Anna K Kiss

Medical University of Warsaw · Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy

Ellagitannin-rich products exhibit beneficial influence in the case of inflammation-associated diseases. Urolithins, metabolites of ellagitannins produced by gut microbiota, in contrary to high molecular weight hydrophilic parental polyphenols, possess well established bioavailability. Because of the important role of neutrophils in progression of...

Extracts from Epilobium sp. herbs have been traditionally used in the treatment of prostate-associated ailments. Our studies demonstrated that the extracts from Epilobium angustifolium, Epilobium parviflorum and Epilobium hirsutum herbs are potent prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) proliferation inhibitors with IC(50) values around 35 µg/ml. The tested...

Epilobium sp. are commonly used in traditional medicine in the treatment of early stages of benign prostatic hyperplasia and inflammation. It is suggested that a dominating constituent, oenothein B, is responsible for the extracts therapeutic effects. Several bioactivities were established for extracts and oenothein B in various in vitro models, bu...

Inflammation is the first physiological defence mechanism against external and internal stimuli. The prolonged or inappropriate response of the immune system may lead to the persistent inflammatory response that can potentially become a basis for chronic diseases e.g., asthma, type II diabetes or cancer. An important role in the alleviation of infl...

Salvia bulleyana is a plant native to the Chinese Yunnan Province. This species has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a substitute for Danshen (the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza). The aim of our study was to establish an effective system for propagating S. bulleyana shoots to obtain large amounts of material rich in bioactive compounds. P...

Plants of the genus Pulicaria are known for providing traditional medicines, spices, herbal teas, and insect deterrents. Pulicaria inuloides (Poir.). DC. is one of the less chemically studied species within the genus. Hydroalcoholic extracts from roots and aerial parts of P. inuloides were analyzed using the UHPLC-PAD-MSn technique and revealed the...

Many species from the Pinaceae family have been recognized as a rich source of lignans, flavonoids, and other polyphenolics. The great common occurrence of conifers in Europe, as well as their use in the wood industry, makes both plant material and industrial waste material easily accessible and inexpensive. This is a promising prognosis for both d...

Aim: The study aimed to analyze the anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects of lignans isolated from branch wood of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on cellular models. Methodology: Plant material was collected from botanical gardens in Poland, from which lignans were isolated using chromatographic methods. I...

Lignans are a group of natural polyphenols present in medicinal plants and in plants which are a part of the human diet for which more and more pharmacological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and cytoprotective, are being reported. However, it is their cytotoxic activities that are best understood and which have...

Trachelogenin 4-O-β-D-glucoside or tracheloside is a rare lignan glycoside present mostly in some plants from the Cynarae tribe of the Asteraceae family. As this lignan is also present in small amounts in the human diet, isolation and study of the pharmacological properties of this compound may bring some new insights into the role of lignans. This...

With recent technological advances in the timber industry, logs and other wood products brought to sawmills are almost totally processed, leaving little to no waste. However, it is still not always the case. According to experts, the low technological level of a large part of Polish industrial plants, the lack of financial resources for proper wast...

The intake of selected minerals, especially zinc, calcium and selenium, and high consumption of dietary isoflavones are recognised as factors influencing prostate cancer risk. Moreover, changes in levels of some essential elements are characteristic of the disease. Here, we examined the combined effects of main dietary isoflavonoids (genistein, dai...

Due to the presence of phytochemicals, plants have been known to be used in the treatment and management of various diseases. Vernonia amygdalina, belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a plant known for its many applications in traditional medicine for various purposes. Previous studies on the methanolic leaf extract of this plant have proved the...

Introduction Carica papaya L. belongs to Caricaceae family. It is an evergreen tree or shrub with usually unbranched trunk. Previous studies on the methanolic leaf extract of this plant proved the antibacterial, cytotoxic, anticancer and antioxidant effects indicative of promising therapeutic potentials. Methods Chromatographic and spectroscopic t...

