Some wild growing plants in traditional foods of Uzbekistan

Background: The flora in Uzbekistan is extremely rich and diverse due to its biogeographical features such as a sharply continental climate, deserts, and high mountains. Methods: The collected data were obtained from the 12 villages of the west (Tashkent region), the southern part of Uzbekistan (Kashkadarya and Surhandarya regions), and Karalpakstan by conducting interviews and through scientific research. Results: The selected 39 species from 200 wild growing plants, which are used as food in Uzbekistan, are described. Among these endemic plants are: Allium aflatunense B. Fedtsch., A. motor R. Kam. and Levichev, A. suworowii Regel, A. pskemense B. Fedtsch. (Alliaceae), Dragocephallum spinulosum M. Pop, Hyssopus ferganensis Boriss., Mentha pamiroalaica Boriss., Rheum maximoviczi A. Los. (Polygonaceae), etc. The taxonomical analysis shows that these plants belong to 18 families and 25 genera. Conclusion: The collected data represents less than 10% of the plants which are used as a food in Uzbekistan. Analysis of the indigenous plants revealed a number of them which are also used in traditional food in China, Russia, Korea, India, and other countries

Honey in traditional cuisine of Uzbekistan and analysis of melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan

AbstractBackgroundHoney and honey based-products have a long tradition as a food source in Uzbekistan. The melliferous flora is one of the main resources for honey production. In this study, we present a review of some honey-based foods made in Uzbekistan and on the current state of the wild melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan, which is located in the northwestern part of Uzbekistan. This is the first such statistical study in a region in Uzbekistan after nearly 30 years.MethodsField studies were carried out between 2013 and 2015. The melliferous plants were collected on territory of Karakalpakstan. More than 450 samples of plants have been collected from this region.ResultsAccording to the literature, in 1978, there were 68 species of melliferous plants belonged to 32 genera of 19 families. In this study on the territory of Karakalpakstan, we found 206 species of wild vascular plants, which belonged to 134 genera of 46 families, that have commercial value for beekeeping. Among the 206 species of wild melliferous plants identified, 196 species are considered to have medicinal properties. An analysis of 13 leading families containing five or more types of melliferous plants showed that these families comprise 72.05% of the total melliferous flora.DiscussionThe obtained data on the sequence of flowering of wild melliferous plants show that the vegetation period starts from March. After June, the bees start to collect honey from the cultivated species. These data suggest that the melliferous flora of Karakalpakstan has a fairly powerful resource base, which with a right approach can help us to get dozens of tons of high-quality, environmentally friendly honey, catering to all needs of Uzbekistan

The mitochondria-to-cytosol H2O2 gradient is caused by peroxiredoxin-dependent cytosolic scavenging

Fluorescent protein-based reporters used to measure intracellular H2O2 were developed to overcome the limitations of small permeable dyes. The two major families of genetically encoded redox reporters are the reduction-oxidation sensitive green fluorescent protein (roGFP)-based proteins fused to peroxiredoxins and HyPer and derivatives. We have used the most sensitive probes of each family, roGFP2-Tpx1.C169S and HyPer7, to monitor steady-state and fluctuating levels of peroxides in fission yeast. While both are able to monitor the nanomolar fluctuations of intracellular H2O2, the former is two-five times more sensitive than HyPer7, and roGFP2-Tpx1.C169S is partially oxidized in the cytosol of wild-type cells while HyPer7 is fully reduced. We have successfully expressed HyPer7 in the mitochondrial matrix, and it is ~40% oxidized, suggesting higher steady-state levels of peroxides, in the low micromolar range, than in the cytosol. Cytosolic HyPer7 can detect negligible H2O2 in the cytosol from mitochondrial origin unless the main H2O2 scavenger, the cytosolic peroxiredoxin Tpx1, is absent, while mitochondrial HyPer7 is oxidized to the same extent in wild-type and ∆tpx1 cells. We conclude that there is a bidirectional flux of H2O2 across the matrix and the cytosol, but Tpx1 rapidly and efficiently scavenges mitochondrial-generated peroxides and stops their steady-state cytosolic levels rising.This work is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain),PLAN E and FEDER (PGC2018-093920-B-I00 to E.H., PGC2018-097248-B-I00 to J.A. and Redox Biologyand Medicine Research Network (Red2018-102576-T) to E.H.), and from the Ministry of Science andHigher Education (Russia) (075-15-2019-1933 to V.V.B.). The Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle group isalso supported by Generalitat de Catalunya (Spain) (2017-SGR-539) and by Unidad de ExcelenciaMaría de Maeztu, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M) (Spain). L.d.C. is recipient of a María deMaeztu predoctoral fellowship from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain)

