Objective: This study was undertaken to research of antioxidant properties of extracts of the plants and the callus biomass.Methods: The implementation of the method of cultivating the cells, tissues, and organisms in vitro for the reception of biological material of Carlina аcaulis L. (Asteraceae) is a timely issue for the medical and pharmaceutic industry, as the domestication in vitro creates the opportunity for the year-round production of the plant material as the source of biologically active substances. The seeds and plant materials (roots) of C. acaulis L. collected from natural habitat - meadows mountains Klyva Tarnychkovain Ukraine in the Carpathians. The influence of phytohormones on growth processes of plant cells is researched; the optimal conditions for the cultivation of C. acaulis L. are defined and chosen. Biomass extract is obtained and researched for the presence of biologically active substances and conducted definition of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of extracts of medical herbs and callus biomass of C. acaulis L.Results: C. аcaulis L. was cultivated in vitro. There was set up a scheme of sterilization of seeds with the biggest outcome of aseptic explants. There took place the investigation of the qualitative content of the extracts of callus biomass of C. acaulis L. and the detection of flavonoids and tannins. Conducted definition of ORAC of extracts of medical herbs and callus biomass of C. acaulis L. Conclusion: The obtained data showed that the investigated extracts of callus biomass and biomass of the medical herb C. acaulis L. having antioxidant activity, which makes it possible to continue research in this direction.

The possibility of increasing metabolism and resistance in an organism of animals under the influence of biologically active substances of natural origin is considered in the paper. In the current study, we investigated the effect of 40% ethanolic extract of common nettle (Urtica dioica L.) on hematologic indexes (hemoglobin concentration, erythrocytes and leukocytes content), protein metabolism (total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase activities (ALT)), glutathione metabolism (peroxidase (GP), glutathione reductase (GR) and reduced glutathione content (GSH)), antioxidant defense systems (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), and indicators of free radical processes (lipid hydroperoxidation products (LHP), TBA-active products and carbonyl groups of protein (CP)) in the blood and tissues of normal and adrenalin-stressed rats. White Wistar rats (male) with body weight 180-200 g were used in the experiments. The animals were divided into 4 groups (control and 3 experimental), each containing 7 animals. The animals of experimental groups D-2 and D-3 received 40% ethanolic extract of common nettle in a dose of 5 mL/kg of body weight during 4 weeks. After 29 days of the experiment, the animals of D-1 and D-3 groups were intramuscularly administered 0.1% solution of adrenaline hydrochloride at a dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight. One day after the administration of adrenaline, the animals were decapitated under ether anesthesia. The objects of the study were blood and homogenates of liver, heart, and kidneys of the rats. Our results have shown that adrenaline stress causes a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin, LHP, SOD activity and increase in activities of AST, GP, GR, and GSH content in the blood of rats. Stress induced by adrenaline was accompanied by decrease in CP content, activities of SOD, CAT, and increase in the glutathione chain of antioxidant defense system in the liver of the animals while in the heart and kidneys, there was an increase in oxidative stress parameters and decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GP, GR). The administration of ethanolic extract of nettle caused an increase within the physiological range in the erythrocytes and leucocytes content, hemoglobin concentration, and normalization of protein metabolism (decrease in the activity of AST and increase in protein concentration) in the blood of the stressed rats. The activation of the antioxidant defense system (increase in activities of SOD, GP, CAT, GR) and inhibition of free radical processes (decrease in concentration of LHP, TBA-active products and CP) was observed in the tissues of animals of D-2 and D-3 groups. Our results suggested that using a complex of biologically active substances of the common nettle ethanolic extract prevents metabolic disorders and stresses of different etiology through the activation of the antioxidant defense system, the normalization of protein metabolism and stimulation of hematopoiesis both in normal and stressed rats.

Анемона дібровна. Anemone Nemorosa L. Аналітичний огляд

The objective of the present study was to determine the total content of phenolics and flavonoids in ethanol extracts of a plant from the family of Ranunculaceae – Ficaria verna. Harvesting of medicinal plant was carried out in ecologically clean regions of west Ukraine in spring 2020. The extracts were obtained by maceration of grass, leaves,and flowers to compare the content of active substances in different types of raw materials. The total phenolic content was estimated spectrophotometrically using Folin Ciocalteu method. The total flavonoid content was measured by aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. The maximum content of phenolic and flavonoids compounds was observed in the grass Ficaria verna. The antioxidant effects of the extracts were investigated. The Ficaria verna can be regarded as a promising natural plant source of antioxidant effects with a high potential for phytopreparations.

The characteristics of Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) plant, its pharmacological properties, and extracts’ composition are presented in this study. Results of the literature analysis, data on the biologically active compounds and areas of use of this medicinal plant are summarized. Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) is a species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae. It is native to most of Europe as well as western and central Asia. Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) is a plant that has been utilized as food (honey), medicine, a poison, an oil, and as a dye and tannin-producing ornamental plant. Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) is especially rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids, sterones and naphthoquinones. In traditional medicine, Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) is utilized as exhilarant and a mood stimulant. That is why one of the possible uses of this plant is considered to be treatment of depressive states. Like most representatives of Boraginaceae family, it has been insufficiently studied. No previous work quantifying flavonoids content of aerial parts of Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) growing in Ukraine has been presented. Continuing the studies of this species, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts from Viper's bugloss (E. vulgare) aerial parts were obtained and their phytochemical composition was investigated. For the first time, the qualitative analysis of biologically active compounds in Viper’s bugloss’s extract as well as the quantitative analysis of flavonoids by aluminum chloride spectrophotometric method are reported. The experimental results showed that the total concentration of flavonoids was 2.59% in the extract. The maximum yield of extractives was found to be 16%. The obtained research data will be used in future investigations.

Мета. Аналіз джерел наукової літератури щодо ареалу розповсюдження, вмісту біологічно активних речовин та спектра потенційного використання у фармації жовтецю їдкого (Ranunculus acris L.). Матеріали та методи. Аналіз та узагальнення наукової інформації, що стосується поширення, хімічного складу, фармакологічної активності та потенціалу медичного застосування Ranunculus acris. Результати і обговорення. Ranunculus acris – багаторічна трав'яниста рослина родини Жовтецевих (Ranunculaceae), яка поширена в Україні у дикорослому стані. Рослина неофіцинальна; вона використовується в народній медицині різних країн, оскільки виявляє антимікробні, антивірусні, протизапальні, антитоксичні, епітелізуючі та протитуберкульозні властивості. До основних біологічно активних речовин рослини відносять алкалоїди (до 0,1 %), дубильні речовини (більше 2 %), сапоніни, γ-лактони (ранункулін, анемонін, протоанемонін), флавоноїди (кемпферол, кверцетин), дубильні речовини та серцеві глікозиди. Висновки. Враховуючи значний досвід використання Ranunculus acris у народній медицині та дані експериментальних досліджень щодо вмісту біологічно активних речовин і досить широкого спектра його фармакологічної активності, надземні органи рослини можна розглядати як перспективну сировину для наукових досліджень у фармації з метою одержання та виробництва фітопрепаратів.