Peroxide-eliminating oxidoreductases as biosensors of antioxidant components of medicinal plants.

A simple in vitro test system based on the use of peroxide-eliminating oxidoreductases (glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase) is described. The system allows detection of antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts from raw medicinal plants. The system was used for testing water extract of Baikalskii-6 tea. Antioxidant and, presumably, adaptogenic activity of this tea was detected. In addition to activation of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase, the preparation inhibits erythrocyte catalase and therefore should not be used for detection of antioxidant activity in in vitro screening tests.

[Accelerated hydrophobic chromatography of plant extracts: a promising tool for study of biologically active polyphenols]. / Uskorennaia gidrofobnaia khromatografiia rastitel'nykh ékstraktov: perspektivnyi instrument issledovaniia biologicheski aktivnykh polifenolov.

A simple and efficient technique for fast isolation and purification of a total polyphenol fraction from dry herbal plant extract ("Phytoprost" preparation) has been developed. The method is based on sequential cascade of 1.0-5.0 kDa ultrafiltration and the following subsequent column chromatography of resultant oligo/polymeric compounds on Phenyl-Sepharose 4B-CL. This novel procedure allows to obtain a highly purified (not more than 0.5-0.6% of aromatic and heterocyclic impurities) fraction of plant polyphenols in amounts required for pharmacological/biochemical screening (0.85 +/- 0.06 A280/g dry extract) within 8-9 hours.

[Experimental study of antioxidant properties of a new dry extract (Nephrophyt) obtained on the basis of therapeutic vegetable raw material]. / Eksperimental'noe issledovanie antioksidantnykh svoistv novogo sukhogo ékstrakta "Nefrofit", poluchennogo na osnove lekarstvennogo rastitel'nogo syr'ia.

The antioxidant properties of a new Russian vegetable preparation (Nephrophyt), known for its nephroprotective effect, were investigated experimentally in vivo and in vitro in modeled systems applicable to evaluating the capture of super-radicals on the basis of nitro-blue tetrazole (NBT). The preparation was demonstrated to oppress effectively the formation of the primary peroxidation products, i.e. diene conjugates, in rats in no way affected the synthesis of the peroxidation secondary products, i.e. malonic dialdehyde. The found effect correlates with a pronounced ability of the preparation to act as a "capturer" of 02-radical in vitro. Besides, the outlooks for using Nephrophyt as an antioxidant and as a tool for investigating the peroxidation reactions are under consideration.

Antioxidant activity of a new dry plant extract nephrophyt.

Antioxidant activity of a new plant preparation nephrophyt was evaluated by its effect on the rate of superoxide anion radical generation in vitro, level of Fe(2+)-induced chemiluminescence, and content of lipid peroxidation products (malonic dialdehyde and conjugated dienes) in the blood of control and experimental animals. This preparation produces a direct antioxidant effect and possesses no prooxidant activity.

[Comparative choleretic properties of natural xanthone compounds from Gentianopsis barbata]. / Kholereticheskie svoistva prirodnykh ksantonovykh soedinenii iz gorechavnika borodatogo i ikh sravnitel'naia kharakteristika.

Comparative data are presented for the choleretic activity of xanthones isolated from Gentianopsis barbata (Froel.) Ma. (Gentianaceae family): a sum of xanthone glycosides (I) and aglycons (II); xanthone aglycons, including decussatin [1-(OH)-3,7,8-(OCH3)3] (III) and gentiacaulein [1,7-(OH)-3,8-(OCH3)2] (IV); and xanthone glycoside gentiabavaroside [1-O-primverosyl-7-(OH)-3,8-(OCH3)2] (V). It was established that (II) is superior to (I) with respect to cholagogic effect and is inferior to (III) and (IV) with respect to cholatostimulant action.