Long-term alcohol abuse causes psycho-emotional and cognitive impairment, including severe dementia. Oxidative stress is considered one of the main mechanisms in the cognitive disorders pathophysiology caused by long-term alcoholism. In this regard, the search for substances capable of correcting mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress that arise as a result of prolonged ethanol consumption is relevant. Of particular interest in the complex treatment of alcoholic encephalopathy is Chinese hyssop (Lophanthus chinensis), used in Tibetan and Mongolian traditional medicine for liver diseases, as well as a means of improving the functional state of the body and metabolism, slowing down the aging process. Material and methods. Alcohol intoxication was modeled in Wistar rats by per os administration of a 40 % ethanol solution in a volume of 10 ml/kg for six weeks. The L. chinensis dry extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg was administered to animals per os starting from the third week, an hour after ethanol. On day 45, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase, NADH dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase complex, concentration of ATP werei determined spectrophotometrically in the animal brain homogenate. Results. It was found that L. chinensis extract increases the activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase (by 10 %, р = 0.016, by 31 %, р = 0.001, by 30 %, р = 0.041, by 29 %, р = 0.009, respectively) and GSH content (by 24 %, р = 0.019), and also reduces the concentration of MDA (by 20 %, р = 0.014) in brain tissue. A decrease in the intensity of oxidative stress enhances the functioning of enzymatic complexes I (by 23 %, р = 0.017) and II of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (by 72 %, р = 0.001) and increases the ATP content (by 23 %, р = 0.029) in the rat’s brain. Conclusions. L. chinensis extract exhibits antioxidant effects and stimulates energy processes in neurodegenerative processes in the brain caused by long-term alcoholism.

The study purpose – to evaluate the effect of the Lophanthus chinensis dry extract on the Wistar rats brain morphofunctional state against the back-ground of long-term alcoholization. Material and methods. Alcohol intoxication was induced by long-term administration (6 weeks) of 40% ethanol in rats. Lophanthus chinensis dry ex-tract at a dose of 100 mg/kg was administered from the 3rd week of the experiment. On days 42-45, the animals were tested in an "open field", an el-evated plus maze, and they developed a conditioned passive avoidance reaction. After which a neurons pathomorphological study in the cerebral cor-tex was carried out. Results. It has been established that L. chinensis dry extract exhibits a neuroprotective effect during long-term alcohol intoxication, preventing the de-velopment of structural disorders in the cerebral cortex, thereby reducing anxiety and emotionality in animals, enhancing orientation-exploratory activity and normalizing mnestic functions. Conclusion. L. chinensis dry extract has a neuroprotective effect during long-term alcohol intoxication.

Bristled ferula (Ferulopsis hystrix (Bunge) Pimenov) is a perennial plant belonging to the Apiaceae family, and its aqueous extract is utilised in Eastern medicine to treat digestive system diseases. In this study, water-soluble polysaccharides from F. hystrix were isolated for the first time, and the basic polymer FH-3 was separated and characterised. FH-3 was found to contain arabinose and galactose in a 1:5 ratio, with a molecular weight of 52.3 kDa. Methylation analysis confirmed the structure of FH-3 to be arabino-3,6-galactan. Administration of FH-3 at 10 and 30 mg/kg doses in rats with drug-induced gastropathy effectively limited the development of large and strip-like erosions in the gastric mucosa. FH-3 prevented the development of oxidative stress, normalising malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) and reducing glutathione (GSH) serum levels. Arabinogalactan FH-3 is a new gastroprotective and antioxidant plant component in F. hystrix roots, offering promising prospects for treating stomach diseases.

