Hawthorn [Crataegus monogyna Jacq. and Crataegus oxyacantha L.; sin. Crataegus laevigata (Poiret) DC., Rosaceae] leaves, flowers, and berries are used in traditional medicine in the treatment of chronic heart failure, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and various digestive ailments, as well as geriatric and antiarteriosclerosis remedies. According to European Pharmacopoeia 6.0, hawthorn berries consist of the dried false fruits of these two species or their mixture. The present study was carried out to test free-radical-scavenging, anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective, and antimicrobial activities of hawthorn berries ethanol extract. Phenolic compounds represented 3.54%, expressed as gallic acid equivalents. Determination of total flavonoid aglycones content yielded 0.18%. The percentage of hyperoside, as the main flavonol component, was 0.14%. With respect to procyanidins content, the obtained value was 0.44%. DPPH radical-scavenging capacity of the extract was concentration-dependent, with EC50 value of 52.04 microg/mL (calculation based on the total phenolic compounds content in the extract). Oral administration of investigated extract caused dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect in a model of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. The obtained anti-inflammatory effect was 20.8, 23.0, and 36.3% for the extract doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively. In comparison to indomethacin, given in a dose producing 50% reduction of rat paw edema, the extract given in the highest tested dose (200 mg/kg) showed 72.4% of its activity. Gastroprotective activity of the extract was investigated using an ethanol-induced acute stress ulcer in rats with ranitidine as a reference drug. Hawthorn extract produced dose-dependent gastroprotective activity (3.8 +/- 2.1, 1.9 +/- 1.7, and 0.7 +/- 0.5 for doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively), with the efficacy comparable to that of the reference drug. Antimicrobial testing of the extract revealed its moderate bactericidal activity, especially against gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus flavus, Bacillus subtilis, and Lysteria monocytogenes, with no effect on Candida albicans. All active components identified in the extract might be responsible for activities observed.

Aminothiol amifostine (AMI) protects against toxic effects of both ionizing radiation and numerous anticancer drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential protective effects of AMI against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Male Wistar rats were treated with AMI (75 mg/kg i.p.) and/or DOX (1.25 mg/kg i.p.), 4 times per week, for 4 weeks. Mortality, general condition and body weight of the animals were observed during the whole treatment, and for a further 4 weeks, until the end of experiment. Evaluation of cardioprotective efficacy of AMI was performed by analyzing the electrocardiographic parameters and response to the pro-arrhythmic agent aconitine, as well as activity registration of the in situ rat heart preparations. Necropsy was also performed at the end of the experiment, and heart excision, weight and macroscopic examination were done before histological evaluation. Doxorubicin caused rat heart disturbances manifested by prominent electrocardiographic changes (Salpha-T prolongation and T-wave flattening), significantly enhanced response to aconitine, decrease of the heart rate and contractility, as well as histopathologically verified myocardial lesions. The heart changes were accompanied by 40% mortality rate, significant decline in body mass and severe effusion intensity score in 66.6% of the animals. Application of AMI before each dose of DOX significantly reduced or completely prevented its toxic effects. Therefore, since AMI had very good protective effects against a high dose of DOX given as a multiple, low, unitary dose regimen, not only on the heart but on the whole rat as well, it could be recommended for further investigation in this potentially new indication for clinical application.

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Sideritis scardica Griseb. (ironwort, mountain tea), an endemic plant of the Balkan Peninsula, has been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal complaints, inflammation, and rheumatic disorders. This study aimed to evaluate its gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities. Besides, continuously increasing interest in assessing the role of the plant active constituents preventing the risk of cancer was a reason to make a detailed examination of the investigated ethanol, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and N-butanol extracts regarding cytotoxicity. Oral administration of the investigated extracts caused a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect in a model of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Gastroprotective activity of the extracts was investigated using an ethanol-induced acute stress ulcer in rats. The cytotoxic activity of plant extracts was assessed on PBMC, B16, and HL-60 cells and compared to the cytotoxicity of phenolic compounds identified in extracts. Apoptotic and necrotic cell death were analyzed by double staining with fluoresceinisothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated annexin V and PI. The developed HPLC method enabled qualitative fingerprint analysis of phenolic compounds in the investigated extracts. Compared to the effect of the positive control, the anti-inflammatory drug indomethacine (4 mg/kg), which produced a 50 % decrease in inflammation, diethyl ether and N-butanol extracts exhibited about the same effect in doses of 200 and 100 mg/kg (53.6 and 48.7 %; 48.4 and 49.9 %, respectively). All investigated extracts produced dose-dependent gastroprotective activity with the efficacy comparable to that of the reference drug ranitidine. The diethyl ether extract showed significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity on B16 cells and HL-60 cells, decreasing cell growth to 51.3 % and 77.5 % of control, respectively, when used at 100 µg/mL. It seems that phenolic compounds (apigenin, luteolin, and their corresponding glycosides) are responsible for the diethyl ether extract cytotoxic effect. It also appears that induction of oxidative stress might be involved in its cytotoxicity, since B16 and HL-60 cells increased their ROS production in response to treatment with diethyl ether extract. Neither of the tested extracts nor any phenolic compounds showed significant cytotoxic effect to human PBMC. These results demonstrated the potent anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities, as well as the promising cytotoxicity.

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Cadmium and selenium concentrations in maternal and umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid were determined in 37 normotensive and 23 hypertensive women during the last trimester of pregnancy in relation to their smoking status. Thiocyanate concentration in plasma was used as the index of smoking status. Cadmium and selenium were determined with atomic absorption spectrometry (graphite furnace and mercury hydride system). In the group of normotensive and hypertensive women, significantly higher cadmium and lower selenium concentrations in blood in smokers were observed than in nonsmokers. Umbilical cord blood selenium concentrations in both normotensive and hypertensive smokers were significantly lower than in nonsmokers as well. In the group of normotensive women, significant differences in selenium concentrations in amniotic fluid were observed between smokers and non-smokers. In conclusion, the results of this study show that hypertension in pregnant women smokers is related to significantly higher blood cadmium concentrations, which indicates that cadmium may be considered as an independent factor involved in hypertension.