Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease requiring multifunctional natural agents. Arctium lappa is traditionally used in Eastern and European medicine to address metabolic disorders. This comprehensive narrative review, conducted between 2000 and 2025 using international databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar), evaluates the species through its ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, preclinical evidence, and safety. The available evidence suggests that A. lappa exerts antidiabetic effects via multi-layered mechanisms, including AMPK activation, insulin signaling modulation, and increased GLUT4 translocation. Key bioactives (arctigenin, arctiin, and inulin) collectively improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. However, preclinical studies confirm these effects in animal models, while limited clinical data in non-diabetic cohorts focus on systemic inflammation. This highlights a significant gap in randomized controlled trials targeting glycemic control in diabetic populations. In this context, while A. lappa shows promise as a potential metabolic regulator; this evidence is currently derived primarily from in vitro and animal models. Systematic clinical trials are urgently required to establish glycemic efficacy in humans, validate its therapeutic potential, and determine the optimal dosage and safety profile. This review evaluates the multi-targeted biological potential of A. lappa to guide future research and evidence-based application.

Abstract Arnebia decumbens (Vent.) Coss. & Kralik is a poorly studied member of the Boraginaceae family with potential medicinal value. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological activities of the aerial and root parts of A.decumbens collected in Kazakhstan. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, anthraquinones, tannins, alkaloids, saponins, amino acids, carbohydrates, and essential mineral elements, with roots containing higher levels of anthraquinones (3.8%) and several bioactive metabolites than aerial parts. The root extract exhibited significantly higher total phenolic content (58.31 ± 2.82 mg GAE/g extract) than the aerial part (32.67 ± 1.26 mg GAE/g extract), which was accompanied by stronger antioxidant activity in both DPPH (175.47 ± 1.96 mg TE/g) and ABTS (104.52 ± 1.06 mg TE/g) assays. In antidiabetic assays, the root extract demonstrated superior inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, with IC50 values of 627.18 and 548.52 μg/mL, respectively. The strongest antimicrobial activity was observed for the root extract against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC = 78 μg/mL), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 156 μg/mL). Cytotoxicity assessment revealed selective activity of the root extract against K562 and Saos-2 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 235 and 290 μg/mL, respectively, while no toxicity was detected toward normal NIH-3T3 fibroblasts (IC50 > 2500 μg/mL). The higher biological activity of the roots was closely associated with their elevated phenolic and anthraquinone contents. These findings identify A.decumbens roots as a promising source of natural antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents and provide the first comprehensive evidence supporting the pharmacological potential of this species.

Diabetes is one of the most significant global health challenges. With synthetic drugs causing side effects, researchers are turning to natural alternatives for prevention and treatment. This study used molecular docking to predict the interaction of flavonoids from Verbascum spp. and their affinity for binding to α-glucosidase (3WY1) and DPP-IV (5J3J) enzymes. Binding energies, hydrogen bond interactions, and hydrophobic contacts at the active sites were analyzed. Kaempferide stood out against α-glucosidase with the lowest binding energy (‒5.03 kcal/mol), forming strong hydrogen bonds to GLU231 (1.70 Å), LEU300 (1.95 Å), and ASN301 (2.00 Å). Luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside showed weaker binding (‒3.37 kcal/mol) with bonds to GLU383 (1.88, 2.29 Å) and TRP394 (2.45 Å). For DPP-IV, luteolin had the best affinity (‒6.01 kcal/mol), creating five hydrogen bonds with GLY335 (1.92, 2.11 Å), SER277 (2.08 Å), TRP337 (2.82 Å), and SER275 (2.99 Å). These results position kaempferide and luteolin as promising candidates for developing natural antidiabetic agents from Verbascum species.

The leaves of Arbutus unedo traditionally were used in Mediterranean folk medicine. In this study phytochemical composition, phenolic content, and bioactivities were investigated. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of multiple bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, and glycosides, distributed across different fractions. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the ethanolic extract contained substantially greater amounts of both total phenolics and flavonoids compared to other extracts (738.43 ± 5.11 mg GAE/g and 98.14 ± 2.13 mg CE/g, respectively). In vitro antioxidant activity, assessed through DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated the strongest antioxidant effects in every assay. Moreover, ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest antibacterial activity, with the largest inhibition zones against S. aureus (15.25±1.10 mm) and P. aeruginosa (17.75±1.33 mm) and the lowest MIC values (78–156 µg/mL). The ethanol extract exhibited moderate activity, while the hexane, chloroform, and aqueous fractions were less effective, with MICs >625 µg/mL for most strains. The results demonstrate that A. unedo leaf extracts exhibit significant antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, validating their traditional medicinal applications and suggesting their potential as a natural alternative for therapeutic or preservative purposes.

