Current Issue : October-December Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 5 Articles
Background/Objective: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is defined by the presence of hepatic steatosis, and is associated with obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic alterations. Feeding rats with a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) diet is a reproducible experimental model of obesity/metabolic syndrome and the related MAFLD. Aronia melanocarpa, Rosa canina, and Alchemilla vulgaris are polyphenol-rich plants with proven health benefits. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of four Aronia melanocarpa-based fruit juices (AMBFJs) in HFHF-fed rats. Methods: The AMBFJs were AM20 and AM60 (produced from aronia berries at 20 ◦C and 60 ◦C, respectively), AMRC (aronia juice with Rosa canina), and AMAV (aronia juice with Alchemilla vulgaris). Male Wistar rats were allocated to 6 groups. Except for the Control, the rest of the groups were fed an HFHF diet for 60 days. Throughout the experiment, each of the AMBFJs was administered to one HFHF-fed group. Results: HFHF-fed rats had an increased calorie intake on the background of increased liquid and decreased food consumption. At the end of the experiment, they had similar body weights, slightly increased fat indices, increased levels of blood lipids and liver enzymes, as well as typical histopathological changes in liver and adipose tissue. AMBFJs-treated animals showed improvement in most of these parameters, especially in triglyceride levels, liver enzymes, and the histopathological changes in the liver and fat. AMAV, the juice with the highest polyphenolic content, had the highest effect on adiposity. Conclusion: In HFHF-fed rats, AMBFJs exerted beneficial effects on MAFLD probably due to their polyphenolic ingredients....
Medicinal plants have been traditionally used for generations, often without scientific validation. Euphorbia tirucalli (E. tirucalli), a plant native to Africa, is commonly employed in folk medicine for treating various ailments, including cancer. However, most studies involving this species are limited to in vitro models, and its systemic effects remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of E. tirucalli latex on renal function in healthyWistar rats. Animals were divided into two groups: a control group receiving water and a treated group receiving E. tirucalli latex (13.47 mg/kg) by gavage for 15 days. Renal function was assessed by measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), renal blood flow (RBF), renal vascular resistance (RVR), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Additionally, oxidative stress markers, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, and inflammatory activity were analyzed in renal tissue. E. tirucalli significantly reduced GFR, RPF, and RBF, while increasing RVR and MAP. Renal tissue exhibited elevated levels of advanced oxidation protein products, myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, and peroxynitrite/ hydroxyl radicals. These findings indicate that E. tirucalli latex adversely affects renal hemodynamics and promotes oxidative and inflammatory damage, suggesting potential nephrotoxic effects, even in healthy subjects....
Dodders (Cuscuta spp.) are prominent parasitic plants widely known and exploited in traditional medicine. They are rich in polyphenolics, which determine their strong antioxidant potential. However, comparatively few of the nearly 200 known species have been characterized for their medicinal potential. In the present study, we aimed to explore the antioxidant potential of four of the most widely distributed Cuscuta species in Bulgaria—C. campestris, C. monogyna, C. epithymum, and C. europaea. They differed significantly in polyphenolic content and accordingly differed in their antioxidant properties, although this correlation is not always straightforward, as shown in C. europaeae. Furthermore, we evaluated the host plant species’ influence on the polyphenolic content, antioxidant properties, and flavonoid profile of C. campestris, finding a significant enhancement when the parasite was grown on aromatic plants—rosemary and thyme—compared to a model host—Arabidopsis thaliana. Seven major flavonoids and phenolic acids—chlorogenic acid, kaempferol-3,7-O-diglucoside, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, kaempferol-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, astragalin, and isorhamnetin-7-glucoside—were annotated after HPLC-MS analysis and found to be affected by the host species. In conclusion, it was found that extracts from different Cuscuta species differ in their antioxidant potential, which the host plants might further modify....
Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP) is caused by bacterial infection, commonly treated with fluoroquinolones. Due to rising antibiotic resistance, alternative therapies such as phytotherapy are being explored. Lycopene, a potential antioxidant with antiinflammatory properties, is a candidate for such therapy. This study aims to evaluate lycopene’s therapeutic effects alone or with cephalexin against chronic prostate infections induced by Staphylococcus aureus using the Wistar rat model. The CBP model was established by introducing S. aureus through the urethra into the prostatic duct in 25 rats, confirming infection via uriculture and spermoculture analysis. Infected rats (n = 21) were grouped randomly: G1 (control), G2 (lycopene), G3 (cephalexin), and G4 (lycopene/cephalexin), in addition to negative control (G5) with healthy rats. Treatments were administered intragastrically, two times per day for 2 weeks: lycopene (10 mg/kg), cephalexin (2.5 mg/kg), or both. Biological samples (blood, urine, and prostate specimens) were collected for microbiological and histological analysis. The results showed a significant reduction in bacterial counts in urine and prostate (p < 0.01), especially in the group treated with both lycopene and cephalexin. This group also exhibited notable anti-inflammatory effects compared to single-treatment and control groups. In conclusion, lycopene combined with cephalexin demonstrated a beneficial synergistic effect, indicating its potential as an effective treatment for CBP caused by S. aureus....
Objectives: The aim of this work was to determine the phenolic composition of sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua L., Asteraceae) from controlled cultivation in Serbia and to assess the potential antioxidant effects and cytotoxicity. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the phenolic composition of Artemisia annua ethanolic extract. The antioxidant activity was studied using in vitro tests of inhibition of the neutralization of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl (OH), and nitroso (NO) radicals, as well as the process of inhibiting lipid peroxidation and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The cytotoxicity was evaluated by the effect on three cell lines (the rat pancreatic insulinoma cell line (Rin-5F), the rat hepatoma cell line (H4IIE), and human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2)) using the MTT test of viability. Results: Ethanol extract showed the highest potency in inhibiting the DPPH radical, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 5.17 μg/mL. Chlorogenic acid was the dominant phenolic compound with an amount of 651 μg/g of dry extract. The results of the MTT viability test showed that the extract has the potential to inhibit the growth of the Rin-5F and Hep G2 cell lines, while no growth inhibition was observed on the H4IIE cell line. Conclusions: Undoubtedly, Artemisia annua is a powerful plant and a rich source of phenolic compounds. Inhibitory activity on causes of oxidative stress shows that the plant has a good antioxidant effect. Also, the anticancer activity shown through the inhibition of cell growth is not negligible....
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