Antidepressant Effect and Recognition Memory Improvement of Two Novel Plant Extract Combinations - Antistress I and Anti-stress II on Rats Subjected to a Model of Mild Chronic Stress.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress is one of the main factors which lead to depression - a psychiatric disorder affecting millions of people and predicted to be the second ranked cause of premature death in 2020. Depression is often associated with cognitive disturbances and memory deficit. Plant based therapy could be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depression due to its low level of adverse reaction, its good tolerability and compliance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 72 male Wistar rats, divided in 9 groups were given orally for 8 weeks two combinations of dry plant extracts - Antistress I and Antistress II and five individual dry extracts obtained from Serratula coronata, Hypericum perforatum, Valeriana officinalis, Crataegus monogyna and Melissa officinalis. The animals were exposed to a chronic unpredictable mild stress for 8 weeks. The depression-like symptoms were evaluated with Forced swim test while the assessment of the memory deficit was performed with Novel object recognition test. RESULTS: Antistress II demonstrates antidepressant effect while Antistress I doesn't improve the depressive-like symptoms. The individual extracts of Hypericum perforatum and Valeriana officinalis also possess antidepressant properties. Antistress II improves the cognition as well as the individual extracts of Hypericum perforatum, Valeriana officinalis and especially Serratula coronata. Dry extract from Serratula tend to have the best effect regarding the recognition memory. The effect of Antistress I on memory deficit is negligible. CONCLUSIONS: Antistress II possesses antidepressant effect and improves the recognition memory while Antistress I doesn't demonstrate any of the above-described effects.

Production of metabolites with antioxidant and emulsifying properties by antarctic strain Sporobolomyces salmonicolor AL1.

The Sporobolomyces salmonicolor AL(1) Antarctic strain was cultivated and two bioproducts were obtained: exopolysaccharide and biomass. The biologically active substances ergosterol, torularhodin, torulene, ß-carotene and CoQ(10) were extracted from the biomass and were quantified as follows: ergosterol 5.2 ± 0.2 mg/g, torularhodin 458.3 ± 24.5 µg/g, torulene 273.7 ± 14.5 µg/g, ß-carotene 129.2 ± 7.3 µg/g and coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) 236.1 ± 12.1 µg/g. Their antioxidant activity was estimated according to the cathode voltammetry method. The most pronounced antioxidant activity (according to trolox) was exhibited by ß-carotene 3.78, followed by CoQ(10) 3.60, both of them being the main contributors to the total extract activity of 3.19. The biologically active metabolites in combination with exoglucomannan as emulsifier were used for the creation of model emulsion systems characterised by great stability. The absorption of UVA rays by the model emulsions was studied.

Synthesis of coenzyme Q10 and beta-carotene by yeasts isolated from antarctic soil and lichen in response to ultraviolet and visible radiations.

The effect of different doses of visible (Vis), ultraviolet-capital A, Cyrillic (UVA), and mixed light (UVA + Vis) upon coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) and beta-carotene synthesis and biomass yield by the Sporobolomyces salmonicolor AL(1), Cryptococcus albidus AS(55), Cryptococcus laurentii AS(56), and C. laurentii AS(58) strains isolated from Antarctic samples was investigated. The beta-carotene concentration in the red strain biomass increased by 52% under irradiation with 11 J/cm(2) Vis, and the CoQ(10) concentration rose by 37% in relation to the control quantity obtained through dark cultivation. Under irradiation with 6 J/cm(2) UVA, the S. salmonicolor AL(1) strain synthesized 15% more beta-carotene; C. albidus AS(55), 22%; C. laurentii AS(56), 44%; and C. laurentii AS(58), 35% in relation to the control quantity. Irradiation with a low UVcapital A, Cyrillic + Vis dose significantly stimulated beta-carotene biosynthesis by the strains of the Cryptococcus genus (87%, 138%, and 100%), whereas S. salmonicolor AL(1) increased the beta-carotene content to a smaller degree (55%). Higher doses of all three irradiation types inhibited beta-carotene accumulation. Vis suppressed CoQ(10) biosynthesis in the Cryptococcus strains, whereas UVcapital A, Cyrillic and UVcapital A, Cyrillic + Vis inhibited it in all four strains. The S. salmonicolor AL(1) strain pre-treated with 0.02 J/cm(2) UVA synthesized twice as much CoQ(10) and beta-carotene when cultivated in the presence of Vis light in an 11-J/cm(2) dose.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of unreacted monomers and other residues contained in dental composites.

HPLC method was developed for determination of bisphenol A diglycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA), bisphenol A diglycidyl acrylate (bis-GA), bisphenol A dimethacrylate (bis-DMA), glycidylmethacrylate (GMA) and triethylenglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Separation was carried out on a reversed phase Omnisphere 5 C18 column with a gradient mobile phase of CH3CN/H2O. UV detection was set at 205 nm and 275 nm parallel. The limits of quantification were found. The method has been applied for quantification of unreacted monomers trapped in polymer network of fillings.