Forsycja zwisła (Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl) to pochodząca z Chin roślina z rodziny oliwkowatych (Oleaceae). Jej owoce, znane w Chinach pod nazwą „Lian Qiaio”, stanowią ważną substancje roślinną wymienioną w chińskiej, koreańskiej i japońskiej Farmakopei, stosowaną między innymi w leczeniu cukrzycy [1]. Ze względu na to, że forsycja zwisła ni...

Carpesium divaricatum Sieb. & Zucc., a traditional medicinal plant used as an inflammation-relieving remedy, is a rich source of terpenoids. At least 40 germacrane-type sesquiterpene lactones, representatives of four different structural groups, were isolated from the plant. Cytotoxicity against cancer cells in vitro is the most frequently describe...

Natural products and their structural analogues have historically made a major contribution to pharmacotherapy, especially for cancer and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, natural products also present challenges for drug discovery, such as technical barriers to screening, isolation, characterization and optimization, which contributed to a declin...

Aim of the study: Both nasal and bronchial epithelial cells have evolved sophisticated mechanisms involved in cellular response to bacterial infection. Recognition of pathogens by TLR receptors activate the NF-κB transcription factor, and lead to production of wide spectrum of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8). Released by epithelium proinfla...

Natural phenolic compounds exhibit a lot of beneficial health effects in humans including antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity. Plant family Lamiaceae and its largest genus Salvia are one of the richest sources of antioxidant and antimicrobial phenolics. In the present study the aerial parts and roots of Salvia cad...

Plants have been used for medical purposes since ancient times. However, a detailed analysis of their biological properties and their associated active compounds is needed to justify their therapeutic use in modern medicine. The aim of the study was to identify and quantify the phenolics present in hydromethanolic extracts of the roots and shoots o...

Given the strong associations between diet and cancer risk, there is considerable scientific interest in determining whether dietary factors associated with prostate cancer cell implantation may influence epigenetic alternations. The aim of the research was to assess impact of selected trace elements (selenium, zinc and copper) on the kinetics of c...

Xerolekia speciosissima (L.) Anderb., a rare plant from the north of Italy, is a member of the Inuleae-Inulinae subtribe of the Asteraceae. Despite its close taxonomic relationship with many species possessing medicinal properties, chemical composition of the plant has remained unknown until now. A hydroalcoholic extract from the aerial parts of X....

Sigesbeckia orientalis, more commonly referred to as Herba Sigesbeckiae or Xi Xian Cao in traditional Chinese medicine and hy thiêm in traditional Vietnamese medicine, is used in China and Vietnam to treat inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism, and joint pain. In initial investigations, the dichloromethane extract from the aerial part...

The aim of the study was to characterize phytochemicals in an infusion of the aerial parts of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry UHPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐MS/MS method, as well as an evaluation of its effects on mediators of the inflammatio...

Extracts from the roots of Ononis spinosa L. (restharrow roots) are traditionally used for the treatment of patients with urinary tract infections due to its mild diuretic activity, caused by the inhibition of renal human hyaluronidase-1 by isoflavonoids. Preliminary studies also indicated anti-inflammatory effects. The following study aimed at inv...

This study was to obtain stable transformed roots of Salvia bulleyana using A. rhizogenes strain A4 and then evaluate their phytochemical profile and selected the most productive clone. Our results indicated that the type of explant and medium used for bacterium and explant incubation had an influence on the frequency of hairy root formation. The b...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: During the epidemic season, over 90% of acute wheezing disease is associated with bronchial inflammation. Both neutrophil- and eosinophil-mediated inflammation have been involved in the pathophysiology of acute bronchitis, but neutrophil cell recruitment has been shown to be dominant. The ongoing inflammation increa...

One of the most spread group of phenolics are flavonoids. Many studies focusing on the digestion and bioavailability of flavonoids have been carried out. Several possible directions of flavonoid metabolism are suspected and described in the literature. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bioactivity of 8 flavonoid 3-O- and 7-O- glucuro...

Dracocephalum forrestii is a perennial, endemic to China plant with a number of pharmaceutical properties. Transformed shoots of the species spontaneously regenerated from hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The transgenic nature of the shoots was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The shoot culture was multiplied on Murashi...

