Vol 29, No 8 (2026)

Introduction. The genus Juniperus ranks second in prevalence among coniferous plants and is the largest in the family Cupressaceae. Many juniperus species have long been used in folk medicine, as well as in the food and perfume industries, due to their high content of essential oils, which exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activity. However, only one study has been devoted to the essential oils of Juniperus pseudosabina from various populations in Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia, and no data on their biological activity were presented. In the present work, the component composition and biological activity of the essential oil of Juniperus pseudosabina from the flora of Buryatia are reported for the first time.

The aim of this work was to select optimal parameters for the extraction of essential oils from the woody greenery of Juniperus pseudosabina and to determine their biological activity.

Material and Methods. The woody greenery of J. pseudosabina were collected in September 2025 in the Tunkinsky District of the Republic of Buryatia. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation under varying extraction durations (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours) and degrees of raw material comminution (whole, 7 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, and 0.5 mm). The qualitative composition and quantitative content of components were determined by GC-MS, antibacterial activity was assessed using the disk-diffusion method and the serial dilution method, and antiradical activity was evaluated using the DPPH test.

Results. Hydrodistillation revealed a dependence of the essential oil yield from J. pseudosabina woody greens on technological parameters: at the same degree of grinding (0.5 mm), the maximum yield was recorded after 3 h of extraction (11.9±0.5%); an increase in particle size (3–7 mm and intact raw material) at the same extraction time was accompanied by a decrease in yield. GC-MS analysis identified up to 58 compounds of terpene nature, with the group composition characterized by the predominance of sesquiterpenes. Comparative analysis showed that the qualitative composition was close to literature data for samples from adjacent regions; however, quantitative ratios varied depending on extraction time and degree of grinding. The essential oils exhibited low antiradical activity in the DPPH test, which is generally characteristic of essential oils of other Juniperus species and varies considerably depending on the juniper species, chemotype, as well as experimental conditions (free radical concentration, incubation time, and solvent). Antimicrobial screening demonstrated selective action: gram-positive bacteria (S. pyogenes, S. aureus) and, to a lesser extent, the fungus C. albicans were susceptible, while gram-negative strains (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae) were resistant.

Conclusions. It was shown that the optimal parameters for the isolation of essential oils from the woody greenery of Juniperus pseudosabina by hydrodistillation are: particle size – 0.5 mm, and extraction duration – 3 hours. For the first time, the qualitative composition and quantitative content of components of the essential oils from the woody greenery of J. pseudosabina from the flora of Buryatia have been studied. It was established that the major components are α-pinene, sabinene, 4-hydroxygermacra-1(10),5-diene, elemol, α-cadinol, and δ-cadinene. It was found that the essential oils exhibit low antiradical activity and selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. The data obtained indicate the promise of further study of this species and may also characterize J. pseudosabina as a source of valuable essential oils.

Introduction. Golden chamomile (Matricaria aurea (Loefl.) Shultz-Bip.) is an annual herbaceous plant common in the Middle East. It contains phenolic compounds (flavonoids, phenolic carboxylic acids, tannins), which is why it is used in traditional medicine to produce anti-inflammatory agents for internal and external use.

Aim. The aim of the study was to obtain herbal pharmaceutical substances with anti-inflammatory action from the herb of Matricaria aurea using conversion techniques.

Material and methods. The raw material was the meal obtained from the tincture from Matricaria aurea herb (Matricaria spp.), harvested during the flowering period in the vicinity of Damascus, Syria. Extracts were obtained by water and ethyl alcohol extraction at 60–70 °C under reflux (1.5 hours). Evaporation and drying of the extracts were carried out at ≤ 40 °C. Flavonoids were determined spectrophotometrically (λ=410 ± 2 nm). Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using a formalin-induced acute inflammation model in white mice.