Background/aim:Medicinal plants are considered an important source of novel antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents. The main goal of this study was to define the beneficial properties of various extracts obtained from Xanthium strumarium. Materials and methods:Evaluations were conducted on the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts. High-performance liquid chromatography and diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) was used to determine the phenolic profiles of the extracts. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays were used to evaluate the free radical scavenging properties of the X. strumarium extracts. The broth dilution method was used for antimicrobial activity assessments, the MTT assay was used for the evaluation of cytotoxicity in K562 and P3HR1 cells treated with the extracts, and western blotting was used for the determination of molecular pathways. DNA fragmentation was also conducted utilizing the diphenylamine assay. Results:The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the acetone extract were significantly higher than those of the methanol and ethanol extracts at 454.54 mg GAE/g and 78.94 mg catechin/g, respectively. The acetone extract had the highest amounts of flavonoids. All extracts exhibited noTable antioxidant activity. The acetone extract had lower minimum inhibitory concentrations than the other extracts against the studied bacterial and fungal strains. The extracts showed varying degrees of cytotoxicity in the studied cell lines and all such effects were dose-dependent and solvent-specific. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranged between 180.12 and 410.23 μg/mL, with the lowest IC50 value being obtained for the acetone extract. Treatments led to cytochrome c release and high expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8, which can be attributed to the involvement of mitochondria in the process of apoptosis. The DNA fragmentation percentage increased in both cell lines with all extracts. Conclusion:Based on these findings, X. strumarium demonstrates significant antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Notably, the acetone extract exhibited the strongest activity across the tested parameters, highlighting its potential for further pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.

Recently, natural remedies for the management of diabetes observed a rise in interest as a result of the negative impacts of conventional treatment. The present work studies the beneficial effects of morin in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats on glucose levels, tissue antioxidant state, and lipid peroxidation. Oral delivery of morin (25 and 50 mg/kg body weight/day) for 21 days to normal and diabetic rats could not prevent weight loss, but consumption of food and water (25 mg/kg) was considerably reduced. Morin substantially decreased glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and VLDL cholesterol in the blood of diabetic rats. Additionally, it greatly halted the rise in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels as well as the decline in HDL cholesterol levels in diabetic rats. In comparison to normal rats, diabetic rats had higher levels of malondialdehyde, lower levels of nitric oxide, decreased glutathione, and lower levels of superoxide dismutase in their hepatic, renal, and pancreatic tissues. The morin treatments substantially reduced the levels of hepatic and pancreatic reduced glutathione, hepatic and pancreatic reduced nitric oxide, and hepatic, renal, and pancreatic superoxide dismutase. They also prevented the increase of hepatic, renal, and pancreatic malondialdehyde. Histopathological findings revealed a reduction in pancreatic damage in morin-treated rats. Morin exerts antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidant activities in diabetic rats.

Roots of Arbutus unedo (Ericaceae) have been used traditionally to treat diabetes in some countries. Conducting more experiments is needed to support this plant's potential antidiabetic properties, though. Ethanolic extract yielded by cold maceration was subjected into fractionation to get hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous fractions. Total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity have been estimated utilizing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assay models, respectively. Antidiabetic activity of A. unedo extracts were evaluated using in vitro α-glucosidase, α-amylase inhibition activity. The ethanol extract had the highest antioxidant activity among used extracts. While the results of both α-glucosidase, α-amylase enzyme inhibition activity was detected to be dose-dependent, the strongest inhibition activity for α-glucosidase and α-amylase was shown by ethanol extract (526.65 and 522.66 µg mL-1 respectively) compared to the standard acarbose. Results demonstrated the beneficial effects of A. unedo extracts by showing antioxidant and antidiabetic activities.