Introduction: In European traditional medicine, common ash leaf infusion is recommended by European Medicines Agency to treat minor articular pain and to increase the amount of urine for flushing minor urinary complaints. However, a comprehensive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector electrospray ionisation tandem mass...

Figure S4 Effect of PGG on the expression of selected genes. Human line of SW872 fibroblasts differentiated to adipocytes were stimulated with PGG at a dose of 50 μM for 24 hrs. After this time, RNA was isolated and the expression of A) RANTES, B) MCP‐1, C) TNF‐α was assessed (n = 4). **‐ p < 0.01

Figure S1 HPLC‐DAD chromatograms of crude seed extract (A) and isolated PGG (B) recorded at 280 nm; UV and MS data of isolated PGG (C).

Figure S3 Effect of PGG on leukocyte infiltration in visceral adipose tissue during Ang II–dependent hypertension. Hypertension was induced by chronic 14‐day Ang II infusion by osmotic minipump (490 ng·min−1 kg−1) and leukocytes were obtained from visceral adipose tissue (VAT) by enzymatic digestion. A) Effect of Ang II infusion and PGG administra...

Figure S2 1 H (A), 13 C (B), spectra of PGG.

Prostate cancer continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in men around the world. The data concerning the antioxidant status and the degree of lipid peroxidation at the moment of the initiation of cancer is limited. The aim of this research is to assess the effect of selected minerals (zinc, selenium, iron, copper and calcium) on th...

Carpesium divaricatum Sieb. & Zucc. has a long history of use as both a medicinal and a food plant. However, except for terpenoids, its chemical constituents have remained poorly investigated. The composition of hydroalcoholic extract from aerial parts of C. divaricatum was analyzed by HPLC-DAD-MSn, revealing the presence of numerous caffeic acid d...

In traditional European medicine, common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L., Oleaceae) bark has been used in the form of an infusion, decoction or alcoholic extract as an antipyretic and a cold and cough treatment. Our primary study showed that alcoholic extract of the bark was able to decrease the release of interleukin- 8 in an in vitro model The aim of...

Different in vitro cultures of the Turkish origin medicinal plant species, Salvia viridis, were estimated in order to investigate their potential for the accumulation of phenolic compounds. Among the seventeen detected compounds, thirteen phenolic acid derivatives and four phenylethanoids were identified in extracts from shoot and/or callus culture...

Background and Purpose Hypertension is a multifactorial disease, manifested by vascular dysfunction, increased superoxide production, and perivascular inflammation. In this study, we have hypothesized that 1,2,3,4,6‐penta‐O‐galloyl‐β‐d‐glucose (PGG) would inhibit vascular inflammation and protect from vascular dysfunction in an experimental model o...

During chronic inflammation, neutrophils acting locally as effector cells not only activate antibacterial defense but also promote the inflammatory response. Interleukin 8 (IL-8), the main cytokine produced by activated neutrophils, positively correlates with the severity of respiratory tract diseases. By screening European plants traditionally use...

Abstract Background Among solar radiation, ultraviolet light is the most harmful for the skin, because of intracellular reactive oxygen species formation, leading to oxidative stress, cell damage and apoptosis. Crucial role in skin protection against oxidative stress play antioxidant enzymes regulated by Nrf2 transcription factor. Some plant-derive...

The current study estimates the effect of different cytokinins on shoot proliferation and biosynthesis of caffeic acid derivatives in Dracocephalum forrestii in vitro culture. The shoots were grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar medium with 1 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and different content of 6-benzyloaminopurine (BAP), zeatin, kinetin (1, 2,...

Front Cover. Melodorum fruticosum Lour. (Annonaceae) has been used in Vietnamese traditional medicine as a remedy to aid digestion. In an attempt to find novel anti‐inflammatory natural products, the dichloromethane extract from the leaves of the plant was identified to possess distinct inhibitory effects on the release of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) in h...

