Search Results (12)

This work aimed to determine the chemical composition of hydrosol extract from Atractylis gummifera and to assess the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of this extract, as well as analyze the carlina oxide isolated from it. This study also examined the in vitro synergistic effect of carlina oxide with BHT and diclofenac to reduce their minimum effective doses and minimize their potential side effects. The primary component of the hydrosol extract from A. gummifera was identified as the acetylenic compound carlina oxide (79.1%), which was isolated and confirmed through spectroscopic techniques such as ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and IR. The results of the biological assays demonstrated that both the hydrosol extract and carlina oxide exhibited noteworthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, combining carlina oxide with positive controls yielded the enhancement of these activities, resulting in a significant reduction in the inhibitory concentrations and doses of the synthetic antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Full article

Carlina vulgaris is a little-understood plant with unexplored biological potential, and the papers regarding its chemical composition are scarce. In our study, for the first time, the phytochemical profile of the plant, focusing on polar metabolites, was established using modern chromatographic techniques including LC-HRMS-QTOF-CAD, UHPLC-PDA-MS. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the species is a rich source of polyphenolic components, with the most abundant being chlorogenic acid and C-glycosides of luteolin, including carlinoside, orientin, isoorientin, and C-glycosides of apigenin, schaftoside, isoschaftoside, and vitexin. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of the polyphenolic-rich fraction of C. vulgaris extracts on human skin fibroblasts using the MTT and NR assays. It was found that the extract was non-toxic and exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the cells subjected to induced oxidative stress. Additionally, it effectively protected the cells against H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity. Our study contributes to the general trend of searching for new phytotherapeutics with potential applications in pharmacy and medicine. The results indicate that further exploration of C. vulgaris species is worthwhile, as they can serve as valuable plant material for cosmetic use. Full article

Secondary metabolites such as flavonoids are promising in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is one of the complications of diabetes due to oxidative stress and inflammation. Some plants, such as Eryngium carlinae, have been investigated regarding their medicinal properties in in vitro and in vivo assays, showing favorable results for the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes and obesity. The present study examined the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the phenolic compounds present in an ethyl acetate extract of the inflorescences of Eryngium carlinae on liver homogenates and mitochondria from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by UHPLC-MS. In vitro assays were carried out to discover the antioxidant potential of the extract. Male Wistar rats were administered with a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (45 mg/kg) and were given the ethyl acetate extract at a level of 30 mg/kg for 60 days. Phytochemical assays showed that the major constituents of the extract were flavonoids; in addition, the in vitro antioxidant activity was dose dependent with IC50 = 57.97 mg/mL and IC50 = 30.90 mg/mL in the DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively. Moreover, the oral administration of the ethyl acetate extract improved the effects of NAFLD, decreasing serum and liver triacylglycerides (TG) levels and oxidative stress markers and increasing the activity of the antioxidant enzymes. Likewise, it attenuated liver damage by decreasing the expression of NF-κB and iNOS, which lead to inflammation and liver damage. We hypothesize that solvent polarity and consequently chemical composition of the ethyl acetate extract of E. carlinae, exert the beneficial effects due to phenolic compounds. These results suggest that the phenolic compounds of the ethyl acetate extract of E. carlinae have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective activity. Full article

Recently, microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAH) has been reported as an innovative technique leading to increased essential oil (EO) extraction yield, coupled with reduced extraction time and energy costs. The EO of Carlina acaulis L. (Asteraceae), mainly constituted by carlina oxide (>95%) and conventionally obtained through traditional hydrodistillation (HD), has been reported as extremely effective against several arthropod vectors and pests of medical and economic importance with limited impact on non-target species, including mammals. This study aimed to the optimization of the EO extraction through MAH by using a one-step design of experiments (DoE) approach that allowed us to relate the characteristics of the produced EOs with the applied experimental conditions using mathematical models. The preliminary screening allowed us to optimize the protocol only by the extraction time, skipping complex data analysis. Moreover, the comparison of the optimized MAH conditions with traditional HD pointed out the higher efficiency of MAH in terms of EO yield (0.65 and 0.49% for MAH and HD, respectively) and extraction time (210 min for MAH). The results obtained confirmed the promising role that MAH could have in C. acaulis EO extraction, with increased yield and reduced extraction time, water consumption, and energy costs, and being employable on an industrial scale, with special reference to insecticidal and acaricidal formulations. Full article

