[The antiradical activity of plant extracts and healthful preventive combinations of these exrtacts with the phospholipid complex].

Using the chemiluminescence method, the effective concentration of antioxidants (AO) and its reactivity toward peroxyl radicals (ARA, the k7 constant) have been measured for 13 plant extracts. In fact all extracts demonstrated ARA higher than ionol. Larix dahurica, Hypericum perforatum, Potentilla fruticosa, Aronia melanocarpa and Rhaponticum carthamoides extracts showed the highest values of ARA. The combinations Aronia + Raponticum extracts; Larix + Hibiscus extracts; Schizandra +Aronia extracts were synergistic (the synergism effect beta of 38%, 33% and 22%). Apparently this phenomenon is the result of the synergistic interaction between compounds present in plant extracts. The Phospholipid complex--Lipoid S40, lacting any antioxidant effect alone, showed a potent synergistic effect with Aronia extract (beta3 = 60%), Silybum extract (beta3 = 41%). Clinical trials demonstrated, that combinations "Lipoid + Aronia extract", "Lipoid + Larix extract + Hibiscus extract", "Lipoid + Silybum extract", "Lipoid + Q10 + Rosa majalis extract" may be used as an additional component in the medicinal treatment, or as an individual prophylactic agent.

[Anti-radical activity and oxidative stability of oils manufactured from flax, sesame and silybum seeds].

Comparative analysis of oils, prepared from flax, sesame and silybum seed composition, and adequate oil blends, prepared by mixing flax oil, sesame oil and silybum oil was performed. Antiradical activity was evaluated for the oils, both for their methanol-soluble phase and the fraction insoluble in methanol. DPPH radical scavenging activity expressed in Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Oxidative stability during 6-month store was evaluated by peroxide value and dienic conjugates content. Oils from seed composition show the more high antiradical activity and oxidative stability than adequate oil blends. A significant correlation was found between antiradical activity and gamma-/alpha-tocopherol ratio in oils.

[Antioxidant activity of vegetable oils with various omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids ratio].

Antioxidant activity and the oxidative stability were investigated in flax, sesame, silybum oils and oils with different omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio. The content of antioxidants (AO) in crude oils and their reactivity towards peroxyl radicals were studied using kinetic method for addition of oil in a model reaction of cumol oxidation. There were correlations between PUFA/omega-9 and thermal stability (50 degrees C); between gamma-tocopherol content and resistantance to oxidative changes after storage at (10 +/- 2) degrees C for 6 months.

[Antiradical activity and resistance of flaxseed oil enriched with the antioxidants to oxidative changes].

Using the chemiluminescence technique, the effective concentration of antioxidants (AO) and its reactivity towards peroxyl radicals (constant k7) have been measured for the oil "Ubicato-flax" (biological active supplement) and flaxseed oil, enriched with Aronia melanocarpa extract. Ubicato-flax exhibited the highest antiradical activity but it was less resistant to oxidative changes as compared with flaxseed oil + extract. Ubicato oil produced on basis of natural AO exhibited higher antiradical activity in comparison with Ubicato oil produced on basis of the chemical synthetic AO. Aronia extract added to flaxseed oil caused marked inhibition of the increase in the peroxide value. Ubicato-flax may serve as a source of AO for not more than 6 months.

[Biological activity of linseed oil as the source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid]. / Biologicheskaia aktivnost' l'nianogo masla kak istochnika omega-3 al'fa-linolenovoi kisloty.

Flaxseed oil is the most abundant plant source of omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid omega-3. This review focuses on the biological effects of dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) compared with long-chain omega-3 derivatives. ALA is not equivalent in its biological effects to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in marine fish oils. However, ALA is metabolized to eicosapentaenoic acid, which may replace arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipides. Ingestion of flaxseed oil may alter the generation of eicosanoids, procoagulant activity and other membrane-dependent responses and exert antiallergic, antiatherosclerotic, antiarrhythmic effects. Beneficial effects of flaxseed oil have been shown in prevention and management of cardiovascular disease.

[Biological effects of the soybean phospholipids]. / Biologicheskaia aktivnost' soevykh fosfolipidov.

Soyabean phospholipids, particularly commercial lecithin, are now widely used as biological active food additives. Mechanisms of their activities are based mainly on their similarity with ow phospholipids of biomembranes and blood lipoproteins. The similarity allows the inclusion of plant phospholipids into these structures and promotes prevention of number of pathological processes. Soybean phospholipids have a wide range of biochemical and physical effects. Lecithin complex is the source of easily accessible linoleic acid, choline and inositol. Lecithin plays a notable role as synergist for antioxidants also. The proven health benefits which can be achieved by taking soybean phospholipids include lipid-lowering; control of blood levels of cholesterol and triglyceride, stabilisation of the membrane functions, supporting the hepatic functions. Structure, some physico-chemical properties and metabolism of phospholipids, and molecular mechanisms of their prophylactic effects are briefly reviewed.

