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Diseases associated with metabolic disorders seem to affect more and more people worldwide. Biologically active supplements may prevent or relieve metabolic disorders. Quercetin is known for its potential to inhibit metabolic syndrome. This paper introduces an in vivo experiment on rodents. It featured hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and hepatotoxic properties of quercetin. Quercetin was obtained from the hairy root extract of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb. Two doses (50 and 100 mg/kg) were used to evaluate its hypoglycemic potential. Rats with induced diabetes were tested for body weight, glucose, and cholesterol while mice with induced hypercholesterolemia were checked for blood cholesterol changes. Potential biochemical and pathological changes in the liver were also studied on rats. Quercetin treatment caused neither significant health problems nor death in the model animals. It had no effect on body weight, even in the animals with induced diabetes. In addition, quercetin did not increase glucose and cholesterol in the blood and triggered no pathological changes in the liver. Quercetin isolated from H. neglectum hairy root extract demonstrated no hepatotoxicity. Unfortunately, it showed no beneficial effect on cholesterol and glucose levels and had no efficacy against metabolic syndrome. Further research is needed to assess the effect of quercetin on other metabolic markers, e.g., genes associated with the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, etc.

Background. Ageing is associated with progressive impairment of physical functions and increased risk of age-related chronic diseases. Polyphenols such as mangiferin, quercetin and trans-cinnamic acid are also used for the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. Toxicological research was important in biomedical research, as some high-dose extracted polyphenols could contribute to the development and progression of cancer and other diseases. This study is aimed at assessing toxicological safety of previously isolated phenolic compounds from plants of the Siberian Federal District. Materials and methods. Rodents have been chosen as the model organism. The study of mutagenic and antimutagenic properties was carried out using a micronuclear test of bone marrow cell. Cytotoxicity in vitro was assessed using the MTT test. Results. Polyphenols studied at doses of 50.0 and 100.0 mg/kg are not mutagenic. Mangiferri and quercetin at a dose of 50.0 mg/kg do not have anti-thagenic effects. In this case, trans-cinnamic acid in the same concentration has antimutagenic effect. Mangiferin in concentrates from 4.2 to 16.7 ug/ml has a cytotoxic effect. Trans-cinnamic acid is not cytotoxic (at 2.1-33.3 ug/ml). Quercetin has a cytotoxic effect in concentrations of 0.21 and 1.67 ug/ml, and at concentrations of 3.33 ug/ml increases the viability of splenocytes, presumably due to antioxidant properties. Conclusion. Safety or low toxicity is a decisive advantage of the continued use of polyphenols as advanced heroic flow agents. Further study of biologically active substances (mangiferin, quercetin and trans-cinnamic acid) has been found to be ce-woody. The work was carried out by the state task on the topic «Development of biologically active additives consisting of metabolites of plant objects in vitro to protect the population from premature aging» (project FZSR-2024-0008) using the equipment of Center of Collective Use «Instrumental methods of analysis in the field of applied biotechnology» on the basis of KemSU.

Polyphenols are potential neuroprotectors that increase lifespan and slow down aging. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a promising source of biologically active substances. Its extracts contain biochanin A and chlorogenic acid. This research used Caenorhabditis elegans to study the effect of polyphenols extracted from red clover callus cultures on SOD-3 and HSP-16.2 genes, as well as their anti-amyloid potential. The chlorogenic acid and biochanin A (200, 100, 50, and 10 µM) with a purity of 95% were isolated from callus extracts of T. pratense L. The effect of polyphenols on SOD-3 and HSP-16.2 was assessed after 5 and 2 h of heat stress (35°C), respectively, using C. elegans N2 Bristol as model organism. The neuroprotective potential was measured by counting paralyzed nematodes after 18, 40, and 62 h of incubation. The research established a dose-dependent effect between the concentration of biologically active substances and the percentage of paralyzed nematodes after 18 h of cultivation. The lowest paralysis phenotype count occurred at a concentration of 200 μM. The activity of 200 μM biochnin A was 1.18 times as high as that of a 200 μM chlorogenic acid solution. Biochanin A solutions increased SOD-3 expression by 3.7 times, compared to the control. The biologically active substances exhibited relative neuroprotective activity and affected the expression of antioxidant defense gene in C. elegans.

