Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of natural therapeutic mud of Kazakhstan salt lakes: a review.

In recent years, interest in natural therapeutic mud has been growing all over the world. This natural product has a positive therapeutic effect on the skin and has fewer side effects on the human body. There are more than 40 thousand salt lakes in Kazakhstan. Most of them have natural mud sources, the potential of which has not yet been fully explored. The review presents an analysis of the available information on the physical and chemical properties of the main sources of natural mud from salt lakes in Kazakhstan and Kazakh sanatoriums that use natural mud in the treatment. All available publications, presenting the systematic studies, were used for data analysis. A comparative analysis of the mineralization of water, brine, and silt in one reservoir shows that the mineralization of water is not always the least. The available data indicate a point and partial nature of peloid studies, e.g., inorganic composition of natural muds from Western and Southern Kazakhstan is well described in the literature. In turn, there is a lack of these data from Northern and Eastern Kazakhstan. Studies of peloids in these regions seem to be a promising direction of the future research for both local and world scientists. What is more, there is also a big gap in the analysis of organic matter of muds from the Kazakh lakes. Comparing the state of the art, i.e., the studies from other parts of Asia and Europe, the identification of the organic part of muds is another desirable direction as a potential source of biologically active compounds of natural origin.

The Effect of Mushroom Extracts on Human Platelet and Blood Coagulation: In vitro Screening of Eight Edible Species.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading global cause of mortality indicating the need to identify all possible factors reducing primary and secondary risk. This study screened the in vitro antiplatelet and anticoagulant activities of hot water extracts of eight edible mushroom species (Agaricus bisporus, Auricularia auricularia-judae, Coprinus comatus, Ganoderma lucidum, Hericium erinaceus, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii, and Pleurotus ostreatus) increasingly cultivated for human consumption, and compared them to those evoked by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). The antioxidant capacity and concentration of polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, organic acids, ergosterol, macro elements, and trace elements were also characterized. The most promising antiplatelet effect was exhibited by A. auricularia-judae and P. eryngii extracts as demonstrated by the highest rate of inhibition of adenosine-5'-diphosphate (ADP)-induced and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced aggregation. The response to both extracts exceeded the one evoked by 140 µmol/L of ASA in the ADP test and was comparable to it in the case of the AA test. Such a dual effect was also observed for G. lucidum extract, even though it was proven to be cytotoxic in platelets and leukocytes. The extract of P. ostreatus revealed an additive effect on AA-induced platelet aggregation. None of the mushroom extracts altered the monitored coagulation parameters (prothrombin time, prothrombin ratio, and International Normalized Ratio). The effect of mushroom extracts on platelet function was positively related to their antioxidative properties and concentration of polysaccharides and ergosterol, and inversely related to zinc concentration. The study suggests that selected mushrooms may exert favorable antiplatelet effects, highlighting the need for further experimental and clinical research in this regard.

Increased Aluminum Content in Certain Brain Structures is Correlated with Higher Silicon Concentration in Alcoholic Use Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol overuse may be related to increased aluminum (Al) exposure, the brain accumulation of which contributes to dementia. However, some reports indicate that silicon (Si) may have a protective role over Al-induced toxicity. Still, no study has ever explored the brain content of Al and Si in alcoholic use disorder (AUD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To fill this gap, the present study employed inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry to investigate levels of Al and Si in 10 brain regions and in the liver of AUD patients (n = 31) and control (n = 32) post-mortem. RESULTS: Al content was detected only in AUD patients at mean ± SD total brain content of 1.59 ± 1.19 mg/kg, with the highest levels in the thalamus (4.05 ± 12.7 mg/kg, FTH), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (3.48 ± 9.67 mg/kg, ILF), insula (2.41 ± 4.10 mg/kg) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (1.08 ± 2.30 mg/kg). Si content displayed no difference between AUD and control, except for FTH. Positive inter-region correlations between the content of both elements were identified in the cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and ILF. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that AUD patients may potentially be prone to Al-induced neurodegeneration in their brain-although this hypothesis requires further exploration.