Do Medical Universities Students Use Cognitive Enhancers while Learning?-Conclusions from the Study in Poland.

BACKGROUND: Stress and everyday problems may impact memory and cognition. Therefore, many people use cognitive enhancers (CEs), sold for prescription, as over-the-counter drugs, or dietary supplements, believing they may help with everyday functioning. Our study was designed to answer whether taking CEs is common among Medical University students and to identify which substances are mainly used. METHODS AND RESULTS: An anonymous online questionnaire was answered by 479 students of Medical (88%) and Dentistry (12%) Faculties in Poland. Women constituted the majority of respondents (63%). CEs were used by 53% of respondents, with the most frequent being caffeine, ginseng, nicotine, theanine, ginkgo, and lecithin. Some persons used CEs that are available only with a prescription. The most important reasons for the use of CEs were to increase arousal and improve concentration (mentioned by 81% and 73%, respectively). Over 65% of students experienced some undesired/adverse effects after taking CEs, with tachycardia being the most common, followed by sleep disturbances (reported by 51% and 40%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the respondents from the Medical and Dentistry Faculties reported using CEs, despite their unproven efficacy and not-well-established safety. This raises significant concern about the knowledge of young persons regarding CEs and should encourage universities to undertake educational actions.

Factors That Influence the Use of Dietary Supplements among the Students of Wroclaw Medical University in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The use of dietary supplements (DS) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is increasing every year. The COVID-19 pandemic might additionally influence the use of such preparations. The study aimed to investigate factors influencing the use of dietary supplements (DS), including stress-relieving supplements, by the students. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, 624 students of the Wroclaw Medical University in Poland, from the second to the last year of studies, completed the anonymous questionnaire, consisting of 22 items, about the use of DS/OTC drugs during the academic year 2020/2021. Obtained data were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test, the U-Mann Whitney test, the Kruskal-Wallis test with the post-hoc analysis, and with logistic regression. RESULTS: About 70% of students declared the use of any DS, 33% used DS for stress, anxiety, depression, or sleeping problems, and 59% used other DS. The most important factors influencing the decision to take any kind of DS were Division (p = 0.0001, odds ratio [OR]: 0.35, and confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.59), a self-estimated level of stress (p = 0.014, OR: 1.13, CI: 1.03-1.25), and self-estimated level of knowledge about DS (p = 0.0000, OR: 1.31, CI: 1.19-1.36). In the case of students taking DS for stress, anxiety, depression, or sleeping problems, the level of stress and the declared knowledge had the greatest impact on the decision for such a use of DS (p = 0.0001, OD: 1.24, CI: 1.11-1.39 and p = 0.0000, OD: 1.35, CI: 1.22-1.5, respectively). The COVID-19 pandemic did not change the pattern of DS/OTC drug usage in about 33% of students. Those who started taking DS during the pandemic accounted for 19% of all students. CONCLUSIONS: The use of DS is common among Wroclaw Medical University students with some differences between subgroups of respondents. Additionally, despite declared good knowledge about DS, most students declare the need to learn more about them.

The impact of mangiferin from Belamcanda chinensis on experimental colitis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)] constitutes an important clinical problem. The pathogenesis of IBD remains unclear. It is believed that immune dysfunction, inflammatory mediators and oxidative damage play crucial roles in development of IBD. The condition is clinically associated with symptoms ranging from mild to severe during relapses, depending on the affected segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Bloody diarrhea with mucus, abdominal pain, weight loss and anemia are initial symptoms of both CD and UC. Differences between diseases become more evident in time, along with the development of intestinal and extraintestinal complications. Mangiferin (1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone-C-2-ß-D-glucoside), a natural polyphenol in plants, exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects making it an interesting option for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies associated with oxidative stress in humans, such as IBD. PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to elucidate the impact of mangiferin on colon tissues in 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats. METHODS: Mangiferin was obtained from Belamcanda chinensis rhizomes by a multistage process. Groups of rats were pre-treated with 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg of mangiferin, or with distilled water administered intragastrically for 16 days. An ethanol solution of TNBS or saline was given rectally on the day 15 of the experiment. The experiment was terminated on the day 17. The colon was removed, cleaned, weighed and examined macro- and microscopically. Determination of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 17 (IL-17), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were performed spectrophotometrically in homogenates of colon tissues. RESULTS: Rats in the TNBS group developed symptoms of colitis, including: body weight loss, colon mass index increase and damage of intestinal tissues with concomitant increase in TNF-α, IL-17, MDA levels and decreased SOD activity. In non-TNBS-treated rats mangiferin did not cause any changes of studied parameters. Pre-treatment with mangiferin exerted a protective effect, reducing the intensity of damage caused by TNBS. Mangiferin at the doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg reduced the macro- and microscopic damage score and the MDA level in colon tissues. Only at the dose of 100 mg/kg, mangiferin decreased TNF-α and IL-17 concentrations, and SOD activity in colon tissues. CONCLUSION: Mangiferin attenuates inflammatory changes of colon tissues in experimental, TNBS-induced colitis in rats. Protective effect exerted by mangiferin depends primarily on its anti-inflammatory activity and secondarily on its antioxidant properties.

Iridoid-loganic acid versus anthocyanins from the Cornus mas fruits (cornelian cherry): Common and different effects on diet-induced atherosclerosis, PPARs expression and inflammation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiovascular benefits of fruits are attributed mainly to their (poly)phenolic constituents, especially anthocyanins. The main aim of our study is to compare effects of iridoids and anthocyanins from one fruit on diet-induced atherosclerosis. The cornelian cherry is a native or cultivated plant that grows in many European countries, used in cuisine and folk medicine. In our previous study, we showed its constituents and proved that oral administration of lyophilized fruits to hypercholesterolemic rabbits had preventive effects on atherosclerosis through the activation of PPARα expression. In this study, we have compared the effects of the main constituents of the cornelian cherry:iridoid loganic acid and anthocyanins. METHODS: Our experiment followed the model used in our previous study, in which rabbits were fed 1% cholesterol. RESULTS: We showed that both loganic acid (20 mg/kg b.w.) and a mixture of anthocyanins (10 mg/kg b.w.) administered orally for 60 days had a positive impact on dyslipidemia caused by cholesterol-rich diet, although the effects of anthocyanins were more pronounced. Anthocyanins decreased total and LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and increased HDL-cholesterol. Loganic acid showed similar effects, but only the triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol changes achieved statistical significance. Anthocyanins, and to a lesser extent loganic acid, significantly decreased intima thickness and intima/media ratio in the thoracic aorta. Both substances decrease ox-LDL in the plasma. Anthocyanins significantly increased expression of PPARγ and α in the liver. Loganic acid also increased their expression, but to a lesser extent. Conversely, loganic acid showed pronounced anti-inflammatory effects, decreasing TNF-α and IL-6 activity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that both substances have a positive effect on factors contributing to the development of diet-induced atherosclerosis. Our results also indicate the potential health benefits of fruits containing anthocyanins and iridoids, and support the idea of creating composed phytopharmaceuticals containing both groups of substances.