Plant cells and tissue cultures are sources of secondary plant metabolites. Substances produced by callus cultures can expand the raw material base in pharmacy and food production. However, isolating biologically active substances from medicinal plants is a labor- and time-consuming process. As a result, new and efficient technological processes adapted for extraction from callus cultures are in high demand, and new algorithms of isolation and purification of biologically active substances remain a relevant task. This research featured callus cultures of Scutellaria baicalensis L. The procedures for phytochemical analysis and isolation of biologically active substances involved such physicochemical research methods as high-performance chromatography (HPLC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), UV spectrometry, and IR spectrometry. The high performance liquid chromatography confirmed the presence of flavonoids represented by baicalein (5,6,7-trioxyflavone), baicalin (baicalein 7-O-glucuronide), scutellarein (5,6,7,4-tetraoxyflavone), scutellarin (7-O-glucuronide scutellarein), vagonin, and oroxylin. The spectral analyses also detected skutebaicalin. The highest total content of diterpene belonged to the samples extracted with 70% ethanol at 70°C. The content of diterpene was 0.09 mg/cm3 in terms of betulin. The biologically active substances were isolated from the callus extracts of S. baicalensis with a recovery rate of ≥ 80%. The purification scheme made it possible to obtain highly-pure individual biologically active compounds: trans-cinnamic acid, baicalin, and oroxylin A had a purity of ≥ 95%; baicalein had a purity of ≥ 97%; scutellarin and luteolin reached ≥ 96%. The new technological extraction method made it possible to obtain extracts from S. baicalensis callus cultures, which were tested for the component composition. The developed isolation algorithm and purification scheme yielded biologically active substances with a purification degree of ≥ 95%.

Currently, scientists are increasingly focusing on utilizing the natural flora of the planet to search for and isolate individual bioactive substances that prevent various diseases, contribute to increased life expectancy, and affect all major life-supporting systems in the human body. This study describes the examination of the composition of plant raw materials from the Siberian Federal District. The research focuses on plant specimens from the root parts of Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa, collected in the Kemerovo region. The study determines the contents of the water-soluble vitamins B and C in the research subjects. The investigation includes assessing antioxidant properties, antimicrobial activity, and flavonoid content in extracts based on plant raw materials. All samples show a high percentage of antioxidant activity, with the highest antioxidant activity for T. officinale at 85.51 and that for A. lappa at 88.97. The results indicate low antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (growth inhibition zone up to 15.5 mm). Plant extracts contain significant amounts of B-group vitamins, with pyridoxine in T. officinale (156.40 μg/mL) and thiamine (46.20 μg/mL) and pyridoxine (357.10 μg/mL) in Arctium lappa. Flavonoids (rutin and quercetin) are identified in T. officinale and A. lappa extracts based on the study results.

Background. Increasing healthy life expectancy is a priority in modern healthcare. Squalene, a triterpene exhibiting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other properties, is a promising candidate for geroprotectors. Purpose. Assess the activity of squalene, that is, the possibility of its further use as a geroprotector. Materials and methods. Squalene was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (USA) for research. Squalene solutions were prepared with concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 µmol/L (solvent dimethyl sulfoxide—DMSO). The work was carried out on the basis of the Laboratory for Biotesting of Natural Nutraceuticals (KemGU, Russia). Antioxidant activity was assessed by capturing ABTS radical cations in comparison with the activity of ascorbic acid. The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans N2 Bristol was purchased from the Laboratory for the Development of Innovative Medicines and Agrobiotechnologies of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. To assess the stress resistance of nematodes during cultivation, conditions of thermal (33°C) and oxidative (adding 15 μl of 1 M paraquat, 20°C) stress were created for 24 and 48 h. conditions (20 °C) for 61 days. The statistical significance of the results was assessed using Student’s t-test (in Microsoft Office Excel 2007). Lifespan data were assessed using a Kaplan-Meier survival plot combined with a log-rank test (Mantel-Cox). Data processing was carried out using the OASIS online application (https://sbi.postech.ac.kr/oasis/). Results. The results showed that squalene solutions did not exhibit antioxidant properties; did not trap radical cations with ABTS. A solution of squalene at a concentration of 10 μM contributed to an increase in the stress resistance of nematodes. Under conditions of oxidative stress, the survival of nematodes during cultivation for 24 hours is 3.1% higher than in the control. Under conditions of heat stress during cultivation for 48 hours, the survival rate is higher by 11.3%. Squalene solutions did not affect the lifespan of nematodes. Conclusion. Presumably, the antioxidant activity of squalene is expressed not in the capture of free radicals, but in the ability to act on biomolecules that lead to oxidative stress. A squalene solution with a concentration of 10 μM can reduce the negative impact of one of the factors causing premature aging. In order to assess the possibility of using squalene as a geroprotector without relying on cation-radical capture, further studies are needed to study the impact of the substance on other targets, mechanisms of action related to the occurrence of age-associated diseases. For example, analysis of the effect of squalene solutions on the growth rate of C. elegans larvae, the ability to influence the expression of antioxidant defense genes, the presence of anti-inflammatory and other properties.