Plants are considered to be an excellent source of new compounds with antibiotic activity. Carlina acaulis L. is a medicinal plant whose essential oil (EO) is mainly characterized by the polyacetylene carlina oxide, which has antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antifungal activities of C. acaulis EO, carlina oxide, and nanoemulsion (NE) containing the EO. The EO was obtained through plant roots hydrodistillation, and carlina oxide was purified from it through silica gel column chromatography. The NE containing C. acaulis EO was prepared with the high-pressure homogenization method, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined against several bacterial and fungal strains for all the C. acaulis-derived products. The latter resulted active versus all the screened Gram-positive bacterial strains and also on all the fungal strains with low MIC values. For yeast, the EO and carlina oxide showed good MIC values. The EO-NE demonstrated a better activity than the pure EO on all the tested bacterial and fungal strains. The results suggest that C. acaulis-derived products could be potential candidates for the development of natural antibacterial and antifungal agents. Full article

Among botanical insecticides based on essential oils (EOs) or their main components, Carlina acaulis EO and the aromatic polyacetylene carlina oxide, constituting more than 90% of its EO, were recently proven to be effective against the larvae and adults of some insect vectors and pests. In this study, the toxicity of C. acaulis EO and carlina oxide were tested on Bactrocera oleae adults using a protein bait formulation. The LC₅₀ values of the C. acaulis EO and carlina oxide were 706 ppm and 1052 ppm, respectively. Electroantennographic (EAG) tests on B. oleae adults showed that both carlina EO and oxide elicited EAG dose-dependent responses in male and female antennae. The responses to the EO were significantly higher than those to carlina oxide, indicating that other compounds, despite their lower concentrations, can play a relevant role. Moreover, Y-tube assays carried out to assess the potential attractiveness or repellency of carlina oxide LC₉₀ to B. oleae adults showed that it was unattractive to both males and females of B. oleae, and the time spent by both sexes in either the control or the treatment arm did not differ significantly. Overall, this study points out the potential use of C. acaulis EO and carlina oxide for the development of green and effective “lure-and-kill” tools. Full article

The growing interest in the development of green pest management strategies is leading to the exploitation of essential oils (EOs) as promising botanical pesticides. In this respect, nanotechnology could efficiently support the use of EOs through their encapsulation into stable nanoformulations, such as nanoemulsions (NEs), to improve their stability and efficacy. This technology assures the improvement of the chemical stability, hydrophilicity, and environmental persistence of EOs, giving an added value for the fabrication of natural insecticides effective against a wide spectrum of insect vectors and pests of public and agronomical importance. Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) root EO has been recently proposed as a promising ingredient of a new generation of botanical insecticides. In the present study, a highly stable C. acaulis-based NE was developed. Interestingly, such a nanosystem was able to encapsulate 6% (w/w) of C. acaulis EO, showing a mean diameter of around 140 nm and a SOR (surfactant-to-oil ratio) of 0.6. Its stability was evaluated in a storage period of six months and corroborated by an accelerated stability study. Therefore, the C. acaulis EO and C. acaulis-based NE were evaluated for their toxicity against 1st instar larvae of the European grapevine moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major vineyard pest. The chemical composition of C. acaulis EO was investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealing carlina oxide, a polyacetylene, as the main constituent. In toxicity assays, both the C. acaulis EO and the C. acaulis-based NE were highly toxic to L. botrana larvae, with LC₅₀ values of 7.299 and 9.044 µL/mL for C. acaulis EO and NE, respectively. The C. acaulis-based NE represents a promising option to develop highly stable botanical insecticides for pest management. To date, this study represents the first evidence about the insecticidal toxicity of EOs and EO-based NEs against this major grapevine pest. Full article

There are several reports indicating that the roots of the Carlina acaulis L. used to be commonly applied as a treatment measure in skin diseases and as an antiparasitic agent, starting from antiquity to the 19th century; however, nowadays, it has lost its importance. Currently, numerous studies are being conducted assessing the possibility of reintroducing C. acaulis-derived extracts to phytotherapy. Determining the safety profile of the main constituents of the plant material is crucial for achieving this goal. Here, we aimed to determine the toxicity profile of carlina oxide, one of the most abundant components of the C. acaulis root extract. We obtained the carlina oxide by distillation of C. acaulis roots in the Deryng apparatus. The purity of the standard was evaluated using GC-MS, and the identity was confirmed by IR, Raman, and NMR spectroscopy. In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed using a panel of human cell lines of skin origin, including BJ normal fibroblasts and UACC-903, UACC-647, and C32 melanoma cells. This was accompanied by an in vivo zebrafish acute toxicity test (ZFET). In vitro studies showed a toxic effect of carlina oxide, as demonstrated by an induction of apoptosis and necrosis in both normal and melanoma cells. Decreased expression of AKT kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) was noted in the UACC-647 melanoma cell line. It was also observed that carlina oxide modified the expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tested cell lines. Carlina oxide exhibited high in vivo toxicity, with LC₅₀ = 10.13 µg/mL upon the 96 h of exposure in the ZFET test. Here, we demonstrate that carlina oxide displays toxic effects to cells in culture and to living organisms. The data indicate that C. acaulis-based extracts considered for therapeutic use should be completely deprived of carlina oxide. Full article