The article presents the results of the study with purpose whose the chemical composition and antimicrobial effect of garlic & Scy;& Ocy;2 subcritical extract determination.15 grams of brown volatile garlic extract were collected using subcritical carbon dioxide extraction. The current study was directed mainly to the chemical and antimicrobial study of subcritical garlic extract. The garlic extract's composition was determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The extract included the following main compounds: manool, viridifrolol, podocarpa-1,8,11,13-tetraen-3-one, 14-isopropyl-1,13-dimethoxy-5, (+)-2bornanone, linolic acid ethyl ester, 12-O-m ethylcarn and (3-caryophyllene. AAlso, it was determined the fatty acid profile and the moisture content of raw vegetable ingredients of garlic substance. Quantitative determination of fatty acids of ethanol extract was carried out. The results of the analysis for fatty acids in the study showed that the linoleic (64.9%) and the palmitic acid (25.0%) were the most prominent. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the method of serial dilutions. Five different strains were used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity: two Gram-positive coccus strains ( Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis), two Gram-negative bacilli ( Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one yeast ( Candida albicans). The results of testing the microbiological activity of garlic CO2 extract identified that it exhibits various effects against both bacteria and fungi. The extract demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AThe extract also showed antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

Anabasis salsa has been used to treat various diseases in kazakh folk medicine. Petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts were subjected to GC–MS analysis, and valuable bioactive compounds were identified from the chromatograms. Additionally, butanol extract was subjected to HPLC–UV analysis and it was confirmed the presence of gallic acid. Overall, results confirmed the presence of overall 108 various compounds from different chemical classes: fatty acids and derivatives, steroidal compounds, phenolic compounds and minor group compounds. In this study, A. salsa was preliminarily subjected to extraction, and the resultant extracts were then evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant potentials. The antioxidant activity results of A. salsa demonstrated that the dichloromethane extract exhibited higher activity compared to the butanol and petroleum ether extracts in both methods (DPPH: 503.12 ± 8.34 mg/g and ABTS: 119.51 ± 6.23 mg/g). Moreover, the dichloromethane extract of A. salsa was found to be more effective against all tested microorganisms, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.250 mg/ml for S. aureus, 0.312 mg/ml for E. faecalis, 0.156 mg/ml for E. coli, 0.039 mg/ml for P. aeruginosa, and 0.009 mg/ml for C. albicans. As a result, A. salsa shows promise as a therapeutic alternative and deserves additional investigation for its possible biological advantages. Beyond its use in separating pure responsible components, this plant may hold additional applications in the field of medicine and research. For example, chemical composition analysis has shown the presence of different biologically active compounds with a broad spectrum of applications in pharmacology. Hence, further investigations are needed to uncover its full range of biological potentials.

Various extracts obtained from Achillea maritima analyzed with HPLC-DAD method to detect phenolic compounds. Total phenolic content (954.94±38.36 mg/g sample) and antioxidant activity results of A. maritima (604.15±11.57 mg trolox/g sample for DPPH method, 347.65±8.98 mg trolox/g sample for ABTS method, 486.31±9.99 mg trolox /g sample for FRAP method) were found in ethyl acetate extract the most. In addition, phenolic acid and ferulic acid was determined as the major phenolic substance (47.97±0.07 mg/g sample). The ethanol and chloroform phases showed MIC values of 2500 µg/mL against bacteria and fungus, and the hexane phase showed MIC values of 19, 39, 156 µg/mL against S. aureus, E. fecalis and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Ethyl acetate phase has a various activity against each bacteria. Butanol phase was found to be more effective against Gram-negative (MIC 625 µg/mL and 39 µg/mL) than Gram-positive ones (MIC 1250 µg/mL). The water phase had a stable MIC (625 µg/mL) against all strains. In MTT test, extracts showed different levels of cytotoxicity (240–820 µg/mL) against K562 and Saos cell lines, while extracts were non-toxic against NIH-3T3. In Brine shrimp assay ethanol, hexane and chloroform extracts had a moderate cytotoxic effect.

