Pharmacological screening of Serratula coronata L. herbal extract

Relevance. Natural biologically active substances are currently relevant as an important source of new herbal medicines. Phytoecdysteroids are widely accepted in medicine: they increase the non-specific body's resistance to adverse environmental factors, physical and mental strain and stress. The most accessible phytoecdysteroids sources is the Serratula Coronata aboveground part. The purpose of the study. The pharmacological screening of dry purified Serratula Coronata extract for the development of new medicines. Materials and methods. The extract was obtained by three-fold dynamic maceration of raw materials with 70% ethyl alcohol (vol.) at a temperature of (50 ± 2) oC for 60 minutes. Five phytoecdysteroids were isolated in the extract and s a new compound - 20,22-propyledene 20-hydroxyecdysone. Pharmacological investigations were conducted with nonlinear white mice and nonlinear white rats. The research was approved by the VILAR Bioethical Commission. Acute toxicity was studied by the Kerber method. The Serratula Coronata extract effect on the nervous system was studied using "chloral hydrate sleep" and open field tests. The extract effect on the mice life time was studied using hypoxia with hypercapnia in the hermetic volume test. Results and discussion. It is found that that the dry purified Serratula Coronata extract is low-toxic, adaptogenic active, has a tonic effect in terms the "chloral hydrate sleep" model and antihypoxic effect in terms the "hypoxia model with hypercapnia in the hermetic volume" model., The extract does not negatively affect nervous system and experimental animals behavior. Conclusions. The dry purified Serratula Coronata extract is promising for further research to create adaptogenic herbal medicins.