Accelerated Method for Determining Ischemic Brain Damage in Rats and Assessment the Neuroprotective Effect of a Complex Herbal Remedy.

The severity of ischemic injury was evaluated by densitometry of brain samples stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) on a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (common carotid artery occlusion) and the neuroprotective activity of an extract of Astragalus membranaceus, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Phlojodicarpus sibiricus was assessed. Occlusion of the common carotid arteries led to a weakening of TTC staining of the brain tissue: densitometric indicators of the staining intensity for the cortex and striatum were lower than the corresponding indicators of sham-operated rats by 18.3 and 10.4%. The mean intensity of staining of brain samples did not differ in rats treated with the extract and sham-operated animals, which attested to its neuroprotective effect. The applied method is convenient for evaluation of the severity of ischemic brain damage at the early stages and screening potential neuroprotective agents.

CHOLERETIC PLANT REMEDIES OF THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE AND PROSPECTS OF THE CREATION OF NEW PREPARATIONS ON THEIR BASE / Монголын эм зүй, эм судлал

25 species of plants from Transbaikalian flora possess choleretic activity in a varying degree depending on the doses used. Choleretic activity was revealed in multicomponent remedies and xanthone compounds from Gentianaceae family.Key words: bile, plant mono- and complex plant remedies, xanthone compounds.IntroductionMedicinal plants were used as choleretic remedies since ancient times. In particular these plants are widely used for the treatment of digestive organs diseases which have the tendency to chronization and require complex long-term pharmacotherapy.The objective of the present work was to estimate the choleretic activity of the plants used for the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases in the traditional medicine.There were studied the decoctions from the aerial part of Lomatogonium carinthiacum, Gentianopsis barbata, Gentiana macrophylla, Halenia corniculata (Gentianaceae), Trifolium lupinaster, Parnassia palustris (Saxifragaceae), Leptopyrum fumarioides, Odontites rubra (Scrophulariaceae), Artemisia scoparia, Crepis tectorum (Asteraceae), Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Ericaceae), Pyrola rotundifolia (Pyrolaceae), flowers of Vincetoxicum sibiricum (Asclepiadaceae), Hypecoum erectum (Papaveraceae), Hemerocalis minor (Liliaceae), branches of Myricaria dahurica (Tamaricaceae), leaves of Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Ericaceae), and fruits of Crataegus sanginea (Rosaceae).Besides there were studied the extracts from Trifolium repens (Fabaceae), Phlomis tuberosa (Lamiaceae), Pentaphylloides fruticosa, Polygonum aviculare (polygonaceae), Pedicularis verticillata, Linaria vulgaris (Scrophylariaceae) and Bergenia crassifolia (Saxifragaceae).Materials and methodsThe experiments were carried out on white male and female Wistar rats. The bile was obtained according to the generally accepted method [1] with the use of polyethylene cannula inserted into the common bile duct of the rats under barbamyle narcosis (0.8 ml per 100 g of weight, intraperitoneally). The bile was collected every hour for 5 hours. The power of choleretic activity of the obtained extract was estimated according to the secretion rate and total amount of the bile secreted as well as according to the content of the main ingredients in the bile, namely bilirubin [2], bile acids and cholesterol [3]. The decoctions were studied at the doses from 10 to 1000 mg/kg of the animal weight (on air-dry basis). The rats of the control group received the same volume of purified water. The data processing was performed with the use of the Student’s t-criterion.

RHAPONTICUM UNIFLORUM (L.) AND SERRATULA CENTAUROIDES (L.) AS THE / Монголын эм зүй, эм судлал

Rhaponticum unifl orum (L.) and Serratula centauroides (L.) are prospective adaptogenic ecdysteroid-containing plants of Buryatia Republic. Underground organs of Rhaponticum unifl orum (L.) and the grass of Serratula centauroides (L.) may be suggested as a plant material containing ecdysteroids for creation of new adaptogenic remedies. Key words: ecdysteroid, Rhaponticum unifl orum (L.), Serratula centauroides (L.) Adaptogenes possess a specifi c combination of peculiar pharmacological properties: being non-toxic substances these preparations manifest anabolic properties which set condition for physiological stimulation of the protective system functions in the body, i.e. bring the body to the state of non-specifi c increased resistance. Adaptogenes have stimulating effect and promote the increase of the resistance to various unfavorable factors. It is worthy to note that adaptogenic properties are characteristic features of natural preparations or compounds being natural metabolites. Some polysaccharides, vaccines, as well as synthetic preparations – stimulators with “economizing” type of the effect have certain adaptogenic properties which are manifested in the regulation of immune system functions. Nevertheless, specifi c stimulating properties and preventive effect manifested in the preparation of the bodily systems to overloading are the most peculiar features of typical adaptogenes [1,2]. At present the use of ecdysteroid-containig plants for developing new adaptogenic medicinal preparations and tonics are of great interest. Plant ecdysteroids have practical signifi cance: they are contained almost in all plants but the difference in concentration levels reaches 8-9 orders. Only few species are characterized by high content of ecdysteroids. Rhaponticum unifl orum (L.) and Serratula centauroides (L.) are ecdysteroid-containing plants growing in the territory of Buryatia [3]. The aim of the present work is to study the chemical composition of ecdysteroid-containing plants - Rhaponticum unifl orum (L.) and Serratula centauroides (L.).

[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.

[Hepatoprotective effect of granules of the dry extract obtained from Gentianopsis barbata (Froel) Ma]. / Gepatozashchitnoe deistvie granul sukhogo ékstrakta gorechavnika borodatogo.

The granulated dry extract from Gentianopsis barbata (Froel) Ma in a dose of 0.1 g/kg produced a pronounced therapeutic effect in rats with experimental toxic (tetrachloromethane) and drug-induced (tetracycline) hepatitis. The gentian extract improved the bile production and secretion functions of liver, normalized the protein, lipid, and pigment metabolism, and increased the antioxidant system activity in the test animals.