The genus Anabasis is a member of the family Amaranthaceae (former name: Chenopodiaceae) and includes approximately 102 genera and 1400 species. The genus Anabasis is one of the most significant families in salt marshes, semi-deserts, and other harsh environments. They are also renowned for their abundance in bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, saponins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and betalain pigments. Since ancient times, these plants have been used to treat various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases and are used as an antirheumatic and diuretic. At the same time, the genus Anabasis is very rich in biologically active secondary metabolites that exhibit great pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiangiogenic, antiulcer, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, etc. All of the listed pharmacological activities have been studied in practice by scientists from different countries and are presented in this review article to familiarize the entire scientific community with the results of these studies, as well as to explore the possibilities of using four plant species of the genus Anabasis as medicinal raw materials and developing medicines based on them.

The goal of this research was to make Ag and Fe nanoparticles out of Rosa canina (RC) fruit extract and test their anticancer and antibacterial activity against human breast cancer cell line and different human pathogenic bacteria. Green synthesis used to synthesize silver (RC-AgNPs) and iron (RC-FeNPs) nanoparticles from the fruit aqueous extract of RC. The formation of nanoparticles was characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, UV-Vis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. RC-AgNPs formation was also investigated the surface charge, particle size, and distribution using zetasizer analysis by DLS. Both nanoparticles showed different levels of cytotoxicity against AGS (human gastric adenocarcinoma) cell line, while RC-AgNPs was not cytotoxic to HUVEC (Human umbilical vein endothelial) cell line in same concentrations which expressing selective anticancer effect. RC-AgNPs showed antibacterial activity against multidrug pathogens, but RC-FeNPs failed to show such activity. The current study's findings point to the prospective applications of green synthesized RC-AgNPs and RC-FeNPs in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and nanotechnology industries.

Ranunculaceae familyasının bir üyesi olan Nigella sativa, Güney Avrupa ve Batı Asya’da doğal olarak yetişen ve dünyanın birçok bölgesinde kültive edilen tek yıllık bir bitkidir. Dünya mutfaklarında baharat olarak kullanılmasının yanı sıra binlerce yıldır Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha ve Tıbb-ı Nebevî gibi Geleneksel Tıp Sistemleri’nde kullanılan ve kutsallık atfedilen bu şifâlı bitki günümüzde de gastrointestinal rahatsızlıklar, cilt hastalıkları, diyabet ve kanser hastalıklarında ve ayrıca kozmetik amaçlar ile saç dökülmesine karşı ve yaşlanma karşıtı cilt bakımında kullanılmaktadır. Yaygın kullanımına rağmen, tıbbî amaçlı kullanılan Çörek Otu (Nigella sativa) bitkisi sıklıkla belirgin bir özellik olarak dikenimsi çanak yaprakları olan ve süs bitkisi olarak kullanılan Şam Çörek Otu (Nigella damascena) bitkisi ile karıştırılmaktadır; ki bu karışıklık maalesef bilimsel literatürde de söz konusudur. Bu çalışma ile Nigella türlerinin doğru tanınması ve tanımlanması amacıyla bir farkındalık oluşturmak, Nigella sativa’nın içerdiği timokinon, p-simen, karvakrol, timol ve trans-anetol gibi biyoaktif fitokimyasalların farmakolojik etkilerini özetlemek ve ayrıca son yıllarda yapılan araştırmaların değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir.

