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Acta Biologica Hungarica
Authors:
Erika Rapavi
,
Klára Szentmihályi
,
Erzsébet Fehér
,
Andrea Lugasi
,
Edit Székely
,
Tímea Kurucz
,
Zs. Pallai
, and
Anna Blázovics

In order to evaluate the effect of diosmin-hesperidin containing drug on redox balance and Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn concentrations of toxin-injured liver, Wistar albino rats were subjected to thioacetamide administration (500 mg TAA/l in their drinking water) with and without drug (425 mg/kg body weight/day). Animals were treated for 30 days. No significant change in the concentration of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe in the liver was measured in TAA-treated animals compared to control. Diosmin-hesperidin mixture treatment increased levels of Fe and Zn and decreased concentration of Cu of the liver in TAA-treated animals. These alterations were not significant. Decrease of both the total scavenger capacity (TSC) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver homogenates were observed in TAA-treated rats. The diosmin-hesperidin-supplemented diet also significantly decreased the TSC and activity of SOD in liver of both the control and toxin-treated animals. On the basis of results it seems that high dosage of the diosmin-hesperidin mixture induces slight changes in the Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe content of the liver, however it may decrease the scavenger capacity and the activity of SOD when applied either alone or together with thioacetamide.

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Plant drug mixtures are widely used in the adjuvant therapy of type 2 diabetes mellitus for the prevention of complications. The drug mixtures generally contribute to the efficiency of the therapy and may also reduce undesirable side effects. Two herbal extracts (lyophilized aqueous extracts of plant drug mixtures 1: Myrtilli folium, Phaseoli fructus sine seminibus and 2: Myrtilli folium, Phaseoli fructus sine seminibus, Salviae folium ) were investigated in in vitro rat models. The content of bioactive constituents (polyphenol, flavonoid and vitamin C) in plant drug mixtures and lyophilized samples was evaluated. The antioxidant activity of lyophilized extracts was determined by measuring the ferric reducing ability of the plant, Fe 2+ induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in rat brain homogenates and NADPH (β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate reduced form) induced LPO in cerebral microsomes. The antioxidant activity of lyophilized extracts was compared to that of quercetin and rutin. Both teas of lyophilized extracts had significant reducing ability (2694 and 2771 μmol/l) and inhibited LPO (IC 50 28.0 and 20.6 μl in NADPH induced LPO, 17.3 and 8.7 μl in Fe 2+ induced LPO). The high concentration of polyphenol/flavonoid (12.38–13.00 and 1.45–5.22 g/100 g, respectively) and vitamin C (0.099–0.165 g/100 g) in the herbal extracts is related to their significant antioxidant properties. The tea mixtures have significant nutritional value, since the consumption of 2 or 3 cups of tea a day covers 50% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and it is also relevant polyphenol source. The high polyphenol/flavonoid content may restore the redox imbalance and contribute to the prevention of diabetic complications.

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Acta Biologica Hungarica
Authors:
Anna Blázovics
,
Éva Sárdi
,
Klára Szentmihályi
,
L. Váli
,
Mária Takács-Hájos
, and
Éva Stefanovits-Bányai

Redox homeostasis can be considered as the cumulative action of all free radical reactions and antioxidant defences in different tissues, which provide suitable conditions for life. Transition metal ions are ubiquitous in biological systems. Beta vulgaris var. rubra (table beet root) contains several bioactive agents (e.g. betain, betanin, vulgaxanthine, polyphenols, folic acid) and different metal elements (e.g. Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Zn), which act on the various physiological routes. Therefore we studied the effect of this metal rich vegetable on element content of the liver in healthy rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 7) (200 ± 20 g) were treated with lyophilised powder of table beet root (2 g/kg b. w.) added into the rat chow for 10 days. Five healthy animals served as control. We found significant accumulation of Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn and P in the liver, which was proved by ICP-AES measurements. We suppose that the extreme consumption of table beet root can cause several disturbances not only in cases of healthy patients but, e.g. in patients suffering with metal accumulating diseases, e.g. porphyria cutanea tarda, haemochromatosis or Wilson disease-although moderate consumption may be beneficial in iron-deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel diseases.

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