Tripleurospermum disciforme (C.A.Mey.) Sch.Bip., Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip, and Achillea biebersteinii Afan.: efficiency, chemical profile, and biological properties of essential oil

Background Tripleurospermum disciforme (C.A.Mey.) Sch.Bip., Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip., and Achillea biebersteinii Afan. are the most important species of the Asteraceae family that are used in traditional medicine as antiseptics, analgesics, and anti-ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the yield, chemical profile, and antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oils of these three species for the first time. For this purpose, plant materials were collected in June 2019 from Javinan region (Kashan, Iran). Results Based on the ANOVA results the species had a significant effect on yield, chemical composition, and diameter of the inhibition zone of some microorganisms (P ≤ 0.01). The highest yield belonged to T. disciforme essential oil (~ 1.433%). Analysis of essential oil compounds showed that in T. disciforme, anisole, p-1-cyclohexen-1-yl- (55.95%), modephene (10.00%), and cis-β-farnesene (11.94%), in T. parthenium, camphor (43.43%), camphene (9.40%), and bornyl acetate (6.76%), and in A. biebersteinii linalool (34.49%), p-cymene (15.31%), and α-terpineol (7.43%) were the main and predominant compounds. The highest inhibition zone diameter by the essential oil of T. parthenium and A. biebersteinii against Aspergillus brasiliensis (~ 13 mm) was observed. The strongest inhibitory and lethal activity was related to T. disciforme essential oil against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli (~ 8.50 mm), and Candida albicans (MIC and MBC = 62.5 μg/mL), which were equivalent to rifampin and twice as potent as nystatin, respectively. Conclusions Therefore, the essential oil of the studied species of Asteraceae may be a promising and potential strategy for controlling some microorganisms and a possible natural alternative to some antibiotics. Graphic Abstract

Identification of Mushroom and Murine Tyrosinase Inhibitors from Achillea biebersteinii Afan. Extract

Growing scientific evidence indicates that Achillea biebersteinii is a valuable source of active ingredients with potential cosmetic applications. However, the data on its composition and pharmacological properties are still insufficient. This study aims to optimize the extraction procedure of the plant material, evaluate its phytochemical composition, and compare anti-tyrosinase potential of A. biebersteinii extracts obtained by various methods. In order to identify compounds responsible for the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of A. biebersteinii, the most active anti-tyrosinase extract was fractionated by column chromatography. The fractions were examined for their skin lightening potential by mushroom and murine tyrosinase inhibitory assays and melanin release assay. HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis of the total extract revealed the presence of several phenolic acids, flavonoids, flavonoid glucosides, and carboxylic acid. Among them, fraxetin-8-O-glucoside, quercetin-O-glucopyranose, schaftoside/isoschaftoside, gmelinin B, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid (1,3-DCQA), and ferulic acid were found in the fractions with the highest skin lightening potential. Based on obtained qualitative and quantitative analysis of the fractions, it was assumed that the caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives are more likely responsible for mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity of A. biebersteinii extracts and fractions. Ferulic acid was proposed as the most active murine tyrosinase inhibitor, responsible also for the reduced melanin release from B16F10 murine melanoma cells.

Achillea millefolium L. and Achillea biebersteinii Afan. Hydroglycolic Extracts–Bioactive Ingredients for Cosmetic Use

Studies on hydroglycolic (HG) extracts of Achillea biebersteinii (AB)—a less investigated representative of the genus—were performed to determine their potential for cosmetic applications compared to the well-known Achillea millefolium (AM). Three types of water:polyethylene glycol extracts (1:1, 4:1, 6:1 v/v) were obtained from both species and analyzed for their composition by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) and assayed for their biological activities. The study led to the identification of 11 metabolites from different natural product classes with the highest share corresponding to 5-caffeoylquinic acid, axillarin, coumaroylquinic acid isomers and 3-caffeoylquinic acid. The highest antiradical capacity in DPPH and ABTS scavenging assays was shown for HG 4:1 of AB and AM extracts. HG 1:1 extracts from both species inhibited monophenolase and diphenolase activity of tyrosinase, whereas AB HG 4:1 extract showed significant monophenolase inhibition. The highest sun protection factor (SPF) was determined for AM HG 4:1 extract, equal to 14.04 ± 0.17. The AB extracts were cytotoxic for both human keratinocytes HaCaT and A375 melanoma, however HG 1:1 and 4:1 extracts were more cytotoxic for cancer than for noncancerous cells. In conclusion, AB HG 1:1 and 4:1 extracts display significant potential as active cosmetic ingredients.