Roots and leaves of Carlina acaulis L. are still used in ethnomedicine in many European countries; however, the limited occurrence of the plants and protection of this species necessitate a search for alternative ways for obtaining this plant material. In this study, in vitro cultures, hydroponic cultures, and field cultivation were applied to obtain the C. acaulis plant material. Its quality was evaluated using antioxidant activity tests and high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Our study showed that the antioxidant activity and the content of chlorogenic and 3,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid in roots of plants cultivated in hydroponics and field conditions were comparable. However, the amount of carlina oxide was significantly higher in plants from the field. The flavonoid content in leaves obtained from both cultivation systems was at the same level; however, the antioxidant activity and the content of the investigated metabolites were higher in the soil cultivation system. The callus line exhibited high differentiation in phytochemical compositions depending on the treatments and medium compositions. Full article

Silver is one of the most toxic heavy metals for plants, inducing various toxic symptoms and metabolic changes. Here, the impact of Ag(I) on Carlina acaulis physiology and selected metabolites was studied using two Ag concentrations (1 or 10 µM) after 14 days of exposure. The higher concentration of Ag(I) evoked reduction of growth, while 1 µM Ag had a growth-promoting effect on root biomass. The translocation factor (<0.04) showed that Ag was mainly retained in the roots. The 1 µM Ag concentration increased the level of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs), while 10 µM Ag depleted these compounds in the roots. The increased concentration of Ag(I) elevated the accumulation of phytochelatins (PCs) in the roots and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the shoots (but not in the roots). At 1 µM, Ag(I) elevated the level of phenolic and triterpene acids, while the 10 µM Ag treatment increased the carlina oxide content in the roots. The obtained results indicate an alteration of metabolic pathways of C. acaulis to cope with different levels of Ag(I) stress. Our data imply that the intracellular binding of Ag(I) and nonenzymatic antioxidants contribute to the protection against low concentrations of Ag ions. Full article

In the present study, we investigated the composition and antioxidant activity of the hexanic extract of Eryngium carlinae inflorescences by employing in vitro assays to measure antioxidant capacity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity. We also applied the hexanic extract to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, under hydrogen peroxide-induced stress. Finally, we tested the extract in male Wistar rats with and without streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The compounds in the hexanic extract were analyzed by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry, which revealed mainly terpenes and sesquiterpenes, including (Z)β-farnesene (38.79%), β-pinene (17.53%), calamene (13.3%), and α-farnesene (10.38%). In vitro and in S. cerevisiae, the extract possessed antioxidant activity at different concentrations, compared to ascorbic acid (positive control). In normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats, oral administration of 30 mg/kg of the extract reduced blood glucose levels; lipid peroxidation in liver, kidney and brain; protein carbonylation; and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It also increased catalase activity in the brain, kidneys and liver. These findings show that this hexanic extract of E. carlinae inflorescences possessed antioxidant properties. Full article

Carlina acaulis is a medicinal plant that has shown antioxidant activity in in vitro studies, but to date no corresponding in vivo data is available. Therefore, in the present study the antioxidant activity and its impact in counteracting Aβ toxicity were studied in the Caenorhabditis elegans model. A dichloromethane extract of the roots of C. acaulis was prepared and characterised via gas-liquid-chromatography/mass-spectrometry (GLC-MS). The in vitro antioxidant activity was confirmed via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydracyl assay. The extract was further separated by thin layer chromatography into two fractions, one of which was a fraction of the dichloromethane extract of C. acaulis containing mostly Carlina oxide (CarOx). Different strains of C. elegans were employed to study the expression of hsp-16.2p::GFP as a marker for oxidative stress, delocalisation of the transcription factor DAF-16 as a possible mechanism of antioxidant activity, the effect of the drug under lethal oxidative stress, and the effect against beta-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity in a paralysis assay. The C. acaulis extract and CarOx showed high antioxidant activity (stress reduction by 47% and 64%, respectively) in C. elegans and could activate the transcription factor DAF-16 which directs the expression of anti-stress genes. In paralysis assay, only the total extract was significantly active, delaying paralysis by 1.6 h. In conclusion, in vivo antioxidant activity was shown for C. acaulis for the first time in the C. elegans model. The active antioxidant compound is Carlina oxide. This activity, however, is not sufficient to counteract Aβ toxicity. Other mechanisms and possibly other active compounds are involved in this effect. Full article