[Antioxidant properties of a leaf extract from Aronia (Aronia melanocarba) containing proanthocyanidins]. / Antioksidantnye svoistva ékstrakta list'ev aronii (Aronia melanocarpa), soderzhashchego proantotsianidininy.

Antioxidant capacity of a procyanidin-containing extract from Aronia melanocarpa leaves has been studied in vitro and in vivo. Using the chemiluminescence technique, the effective content of antioxidants and its reactivity towards peroxyl radicals have been measured in a model reaction of initiated oxidation of hydrocarbon for the whole extract and two of its chromatographic fractions separated by HPLC. The results indicate that the extract contains a combination of antioxidants with different radical scavenging activities. The value of the rate constant of the reaction with peroxyl radicals (constant k7) for the extract strong inhibitors is of the same order of that for alpha-tocopherol and its synthetic analog chroman C. A decrease in antiradical activity directly related to the high concentrations of this extract in reactive mixture has been observed. This extract significantly reduced in dose-dependent fashion the CCl4-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation. The extract also inhibited flaxseed oil peroxidation. The present study indicates significant antioxidant capacity of the extract from Aronia melanocarpa leaves.

[Antioxidant activity of flaxseed oil]. / Antioksidantnaia aktivnost' l'nianogo masla.

Effective concentration of antioxidants and its reactivity toward peroxil radicals (constant k7) have been measured by the chemiluminescence technique for flaxseed oil. Effective concentration of antioxidants is shown to depend on the technology of producing flaxseed oil; period of seed storage before use; and storing duration of flaxseed oil also. Minor component content of flaxseed oil, which may be the members of antioxidant pool, has been quantitatively estimated.

[Age changes in the level of pyridinoline cross-linking and ratio of soluble and insoluble collagen in human rib collagen]. / Vozrastnye izmeneniia soderzhaniia piridinolinovykh sshivok i otnosheniia rastvorimogo i nerastvorimogo kollagena v rebernom khriashche cheloveka.

The changes in the content of mature crosslinks with pyridinoline structure and soluble/insoluble collagen ratio in the costal cartilage tissue of human beings aged from 1 month to 57 years were found to be age-dependent. The effect of the pyridinoline crosslink content on the soluble/insoluble collagen ratio in human costal cartilage tissue may constitute no less than 67% of the total influence of the sum of all factors. The pronounced nonlinearity of the studied dependencies points to a possible involvement of a factor(s) other than the pyridinoline crosslink content.

[Comparative characteristics of oxyproline excretion in urine in children with post-burn hypertrophic and keloid scars]. / Sravnitel'naia kharakteristika ékskretsii oksiprolina s mochoi u detei s posleozhogovymi gipertroficheskimi i keloidnymi rubtsami.

Catabolism of collagen was studied in 25 children with keloid and hypertrophic scars by means of evaluation of total and polypeptide-bound hydroxyproline excreted with urine. Formation of postburn pathological scars led to an increase in excretion of collagen degradation products, the rate of the increase depended on area and age of scar. In hypertrophic cicatrization rate of collagen metabolites excretion correlated with the scar age reversely, demonstrating the tendency to decrease of the scar collagen metabolites with its ageing. Excretion of collagen metabolites with urine in patients with keloid scars depended on area of the scar and only slightly on its age. Besides, in patients with keloids rather high, statistically distinct correlation (r = 0.855) was found between the ratio macrophages/neutrophils under studies using "skin window" as well as between the ratio of hydroxyproline content in the polypeptide fractions with molecular mass above 1,500 and in the fraction containing oligopeptides and free hydroxyproline. This correlation was not found in patients with hypertrophic scars. Interaction of macrophages, neutrophils and, probably, eosinophiles appears to have a definite importance in regulation of collagen degradation, impairment of which may be substantial for scars formation.

[The connection between the decomposition of mature collagen and the level of natural cytotoxicity in patients with focal scleroderma]. / Sviaz' mezhdu raspadom zrelogo kollagena i urovnem estestvennoi tsitotoksichnosti u bol'nykh ochagovoi sklerodermiei.

