Search Results (10)

Cistus monspeliensis L. (C. monspeliensis) is used in Italian folk medicine. This study was performed to determine genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of C. monspeliensis leaf extract against mitomycin C (MMC) using an in vitro cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (CBMN) in the Chinese Hamster Ovarian K1 (CHO-K1) cell line. The phytochemical composition of C. monspeliensis extract was evaluated using an untargeted metabolomic approach by employing UPLC-PDA-ESI/MS. The automated in vitro CBMN assay was carried out using image analysis systems with a widefield fluorescence microscope and the ImageStreamX imaging flow cytometer. The phytochemical profile of C. monspeliensis extract showed, as the most abundant metabolites, punicalagin, myricetin, gallocathechin, and a labdane-type diterpene. C. monspeliensis, at the tested concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL, did not induce significant micronuclei frequency, thus indicating the absence of a genotoxic potential. When testing the C. monspeliensis extract for antigenotoxicity in the presence of MMC, we observed a hormetic concentration-dependent effect, where low concentrations resulted in a significant protective effect against MMC-induced micronuclei frequency, and higher concentrations resulted in no effect. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that C. monspeliensis extract is not genotoxic and, at low concentration, exhibits an antigenotoxic effect. In relation to this final point, C. monspeliensis may act as a potential chemo-preventive against genotoxic agents. Full article

In this study, headspace–bar adsorptive microextraction (HS-BAµE) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to screen the major biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by six different Portuguese shrub species (Erica scoparia L., Cistus ladanifer L., Cistus monspeliensis L., Lavandula stoechas L., Thymus villosus L., and Thymus camphoratus). The HS-BAµE/GC-MS methodology was developed, optimized, and validated using five common monoterpenoids (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, and thymol) and one sesquiterpenoid (caryophyllene oxide). Under optimized experimental conditions (microextraction-sorbent phase: activated carbon (CN1), 3 h (35 °C); back-extraction: n-C₆ (1 h)), good efficiencies (>45%), low analytical thresholds (5.0–15.0 µg/L) and suitable linear dynamic ranges (20.0–120.0 µg/L, r² > 0.9872) were achieved, as well as acceptable intra and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 30.1%). Benchmarking the proposed methodology, HS-BAµE(CN1), against the reference methodology, HS-SPME(PDMS/DVB), revealed comparable analytical responses and demonstrated excellent reproducibility. Among the six shrub species studied, Thymus camphoratus exhibited the highest emissions of BVOCs from its leaves, notably, 1,8-cineole (4136.9 ± 6.3 µg/g), α-pinene (763.9 ± 0.5 µg/g), and β-pinene (259.3 ± 0.5 µg/g). It was also the only species found to release caryophyllene oxide (411.4 ± 0.3 µg/g). The observed levels suggest that these shrub species could potentially serve as fuel sources in the event of forest fires occurring under extreme conditions. In summary, the proposed methodology proved to be a favorable analytical alternative for screening BVOCs in plants. It not only exhibited remarkable performance but also demonstrated user- and eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and ease of implementation. Full article

This work focuses on Cistus monspeliensis L. aerial parts (AP) and roots (R) extracts, investigating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of the two organs in comparison. At dosages between 1.56 and 6.25 µg/mL, both extracts showed a protective effect against LPS inflammatory stimulus on a macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7). Interestingly, only R was able to significantly reduce both IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA gene expression in the presence of LPS. Moreover, the treatment of a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) with AP and R at 6.25 µg/mL increased the cell survival rate by nearly 20% after H₂O₂ insult. However, only R promoted mitochondria survival, exhibited a significantly higher production of ATP and a higher activity of the enzyme catalase than the control. Both AP and R had similar primary metabolites; in particular, they both contained 1-O-methyl-epi-inositol. Labdane and methoxylated flavonoids were the most characteristic compounds of AP, while R contained mainly catechins, gallic acid, and pyrogallol derivatives. Considering the importance of elemental composition in plants, the inorganic profile of AP and R was also investigated and compared. No potentially toxic elements, such as Pb, were detected in any sample. Full article

