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The phytochemical constituents of a biologically active, standardized, 80% ethanol extract of Rhodiola heterodonta were characterized. The extract was fractionated over a Sephadex LH-20 column to afford two main fractions representing two classes of secondary metabolites: phenylethanoids and proanthocyanidins. This fractionation facilitated the identification and quantification of individual compounds in the fractions and sub-fractions using HPLC, and LC-MS. The major compounds in the phenylethanoid fraction were heterodontoside, tyrosol methyl ether, salidroside, viridoside, mongrhoside, tyrosol, and the cyanogenic glucoside rhodiocyanoside A. These seven compounds comprised 17.4% of the EtOH extract. Proanthocyanidins ranged from oligomers to polymers based on epigallocatechin and gallate units. The main identified oligomeric compounds in the proanthocyanidin fraction were epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate and 3-O-galloyl-epigallocatechin-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, which constituted 1.75% of the ethanol extract. Tyrosol methyl ether, mongrhoside, and the two proanthocyanidin dimers were reported for the first time from this species in this study. Intraperitoneal injection of the 80% ethanol extract increased survival time of mice under hypoxia by 192%, as an indication of adaptogenic activity.

Winter cress (Barbarea verna) seed preparations rich in phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC) had strong in vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, significantly reducing the size of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. This in vivo effect was comparable with that of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aspirin. The seed preparation, in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced the mRNA levels of inflammation-related genes such as the inducible forms of cyclooxygenase and nitric-oxide synthase and the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Activity of the seed preparation was similar to that of the synthetic PEITC. PEITC was the most active of five different forms of isothiocyanate tested for their effects on in vitro proinflammatory gene expression. In vitro activity of the seed preparation was also compared with that of two known anti-inflammatory drugs. We conclude that Barbarea verna seed preparation may function as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, interfering with the transcription of proinflammatory genes.

Experiments on rats with isadrine induced myocardial disorder showed that glycyrram reduces the extent of myocardial inflammatory edema, inhibits an increase in the level of marker enzymes (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenade, asparatate aminotransferase) in the blood serum, prevents a decrease in the myocardial glycogen and an increase in the total lipids, inhibits increase in the lipid peroxidation and decrease in the antioxidant activity in the blood, and improves the ECG characteristics. These data suggest that glycyrram is a promising agent for the treatment of cardiac disorders accompanied by inflammatory and necrotic changes in myocardium, including myocarditis and myocardial infarction.

Experiments on rats with isadrine damage to the myocardium showed that when used for preventive-therapeutic purposes 18-dehydroglycyrrhizic acid (glyderinine preparation) causes statistically significant prevention of a rise in the serum level of marker enzymes (creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotranspherase), prevents activation of lipid peroxidation, decrease of blood serum antioxidation activity and pathological changes in the content of glycogen and total lipids in the heart, it also improves the electrocardiographic parameters, reduces myocardial inflammatory edema. The results of the study show that glyderinine possesses a marked cardioprotective effect.

In acute animal experiments it was shown that phytoecdizon ecdisteron (ecdisten) in some animals eliminates arrhythmia caused by the ligation of the descending branch of the left coronary artery and prevents the development of fibrillation and also corrects the hemodynamic parameters and the structure of the heart contractility, prevents the development of arrhythmias induced by aconitine and calcium chloride. The mechanism of the antiarrhythmic action is related to the membrane stabilizing effect and the improvement of the hemodynamic parameters and the heart contractility is due to an increase of the adaptative possibilities of the myocardium.

Introduction of phytiexdizone-exdisterone (0.5 mg/100 g) to rats for 7 days is shown to be attended by an accelerated body weight gain and also by a rising weight of the liver, heart, kidneys and musculus tibialis anterior. In these organs the total amount of protein increases. All of the above-stated changes are more marked when the substance is given to growing rats (70--80 g). In experiments on castrated sexually immature rats the androgenic action of exdisterone, unlike that of methandrostenolone, is not demonstrable.

With a prolonged enteral introduction indole alkaloids vincamine (5--20 mg/kg), vinervine (5 mg/kg) and serotonin (2 mg/kg) significantly lengthen the duration of the sex cycle through extending the estrus cycle (vincamine, vinervine and serotonin) and diestrus (serotonin). Without changing the weight of the uterus the studied alkaloids tend to significantly increase the weight of the ovaries and the number of follicles therein. In test with sexually mature castrated and also sexually immature (both alkaloids) and hypophysectomized (vincamine) animals these alkaloids fail to display any estrogenic action.

Protein biosynthesis was stimulated in liver tissue in vivo and in vitro after administration into mice of either phytoecdizone of turkesterone (0.5 mg/100 g) or of anabolic steroid compound nerobole (1 mg/100 g). Stimulation of protein biosynthesis was due to an increase in functional activity of polyribosomes and to elevation in the synthesis of protein molecules. Actinomycin D, which inhibited the stimulation of protein biosynthesis in liver tissue of mice treated with nerobole, did not affect the phenomenon in mice treated with turkesterone.

Polymer proanthocyanidin from Rhodiola semenovii named epihalochin was found to exhibit a pronounced antihypoxic effect in different models of hypoxia (hypoxic, cytotoxic and hemic), to relieve the hypoxic isolated heart contracture. Therapeutic doses of epihalochin produced a transient lowering of arterial pressure, decreased to a certain degree heart rate and lengthened the phases of cardiac contractions.

Amorphin--24-vicyanoside (C34H4O16(2)H2O)--in a dose of 10 mg/kg orally decreases the content of cholesterol, total lipids, atherogenic lipoproteids in the blood and organs of intact rats and rats with endogenous or ethanol hyperlipemia, inhibits the development of experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits induced by the combination of risk factors (cholesterol + glucose + hypodynamia), decreases the content of lipids in the blood and organs (especially in aorta), prevents the development of morphological manifestations of the aorta atherosclerosis.

It has been demonstrated in acute experiments on animals of different species that nitroesters of sodium carboxymethylcellulose have the pharmacological properties exhibited by nitroglycerin. Unlike the latter one, they exert a mild hypotensive action.

It is shown that 6-ketoderivatives of natural sapogenins, viz. agigenin, diosgenin and alliogenin, display the anabolic activity and do not manifest any androgenic properties. The compoud IV/(25 R)-5alpha-spirostan-2alpha, 3beta, 5alpha-triol-6-OH/produces an accelerated gain of weight in rats, and also an increase in the weight of the liver, heart, kidneys, musculus tibiliasis anterior and augments the total amount of protein therein. All of the above-mentioned changes become more pronounced with the study substance introduced to young animals. Castration of sexually immature rats greatly mitigates the anabolic effect of the compound IV.