Luba Evstatieva

Alkaloids in Bulgarian Pancratium maritimum L.

A GC/MS analysis of alkaloids from leaves, bulbs and roots of Pancratium maritimum was performed. From the identified 16 alkaloids, 5 alkaloids were reported for the first time for this plant. Several compounds with pharmacological activity were found. Haemanthamine was main alkaloid in the leaves and bulbs whereas galanthane was found to be main alkaloid in roots.

Minor alkaloids of Glaucium flavum

Abstract The new aporphine base, dihydropontevedrine, has been found in an ethanol extract of Glaucium flavum along with a number of known alkaloids, some of which were isolated for the first time from this plant material.

Iridoids from Plantago media.

Abstract The new iridoid 10-acetylmonomelittoside and the known iridoid glucosides aucubin and monomelittoside were isolated from fresh leaves of two varieties of Plantago media. This is the first isolation of monomelittoside from Plantaginaceae.

Highly oxygenated sesquiterpenes in Artemisia alba Turra

Ten new sesquiterpene alcohols of which seven germacranes, a eudesmane, a guaiane and an oplopane were isolated from the aerial parts of Artemisia alba Turra. Their structures and relative stereochemistry were elucidated by spectral methods ((1)H and (13)C NMR, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and MS). In addition, the known 7-hydroxycadin-4-en-3-one, centaureidin and axillarin were found for the first time in the studied species.

Volatile Components in Sideritis scardica Griseb. Cultivar

Volatile components of nine Sideritis scardica samples from cultivar planted at different ecological conditions were studied by GC and GC/MS. Thirtyeight individual components in concentration exceeding 0.2% were used for comparison of the studied samples. They belong to mono-, sesquiand diterpenes, and their oxygenated derivatives, aromatic and aliphatic compounds. Domination of terpene hydrocarbons could be noted as their common feature. The essential oil composition showed significant chemical polymorphism of the S. scardica samples. A relation between the oil profiles, altitude and climatic zones was discussed briefly.

Phenolic profile of Artemisia alba Turra

The aim of this study was to evaluate flower and leaf methanol extracts of Artemisia alba Turra for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity and to investigate their phenolic composition. The flower extract was richer in total phenolics and flavonoids and possessed higher antioxidant activity through DPPH and ABTS assays. The UHPLC‐PDA‐MS analysis of the flower and leaf methanol extracts revealed similar phenolic profile and allowed identification of 31 phenolic compounds (flavonoids, coumarins, and phenolic acids) by comparison with the respective reference compounds or tentatively characterized by their chromatographic behavior, UV patterns, and MS fragmentations. The presence of hispidulin, jaceosidin, desmethoxycentaureidin, and dicaffeoyl esters of quinic acid in A. alba is reported herein for the first time. The distribution of flavonoids in A. alba from different origins was discussed from chemotaxonomic point of view.

The Effect of Mineral Nutrition on Photostnthetic Activity and Saponin Content of Puncture Vine (Tribulus Terrestris L.)

Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris L., Zygophyllaceae) is an annual prostrate medicinal plant that is widely used for treatment of sexual deficiency, as an affrodiziak. Steriodal saponins and rutin are among the basic compounds responsible for the biological activities of T. terrestris extracts. Efficiency of mineral nutrition (soil or foliar supply of nutrients ) on the growth, dry matter and saponin content of the above ground biomass of Bulgarian variety puncture vine grown in soil as pot experiment in green house have been studied. Soil fertilization rate of 100 mgN/kg or 90 P/kg of dry soil, oppositely to the results obtained from the foliar fed plants (0.3% solution of liquid fertilizer AgroleafR (Scotts Co, U.S.A.) with formulation N12P52K5, increased shoot total N and P without significant change of dry matter. Changes of total reducing sugars, amino acids, phenolics and flavonoids and activity of photosynthetic apparatus (thermoluminescence emission) were found to relate to the variation of individual saponin contents analysed by HPLC technique. Soil fertilized plant in contrast to the foliar fed plants showed more furostanol saponins (protodioscin, prototribestan and dioscin) than control but contained less of flavonoid glycoside rutin.