Background. Orostachys spinosa (L.) Sweet. – a perennial plant of a wide habitat and contains various metabolites (amino acids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, etc.). Extracts from the aerial part of the plant are used in traditional medicine as an anticonvulsant and sedative.The aim of the work. To study the neuroprotective effect of O. spinosa in cholinergic deficiency.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out on 52 Wistar rats. The animals were administered scopolamine (1 mg/kg) daily for 21 days, followed by O. spinosa dry extract per os at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 14 days. On the day 32, the animals developed a conditioned passive avoidance reflex (CPAR), the integrity of which was checked after 1, 24 and 72 hours; on the day 35 they were tested in an “open field”. On the day 36, biochemical and histological studies of the brain were carried out.Results. It has been established that O. spinosa, against the background of scopolamine intoxication, reduces the anxiety of animals, stimulates exploratory activity in the open field test, improves the production and preservation of the CPAR, and also reduces the number of functionally inactive neurons (pyknotic and shadow cells) in the cerebral cortex. The extract reduces the lactate/pyruvate ratio by 47 %, intensifies the activity of mitochondrial complexes I and II by 54–64 %, and increases the concentration of adenosine triphosphate by 1.6 times compared to the control. O. spinosa exhibits antioxidant properties by reducing malondialdehyde and increasing the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in the brain.Conclusion. O. spinosa dry extract has a neuroprotective effect in cholinergic deficiency. The studied extract exhibits antioxidant properties and stimulates energy processes in the brain

Dihydrosamidin (DHS), a khellactone 3'-O-isovaleroyl-4'-O-acetyl ester, is naturally found in Apiaceae plants yet remains underexplored in biomedical research. Employing HPLC-PDA-MS analysis, the profiling of coumarins in Phlojodicarpus komarovii revealed its significant presence, reaching DHS concentrations of 95 mg/g. DHS administering at a dosage of 80 mg/kg during bilateral transient occlusion of the common carotid artery in Wistar rats prevented neuronal death and decreased neuron-specific enolase levels in the blood serum, increases neurotrophic factors and vascular endothelial growth factor A levels in brain lysate. DHS influenced energy metabolism by reducing the lactate, enhancing the activity of pyruvate kinase and increasing the activities of NADH dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase in brain cells. DHS reduced levels of malondialdehyde and increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, along with increased levels of reduced glutathione in brain homogenate. Thus, DHS administration promotes neuroplasticity, modulates glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation and enhances antioxidant defences.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of dry extract of Calendula officinalis L. on the course of experimental hepatitis caused by the administration of carbon tetrachloride in male Wistar rats. Material and methods. The experimental hepatitis in Wistar rats was caused by four subcutaneous injections of a 50% oil solution of carbon tetrachloride at a dose of 4 ml/kg. The dry extract C. officinalis was administered intragastrically at a dose of 100 mg/kg to animals from the second day of the experiment for 20 days. The choleretic function of the liver was assessed in Wistar rats on 7th, 14th and 21th day. The intensity of oxidative stress, the state of the antioxidant system, the energy metabolism of hepatocytes and pathomorphological studies of the liver were held on 14th day. Results. It has been established that C. officinalis dry extract in an experimental therapeutic dose has a beneficial effect on the course of acute toxic hepatitis in rats, reduced the intensity of free radical oxidation, limited the inflammatory reaction, reduced the severity of the main manifestations of liver damage – cytolysis, cholestasis, and also corrected energy processes in hepatocytes. Pathomorphological studies confirmed the hepatoprotective effect of the extract C. officinalis. Conclusion. The dry extract C. officinalis at a dose of 100 mg/kg has a hepatoprotective effect in experimental toxic hepatitis.

