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The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of 12 weeks of consumption of chokeberry extract on redox status, body composition, lipid profile, and biochemical parameters in active handball players. The study included 16 handball players aged 16-24 years (20.26 ± 2.86 years). Every morning before training, players received 30 mL of liquid chokeberry extract for 12 weeks during the regular competition season. The research consisted of morphofunctional and biochemical testing, which was performed at three points (at the beginning of the study and at 6 and 12 weeks after extract consumption). After the chokeberry extract treatment, we observed significant changes in three main aspects. The 12 week supplementation with chokeberry extract decreased the levels of prooxidants (TBARS and nitrites) and increased catalase activity. Analyzing the dynamic of body composition showed a decrease in body fat (9.4 ± 0.5 vs. 7.3 ± 0.6 kg) as well as its percent in a body (11.4 ± 0.4% vs. 8.8 ± 0.4%). On the other hand, the analysis showed an increase of high-density lipoprotein (1.3 ± 0.3 vs. 1.6 ± 0.2 mmol/L) and hemoglobin (144.4 ± 11.7 vs. 151.7 ± 9.9 g/L) after 6 weeks of treatment. At the same time, a decrease in leukocytes (7.2 × 10 9  ± 2.8 vs. 6.5 ± 1.2 × 10 9 /L) and an increase in red blood cells count (4.9 ± 0.4 × 10 9 vs. 5.5 ± 0.5 × 10 9 /L) were observed. Overall, these results emphatically show that the use of chokeberry extract dietary supplement induced a wide range of beneficial effects in the examined group of athletes.

The present study aimed to estimate the effects of high-protein diet (PD)-isolated whey protein and omega-3 fatty acids-docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid on oxidative parameters of rats treated with Olanzapine (OLZ). Experiments were carried out on 8-week-old Wistar albino male rats (n = 64) weighing 200 ± 20 g. By dietary and pharmacological treatment, all animals were divided into 8 groups: 1. CTRL group; 2. CTRL + OLZ group; 3. CTRL + FA group; 4. CTRL + OLZ + FA group; 5. PD group; 6. PD + OLZ group; 7. PD + FA group; 8. PD + OLZ + FA group. After 6 weeks of pharmacological/diet treatment, all animals were sacrificed to collect blood samples and determine the biomarkers of oxidative stress. The following oxidative stress markers were measured spectrophotometrically: superoxide anion radical (O 2 - ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), nitric oxide (NO - ), index of lipid peroxidation measured as TBARS, reduced glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase. The study has shown that Olanzapine treatment was associated with increased release of pro-oxidants and diminished activity of anti-oxidant markers. Additional supplementation with PD and FA succeeded in abolishing the negative influence in most of the measured parameters. However, these beneficial impacts were stronger in the case of their separate application, which could be the practical and clinical importance of these results.

Previous studies have suggested that thiamine has antioxidant activity and could decrease the production of ROS in various disorders. Our study focused on the effect of thiamine hydrochloride in the reversal of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and compared it with the reversal in the absence of thiamine pre-treatment. Rats were divided into groups as follows: (a) thiamine + doxorubicin (TIA + DOX), (b) doxorubicin (DOX) and c) healthy (CTRL) groups. For 7 days, thiamine hydrochloride was administered at a dose of 25 mg/kg per day intraperitoneally, while a single dose of 15 mg/kg doxorubicin was injected into all groups except the CTRL group. We measured the following parameters: maximum rate of left ventricular development (dp/dt max), minimum rate of left ventricular development (dp/dt min), systolic left ventricular development (SLVP), diastolic left ventricular development (DLVP), heart rate (HR) and coronary flow (CF), pro-oxidative and antioxidative markers, cardiac activity, and histopathological evaluation. In our study, cardiac contractility was significantly altered after DOX treatment and diminished by thiamine pre-treatment. Additionally, pro-oxidant parameters were significantly increased in the DOX group. The levels of O 2 - , H 2 and TBARS were significantly increased in the DOX group and decreased in the DOX + T group compared to those in the DOX group. Morphometric analyses showed moderately expressed interstitial fibrosis and degenerately modified cardiac muscle fibres, with signs of interfibrillary congestion, vacuolar degeneration and myocytolysis in the DOX group as visualized by H&E and Masson's Trichrome staining. Pre-treatment of thiamine hydrochloride before doxorubicin administration could decrease oxidative stress production, increase myocardial contractility and enhance the antioxidant defence system.2 and TBARS were significantly increased in the DOX group and decreased in the DOX + T group compared to those in the DOX group. Morphometric analyses showed moderately expressed interstitial fibrosis and degenerately modified cardiac muscle fibres, with signs of interfibrillary congestion, vacuolar degeneration and myocytolysis in the DOX group as visualized by H&E and Masson's Trichrome staining. Pre-treatment of thiamine hydrochloride before doxorubicin administration could decrease oxidative stress production, increase myocardial contractility and enhance the antioxidant defence system.