Lütfi Behçet

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in Geçitli and its surrounding (Hakkari-Turkey)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants in the Geçitli Township in the Eastern Anatolia Region. Recording such data calls for urgency this is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are carried out by means of the FIC method in Eastern (Hakkari) part of Turkey. Aim of the study This study aims to identify the wild plants collected for medicinal purposes by locals of Geçitli which is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, and to identify the uses and local names of these wild plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS A field study had been carried out for a period of approximately 2 years (2008-2010). During this period, 70 plants taxa and one mushroom were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, names of the local plants, their utilized parts and preparation methods were investigated and recorded. The plant taxa were collected within the scope of the study; and herbarium materials were prepared. In addition, the relative significance value of the taxa was determined, and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study. RESULTS We have found out in the literature review of the plants included in our study that 70 plant taxa and one mushroom are already used for medicinal purposes while 11 plants are not available among the records in the literature. The most common families are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, and Malvaceae. We include in our study and report for the first time the medicinal uses of Alchemilla hessii Rothm., Cirsium pubigerum (Desf.) DC. var. spinosum Pet., Diplotaenia cachrydifolia Boiss., Euphorbia macrocarpa Boiss. & Buhse, Galium consanguineum Boiss., Inula helenium L. subsp. vanensis Grierson, Johrenia dichotoma DC. subsp. sintenisii Bornm., Pelargonium quercetorum Agnew, Rosa heckeliana Tratt. subsp. vanheurckiana (Crĕp.) Ö. Nilsson, Salix aegyptiaca L., Taraxacum montanum (C.A. Mey.) DC. Names of local plants in Turkey vary especially due to vernaculars. The plants that the locals of Geçitli use are called with the same or different local names in various parts of Anatolia. CONCLUSION We found out that locals living in the research area use for therapeutic purpose 70 plants taxa and one mushroom which belong to 28 families. Turkish citizens with different ethnic backgrounds took the questionnaire. These people use these wild plants in treatment of several diseases. Comparison of the data obtained in this study with the experimental data obtained in the previous laboratory studies on the wild plants which grow in Geçitli proved ethnobotanical usages to a great extent. Literature review indicated that the therapeutic plants that grow in Geçitli are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in villages of Çatak (Van-Turkey)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants in the villages of Çatak in the Eastern Anatolia Region. Recording such data calls for urgency. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are carried out by means of FIC method in Eastern (Van) part of Turkey. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aims to identify the wild plants collected for medicinal purposes by locals of Çatak which is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, and to identify the uses and local names of these wild plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS A field study had been carried out for a period of approximately 2 years (2010-2012). During this period, 78 plants taxa were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, names of the local plants, their utilized parts and preparation methods were investigated and recorded. The plant taxa were collected within the scope of the study; and herbarium materials were prepared. In addition, the relative significance value of the taxa was determined, and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study. RESULTS We have found out in the literature review of the plants included in our study that 78 plant taxa are already used for medicinal purposes while 19 plants are not available among the records in the literature. The most common families are Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, and Malvaceae. We include in our study and report for the first time the medicinal uses of Alchemilla buseriana Rothm., Astragalus longifolius Lam., Cephalaria microcephala Boiss., Euphorbia grisophylla M.S. Khan, Fritillaria crassifolia Boiss. & Huet. subsp. kurdica (Boiss. & Noe) Rix, Fritillaria pinardii Boiss., Malabaila lasiocarpa Boiss., Nepeta betonicifolia C.A. Mey., Onobrychis altissima Grossh., Onobrychis carduchorum C.C. Townsend, Papaver bracteatum Lindl., Phlomis tuberosa L., Psephellus karduchorum (Boiss.) Wagenitz, Scutellaria orientalis L. subsp. pichleri (Stapf.) Edmondson, Stachys kurdica Boiss. & Hohen var. kurdica, Tanacetum kotschyi (Boiss.) Grierson, Tanacetum zahlbruckneri (Nâb.) Grierson, Turanecio eriospermus (DC.) Hamzaoğlu, Verbascum pyramidatum M.Bieb. Names of local plants in Turkey vary especially due to vernaculars. The plants that the locals of Çatak use are called with the same or different local names in various parts of Anatolia. CONCLUSION We found out that locals living in the research area use for therapeutic purpose 78 plants taxa which belong to 22 families. Turkish citizens with different ethnic backgrounds took the questionnaire. These people use these wild plants in treatment of several diseases. Comparison of the data obtained in this study with the experimental data obtained in the previous laboratory studies on the wild plants which grow in Çatak proved ethnobotanical usages to a great extent. Literature review indicated that the therapeutic plants that grow in Çatak are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases.