Ferulopsis hystrix is a perennial plant of the Apiaceae family. In Buryat and Mongolian medicine, it is used as a substitute for Costus speciosus roots (ru rta), and in Tibetan medicine, it is used to cure digestive system diseases and used as a wound-healing agent. However, its metabolites and their bioactivities are still poorly understood. High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass-spectrometric detection (HPLC–PDA–ESI–tQ–MS/MS) were used to identify approximately 42 phenolic compounds in F. hystrix, and 30 coumarins were characterized and quantified. The major compounds in F. hystrix roots were skimmin (umbelliferone 7-O-glucoside) and peucenidin (vaginidiol 3′-O-acetyl-4′-O-senecioyl ester), of which, gastroprotective and antioxidant effects were found for the first time. The abovementioned compounds exhibit a gastroprotective effect against indomethacin and steroid gastropathy by reducing the amount of damage (point, large, and strip-like erosions) in the gastric mucosa and lowering the corresponding Paul’s index. The most pronounced gastroprotective effect was exhibited by skimmin at a dose of 1 mg/kg and by peucenidin at doses of 16 and 48 mg/kg; these compounds help to limit the development of pronounced erosive–necrotic processes in the gastric mucosa. In pathological conditions, these compounds reduce malondialdehyde, increase the activity of catalase, and increase the content of reduced glutathione in the blood. Thus, this study demonstrates that F. hystrix roots are a good source of bioactive coumarins with gastroprotective potential, which supports earlier ethnopharmacological studies.

BACKGROUND: Mining grate prickly (Orostachys spinosa (L.) Sweet) is a perennial herb of the Crassulaceae family that is widely used in folk medicine fresh as a decoction for epilepsy and sedative for nervous disorders. AIM: To examine the effect of O. spinosa dry extract on the white rat behavior in tests with positive reinforcement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were conducted on 82 Wistar rats. The O. spinosa dry extract effects at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg on animal behavior were assessed in the hypophagy and T-maze tests. RESULTS: Following the introduction of O. spinosa extract at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, the number of animals fed in the hypophagy test was 1.6 and 1.8 times greater than that in the control, and the feed volume exceeded by 94% and 78%, respectively, the indicator in the control group. On day 4 of training, a conditioned reflex was observed in 100% of the animals treated with 200 mg/kg O. spinosa extract. Following the administration of the O. spinosa extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg and the reference drug, a conditioned reflex was observed in 63% and 71% of the animals, respectively, which was 2.0 times higher than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: The 100 and 200 mg/kg O. spinosa dry extracts positively affected the removal of the anxiety level, promoted an increase in orientingexploratory activity, and thereby accelerated the development of a conditioned reflex in white rats.

Owing to progressive aging in the population, there is an increase in patients with cognitive impairment. For the prevention of dementia, the use of plant remedies is relevant. Of particular interest is Klasea centauroides (L.) Cass. (Serratula centauroides L., Asteraceae), which has significant natural reserves, contains a wide range of biologically active substances, and is used in folk medicine to treat nervous system diseases. This study aimed to estimate the neuroprotective, energy-protective, and antioxidant effects of K. centauroides extract in cholinergic deficiency caused by long-term scopolamine administration. It has been established that K. centauroides extract accelerates passive avoidance-conditioned reflex development and ensures its preservation over a longer time period under cholinergic deficiency conditions. The K. centauroides extract increases the resistance of brain tissues to the toxic effects of scopolamine, reducing the number of neuron regressive forms in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The K. centauroides extract enhances the predominance of aerobic glycolysis over anaerobic glycolysis and enhances the NADH-dehydrogenase and succinate-dehydrogenase complexes activity, thus promoting more intensive ATP synthesis against this background, the introduction of scopolamine. The use of K. centauroides extracts reduces the malonic dialdehyde (MDA) content in the brain structures and increases the catalase (CAT) and antioxidant system glutathione unit activities.

Protective effects of Leuzea uniflora (L.) Holub (Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC., Asteraceae) on the white rats' brain mitochondrial function in acute hypobaric hypoxia/reoxygenation were studied. The extract of L. uniflora in the dose of 100 mg/kg was administered to animals for 14 days. The effects of the extract on the brain mitochondria respiration rate as well as on the NADH- and succinate dehydrogenase activities were determined. The extract of L. uniflora increased the oxidative phosphorylation processes coupling in brain mitochondria, namely, it significantly stimulated basal respiration, caused an increase in NADH-oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase complexes activity, increased the ATP content, reduced the lipid peroxidation intensity and improved the antioxidant state. The results obtained indicate the presence of energy-protective and antioxidant activities of L. uniflora, which are due to its ability to reduce the oxidation of biomacromolecules in hypoxia/reoxygenation.