Increased rate of pyridinoline excretion with urine was detected in patients with focal sclerodermia: the ratio pyridinoline/creatinine was equal to 0.094 +/- 0.049 as compared with that of 0.073 +/- 0.049 in controls. Concentration of mature collagen cross-links involving pyridinoline structure in urine of patients with focal sclerodermia did not depend on the patients age and the disease duration. However, this pattern correlated distinctly with clinical form of the disease (0.073 +/- 0.049 in local form and 0.013 +/- 0.017 in generalized form of sclerodermia) as well as correlated reversely with the rate of activity of natural killer cells (r = -0.977).

[Excretion of pyridinoline with urine in children with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan's syndrome and the effect of beta blocker and complex vitamin therapy on it]. / Ekskretsiia piridinolina s mochoi u detei s sindromami Elersa-Danlo i Marfana i vliianie na nee terapii beta-adrenoblokatorom i kompleksom vitaminov.

Excretion of pyridinoline and polypeptide-bound hydroxyproline with urine was studied in 27 children with hereditary impairment of connective tissue. At the same time, effects of beta-adrenoblocking agents and vitamin complex, prescribed during preoperation period before thoracoplasty in hereditary chest deformation, were investigated. Clinical efficiency of the treatment depended distinctly on the initial value of ratios pyridinoline/creatinine and polypeptide-bound hydroxyproline/creatinine. Total positive effect of the therapeutic course, considering also echocardiographic examination and postoperational complications, was observed in 44% of patients with Ehlers-Dunlop syndrome and in 75% of patients with Marfan syndrome.

[Physiological changes in pyridinoline excretion in urine depending on age and sex]. / Fiziologicheskie izmeneniia ékskretsii piridinolina s mochoi v zavisimosti ot vozrasta i pola.

Natural physiological alterations in excretion of pyridoline (total hydroxypyridoline and lysyl pyridoline) with urine were studied in children and adults depending on age (1-86 years old) and sex. Age-dependent alterations of pyridoline excretion with urine had apparently four phases: an increase, a decrease, stabilization and secondary increase. Distinct dissimilarity between men and women in the rate of pyridoline excretion was found only in the age group of 16-21 years old.

[Early diagnosis of progression of funnel chest in children]. / Ranniaia diagnostika progressirovaniia voronkoobraznoi deformatsii grudnoi kletki u detei.

104 patients with progressive forms of funnel chest deformity of the II-III degree with Ehlers-Danlos-Marfan syndrome, Marfan-like phenotype, isolated funnel chest deformity and unclassified funnel chest deformity of the first degree were subjected to synromologic examination. There were detected 10 dysplastic signs, indicating funnel chest deformity progression: anti-Mongol shape of the eyes, arachnodactyly, high palate, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, floor of the auricle's dysplasia, dolichostenomely, posture disturbance, mitral valve prolapse, umbilical hernia, wide filter. The results of biochemical examination of collagen metabolite--hydroxyproline++ (the first and the second hydroxyproline++ fraction ratio disturbance, decrease of the first hydroxyproline++ fraction percentage, disturbance of direct correlation between total hydroxyproline++ and percentage of the first hydroxyproline++ fraction)--corroborated the clinical data.

[The effect of collagen-normalizing therapy on the incidence and severity of anesthetic and postoperative complications in children with connective tissue syndromes]. / Vliianie kollagenonormalizuiushchei terapii na chastotu i tiazhest' anestesiologicheskikh i posleoperatsionnykh oslozhenii u detei s soedinitel'notkannymi sindromami.

A new method of collagen-normalizing therapy has been worked out to prevent specific anesthesia-induced, operative and postoperative complications and to treat some symptoms in children with Ehlers-Danlos and Marfan's syndromes and with non-classified Marfan-like malformations. The technique involves a combined use of beta-adrenoblocker in the age-matched doses and vitamins C/0.03 g/(kg.day)/, B2/0.0004 g/(kg.day)/and B6/0.002 g/(kg.day)/ for 2.5 months before surgery and during the first 2 weeks of the postoperative period. The above therapy reduces the incidence of delayed recovery of the muscular tone and adequate respiration, spontaneous and recurrent pneumothorax, hemorrhagic and gastroenterologic complications, as well as the incidence and severity of intestinal paresis. The indexes of effective collagen-normalizing therapy are as follows: body weight increase, echocardiographic pattern of reduced diameter of the aorta and mitral valve prolapse, normalization of the urinary excretion of total and polypeptide-bound oxyproline. The efficacy of therapy depends on the baseline level of oxyproline excretion.