Phytochemical screening, anticancer and antioxidant activities of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. viride (Boiss.) Hayek, a plant of traditional usage

BACKGROUND A detailed phytochemical analysis of Origanum vulgare L. ssp. viride (Boiss.) Hayek was carried out and the antioxidant activities of five different crude extracts were determined. The antiproliferative activities of the extracts were determined using the xCELLigence system (Real Time Cell Analyzer). RESULTS Differences between the essential oil and volatile organic compound profiles of the plant were shown. The main component of the essential oil was caryophyllene oxide, while the main volatile organic compounds were sabinene and eucalyptol as determined by HS-GC/MS. Phenolic contents of the extracts were determined qualitatively and quantitatively by HPLC/TOF-MS. Ten phenolic compounds were found in the extracts from O. vulgare and Origanum acutidens: rosmarinic acid (in highest abundance), chicoric acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, quercetin, apigenin-7-glucoside, kaempferol, naringenin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. CONCLUSION This study provides first results on the antiproliferative and antioxidant properties and detailed phytochemical screening of O. vulgare ssp. viride (Boiss.) Hayek.

Phytochemical analysis, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of Chrozophora tinctoria: a natural dye plant

Abstract Context: Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A. Juss. (Euphorbiaceae) is known as ‘dyer’s-croton’ and used to obtain dye substances. Recently, natural antioxidants and colorants have been of interest because of their safety and therapeutic effects. Objective: This study investigates the antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of the various extracts and fractions from C. tinctoria and analyzes their phytochemical contents. Materials and methods: The aerial parts of C. tinctoria were extracted with water, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and methanol/chloroform. Phenolic compounds and other constituents of the extracts were analyzed by HPLC/TOF-MS. The ethyl acetate extract (EA) was fractionated by flash chromatography. The extracts, fractions, and major phenolic compounds were investigated for their antiproliferative activities on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cell line at the concentrations of 5–100 μg/mL by using BrdU ELISA assay during 24 h of incubation. DPPH radical scavenging activities (5–150 μg/mL) and total phenolic contents of the samples were also evaluated. Results: 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (268.20 mg/kg), apigenin-7-glucoside (133.34 mg/kg), and gallic acid (68.92 mg/kg) were the major components of EA. CT/E-F6 (IC50 = 64.59 ± 0.01 μg/mL) exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity. CT/E-F2 (IC50= 14.0 ± 0.0 μg/mL) and some fractions displayed higher radical scavenging activity compared to synthetic antioxidant BHT (IC50 = 23.1 ± 0.0 μg/mL). Among the main phenolics, gallic acid exhibited the highest antiproliferative and radical scavenging abilities (IC50 < 5 μg/mL). Conclusion: In this study, we have determined the biologically active fractions and their high effects may be attributed to the presence of gallic acid.

Bioactivity–guided isolation of flavonoids from Cynanchum acutum L. subsp. sibiricum (willd.) Rech. f. and investigation of their antiproliferative activity

Abstract Cynanchum acutum L. subsp. sibiricum (Willd.) Rech. f. was extracted with hexane, acetone, methanol and water individually. A sample was heated in water then extracted with ethyl acetate. Among the extracts, the ethyl acetate extract exhibited the most antiproliferative activity, so isolation of bioactive compounds was carried out from this extract. A new compound, kaempferol-3-O-β-xylopyranosyl-(1-2)-β-rhamnopyranoside (1) along with five known compounds, quercetin-3-O-β-xyloside (2), kaempferol-3-O-β-glucoside (3), quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-β-rhamnopyranoside (5), and kaempferol-3-O-β-d-neohesperidoside (6) were isolated from ethyl acetate extract. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, basically 1D NMR, 2D NMR and LC-TOF/MS. Antiproliferative effects of isolated compounds were determined by xCELLigence using the HeLa (human uterus carcinoma) cell lines. Compound 2 and compound 5 revealed the good antiproliferative activity against HeLa cell lines.

Campanula hacerae (Campanulaceae), a New Species from Turkey

Campanula hacerae A. İlçim sp. nova (Campanulaceae) from Turkey is described and illustrated. It grows on the slopes of gypsum hills located between Kayseri and Sivas in central Anatolia and flowers in the middle of July. Its diagnostic morphological characters relative to some closely related species are discussed.

Draba orientalis (Brassicaceae), a New Species from Turkey

Draba orientalis O. Karabacak & L. Behçet sp. nova (Brassicaceae) from Turkey is described and illustrated. Diagnostic characters of the species along with taxonomic notes are given. It is compared with the morphologically similar D. siliquosa, D. lanceolata and D. anatolica.