Results and discussion. A conversion process of Matricaria aurea herb was developed, implemented via two routes. The products of the first route are a reduced-alcohol tincture called "Mataur" (density 0.912–0.915 g/cm³, dry residue 2.86%, flavonoids 0.107 ± 0.01%), thick (40% alcohol), and dry (aqueous) extracts. The products of the second route are thick (70% alcohol), thick (40% alcohol), and dry (aqueous) extracts. All samples exhibited a statistically significant anti-inflammatory effect (reduction of paw swelling in mice after 4 and 24 hours, p<0.05), comparable to diclofenac sodium and superior to Rotokan. The most pronounced effect was found in the control sample after 4 hours, and in the dry extract (aqueous, obtained by the first route) after 24 hours.

Conclusions. The conversion process of golden chamomile herb allows for maximum depletion of the plant material, yielding thick, dry extracts with a high content of phenolic compounds. The developed herbal pharmaceutical substances possess anti-inflammatory activity and hold promise for medicinal development.

Introduction. Representatives of the Cornaceae family are known for their nutritional and medicinal properties and contain biologically active phenolic compounds. Enzymes of the shikimate pathway play a key role in the biosynthesis of precursors of phenolic compounds and other secondary metabolites of plants, but the features of their activity in various organs of representatives of the genus Cornus have not been sufficiently studied.

The aim of the work is to study the activity of shikimate dehydrogenase and quinate dehydrogenase in various organs of Cornus sericea and Cornus sanguinea with determination of the phenolic compounds, flavonoids and chlorophyll content to assess possible relationships between the activity of metabolic processes and the accumulation of biologically active compounds.

Material and methods. The object of the study was the leaves, inflorescences, immature and mature fruits of Cornus sericea and Cornus sanguinea. The enzyme activities was determined spectrophotometrically. The total content of phenolic compounds was determined using the Folin-Chocalteu reagent, and flavonoids were determined by reaction with aluminum chloride. The content of chlorophyll a and b was determined by the Mackinney method.

Results. In this work, a comparative assessment of the shikimate dehydrogenase and quinate dehydrogenase activities in leaves, inflorescences, immature and mature fruits of Cornus sericea and Cornus sanguinea was carried out. The content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and chlorophyll in the leaves was also determined. It was shown that the activity of quinate dehydrogenase was weakly dependent on the species, while the most pronounced differences were determined by the organs of the plant. The minimum values of enzyme activity were typical for immature fruits, where it decreased several times compared to leaves, inflorescences and mature fruits. Unlike quinate dehydrogenase, the activity of shikimate dehydrogenase varied both between species and between organs. Cornus sericea was characterized by higher activity on average, with maximum values observed in the inflorescences. In leaves and mature fruits, the activity of shikimate dehydrogenase was significantly lower. The content of phenolic compounds in the leaves significantly depended on the season, but not on the type of plant, and the content of chlorophyll did not significantly differ.

Conclusions. The revealed patterns indicate a pronounced organ-specific regulation of the enzymes of the shikimate pathway and expand the understanding of the mechanisms of formation of secondary metabolism in representatives of the genus Cornus.

Introduction: Disorders of vascular-thrombotic hemostasis are a key link in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. Thrombotic activation and aggregation are the leading pathogenetic factors in the formation of systemic vascular changes in psoriasis. The study of functional disorders of platelets and their viability at the molecular level in psoriatic disease is necessary to understand the mechanisms of development of severe and disabling forms of the disease leading to cardiovascular complications.

Goal: To investigate the functional activity and viability of platelets at the molecular level in patients with psoriasis.

Materials and methods: The study included 80 patients with vulgar psoriasis and 30 people in the control group. The average age was 48±15 years. The determination of P-selectin, platelet exosomes, and apoptotic platelets was performed using a FC500 flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter), and the count of platelets (10⁹/liter) and mean platelet volume (fl) was performed using a DxH 800 hematology analyzer (Beckman Coulter, USA) with corresponding reagent kits once during hospitalization.

Results: In patients with psoriasis, there was a statistically significant increase in the level of P-selectin 2,40% [1,45-3,60] on the platelet surface compared with the control 0,9% [0,75-1,7], the number of CD9+ exosomes as a whole 79,3% [67,8-86,2] and platelet origin CD41+ 39,4% [28,0-51,5] according to compared with the control group, 52,85% [42,7-72,7] and 10,1% [7,8-20,9], respectively. The number of platelets in the state of apoptosis in patients with psoriasis was significantly lower than 4,07% [0,7-7,08] than in the control group of 10,4% [6,7-16,9].

