Evaluation of the In Vivo Anti-Atherosclerotic Activity of Quercetin Isolated from the Hairy Roots of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-atherosclerotic properties of quercetin isolated from the extract of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb hairy roots. During the study, the hormonal composition of the nutrient medium for cultivation of H. neglectum hairy root biomass was selected: Gamborg's medium enriched with the cytokine 6-benzylaminopurine (1.5 mg/1 dm3). It was found that the extraction of hairy root biomass with a 50% water-ethanol solution (40:1 1 h at 60 ± 2 °C) yielded an extract that contained the highest amount of quercetin (an average of 2.1 times higher than in extracts obtained at other parameters). It was determined that 100 µM quercetin solution showed the greatest bioactivity on Caenorhabditis elegans: on day 61, the percentage of surviving nematodes was 2.06 times higher compared to other samples and 6 times higher compared to control, resulting in a 12.5-fold increase in SOD-3 expression compared to control (without biologically active substance (BAS) addition). Meanwhile, the 10 µM quercetin solution exhibited the best ability to inhibit the accumulation of lipid fractions; the accumulation was 1.06 times less compared to the control. The results of this study show that quercetin, which was isolated from the biomass of H. neglectum hairy roots, can be used as a component of anti-atherosclerotic dietary supplements.

Study of the Effect of Baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis on the Gastrointestinal Tract Normoflora and Helicobacter pylori.

The antimicrobial properties of baicalin against H. pylori and several probiotic cultures were evaluated. Baicalin was isolated from a dry plant extract obtained by extraction with water at 70 °C. For isolation, extraction was carried out with n-butanol and purification on a chromatographic column. The antimicrobial potential was assessed by evaluating changes in the optical density of the bacterial suspension during cultivation; additionally, the disk diffusion method was used. During the study, the baicalin concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/mL) and the pH of the medium in the range of 1.5-8.0 were tested. The test objects were: suspensions of H. pylori, Lactobacillus casei, L. brevis, Bifidobacterium longum, and B. teenis. It was found that the greater the concentration of the substance in the solution, the greater the delay in the growth of the strain zone. Thus, the highest antimicrobial activity against H. pylori was observed at pH 1.5-2.0 and a baicalin concentration of 1.00 mg/mL. In relation to probiotic strains, a stimulating effect of baicalin (1.00 mg/mL) on the growth of L. casei biomass at pH 1.5-2.0 was observed. The results open up the prospects for the use of baicalin and probiotics for the treatment of diseases caused by H. pylori.

Ex Vivo and In Vitro Antiaging and Antioxidant Extract Activity of the Amelanchier ovalis from Siberia.

Phenolic acids are biologically active substances that prevent aging and age-related diseases, e.g., cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc. Cellular senescence is related to oxidative stress. The Siberian Federal District is rich in medicinal plants whose extracts contain phenolic acids. These plants can serve as raw materials for antiaging, antioxidant food supplements, and Amelanchier ovalis is one of them. In the present research, we tested the phytochemical profile of its extract for phenolic acids. Its geroprotective and antioxidant properties were studied both ex vivo and in vitro using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y-564 as a model organism. The chromotographic analysis revealed gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and protocatechuic acids, as well as derivatives of chlorogenic and gallic acids. The research involved 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/mL extracts of Amelanchier ovalis, all of which increased the growth and lifespan of yeast cells. In addition, the extracts increased the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress. An in vitro experiment also demonstrated the antioxidant potential of Amelanchier ovalis against ABTS radicals. Therefore, the Amelanchier ovalis berry extract proved to be an excellent source of phenolic acids and may be recommended as a raw material for use in antioxidant and geroprotective food supplements.

Effect of Lactobacteria on Bioactive Peptides and Their Sequence Identification in Mature Cheese.

An in silico study that featured the effect of starter cultures on the bioactivity and other health benefits of peptides in semi-hard cheese is presented in this contribution. Model Caciotta-type cheese samples were obtained in laboratory conditions in two variations. Sample A included starter cultures of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris. Sample B included starter cultures of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, and a culture of lactobacilli Lacticaseibacillus casei. The in silico method showed that the peptides inhibited angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACE) and ipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4), as well as possessed antioxidant properties. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris had a greater effect on the formation of bioactive peptides.

Genes and Eating Preferences, Their Roles in Personalized Nutrition.

At present, personalized diets, which take into account consumer genetic characteristics, are growing popular. Nutrigenetics studies the effect of gene variations on metabolism and nutrigenomics, which branches off further and investigates how nutrients and food compounds affect genes. This work deals with the mutations affecting the assimilation of metabolites, contributing to nutrigenetic studies. We searched for the genes responsible for eating preferences which allow for the tailoring of personalized diets. Presently, genetic nutrition is growing in demand, as it contributes to the prevention and/or rehabilitation of non-communicable diseases, both monogenic and polygenic. In this work, we showed single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes-missense mutations that change the functions of coded proteins, resulting in a particular eating preferences or a disease. We studied the genes influencing food preferences-particularly those responsible for fats and carbohydrates absorption, food intolerance, metabolism of vitamins, taste sensations, oxidation of xenobiotics, eating preferences and food addiction. As a result, 34 genes were identified that affect eating preferences. Significant shortcomings were found in the methods/programs for developing personalized diets that are used today, and the weaknesses were revealed in the development of nutrigenetics (inconsistency of data on SNP genes, ignoring population genetics data, difficult information to understand consumer, etc.). Taking into account all the shortcomings, an approximate model was proposed in the review for selecting an appropriate personalized diet. In the future, it is planned to develop the proposed model for the compilation of individual diets.