Monophyly of Verbascum (Scrophularieae : Scrophulariaceae): evidence from nuclear and plastid phylogenetic analyses

Verbascum is one of the main genera of Scrophulariaceae, but delimitation and phylogenetic relationships of this genus are unclear and have not yet been studied using DNA sequences. Here, using four selected molecular markers (nrDNA ITS and the plastid spacers trnS/G, psbA-trnH and trnY/T), we present a phylogeny of Verbascum and test previous infrageneric taxonomic hypotheses as well as its monophyly with respect to Scrophularia. We additionally discuss morphological variation and the utility of morphological characters as predictors of phylogenetic relationships. Our results show that while molecular data unambiguously support the circumscription of Verbascum inferred from morphology, they prove to be of limited utility in resolving infrageneric relationships, suggesting that Verbascum ‘s high species diversity is due to rapid and recent radiation. Our work provides phylogenetic estimation of the genus Verbascum using molecular data and can serve as a starting point for future investigations of Verbascum and relatives.

Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Composition of the Lipophilic Fractions from Phryna ortegioides

The genus Phryna, which belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family, is represented in Turkey only by Phryna ortegioides. It is a monotypic and endemic taxon in Turkey [1]. The chemical composition and biological activity have so far not been investigated. Thus, this study seeks to characterize the chemical composition and antioxidant potential of this plant for the first time. The lipophilic fractions of P. ortedioides showed antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent way, in general with different behaviors for all fractions. The dichloromethane fraction (DF) showed the highest total antioxidant activity with a value of 91.27 2.47%, while the methanol fraction exhibited weak activity (18.07 1.35%). The Phryna crude extract (PCE) from the ethyl acetate fraction (EF) and the butanol fraction (BF) showed meaningful antioxidant activity close to that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and vitamin E (Vit-E). In conclusion, the DF fraction and its subfractions demonstrated higher antioxidant activity than that of polar fractions. Information about the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of P. ortegioides has not been reported so far. In this study, we aimed to identify the chemical composition of the lipophilic fractions of P. ortegioides, an endemic species growing in Turkey. The volatile components in 17 subfractions of the active dichloromethane fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The total antioxidant activity of the polar and nonpolar fractions was determined by the ferric thiocyanate method. A summary of the chemical composition of the lipophilic fractions showing the relative amounts of fatty acids, and their distribution among the subfractions obtained by column chromatography is given in Table 1. Separation by column chromatography of the dichloromethane fraction affected the different chemical compositions and fatty acid proportions as reported in Table 1. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of fractionation on fatty acid and volatile composition is investigated for the first time in P. ortegioides. As can be seen in Table 1, analysis of the fatty acid composition indicated that, of the total of 17 subfractions from the dichloromethane fractions, palmitic acid was the major compound with a value of 39.5% of total fatty acids in all subfractions followed by arachidic, stearic, linoleic, oleic, -linolenic, myristic, and behenic acids, which constitute 15.96, 13.35, 9.86, 9.45, 7.68, 2.65 and 1.55% of total fatty acids, respectively. These results are in agreement with previous reports stating the fatty acid compositions of different higher plants of the same family [2–4]. The total of 17 subfractions from the dichloromethane fraction was characterized by the presence of a high proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) with a value of 73.01%, followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), representing 17.53 and 7.46%, respectively. Linoleic and linolenic acids were determined as 17.54% of all subfractions. With regard to omega 3, subfraction 3 had the highest amount (23.20 0.51%). The amounts of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids in the subfractions are noteworthy because these fatty acids are not synthesized by the human body. Therefore, they must be obtained through the diet. The studied lipophilic fractions, especially subfractions such as F3 (45.12 1.02%), F4 (35.87 0.81%) and F2 (32.74 0.74%), can be considered as a source of essential fatty acids.

Diplotaenia bingolensis (Apiaceae), new species from east Anatolia, Turkey

The new species of Diplotaenia bingolensis M. Öztürk, A. Duran and Behçet (Apiaceae) is described from the eastern part of Turkey. D. bingolensis grows on the steppe, in the Şam Mountain (B8 Bingöl province). It is an endemic confined to east Anatolia, and it is related with D. turcica. The new species is distinct from a closely allied species D. turcica by stem tall, ray number, peduncle long, leaves and mericarp features. The photos of the new species are provided. In addition, pollen characteristics and mericarp surface features are examined by SEM. A special attention is also given on its ecology, conservation status and observations on the population are discussed. 162 ISSR bands scored and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 nrDNA region sequences were used to generate the dendrograms that revealed the phylogenetic relationships of the taxa. Three taxa of the genus Diplotaenia Boiss. and the out-group taxa belonging to the closest genera Johrenia DC., Dichoropetalum Fenzl. and Cymbocarpum DC. Ex C.A.Mey which are placed in Selineae, Tordylieae and Bupleureae tribes, respectively, were used to molecular analyses in order to characterize their phylogenetic relationships. The geographical distributions of all Diplotaenia species in the world are mapped.