD/ESI-MS), is presented.

Hypericum perforatum L. is a medicinal plant considered as an important natural source of secondary metabolites with a wide range of pharmacological attributes. Hairy roots (HR) were induced from root segments of in vitro grown seedlings from H. perforatum after cocultivation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4. Investigations have been made to study the production of phenolic compounds in dark-grown (HR1) and photoperiod-exposed (HR2) cultures. The chromatographic analysis of phenolic acids, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and xanthones revealed marked differences between HR1 and HR2 cultures. The production of quinic acid, kaempferol, and seven identified xanthones was increased in HR2. Moreover, HR2 showed a capability for de novo biosynthesis of two phenolic acids (3-p-coumaroylquinic acid and 3-feruloylquinic acid), three flavonol glycosides (kaempferol hexoside, hyperoside, and quercetin acetylglycoside), and five xanthones (tetrahydroxy-one-methoxyxanthone, 1,3,5-trihydroxy-6-methoxyxanthone, 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-2-prenylxanthone, paxanthone, and banaxanthone E). On the other side, HR1 cultures were better producers of flavan-3-ols (catechin, epicatechin, and proanthocyanidin dimers) than HR2. This is the first comparative study on phenolic profile of H. perforatum HR cultures grown under dark and photoperiod conditions.