Silymarin is a complex of five major compounds, and silibinin is the most biologically active component of the complex. The aim of this study was to investigate, evaluate and confirm the potential cardioprotective and hepatoprotective effects of administration of silymarin, rich in silibinin, at a dose of 60 mg/kg orally for a time-span of 12 days on doxorubicin induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. The in vivo model was used to explore whether silymarin could prevent damage of liver and heart tissue induced by doxorubicin administered every other day at dose of 1.66 mg/kg intraperitoneally for twelve days. In the study the change of body weight, ECG changes, biochemical parameters of oxidative stress, serum activity of alanine and aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and histological preparations of heart and liver samples of treated animals were examined. According to physiological, pharmacological, microscopic and biochemical results, we confirmed that at the examined dose, silymarin exhibits a protective influence on the heart and liver tissue against toxicity induced by doxorubicin.

Resveratrol was recognized as the major factor responsible for the beneficial properties of red wine. Several resveratrol-based dietary supplements are available, but their efficacy has not been sufficiently tested. This study was designed to examine the effect of resveratrol supplementation, using a commercially available product, on the metabolic status of experimental animals with induced hyperlipidemia or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Hyperlipidemia was induced by feeding the rats a standard pellet diet supplemented with cholesterol. T2DM was induced by adding 10% fructose to drinking water and streptozotocin. Treatment with resveratrol-based supplement improved glycemic control in diabetic animals and significantly decreased serum low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels, concurrently increasing the high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) levels in animals with hyperlipidemia. Resveratrol-treated animals had improved tolerance to glucose loading. Supplementation did not induce alterations in parameters of liver and renal function. Findings indicate that commercial resveratrol supplement improves metabolic control in rats with induced hyperlipidemia and T2DM.

This study investigated the chemical and nutritional profile and antioxidative properties of cultivated Coprinus comatus . Proximate analysis revealed that C. comatus is rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibres and proteins, and could also be a valuable source of phenolics. Additionally, fat content is low, consisting mainly of polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, the safety profile of C. comatus is satisfactory, with all elements of toxicological importance within the proposed limits. Oral treatment with C. comatus for 42 days improved the antioxidant capabilities and ameliorated carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in rats, marked by decreased serum aminotransferase levels and lipid peroxidation intensity. Glutathione concentrations increased in a dose-dependent manner. Histological morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed antioxidative and hepatoprotective potential. These findings imply that cultivated C. comatus could be considered a nutraceutical, having beneficial nutrient and therapeutic properties.

Background. Attitudes towards conventional and complementary medicine among future healthcare professionals can impact their future pharmacotherapy practice. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and predisposing factors related to self-medication among medical and pharmacy students. Methods. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Serbia, on first- and final-year students of medicine and pharmacy. The multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to identify the main predictors of self-medication. Results. The overall self-medication prevalence in the past year was 81.3%. Independent risk factors for self-medication identified in the regression analysis were the final study year, housing condition, i.e., living in a leased apartment or in a student dormitory in comparison to living with parents, and cigarette consumption. The conventional drugs were the most frequently used, mostly for the symptoms of cold and pain. Final-year students had more confidence in conventional medicines than in herbal drugs and were more aware of the risks of their concomitant use. Conclusion. Self-medication is highly prevalent among students of medical sciences, especially among final-year students. Increased medical knowledge led to the higher awareness of the drug interaction risks.

Mastitis is considered to be one of the most important diseases of dairy cows in terms of health, production, and economy. Being the most common cause of antibiotic consumption in dairy cows, treatment of this disease is one of the biggest challenges in the veterinary profession as an increasing number of pathogens develop resistance to antibiotics used in the treatment. Therefore, new alternative approaches for limiting the use of antibiotics in livestock are required. For this reason, our study aimed to investigate prevalence of environmental mastitis associated bacterial strains, as well as the sensitivity of isolated strains to different antibiotics. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of three essential oils (EOs) was tested against bovine Serratia spp. and Proteus spp. mastitis pathogens, based on their chemical composition, as well as antibacterial potential. The study was carried out on 81 milk samples collected from dairy cows with mastitis. In order to determine prevalence of S. marcescens and P. mirabilis, microbiological isolation and identification were performed. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method and the microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of selected EOs. In the oregano EO, a total of 23 compounds were detected, with carvacrol as a dominant component (78.94%). A total of 26 components were present in the EO of common thyme, where thymol was the most abundant compound (46.37%). Thymol also dominated (55.11%) the wild thyme EO. All tested EOs displayed antibacterial activity against all strains to different extents, while wild and common thyme EOs were the most effective. It could be concluded that the tested EOs represent promising therapeutic candidates for effective non-antibiotic treatment of mastitis.