[Effect of therapy with beta-adrenoblockers and vitamin complexes on indices of oxyproline excretion in various hereditary connective tissue diseases]. / Vliianie terapii beta-adrenoblokatorom i kompleksom vitaminov na pokazateli ékskretsii oksiprolina pri nekotorykh nasledstvennykh bolezniakh soedinitel'noi tkani.

Excretion of hydroxyproline with urine was studied in 16 children (5-14 years old) with Marphan-Like syndrome and Marphan, Ehlers-Dunlos and Larson syndromes after therapy involving propranolol and a complex of vitamins (ascorbic acid, riboflavin and pyridoxine) and recommended on the basis of echocardiographic analyses. The therapeutic course appears to cause quantitative and qualitative correction of collagen and apparently of elastin fibrilles development. Depending on initial patterns of hydroxyproline excretion and the syndrome form the correction could be complete or partial, while positive effect of the treatment was stable or provisional. The data obtained suggest that the complex treatment developed might be applied as a preoperative therapy of the patients with Marphan-like syndrome as well as with syndromes of Marphan and Ehlers-Dunlos before thoracoplastics caused by hereditary chest deformation and by impairments of cardiovascular system.

[Relation between infections during the pregnancy and the rate of hydroxyproline excretion in children with congenital chest deformities]. / Issledovanie sviazi mezhdu infektsiiami v period beremennosti i urovnem ékskretsii oksiprolina u detei s vrozhdennymi deformatsiiami grudnoi kletki.

In a group of women, which had children with hereditary isolated and syndromal chest deformations, acute respiratory diseases, tonsillitis or influenza occurred during pregnancy in 42.9 +/- 6.6% and 53.8 +/- 13.8% of cases, respectively, whereas in the control group only 17.8 +/- +/- 7.2% of the women were impaired with identical infectious diseases during pregnancy (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.05, respectively). Excretion of hydroxyproline was distinctly dissimilar in 22 children with isolated and in 13 children with syndromal chest deformations depending on presence or absence of the above-mentioned infections during pregnancy. Under conditions of these infections the higher level of total hydroxyproline excretion was noted as well as relatively lower content of bound hydroxyproline was detected in those peptides, which appear to be responsible for the content of newly synthesized collagen. The data obtained suggest that acute respiratory diseases, influenza, chronic and acute tonsillitis may impair collagen metabolism in children with hereditary chest deformations as well as that these infectious diseases occurred during pregnancy may increase the risk of the pathology development in the children.

[Possible role of natural cytotoxicity in impairment of collagen catabolism in focal scleroderma]. / O vozmozhnom uchastii mekhanizmov estestvennoi tsitotoksichnosti v narusheniiakh katabolizma kollagena pri ochagovoi sklerodermii.

Relationship between the state of natural cytotoxicity and collagen catabolism were studied in patients with focal sclerodermia. In the impairment activity of natural killer cells (NK cells) was markedly altered depending on such clinical parameters as duration, severity, activity and distribution of the disease as well as it was related to definite transformations in catabolism of collagen proteins. Low rate of collagen production and intensive collagenolytic processes correlated with the high level of hydrolytic activity of NK cells at the early steps of systemic morphea guttata accompanied by highly progressive course of the disease. Under conditions of subacute forms of focal morphea guttata activity of NK cells was distinctly decreased down to 50% of that of normal state and was accompanied by alterations in the spectrum of collagenolytic enzymes as well as by considerable variations in collagen production and in posttranslational modification of collagen fibrils. During the chronic step of sclerodermia activity of NK cells was normalized and correlated with the lowered rate of collagen production as well as with the subsequent alterations in collagen proteins catabolism. Alterations in the level of natural cytotoxicity appear to correlate with the state of collagen metabolism in focal sclerodermia.

[Urinary excretion of hydroxyproline in funnel chest deformity]. / Ekskretsiia oksiprolina s mochoi pri voronkoobraznoi deformatsii grudnoi kletki.

Excretion of hydroxyproline with urine was studied in 16 children with localized form of funnel chest deformation simultaneously with Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, in 9 children with the localized form of deformation within 6-8 months after thorax surgical plastic operation as well as in 3 children with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome but without funnel chest deformation. Funnel chest deformation of the II-III degree, independently of its form, was accompanied by a decrease of total hydroxyproline in urine as compared with healthy children of the similar age. The hydroxyproline excretion was normalized after thoracoplastic operation in the children with localized form of the chest deformation. In Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, independently on presence or absence of the chest deformation, relative content of free hydroxyproline was increased in urine, while the peptide-bound amino acid was decreased (peptides with molecular mass above 700 daltons); this phenomenon appears to be a characteristic property of the syndrome.