Natural antioxidant products are increasingly being used to treat various pathological liver conditions considering the role of oxidative stress in their pathogenesis. Rosemary essential oil has already being used as a preservative in food industry due to its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, but it was shown to possess additional health benefits. The aim of our study was to evaluate the protective effect of rosemary essential oil on carbon tetrachloride - induced liver injury in rats and to explore whether its mechanism of action is associated with modulation of hepatic oxidative status.

Satureja montana herbal species belongs to aromatic medicinal plants with a significant place in traditional medicine. However, products produced with conventional procedures do not meet the requirements of the modern market which include environmentally-safe processes that provide quality, safe, and standardized products. In this study, the antiproliferative activity of S. montana extracts obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide and solid–liquid extraction followed by spray drying was investigated using the in vivo model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in mice. The impact of two concentrations of extracts on the growth of tumor and the redox status of malignant cells was monitored. It was determined that the extracts induced oxidative stress in the malignant cells which was confirmed by the changes in activity of biochemical indicators of oxidative stress. The posttreatment was not an efficient approach, while the extracts applied as pretreatment and treatment resulted in an increase in the xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity, a decrease in catalase (CAT) activity, and an increase in the intensity of lipid peroxidation (LPx). Furthermore, a decrease in the values of reduced glutathione (GSH) and an increase in glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in EAC cells were recorded.

Normal pregnancy is associated with oxidative stress and this is even increased during preeclampsia (PE). The decrease in total antioxidant capacity is the pathophysiological basis for vitamin supplementation during pregnancy, but the beneficial effect of this approach is still unclear. Levels of creatinine, urea, cystatin, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dysmutase activity (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and acidum ascorbicum were measured in the serums of all women. Mean MDA level in maternal plasma in normal pregnancies was significantly lower than in PE pregnancies (2,78 ±0.78 pmol/mg vs 3.20±0.91 pmol/mg, p< 0.05), as well as mean GSH-Px levels (811 ±206 U/l vs 1350±575 U/l, p< 0.05. Mean ascorbic acid values were significantly higher in normal than in PE pregnancies (9,85 ±2,43 mg/L vs 5.54±1.81 mg/L, p< 0.001), as well as mean SOD values (26.8 ±18.45% vs 12.3±10.3%, p< 0.001). There were no significant differences in normal pregnancy group with and without multivitamin supplementation. MDA levels were significantly lower in PE pregnancies with vitamin supplementation (2.99 ± 0.81 pmol/mg vs 3.42 ± 1.01 pmol/mg, p< 0.05), as well as GSC-Px levels (1200 ± 500 U/l vs 1500 ± 650 U/l, p< 0.05). Ascorbic acid values were significantly higher in the PE group with vitamin supplementation (6.16 ± 1.66 mg/L vs 4.92 ± 1.96 mg/L, p< 0.05), as well as SOD levels (13 ± 11.4 % vs 11.6 ± 9.2%, p< 0.001)