Nowadays, interest in natural antioxidants (especially phenolics) for the prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases is increasing due to their fewer side effects and more potent activity than some of their synthetic analogues. New chemical and pharmacological studies of well-known herbal substances are among the current trends in medicinal plant research. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a popular herb used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases (including rheumatic-, inflammatory- and tumor-related disease, etc.). The dry tincture of Filipendulae ulmariae herba, collected from the Bulgarian flora, was analyzed using the HPLC method and bioassayed for antioxidant, antiproliferative and DNA-protective activities against oxidative damage. The HPLC phenolic profile showed 12 phenolics, of which salicylic acid (18.84 mg/g dry extract), rutin (9.97 mg/g de), p-coumaric acid (6.80 mg/g de), quercetin (4.47 mg/g de), rosmarinic acid (4.01 mg/g de) and vanillic acid (3.82 mg/g de) were the major components. The high antioxidant potential of the species was confirmed by using four methods, best expressed by the results of the CUPRAC assay (10,605.91 μM TE/g de). The present study reports for the first time the highly protective activities of meadowsweet dry tincture against oxidative DNA damage and its antiproliferative effect against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2 cell line). Meadowsweet dry tincture possesses great potential to prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Antioxidants from natural sources are essential for the development of new therapeutics to improve human health. The objects of study are the aerial flowering parts of Potentilla argentea, a plant species known in traditional medicine for the astringent, hemostatic, wound-healing, and anti-inflammatory effects of its rhizomes. A Potentillae argenteae herba ethanol dry tincture was chromatographically analyzed (GC/MS, HPLC) and its antioxidant (ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP assays) and DNA nicking protection potentials were evaluated. The eighteen volatiles were identified by GC/MS, where the predominant components were n-nonacosane (39.38 mg/g dt), squalene (28.88 mg/g dt), n-tricosane (18.36 mg/g dt), ethyl oleate (15.24 mg/g dt), and n-pentacosane (10.60 mg/g dt). A high content of total polyphenols was obtained (440.78 mg GAE/g dt), and HPLC analysis identified two flavonoids and three phenolic acids, of which rosmarinic acid and rutin were above 10 mg/g dt. The tincture exhibited strong antioxidant activity by all four methods, especially CUPRAC assay (8617.54 μM TE/g). DNA protective activity against oxidative damage and microscopic identification of P. argenteae herba powder were established for the first time. Therefore, the tincture could be incorporated into phytopreparations for the treatment of human diseases caused by reactive oxygen species.

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of some social, economic, and demographic factors, nutritional habits and lifestyles on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among male adult population in Bulgaria. A cross-section population study of a sample of 860 men aged 30-50 years from the town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria was undertaken. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the International Obesity Task Force’s cut-off points for Body Mass Index in adults. The information about marital status, residency, income and education level of each person is obtained by interview. The data regarding eating habits, preferred food, alcohol consumption, smoking status and leisure activities was collected using a questionnaire. The statistical analysis was made by SPSS 19. Findings show that the marital status, education, tobacco and alcohol consumption are the significant factors affecting overweight and obesity. The risk increases considerably in men with primary and secondary education (OR=1.80, p<0.05), ex-smokers (OR=3.007, p<0.01), heavy drinkers (OR=2.22, p<0.01), and married men (OR=0.54 p<0.05). At the same time the absence of a family, higher education and smoking reduce this risk to a great extent. The model did not identify a significant connection between overweight or obesity and the factors including place of residence, eating habits, preferred food and leisure activities. In conclusion, the results show alarming trends in the spread of overweight and obesity conditions among adult men in Bulgaria. The strategy for counteracting this alarming trend involves increasing education and income, applying a correct nutrition model, reducing smoking and abstinence from drinking.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of high-normal blood pressure and hypertension among 8 to 15-year-old Bulgarian children and adolescents with various nutritional status in the region of Smolyan, Bulgaria. The sample population of the study was 873 children between the ages of 8 to 15 years, examined by a cross-sectional study in the period 2012-2014. For each child was measured weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure as well as body mass index and waist to height ratio. The results show that the high-normal blood pressure is found in average 20.3 percent of children and adolescents, while hypertension is found in 3.4 percent. The percentage of children with high-normal blood pressure and central obesity is 35.4 percent, and with hypertension and central obesity is 7.1 percent. Positive significant correlations between BMI, WHtR and blood pressure are observed in both sexes. The prevalence of children with high-normal blood pressure and hypertension and with central obesity increases.