In vivo dynamics of acidosis and oxidative stress in the acute phase of an ischemic stroke in a rodent model

Ischemic cerebral stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in humans. However, molecular processes underlying the development of this pathology remain poorly understood. There are major gaps in our understanding of metabolic changes that occur in the brain tissue during the early stages of ischemia and reperfusion. In particular, it is generally accepted that both ischemia (I) and reperfusion (R) generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative stress which is one of the main drivers of the pathology, although ROS generation during I/R was never demonstrated in vivo due to the lack of suitable methods. In the present study, we record for the first time the dynamics of intracellular pH and H2O2 during I/R in cultured neurons and during experimental stroke in rats using the latest generation of genetically encoded biosensors SypHer3s and HyPer7. We detect a buildup of powerful acidosis in the brain tissue that overlaps with the ischemic core from the first seconds of pathogenesis. At the same time, no significant H2O2 generation was found in the acute phase of ischemia/reperfusion. HyPer7 oxidation in the brain was detected only 24 h later. Comparison of in vivo experiments with studies on cultured neurons under I/R demonstrates that the dynamics of metabolic processes in these models significantly differ, suggesting that a cell culture is a poor predictor of metabolic events in vivo

Ticagrelor in patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease with a history of previous percutaneous coronary intervention (THEMIS-PCI) : a phase 3, placebo-controlled, randomised trial

Background: Patients with stable coronary artery disease and diabetes with previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), particularly those with previous stenting, are at high risk of ischaemic events. These patients are generally treated with aspirin. In this trial, we aimed to investigate if these patients would benefit from treatment with aspirin plus ticagrelor. Methods: The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in diabEtes Mellitus patients Intervention Study (THEMIS) was a phase 3 randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, done in 1315 sites in 42 countries. Patients were eligible if 50 years or older, with type 2 diabetes, receiving anti-hyperglycaemic drugs for at least 6 months, with stable coronary artery disease, and one of three other mutually non-exclusive criteria: a history of previous PCI or of coronary artery bypass grafting, or documentation of angiographic stenosis of 50% or more in at least one coronary artery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either ticagrelor or placebo, by use of an interactive voice-response or web-response system. The THEMIS-PCI trial comprised a prespecified subgroup of patients with previous PCI. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (measured in the intention-to-treat population). Findings: Between Feb 17, 2014, and May 24, 2016, 11 154 patients (58% of the overall THEMIS trial) with a history of previous PCI were enrolled in the THEMIS-PCI trial. Median follow-up was 3·3 years (IQR 2·8–3·8). In the previous PCI group, fewer patients receiving ticagrelor had a primary efficacy outcome event than in the placebo group (404 [7·3%] of 5558 vs 480 [8·6%] of 5596; HR 0·85 [95% CI 0·74–0·97], p=0·013). The same effect was not observed in patients without PCI (p=0·76, p interaction=0·16). The proportion of patients with cardiovascular death was similar in both treatment groups (174 [3·1%] with ticagrelor vs 183 (3·3%) with placebo; HR 0·96 [95% CI 0·78–1·18], p=0·68), as well as all-cause death (282 [5·1%] vs 323 [5·8%]; 0·88 [0·75–1·03], p=0·11). TIMI major bleeding occurred in 111 (2·0%) of 5536 patients receiving ticagrelor and 62 (1·1%) of 5564 patients receiving placebo (HR 2·03 [95% CI 1·48–2·76], p<0·0001), and fatal bleeding in 6 (0·1%) of 5536 patients with ticagrelor and 6 (0·1%) of 5564 with placebo (1·13 [0·36–3·50], p=0·83). Intracranial haemorrhage occurred in 33 (0·6%) and 31 (0·6%) patients (1·21 [0·74–1·97], p=0·45). Ticagrelor improved net clinical benefit: 519/5558 (9·3%) versus 617/5596 (11·0%), HR=0·85, 95% CI 0·75–0·95, p=0·005, in contrast to patients without PCI where it did not, p interaction=0·012. Benefit was present irrespective of time from most recent PCI. Interpretation: In patients with diabetes, stable coronary artery disease, and previous PCI, ticagrelor added to aspirin reduced cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, although with increased major bleeding. In that large, easily identified population, ticagrelor provided a favourable net clinical benefit (more than in patients without history of PCI). This effect shows that long-term therapy with ticagrelor in addition to aspirin should be considered in patients with diabetes and a history of PCI who have tolerated antiplatelet therapy, have high ischaemic risk, and low bleeding risk