The gut microbiota-derived metabolites of ellagitannins and green tea catechins, urolithin A (uroA) and 5-(3′,4′,5′-trihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone (M4), respectively, are among the main compounds absorbed into human system after ingestion of these polyphenols. The aim of this study was to establish the effects of M4, uroA, and their combinations...

In an initial screening, the dichloromethane extract from the leaves of Melodorum fruticosum showed distinct inhibitory effects on the release of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) in human neutrophils. Therefore, the aim of the present study was the phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of this extract, to better understand which compounds might be re...

Thirteen compounds were isolated and identified from the aerial parts of Eupatorium cannabinum subsp. cannabinum comprising six caffeic acid derivatives, five flavonol glycosides and two flavone aglycones. Additionally, the first HPLC-DAD-MS method for the phytochemical screening of phenolics in the analyzed plant material was developed allowing un...

Acmella oleracea (jambu) is a South American plant whose pharmacological properties include antimalarial, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the compounds contributing to the anti-inflammatory effect have received little attention. In this study, the active compound spilanthol was isolated using a Green Chemistry approach and pr...

Salvia viridis is a containing bioactive phenols plant, which has been used in Turkish medicine. The aim of the study was to establish hairy root culture of the species in order to increase the production of the compounds with pharmacological activity. Transformed roots are promising biotechnological systems that produce great amounts of secondary...

Salvia viridis L. is an annual herb used in Mediterranean medicine. The purpose of this study was to determine the polyphenol profile of aqueous (decoction and infusion) and hydroethanolic extracts of aerial parts of field-grown S.viridis and to evaluate their antioxidant activity. The polyphenol profiling was performed via UPLC-DAD/ESI-MS. Additio...

Background: Chronic hyperalgesia and allodynia associated with progressive damage of peripheral neurons are the most prevalent complications of diabetes mellitus. Plants belonging to the family of Oleaceae were traditionally used in folk medicine for the management of diabetes. Hypothesis/purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether...

Aim of the study: Taking into account that overactivated leukocytes are an important factor in the development of many chronic diseases, we investigated the activity of phytochemically characterized (HPLC-DAD-MSⁿ) extracts from forsythia leaves and flowers on the pro- and anti-inflammatory functions of leukocytes (effects on IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α, and...

Aim of the study: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of phytochemically characterized extracts connected with the traditional use (infusions and ethanolic extracts) of different parts of Syringa vulgaris (common lilac) on the pro-inflammatory functions of neutrophils. Active compounds were isolated from the most promising e...

Background Urolithins are bioavailable products of gut microbiota metabolism of ellagitannins. Their biological activity includes anti-cancer effects. Purpose The aim of this study was to explore the effects of urolithins on prostate cancer cells and activity of clinically used anti-androgen, bicalutamide. Methods Prostate cancer cells were treat...

Thirteen new compounds including caffeoyl-glucaric and p-coumaroyl-altraric acid derivatives, one monoterpenoid glucoside, four secoiridoid glycosides, and three hydroxycinnamoyl phenylpropanoid glycosides esterified with an oleoside 11-methyl ester along with fifteen known compounds were isolated from flowers of Syringa vulgaris L. (Oleaceae). The...

Background: In patients with hypertension the haemorrhage into carotid atherosclerotic plaque increases risk of plaque destabilization and rupture. Our previous study showed that oleacein, a secoiridoid present in extra virgin olive oil, enhanced uptake of haemoglobin-haptoglobin complex and change macrophage phenotype from pro-inflammatory M1 to...

In traditional medicine, flowers and aerial parts of Lamium album are assigned by their anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and mucolytic activities, and are used in chronic bronchitis and pharyngitis as well as skin, vaginal, and cervical inflammation. The aim of the present study was to compare effects of ethanolic extracts prepared from flowers and a...

In recent years, many xenobiotics derived from natural products have been shown to undergo extensive metabolism by gut microbiota. Ellagitannins, which are high molecular polyphenols, are metabolized to dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one derivatives- urolithins. These compounds, in contrast with their parental compounds, have good bioavailability and are foun...