Anthropogenic factors expose agricultural plants to abiotic and biotic stresses, one of which is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress changes cell metabolism, as well as inhibits plant growth and development. Microbial treatment is an environmentally safe method of oxidative stress prevention. The research objective was to study the antioxidant activity of microflora native to coal dumps in order to combat the oxidative stress in crops. The study featured microorganisms isolated from technogenically disturbed soils. Pure bacterial cultures were isolated by deep inoculation on beef-extract agar. A set of experiments made it possible to define the cultural, morphological, and biochemical properties of cell walls. The antioxidant activity and the amount of indole-3-acetic acid were determined on a spectrophotometer using the ABTS reagent and the Salkowski reagent, respectively. The isolated microorganisms were identified on a Vitek 2 Compact device. The biocompatibility of strains was tested by dripping, while the increase in biomass was measured using a spectrophotometer. The study revealed ten microbial strains with antioxidant activity ranging from 67.21 ± 3.08 to 91.05 ± 4.17%. The amount of indole-3-acetic acid varied from 8.91 ± 0.32 to 15.24 ± 0.69 mg/mL. The list of microorganisms included Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas putida, and Bacillus megaterium. The consortium of P. putida and E. aerogenes demonstrated the best results in antioxidant activity, indole-3-acetic acid, and biomass. Its ratio was 2:1 (94.53 ± 4.28%; 15.23 ± 0.56 mg/mL), while the optical density was 0.51 ± 0.02. Extra 2% glycine increased the antioxidant activity by 2.34%, compared to the control. Extra 0.5% L-tryptophan increased the amount of indole-3-acetic acid by 3.12 mg/mL and the antioxidant activity by 2.88%. The research proved the antioxidant activity of strains isolated from microflora native to coal dumps. The consortium of P. putida and E. aerogenes (2:1) demonstrated the best results. Further research will define its ability to reduce oxidative stress in plants.

Trans-cinnamic acid is a phenolic compound with a wide range of bioactive properties, including antioxidant and antibacterial effects. It also has high potential in the food and cosmetic industries. We aimed to isolate trans-cinnamic acid from the Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) and study its geroprotective activity on Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes used as a model organism. Our study objects included the S. baicalensis root culture and its extract, trans-cinnamic acid isolated from the extract, and C. elegans nematodes. Trans-cinnamic acid was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The acid’s geroprotective activity was studied by evaluating its effect at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L on the lifespan, stress resistance, and reproductivity of C. elegans. For the lifespan study, the nematodes were cultivated at 20°C for 61 days. To assess their resistance to oxidative stress, 15 μL of 1M paraquat was added to each well of the plate. Thermal stress resistance was determined by raising the temperature to 33°C. For the reproductivity study, the nematodes were cultivated in the S-medium with the addition of Escherichia coli OP50 and trans-cinnamic acid at required concentrations for 72 h. The maximum increase in lifespan (9.8%) was observed in the nematodes treated with 50 μmol/L of trans-cinnamic acid. Under oxidative stress, all the concentrations of trans-cinnamic acid increased the survival of nematodes, while under thermal stress, trans-cinnamic acid reduced the percentage of surviving nematodes. At a concentration of 100 μmol/L, trans-cinnamic acid increased the nematodes’ reproduction by 1.48 times. Based on our data, trans-cinnamic acid isolated from S. baicalensis can be recommended as a bioactive compound with geroprotective activity. However, further research is needed on other model organisms with detailed toxicity studies.