The aim of the study to evaluate the anti-ischemic effect of Serratula centauroides and Rhaponticum uniflorum dry extracts for bilateral carotid artery occlusion.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out on 77 Wistar rats. Rh. uniflorum and S. centauroides dry extracts at doses 50, 100, 200 mg/kg were administered intragastrically for 14 days prior to bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries. To assess the anti-ischemic effect of the investigated agents, the total mortality, the dynamics of survival, the survival time, the animals’ neurological status were determined using a modified McGraw scale and the brain hydration degree.Results. S. centauroides at a dose 200 mg/kg reduced the percentage of animals’ death by 2.8 times (p ≤ 0.05) compared with the control. Life expectancy in animals treated with S. centauroides at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg and Rh. uniflorum at dose 100 mg/kg increased by 46, 52 and 64 %, respectively, compared to the control. The neurological deficit lowest severity was observed in animals treated with S. centauroides at dose 200 mg/kg. The most pronounced statistically significant decrease in the brain hydration level was observed in animals treated with Rh. uniflorum at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg and S. centauroides at dose 100 mg/kg.Conclusion. S. centauroides and Rh. uniflorum dry extracts have an anti-ischemic effect in cerebral ischemia.

© Занданов Александр Октябрьевич кандидат медицинских наук, доцент, Бурятский государственный университет имени

The antihypoxic effect of the Nepeta multifida L. dry extract was studied in experiments on white Wistar rats. The life span of animals was determined against the background of acute hypoxias: hypercapnic, hemic, and histotoxic ones. Using the model of acute hypobaric hypoxia/reoxygenation there was evaluated the content of ATP, lactic and pyruvic acids, TBA-active products, reduced glutathione, catalase activity in brain tissue. On the model of acute hypobaric hypoxia/reoxygenation, the content of ATP, lactic and pyruvic acids, reduced glutathione and catalase activity in brain tissue The N. multifida dry extract demonstrated antihypoxic effect at the doses comprised between 100 and 300 mg/kg increasing lifespan of animals in hypercapnic, hemic and histotoxic hypoxias. N. multifida decreases the manifestation of free-radical oxidation processes, increases the activity of the endogenic antioxidant system, and promotes the efficacy of tissue respiration and oxidative phosphorylation coupling in the brain of white rats in hypoxia/reoxygenation.

In modern life, the use of plant stress-protectors has taken on particular significance due to the wide distribution of neurosis-like and neurotic diseases caused by neuroendocrine-immune system imbalance. Special attention has been paid to the plants containing ecdysteroids, i.e., hormone-like bioactive substances with high adaptogenic activity. The article deals with the study of bioactivity of two plant extracts as Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC. and Serratula centauroides L. with a high content of ecdysteroids and phenolic compounds. The models of acute and chronic emotional stress in white rats were used to estimate the stress-protective activity of R. uniflorum and S. centauroides extracts. Both extracts showed the stress-protective effect via inhibiting the development of signs induced by single and long-term effects of stress factors. In acute stress, the development of Selye's triad signs was less pronounced against the background of the plant remedies introduction. In chronic stress, the extracts prevented the development of anxiety-depressive syndrome. Besides, R. uniflorum and S. centauroides extracts banned the development of stress-induced injuries in the brain cortex and had a neuroprotective effect on ischemia against chronic stress. The stress-protective effects of both plant extracts were based on a decrease of hyperactivation of the central stress-promoting systems (sympathoadrenal, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) due to their GABA-mimetic effects. Peripheral mechanisms were connected with the inhibition of free radical oxidation processes and with an increase in the endogenous antioxidant system activity. Thus, R. uniflorum and S. centauroides extracts have a high potential to increase non-specific body resistance against acute and chronic emotional stress effects.