Pharmacognostical investigations on some Gentiana taxa

Gentiana species are traditionally used as digestive, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, hepatoprotective, antihypertensive and for many medicinal purposes. According to the LC/MS-IT-TOF analysis of the extracts obtained from Gentiana asclepiadea L., G. brachyphylla Vill., G. cruciata L., G. gelida Bieb., G. olivieri Griseb., G. pyrenaica L., G.septemfida Pallas., G. verna L. subsp. pontica (Soltok.) Hayek, G. verna L. subsp. balcanica Pritchard and G. boissieri Schott et Kotschy ex Boiss. which is endemic for Turkey species; secoiridoids; gentiopicroside, sweroside, swertiamarin, loganin, swertianolin, norswertianolin, 3'-acetyl sweroside and eustomorusside; flavone glycosides; vitexin and orientin; xanthone-C glycosides; bellidin, bellidifolin, mangiferin and also oleanolic acid were found. The methanol extracts of G. boissieri, G. brachyphylla, G. cruciata showed significant DNA damage preventive; G. cruciata, G. asclepiadea and G. boissieri extracts showed strong metal chelating; G. verna subsp. pontica methanol fraction showed strong ABTS decolorization; G. brachyphylla ethyl acetate and methanol fractions showed strong DPPH scavenging antioxidant; G. pyrenaica, G. brachyphylla and G. verna subsp. pontica methanol extracts also G. pyrenaica, G. brachyphylla methanol fractions exhibited very strong MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitory; G. olivieri methanol extract showed very strong BChE inhibitory but moderate COX-2 inhibitory effects. Gentiana extracts did not show genotoxic effects. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on the antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticholinesterase effects of G. boissieri, G. brachyphylla, G. gelida, G. pyrenaica, G. verna subsp. balcanica and G. verna subsp. pontica; MAO-A, MAO-B inhibitory effects of G. asclepiadea, G. cruciata, G. boissieri, G. brachyphylla, G. gelida., G. olivieri and G.septemfida and genotoxic effects of species except G. asclepiadea. Keywords: Gentiana sp., LC/MS-IT-TOF, antioxidant, MAO, BChE inhibitory.