Diabetes mellitus is agreed to be among the biggest public health burdens seen at the world. Recently, the using natural products (flavonoids specially) in diabetes treatment witnessed a growing interest due to insulin's and oral anti-diabetic medicines' unfavorable side effects. The present work is studies the beneficial effects of morin (2′,3,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) on antioxidant of tissues and lipid peroxidation status in diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Diabetes associated with elevation in reactive oxygen species and deficient in antioxidant activity, which is important aspects for pathogenesis of diabetes. The role of morin on the brain and heart antioxidant markers were estimated. The diabetic rats exhibited elevated levels of TBARS, NOx and GSH levels in brain and heart tissues when compared with healthy animals. The treatments using morin significantly stopped elevation in brain and heart TBARS and NOx levels. Oral administration of morin showed significant increase in GSH level in brain tissue. These results indicated that morin exerts antioxidative activity in diabetic rats.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a tangle-shaped accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide fragments and Tau protein in brain neurons. The pathophysiological mechanism involves the presence of Aβ-amyloid peptide, Tau protein, oxidative stress, and an exacerbated neuro-inflammatory response. This review aims to offer an updated compendium of the most recent and promising advances in AD treatment through the administration of phytochemicals. The literature survey was carried out by electronic search in the following specialized databases PubMed/Medline, Embase, TRIP database, Google Scholar, Wiley, and Web of Science regarding published works that included molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways targeted by phytochemicals in various experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease in vitro and in vivo. The results of the studies showed that the use of phytochemicals against AD has gained relevance due to their antioxidant, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-amyloid, and anti-hyperphosphorylation properties of Tau protein. Some bioactive compounds from plants have been shown to have the ability to prevent and stop the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Diyabet dünyada bilinen en önemli sağlık problemlerinden birisidir. İnsülin ve oral antidiyabetik ilaçların yan etkilerinden dolayı son yıllarda alternatif tedavilerin araştırılmasında doğal ürünler (özellikle flavonoidler) önemli bir kaynak teşkil etmektedir. Bu çalışma normal ve streptozotosin ile diyabet oluşturulan sıçanlarda morin'in (2′,3,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) doku antioksidan ve lipid perokidasyon durumu üzerindeki olası olumlu etkisini incelemek için yapılmıştır. Artan reaktif oksijen türleri ve yetersiz antioksidan aktivite diyabet ile ilişkilidir, buda diyabet patogenezinde başlıca sorumludur. Beyin ve kalp antioksidan belirteçleri üzerinede morin'in rolü değerlendirildi. Diyabetik sıçanların beyin ve kalp dokularında normal sıçanlara göre daha yüksek TBARS ve NOx düzeyleri, daha düşük GSH düzeyi gözlendi. Morin muamelesi beyin ve kalp TBARS ve Nox düzeylerindeki artışı anlamlı olarak önledi. Ayrıca morin beyin GSH seviyesinde önemli artış gösterdi. Sonuçlar morin’in diyabetik sıçanlarda antioksidan aktivite gösterdiğini belirtmektedir.

Medicinal plants can be used as reducing agents in the preparation of metal nanoparticles by green synthesis because of the chemotherapeutic and anti-infectious properties of natural compounds. Therefore, this paper reports the green synthesis of silver and iron nanoparticles from leaf and flower extracts of Nerium oleander and their capacity as anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Nanoparticle manufacturing and structural characterization of silver and iron nanoparticles are reported. The formation of nanoparticles is characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV-Vis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Nanoparticles formation was also investigated the surface charge, particle size, and distribution using zeta sizer analysis by DLS. Green synthesis of silver and iron nanoparticles using N. oleander showed different levels of selective cytotoxicity against K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia cells) in low concentrations and were not cytotoxic to the HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) in the same concentrations. Silver nanoparticles showed antibacterial activity against multidrug pathogens, while iron nanoparticles failed to show such activity. Results of the present research demonstrate the potential use of green synthesized nanoparticles in various biomedicine and pharmaceuticals fields in the future.

The Glycyrrhiza genus, generally well-known as licorice, is broadly used for food and medicinal purposes around the globe. The genus encompasses a rich pool of bioactive molecules including triterpene saponins (e.g., glycyrrhizin) and flavonoids (e.g., liquiritigenin, liquiritin). This genus is being increasingly exploited for its biological effects such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic activities. The species Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and the compound glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) have been studied immensely for their effect on humans. The efficacy of the compound has been reported to be significantly higher on viral hepatitis and immune deficiency syndrome. This review provides up-to-date data on the most widely investigated Glycyrrhiza species for food and medicinal purposes, with special emphasis on secondary metabolites’ composition and bioactive effects.

Coumarins belong to the benzopyrone family commonly found in many medicinal plants. Natural coumarins demonstrated a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anticancer, antibacterial, antimalarial, casein kinase-2 (CK2) inhibitory, antifungal, antiviral, Alzheimer’s disease inhibition, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, phytoalexins, ulcerogenic, and antihypertensive. There are very few studies on the bioavailability of coumarins; therefore, further investigations are necessitated to study the bioavailability of different coumarins which already showed good biological activities in previous studies. On the evidence of varied pharmacological properties, the present work presents an overall review of the derivation, availability, and biological capacities of coumarins with further consideration of the essential mode of their therapeutic actions. In conclusion, a wide variety of coumarins are available, and their pharmacological activities are of current interest thanks to their synthetic accessibility and riches in medicinal plants. Coumarins perform the valuable function as therapeutic agents in a range of medical fields.