Conclusion: It has been established that in patients with psoriasis, the functional state of platelets is characterized by an increase in the level of P-selectin on the membrane, the number of exosomes of platelet origin, and a decrease in the number of platelets in the state of apoptosis, which is associated with prolonged hyperactivation of the platelet component of the hemostatic system in psoriasis and indicates the possibility of developing cardiovascular catastrophes.

Introduction. The lack of pharmaceutical agents for stimulating muscle repair after injury necessitates the search for new approaches.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of single- and double-dose administration of an injectable formulation containing branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to stimulate skeletal muscle repair in a rat model of traumatic muscle injury.

Material and Methods. The study was performed on male Wistar rats. Animals of group 1.0 (n=30) were injected with 0.02 ml of saline into the injury site 24 hours after the injury modeling. Animals of group 1.1 (n=30) were injected with 0.02 ml of an amino acid solution (L-valine: L-isoleucine: L-leucine - 0.04 g of each amino acid in 10 ml of saline solution) 24 hours after the injury modeling. Animals of group 2.0 (n=30) were injected with 0.02 ml of saline into the injury site 24 and 96 hours after the injury modeling. Animals of group 2.1 (n=30) were injected with 0.02 ml of amino acid solution (L-valine: L-isoleucine: L-leucine - 0.03 g of each amino acid in 10 ml of saline solution) into the injury zone 24 and 96 hours after the soft tissue injury was simulated.

Results. In group 1.1 rats, recovery of motor activity was noted on the 28th day after injury, in group 2.1 - on the 42nd. In groups 1.0 and 2.0, motor activity was not restored at the end of the observation period (day 42). Serum creatine phosphokinase activity in animals of all groups was significantly higher than in intact animals on days 14-21 post-injury. On day 28, enzyme activity in rats of group 2.1 was not significantly different from intact animals; in groups 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0, enzyme activity was higher than in intact animals.

Conclusions. Administering BCAAs injectably stimulates skeletal muscle recovery after traumatic injury. Furthermore, split administration may increase its effectiveness and reduce the risk of overdose with a single dose.

Introduction. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) represent a promising class of solvents that align with the principles of green chemistry and attract considerable attention from researchers in various fields, including chemical engineering, biology, pharmacy, and materials science. Among the main advantages of DES are the availability and low cost of starting reagents, simplicity of synthesis, the possibility of targeted variation of physicochemical properties (the ability to "tune" the solvent), as well as biodegradability. Despite the growing interest in the application of DES, issues concerning their safety and toxicological profile remain insufficiently studied, which necessitates appropriate investigations.

The aim of this study is to investigate the acute toxicity of a deep eutectic solvent (DES) (placebo) and, derived from it, a eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves.

Material and methods: DES consisting of glycerol:urea:water in a molar ratio of 1:1:1 (purified water, urea (Merck, Germany), glycerol (TD “HIMMED” LLC, Russia) and eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves. A Prominence-i LC-2030C high-performance liquid chromatograph with a diode-array detector (Shimadzu, Japan) was used in the study. Toxicity parameters of DES and eutectic extract were determined for BALB/c mice and Wistar rats following a single per os administration in accordance with generally accepted methods.

Results. Chromatographic analysis revealed a high degree of similarity in the qualitative composition of the dry ethanol extract and eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves. DES and eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves are safe when administered intragastric to laboratory animals (mice and rats) once at doses up to 25 ml/kg, while the toxicity of eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves is apparently determined by the presence of the extractant.

Conclusions. The DES and eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves exhibits low toxicity. The DES is relatively safe for clinical use in oral dosage forms. The obtained results open up prospects for the use of the eutectic extract of Bupleurum aureum leaves in the development of oral dosage forms in the pharmaceutical industry.