Two flavonoids, rutin and hesperidin, were investigated in vitro for anticoagulant activity through coagulation tests: activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT). Only an ethanolic solution of rutin at the concentration of 830 µM prolonged aPTT, while TT and PT were unaffected. In order to evaluate whether the prolongation of aPTT was due to the decrease of coagulation factors, the experiment with deficient plasma was performed, showing the effects on factors VIII and IX. Since pharmacological activity of flavonoids is believed to increase when they are coordinated with metal ions, complexes of these flavonoids with Al(III) and Cu(II) ions were also tested. The results showed that complexes significantly prolonged aPTT and had no effects on PT and TT. Assay with deficient plasma (plasma having the investigated factor at less then 1%) revealed that complexes could bind to the coagulation factors, what may lead to a non-specific inhibition and aPTT prolongation. An effort was made to correlate stability of complexes with their anticoagulant properties.

Nine elements (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, As, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb) were determined in 8 teas and 25 herbal teas widely consumed in Serbia for medical purposes. Green, black, peppermint, chamomile, cranberry, sage, rosehip, uva, senna, marigold, and fennel teas were investigated. Microwave-assisted acid digestion was used for all of the samples, and the element contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. From all of the determined microelements, the highest content was that of Mn, 2912.8 and 2541.8 mg/kg of dry matter in the black and green tea, respectively. The contents of toxic elements (As, Cd, and Pb) were below the maximum permissible levels, except for one brand of peppermint tea in which the level of Cd was 8.61 mg/kg, much higher than the allowed 0.3 mg/kg.

The aim of the present study was to optimize a chromatographic method for the analysis of atorvastatin (acid and lactone forms), ortho- and para-hydroxyatorvastatin by using an experimental design approach. Optimization experiments were conducted through a process of screening and optimization. The purpose of a screening design is to identify the factors that have significant effects on the selected chromatographic responses, and for this purpose a full 2³ factorial design was used. The location of the true optimum was established by applying Derringer’s desirability function, which provides simultaneously optimization of all seven responses. The ranges of the independent variables used for the optimization were content of acetonitrile in mobile phase (60–70%), temperature of column (30–40 °C) and flow rate (0.8–1.2 mL min⁻¹). The influences of these independent variables were evaluated for the output responses: retention time of first peak (p-hydroxyatorvastatin) and of last peak (atorvastatin, lactone form), symmetries of all four peaks and relative retention time of p-hydroxyatorvastatin. The primary goal of this investigation was establishing a new simple and sensitive method that could be used in analysis of biological samples. The method was validated and successfully applied for determination of atorvastatin (acid and lactone forms) and its metabolites in plasma.

The antitumour action of three polyoxometallate compounds of Keggin's type: 12-molibdophosphoric acid (MoPA), 12-tungstophosphoric acid (WPA) and Mg salt of WPA (MgHWPA) was studied in vitro. For human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cells survival, as well as for nonstimulated and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), MTT test was applied and IC50 values of POMs were determinated. Index selectivity for WPA and MgHWPA are 1.9 and 1.8, calculated for nonstimulated, as well as 2.5 and 2.0, calculated for stimulated PBMS. Combination of studied POMs do not contribute to their lower IC50 values. Apoptosis detection implies mild cytotoxic effect of WPA and more cytostatical effect of MgHWPA. Combination of each of the studied POMs with caffeine decreases HeLa survival in dose dependent way. None of the studied POMs in the used concentrations (up to 100 mmol/L) damages blood cells and/or decreases their number.