The Almadén mining district is known to be one of the richest mercury areas in the world. Despite the high concentrations of this metal, this territory has well-established vegetation that provides a wide range of mercury-tolerant plants that can be used as ecosystem services. This is the case of some species of Cistus that grow wild and spontaneously as part of the natural flora of Almadén. The objective of this study was to evaluate if there were differences between the absorption and distribution of Hg of five species of the genus Cistus in spontaneous growth and to evaluate their potential application in phytotechnologies. The work has been carried out with plant samples collected under field conditions in the “Fuente del Jardinillo” located in the old mining area of Almadén (Ciudad Real). The experimental plot was divided into three previously characterised subplots to ensure that all the sampled plants had grown in similar soil conditions (pH, organic matter content, EC, CEC, total Hg and available Hg). Additionally, the experiment was carried out in triplicate. The results showed that despite the homogeneity of the soil, the absorption of Hg in the aerial part of the plants showed significant differences related to Cistus species. The values in the bioaccumulation of mercury in the aerial part were also different. Based on the uptake of mercury by the plants sampled in this study, its potential use in phytotechnologies was established, classifying them as phytoextractors (Cistus albidus, C. ladanifer and C. monspeliensis) and phytostabilisers (C. crispus and C. salviifolius). Full article

Understanding the functioning of shrub species during dry periods is necessary to forecast ecosystem responses to future climates, particularly in Mediterranean environments. We evaluated the seasonal changes in leaf gas exchange, hydraulic traits, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, and non-structural carbohydrates of seeders and resprouting shrub species typical of Aleppo pine forests across an aridity gradient in Tunisia: Djebel Zaghouan (subhumid climate), Djebel Mansour (semiarid transitional climate), and Djebel El Sarj (semi-arid climate). We monitored seven woody species: Pistacia lentiscus, Erica multiflora, Phillyrea latifolia (resprouters), Cistus monspeliensis, Rosmarinus officinalis (seeders), Globularia alypum, and Calicotome villosa (resprouters-seeders). The seasonal variation in leaf water content was usually higher in seeders than in resprouters and was associated with higher resistance to embolism. In contrast, the seasonal variation in non-structural carbohydrates was higher in resprouters, especially at the driest site. Both δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N displayed seasonal enrichment-depletion patterns, with seeders showing an overall higher δ¹³C in summer than in spring, consistent with a water-saving strategy of increasing water use efficiency. Discriminant analysis suggested that resprouters can sustain a positive carbon balance during drought periods. The differential impact of summer droughts on water status and the ecophysiology of these plant strategies may lead to different ecosystem dynamics depending on whether climate change tips the balance towards a preponderance of stressors (drought) or disturbances (fire) in dry Mediterranean areas. Full article

Oxidative damages are responsible for many adverse health effects and food deterioration. The use of antioxidant substances is well renowned, and as such, much emphasis is placed on their use. Since synthetic antioxidants exhibit potential adverse effects, plant-derived antioxidants are a preferable solution. Despite the myriads of plants that exist and the fact that numerous studies have been carried out so far, there are many species that have not been examined so far. Many plants under research exist in Greece. Trying to fill this research gap, the total phenolics content and antioxidant activity of seventy methanolic extracts from parts of Greek plants were evaluated. The total phenolics content was measured by the Folin–Ciocalteau assay. Their antioxidant capacity was calculated by the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging test, the Rancimat method based on conductometric measurements, and the thermoanalytical method DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry). The tested samples were obtained from several parts of fifty-seven Greek plant species belonging to twenty-three different families. Both a remarkably high phenolic content (with gallic acid equivalents varying between 311.6 and 735.5 mg/g of extract) and radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ values ranged from 7.2 to 39.0 μg/mL) were found in the extract of the aerial parts of Cistus species (C. creticus subsp. creticus, C. creticus subsp. eriocephalus, C. monspeliensis, C. parviflorus and C. salviifolius), Cytinus taxa (C. hypocistis subsp. hypocistis, C. hypocistis subsp. orientalis and C. ruber), and Sarcopoterium spinosum. Furthermore, the sample of Cytinus ruber showed the highest protection factor (PF = 1.276) regarding the Rancimat method, which was similar to that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (PF = 1.320). The results indicated that these plants are rich in antioxidant compounds, potentiating their use either as food additives to enhance the antioxidant properties of food products, or protect them from oxidation, or as sources for the preparation of food supplements with antioxidant properties. Full article