Introduction. Public healthcare urgently needs new pharmaceuticals – alternative to traditional antibiotics – that pathogens develop no resistance to. Of special interest in this regard are antimicrobial, ribosomally synthesized bacterial peptides or bacteriocins. In this work, we aimed to study the structure and properties of antimicrobial peptides produced by antagonist microorganisms isolated from the natural objects of the Siberian region. Study objects and methods. The study objects were bacteria isolated from the natural sources of Kuzbass. After culturing bacteria, total protein was precipitated from the culture fluid and separated into fractions by gel permeation HPLC. Their amino acid sequences were determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The antibacterial (against Bacillus pumilus and Escherichia coli) and fungicidal (against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger) properties of the peptides were studied by the disk diffusion method. Results and discussion. Seven peptides with different amino acid sequences were isolated from the culture fluid of bacteria, five of which had no analogues in the PepBank and Uniprot data banks. The peptide with an amino acid sequence of VMCLARKCSQGLIVKAPLM (2061.66 Da) was homologous to the cysteine membrane protein Giardia lamblia P15, and the peptide with an amino acid sequence of AVPSMKLCIQWSPVRASPCVMLGI (2587.21 Da) showed a homology with the Planctomycetes bacterium I41 peptides. We found antibacterial (against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria) and fungicidal (against Aspergillus) properties in the peptide fractions. Conclusion. Antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria isolated from the natural objects of the Siberian region can be used to create pharmaceuticals as an alternative to traditional antibiotics to treat infectious diseases.

Introduction. Wild-crafting leads to the local extinction of many medicinal plants that are rich in phenolic substances. In vitro cultivation of cells and organs of higher plants can be the optimal solution to this problem. The research objective was to study the biosynthetic activity of in vitro extracts of wild Siberian plants. Study objects and methods. The study featured callus, cell suspension, and hairy root extracts of such Siberian medicinal plants as Eleutherococcus senticosus, Codonopsis pilosula, Platanthera bifolia, and Saposhnikovia divaricata. They were obtained by in vitro cultivation using modified nutrient media of Murashige and Skoog and Gamborg. The content of secondary metabolites was studied using the methods of thin-layer and high-performance liquid chromatography. A set of in vitro experiments tested the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts. Results and discussion. All the samples demonstrated a high content of secondary metabolites of phenolic nature. Flavonoglycosides, apigenin, and rutin were found to be the predominant biologically active substances in the callus extracts. Flavonoglycosides dominated in the suspension extracts. The root extracts contained more caffeic acid, rutin, ecdysteroids, quercetin, apigenin, cardiofolin, and coleofolide than the callus and suspension cultures. The list of prevailing secondary metabolites in the root extracts included rutin, apigenin, coleofolide, and quercetin. All the extracts showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Conclusion. All the extracts demonstrated good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, they can be used for the production of pharmaceuticals and biologically active food supplements as they can be helpful against infectious diseases, as well as oncological, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases linked to oxidative stress.

Immunodeficiency causes a lot of modern diseases. Immunodeficiency, in its turn, is caused by such fac- tors as polluted environment, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, etc. All these factors weaken respi- ratory organs and gastrointestinal tract, disturb hormonal regulation, and destabilize immune defence. Food industry responds to these challenges by developing functional foods and dietary supplements from medicinal plants. Dietary supplements made from natural plant extracts have more advantages than their numerous synthetic analogues. They produce a mild therapeutic effect and no pronounced side effects. Purple Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea L.) posses- ses immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and tonic properties. However, climatic and soil conditions are known to affect the qualitative and quantitative profile of biologically active substances. The present paper describes the micronutrient profile of various parts of Echinacea purpurea grown in the Kemerovo region. The study employed a complex of physical and chemical methods. The research featured leaves, roots, and flowers, as well as components extracted from the plant with the help of a 70% ethanol solution. The latter was chosen for its universal properties in micronutrient extraction. The methods included high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chro- matography (TLC), and IR spectroscopy. A set of triple experiments showed that the extracts contained substances with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulating properties. Thus, Echinacea extract can be recommen- ded for functional foods and dietary supplements.