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Traditional medicine has used sage (Salvia officinalisL.) preparations for centuries to prevent and treat various inflammatory and oxidative stress-induced conditions. The aim of this in vitrostudy was to determine the bioactive properties of a sage leave extract obtained with environmentally friendly aqueous extraction and lyophilisation in primary human peripheral blood cells. To that end we measured the total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC, respectively) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Non-cytotoxic concentrations determined with the trypan blue assay were used to assess the antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, and PAB assay), antigenotoxic (CBMN assay), immunomodulatory (IL-1β and TNF-α), and neuroprotective effects (AChE inhibition). The extract contained high TPC (162 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and TFC (39.47 mg QE/g of dry extract) concentrations, while β-thujone content was unexpectedly low (below 0.9 %). Strong radical-scavenging activity combined with glutathione reductase activation led to a decrease in basal and H2O2-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage. A decrease in TNF-α and increase in IL-1β levels suggest complex immunomodulatory response that could contribute to antioxidant and, together with mild AChE inhibition, neuroprotective effects. Overall, this study has demonstrated that aqueous sage leave extract reduces the levels of thujone, 1,8-cineole, pinene, and terpene ketones that could be toxic in high concentrations, while maintaining high concentrations of biologically active protective compounds which have a potential to prevent and/or treat inflammatory and oxidative stress-related conditions.

AbstractSimilarly as in other organ structures stem cells are present in cornea residing basal epithelial layer termed palisade of Voight. A growing interest in allografts and xenografts implies a thorough study of regenerative potentials of these cells, as well as a clear description of their patterns in in vitrotissue cultures to be grafted. Recently we have developed a simple method for cultivation of porcine corneal epithelial stem cells obtained by biopsy from the limbal region. Eight enucleated eyes were obtained from four slaughtered pigs. 5 mm2samples of limbal epithelium were taken by keratotomy method. The primary cultures of these cells showed phenotypic and morphometric characteristics of porcine corneal epithelial cells following May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining. After 5d of sowing they reached 80% of confluence. With the «Night & Day» lenses a total confluence was achieved 5d earlier in comparison to the cells that were grown in the secondary cultures. Accordingly, the use of porcine limbal stem cells has potentials in veterinary medicine (as novel approach in reparative/regenerative medicine of pets, horses and selected breeds), but also are in accordance with the extensive studies on the potential use of xenografts, mainly swine tissues/organs, in humans.