Mejra Bektašević

Sanguisorba minor Scop. ssp. muricata is a wild edible plant with recognized nutritional and ethnomedicinal value. The present study aimed to characterize the phytochemical composition and biological properties of its essential oil, hydrolate, and extracts obtained from plant material collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The chemical composition of the essential oil and hydrolate was determined by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS), while the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as the mineral element composition, were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, whereas the antidiabetic potential was investigated through α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. The essential oil was characterized by high levels of salicylaldehyde and lavandulol, while the hydrolate was dominated by lavandulol, salicylaldehyde, linalool, and methyl salicylate. All tested samples exhibited noticeable α-amylase inhibitory activity and pronounced α-glucosidase inhibition. The extracts also exhibited notable antioxidant activity and contained appreciable levels of biogenic elements, including Ca, K, Mg, Na, Fe, and Zn. These findings highlight this plant as a promising source of volatile and non-volatile bioactive constituents and biogenic elements, providing a basis for further investigation of its nutraceutical and phytopharmaceutical potential.

This study aimed to determine the nutritional status and dietary habits of younger school age children and to assess the accuracy of parental perception regarding their children’s eating behaviours. A total of 300 children aged 7–11 years from northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in this cross sectional study. Nutritional status was evaluated using anthropometric measurements and age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) percentile curves. Dietary habits were assessed using an anonymous, adapted, structured questionnaire consisting of 24 questions, incorporating a 24-hour dietary recall and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The questionnaires were independently completed by both children and their parents to assess self-reported dietary intake and eating behaviours. Overall, 60.6% of children were classified as having normal body weight, while 8.7% were underweight, 17.0% were overweight, and 13.7% were obese. According to dietary habits evaluated relative to the USDA MyPlate guidelines (USDA, 2019), 81.3% of children consumed breakfast daily, 69.8% had three meals per day, 52.9% consumed two or more servings of fruit, and 83.7% reported water as their primary beverage. However, 52.9% consumed only one serving of vegetables daily, 51.0% consumed less than 250 mL of milk per day, 69.3% had insufficient meat intake, and 46.7% consumed sweets and snacks daily. Statistically significant differences between children’s and parents’ responses were identified in 79% of the assessed items. These findings indicate a substantial discrepancy between parental perceptions and children’s self-reported dietary intake, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritioneducation programmes for both children and parents to support healthier eating habits.

The essential oil (EO) of Artemisia plants contains a large number of bioactive compounds that are widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the chemical composition of EOs of six Artemisia plants collected in Croatia and to test their cholinesterase inhibitory potential. GC–MS analysis of the EO of A. absinthium showed that the dominant compounds are cis-sabinyl acetate and cis-epoxy-ocimene; in EO of A. abrotanum, it is borneol; in the EO of A. annua, they are artemisia ketone, camphor and 1,8-cineole; in the EO of A. arborescens, they are camphor and chamazulene; in the EO of A. verlotiorum, they are cis-thujone, 1,8-cineole and trans-thujone; and in the EO of A. vulgaris, they are trans-thujone and trans-epoxy-ocimene. The EO of the five studied Artemisia species from Croatia is rich in monoterpenoid compounds (1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, cis-thujone, trans-thujone, cis-epoxy-ocimene, camphor, borneol and cis-sabinyl acetate). The EO of A. arborescens is also rich in chamazulene. The results also showed that the tested EOs have moderate cholinesterase inhibition potential, especially the EOs of A. annua, A. vulgaris and A. abrotanum. This is the first analysis of the chemical composition of the EOs of four Artemisia plants and the first analysis of cholinesterase potential for plants collected in Croatia.

The essential oil (EO) of Artemisia plants contains a large number of bioactive compounds that are widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the chemical composition of EOs of six Arte-misia plants collected in Croatia and to test their cholinesterase inhibitory potential. GC-MS analysis of EO of A. absinthium showed that the dominant compounds are cis-sabinyl acetate and cis-epoxy-ocimene; in EO of A. abrotanum it is borneol; in EO of A. annua it is artemisia ketone, camphor, and 1,8-cineole; in EO of A. arborescens it is camphor and chamazulene; in EO of A. verlotiorum it is cis-thujone, 1,8-cineole, and trans-thujone; in EO of A. vulgaris, it is trans-thujone and trans-epoxy-ocimene. EO of the five studied Artemisia species from Croatia is rich in mono-terpenoid compounds (1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, cis-thujone, trans-thujone, cis-epoxy-ocimene, camphor, borneol, and cis-sabinyl acetate). EO of A. arborescens is also rich in chamazulene. The results also showed that the tested EOs have moderate cholinesterase inhibi-tion potential, especially the EOs of A. annua, A. vulgaris, and A. abrotanum. This is the first anal-ysis of the chemical composition of the EOs of four Artemisia plants and the first analysis of cho-linesterase potential for plants collected in Croatia.