Reviews have traditionally been based on extensive searches of the available bibliography on the topic of interest. However, this approach is frequently influenced by the authors’ background, leading to possible selection bias. Artificial intelligence applied to natural language processing (NLP) is a powerful tool that can be used for systematic reviews by speeding up the process and providing more objective results, but its use in scientific literature reviews is still scarce. This manuscript addresses this challenge by developing a reproducible tool that can be used to develop objective reviews on almost every topic. This tool has been used to review the antibacterial activity of Cistus genus plant extracts as proof of concept, providing a comprehensive and objective state of the art on this topic based on the analysis of 1601 research manuscripts and 136 patents. Data were processed using a publicly available Jupyter Notebook in Google Collaboratory here. NLP, when applied to the study of antibacterial activity of Cistus plants, is able to recover the main scientific manuscripts and patents related to the topic, avoiding any biases. The NLP-assisted literature review reveals that C. creticus and C. monspeliensis are the first and second most studied Cistus species respectively. Leaves and fruits are the most commonly used plant parts and methanol, followed by butanol and water, the most widely used solvents to prepare plant extracts. Furthermore, Staphylococcus. aureus followed by Bacillus. cereus are the most studied bacterial species, which are also the most susceptible bacteria in all studied assays. This new tool aims to change the actual paradigm of the review of scientific literature to make the process more efficient, reliable, and reproducible, according to Open Science standards. Full article

The available phytochemical characteristics of the medicinal plants and derived herbal material often lack data concerning the content of steroids (including phytosterols) and triterpenoids, that can be responsible for various beneficial properties and therapeutic effects, either directly, or as a result of synergistic action with other bioactive constituents. The aim of the present work was the analysis of the content of these compounds in herbal material (leaves, aerial parts) derived from selected medicinal plants (Cistus ladanifer, Cistus monspeliensis, Erica arborea, Globularia alypum, Pistacia lentiscus, Rhamnus alaternus), widely used in folk medicine in the Mediterranean region. Results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-targeted profiling revealed the diversity in the profiles and contents of steroids and triterpenoids in the analyzed plant material, ranging from 5.7% d.w. in E. arborea to 0.1% in G. alypum. The obtained results supplement the existing phytochemical data of the investigated medicinal plants, pointing to the E. arborea aerial parts and P. lentiscus leaves as valuable resources of phytosterols and bioactive triterpenoids. Full article

Cistus L. is a genus of dicotyledonous perennial herbaceous plants. Cistus species have been commonly used in folk medicine in the Mediterranean region. In the present study, the biological activities of essential oils derived from Cistus species (Cistus laurifolius, C. monspeliensis, C. creticus, and C. salviifolius) were evaluated. Essential oils derived from C. laurifolius and C. monspeliensis were found to augment the expression of SIRT1, an anti-aging gene, in the normal culture of HaCaT cells. Furthermore, these essential oils increased the number and size of mitochondria and augmented their activity. These effects were thought to be caused by the up- and downregulated expression of MITOL and Drp1 in HaCaT cells, respectively, in response to the essential oil treatment. In addition, these essential oils were found to attenuate ultraviolet-B-induced mitochondrial damage and cellular senescence in HaCaT cells. These findings indicate that essential oils derived from C. laurifolius and C. monspeliensis may inhibit skin aging through mitochondrial regulation via SIRT1 activation. Full article

This investigation focused on the qualitative and quantitative composition of polyphenolic compounds of Mediterranean northern shore Cistus creticus and six further, partly sympatric Cistus species (C. albidus, C. crispus, C. ladanifer, C. monspeliensis, C. parviflorus, C. salviifolius). Aqueous extracts of 1153 individual plants from 13 countries were analyzed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extracts of C. creticus were primarily composed of two ellagitannins (punicalagin and punicalagin gallate) and nine flavonol glycosides (myricetin and quercetin glycosides, with m-3-O-rhamnoside as the dominant main compound). Differences in the proportions of punicalagin derivatives and flavonol glycosides allowed the classification into two chemovariants. Plants containing punicalagin derivatives and flavonol glycosides were especially abundant in the western and central Mediterranean areas and in Cyprus. From Albania eastwards, punicalagin and punicalagin gallate were of much lesser importance and the predominant chemovariant there was a nearly pure flavonol type. With its two chemovariants, C. creticus takes a central position between the flavonol-rich, purple-flowered clade (besides C. creticus, here represented by C. albidus and C. crispus) and the more ellagitannin-rich, white- or whitish-pink-flowered clade (here represented by C. ladanifer, C. monspeliensis, C. parviflorus and C. salviifolius). The median antioxidative capacity of C. creticus plant material was, with 166 mg Trolox equivalents/g dry wt, about half of the antioxidative capacity of C. ladanifer (301 mg te/g dry wt), the species with the highest antioxidative potential. Full article