Antioxidant activity, volatile compounds and fatty acid compositions of

Evaluation of Trace Element and Heavy Metal Levels of Some Ethnobotanically Important Medicinal Plants Used as Remedies in Southern Turkey in Terms of Human Health Risk

Heavy metal accumulation in medicinal plants has increased dramatically in recent years due to agricultural and industrial activities leading to pollution of natural sources. This study is focused on the concentration of trace elements and heavy metals in aboveground parts of 33 medicinal plants from the Eastern Mediterranean of Turkey. Results showed that the Al concentrations varied between 4.368 and 1104.627, the B level varied between 47.850 and 271.479, Ca values ranged between 1971.213 and 22,642.895, Cd concentrations ranged between 0.011 and 0.651, Cr contents varied between 1.371 and 41.692, Cu values varied between 13.278 and 42.586, Fe concentrations varied between 20.705 and 1276.783, K levels ranged between 652.143 and 14,440.946, Mg concentrations varied from 336.871 to 1869.486, Mn contents varied between 46.383 and 849.492, Na concentrations varied between 167.144 and 3401.252, Ni values varied between 0.065 and 9.968, Pb levels ranged between 1.311 and 16.238, and Zn concentrations ranged between 67.250 and 281.954 mg kg^-1, respectively. Furthermore, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values for trace elements and estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI) for heavy metals were calculated. The concentrations of heavy metals in some studied plants distributed in industrial and mining regions were found as slightly higher than the acceptable limits determined by WHO. Consequently, in order to prevent this heavy metal accumulation, when collecting medicinal aromatic plants, rural areas, close to clean rivers, or mountainous areas should be preferred, away from highway, mining, and industrial areas.

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Plants Belonging to the Cephalaria (Caprifoliaceae) Genus

The genus Cephalaria, belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, is a rich source of interesting secondary metabolites, including mainly saponins which display a variety of biological activities, such as immunomodulatory, antimicrobial and hemolytic effects. Besides these compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acids were identified in Cephalaria species. Cephalaria is employed in traditional medicine e.g., to cure cardiac and lung diseases, rheumatism, and regulate menstruation. In this review we focus on the phenolic compound composition and antioxidative activity of Cephalaria species. The antioxidant effect can be explained by flavonoids present in all parts of these plants. However, future efforts should concentrate more on in vitro and in vivo studies and also on clinical trials in order to confirm the possibility of using these plants as natural antioxidants for the pharmacology, food or cosmetic industries.