Bioactive compounds from plants play an important role in slowing many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, by inhibiting cholinesterase enzymes. Studies have shown that oxidative stress is associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In traditional medicine of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Teucrium montanum is used to treat numerous diseases. The chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil (EO) and aqueous (AE) and methanol extract (ME) of this plant were studied. The chemical composition of EO was studied using GC-MS, while the composition of the extracts was studied using HPLC-DAD. Antioxidant activity was tested using the DPPH and FRAP methods. The protection of lipids and proteins from oxidation was tested using the ammonium thiocyanate and BSA oxidation methods. The ability to inhibit cholinesterases was tested by the Ellman method. The main identified EO compounds were α-cadinol, ß-selinene, δ-cadinene, epi-α-cadinol, germacrene D-4-ol, and α-pinene. The main phenolic compounds of the extracts were p-coumaric acid, ellagic acid and caffeic acid. The tested extracts showed good antioxidant radical scavenging and reducing potential and a very good ability to protect lipids and proteins from oxidation. The EO showed moderate AChE and BChE inhibition potential, while the extracts showed weak or no ability.

This chapter will be described oxidative stress related to modern age illness as well as biological activity of essential oils and essential oil components in terms of their antioxidant activity. The importance of essential oils and their constituents in terms of protecting lipids and proteins from oxidation will also be explained. Alzheimer’s disease as a disease related to oxidative stress and strategies in their treatment by using essential oil components as cholinesterase inhibitors will also be described. As case studies will be pointed out medicinal plants, endemic Saturejasubspicata L., and widely used Menthapulegium L. growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Clinopidium vulgare L. (wild basil, Lamiaceae) is a well‐known medicinal plant used in the traditional medicine in many countries. Medicinal plants present potential sources of bioactive compounds. Many of them are rich in polyphenol compounds that show biological potential in terms of protecting biological molecules from oxidation and in inhibition of cholinesterase enzymes, which may be significant in the treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress. In this work, we examined the chemical composition of Clinopodium vulgare L. hot water and methanol extract using spectroscopic and HPLC/DAD techniques. Using DPPH and FRAP methods the antioxidant activity was analyzed. The ability to protect proteins and lipids from oxidation was also determined as well as the ability of extracts to inhibit cholinesterase enzymes using Ellman's method. Analyzed extracts were rich in polyphenol compounds. Among 16 identified and quantified phenolic compounds dominant were: rosmarinic (26.63 and 34.21 mg/g) and ellagic acid (23.11 and 29.31 mg/g) of hot water and methanol extract, respectively. They show good antioxidant activity and good potential in protecting lipids from oxidation. The ability of extracts to inhibit enzyme acetylcholinesterase was weak, while inhibition of the butyrylcholinesterase was missing. Extracts show prooxidant activity in terms of protecting proteins from oxidation.

Perennial plant Mentha pulegium L. (pennyroyal, Lamiaceae) can be found in Europe and Mediterranean. In areas where it thrives, M. pulegium is used in nutrition and as medicinal plant. Essential oil of M. pulegium is also a frequent constituent of foods and fragrances, because of mint‐like odor. Regarding the use of M. pulegium in traditional medicine and nutrition, as well as fact that essential oils are potential sources of bioactive components, this study was conducted to examine the chemical composition of essential oil of M. pulegium wild growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and its biological activity. The chemical profile testing was made using GC/MS and GC/FID technique. Potential of cholinesterase inhibition was tested by Ellman's assay. The antioxidant activity was tested by DPPH and FRAP assay. The dominant components in analyzed oil were pulegone 54.4 %, p‐menthone 14.0 % and piperitenone 12.8 %. Good antioxidant activity and moderate cholinesterase inhibition potential of tested essential oil indicates to possibility of its use in treatment of diseases related to free radicals, Alzheimer disease and as lipid protecting antioxidant.

The phytochemical composition and the antioxidant activities of the essential oil, as well as methanol and hot water extracts of endemic Satureja subspicata Vis. growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), were described. β‐Caryophyllene, cis‐β‐ocimene, and α‐pinene, identified by GC/MS and GC‐FID, were the dominant oil components. The major compound of both of extracts, identified by HPLC‐DAD, was rosmarinic acid. The analyzed essential oil showed moderate antioxidant activity. In this first report on the extracts of S. subspicata growing in BiH, the obtained results showed a high content of rosmarinic acid, as well as considerable amount of total phenols and flavonoids. Compared to the hot water extract, the methanol extract exhibits higher antioxidant potential, measured by DPPH and FRAP assay (IC₅₀ = 0.45 g/l and 1879.43 equiv. Fe²⁺ μm), while the hot water extract showed higher potential in inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation (51.7% and 61.5% for 1 and 10 g/l). A good antioxidant potential of the tested extracts indicates their potential use as antioxidants, particularly for lipid protection, and partly explains the justification of the use of this plant in traditional medicine of BiH.