Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) - a plant with potential medicinal value

Biochemical Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of an Herbal-Based Formula and Its Potential Application in Cosmetic Industry

Microbial infections, and especially microbial resistance, are critical and actual problems that require targeted and efficient therapeutic intervention. Natural-based solutions are a viable alternative, at least for complementary therapy, due to few or no side effects and high safety and efficacy levels. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential use of a patented formula based on Achillea millefolium, Origanum vulgare, and Lychnis coronaria species as an antibacterial ingredient, mainly for skin and mucosal infections, in order to support its pharmaco-cosmetic application. The chemical composition of the formula was analyzed by HPLC and spectrophotometric methods. Furthermore, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. To determine the formula’s safety for topical application, it was used on a reconstructed human epidermal model. The formula showed inhibitory activity on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, moderate inhibition on B. cereus, Kocuria kristinae, P. aeurginosa, S. enterica Typhimurium, methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensible S. aureus, as well as high inhibition on S. epidermidis, Serratia marescens, and Streptococcus pyogenes. The developed product was biochemically characterized for its content in polyphenols, triterpenes, and polyphenol carboxylic acids. The formula was proven to have a nonirritant effect on the human epidermis and important antioxidant activity.

Two Ecdysteroids Isolated from Micropropagated Lychnis flos-cuculi and the Biological Activity of Plant Material

Genetically uniform plant material, derived from Lychnis flos-cuculi propagated in vitro, was used for the isolation of 20-hydroxyecdysone and polypodine B and subjected to an evaluation of the antifungal and antiamoebic activity. The activity of 80% aqueous methanolic extracts, their fractions, and isolated ecdysteroids were studied against pathogenic Acanthamoeba castellani. Additionally, a Microtox® acute toxicity assay was performed. It was found that an 80% methanolic fraction of root extract exerts the most potent amoebicidal activity at IC50 of 0.06 mg/mL at the 3rd day of treatment. Both ecdysteroids show comparable activity at IC50 of 0.07 mg/mL. The acute toxicity of 80% fractions at similar concentrations is significantly higher than that of 40% fractions. Crude extracts exhibited moderate antifungal activity, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) within the range of 1.25-2.5 mg/mL. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the first to show the biological activity of L. flos-cuculi in terms of the antifungal and antiamoebic activities and acute toxicity. It is also the first isolation of the main ecdysteroids from L. flos-cuculi micropropagated, ecdysteroid-rich plant material.

Phytochemical Screening, Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Biomass from Lychnis flos-cuculi L. In Vitro Cultures and Intact Plants

Lychnis flos-cuculi L., a species with potential medicinal value, contains flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoid saponins and ecdysteroids. In this study, the antioxidant activity of plant material of L. flos-cuculi obtained from in vitro cultures compared to that of intact plants from the natural site has been evaluated for the first time. Phytochemical screening of the in-vitro-derived material by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) confirmed the presence of the aforementioned metabolite classes. The aqueous methanolic extracts from in-vitro-derived plant material and the organs of intact plants were analyzed using spectrophotometric methods to quantify total phenolics, phenolic acids and flavonoids, and determine the preliminary antioxidant activity by ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and DPPH radical scavenging activity assays. The results showed that the inflorescence (Ns-F), and flowering herb of both plants gathered from natural habitat (Ns-H) and in-vitro-derived plants from the experimental plot (ExV-H) are the materials richest in polyphenols (195.4, 113.47, 112.1 mg GAE g-1 d.w., respectively), and demonstrate the highest antioxidant activity (20.14, 11.24, and 11.46 mg AAE g-1 d.w.). The extract from callus exhibited the lowest polyphenol content and antioxidant potential. The contents of total phenolics, flavonoids and phenolic acids correlate with the results of the antioxidant capacity of L. flos-cuculi extracts.

Ecdysteroids: production in plant in vitro cultures

Ecdysteroids are secondary metabolites, widely distributed in the animal and plant kingdoms. They have a wide range of pharmacological effects in vertebrates, including mammals, most of which are beneficial for humans. Therefore, they have become compounds of interest for the pharmaceutical industry due to their adaptogenic, anabolic, hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolaemic and antimicrobial activities, which are still being researched. Nowadays, ecdysteroids are present as active ingredients in bodybuilding supplements. Because of their complex structures, their chemical synthesis seems unprofitable and impractical. Due to high content of ecdysteroids in many plants, they are primarily obtained by extraction of the plant material. Plant in vitro cultures provide an alternative source of these compounds, helping to avoid problems associated with field production-such as variable yield or dependence on environmental factors, as well as limited availability of natural resources. Plant cell and tissue cultures may be suggested as alternatives for the production of plant biomass rich in pharmaceutically active ecdysteroids. Moreover, the use of common biotechnological strategies, such as elicitation or precursor feeding, may further increase the yield and improve production of these compounds. In this paper, we describe general information about ecdysteroids: their structure, biosynthesis, distribution, role in plants, and we review recent studies on micropropagation of ecdysteroid-producing plants and cell cultures, and potential ability of ecdysteroids enhancement in in vitro cultures.