Effect of Thymus marschallianus extract on lipid peroxidation processes in vivo and in vitro experiments

BACKGROUND: Currently, fundamental and experimental data confirming the role of free radicals in physiological and pathological processes have been accumulated. The literature describes conflicting information about the effect of antioxidants on the organism: they are able to protect not only normal cells from the alterative effect of free radicals, but also tumor cells, thereby supporting the survival and growth of the latter. Therefore, the study of the effect of Thymus marchallianus extract on the processes of lipoperoxidation in vivo against the background of the tumor process is relevant.

AIM: To study the effect of Thymus marchallianus extract on the quantity of lipid peroxidation intermediates in the blood plasma of mongrel white rats with liver cancer PC-1 and compare with in vivo antioxidant activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The object of research was the dried Thymus marchallianus grass. Water and alcohol extracts were used in the experiment. Fifteen male white mongrel rats with a tumor were included in the experiment: the first group was intact, the second group received the water extract of Thymus marchallianus, and the third group received the alcohol extract of Thymus marchallianus. The activity of lipoperoxidation processes was evaluated, the content of intermediate lipid peroxidation intermediates – malon dialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and medium-mass molecules in the blood plasma of experimental rats were estimated by means of conventional spectrophotometric methods. Determination of the antioxidant activity of the infusion and alcohol extraction in the in vitro experiment was carried out by the titrimetric method.

RESULTS: In the control groups and the group of animals that received intraperitoneal water and alcohol extracts of Thymus marchallianus, increase in the intermediate products of lipid peroxidation was not revealed. The amount of malon dialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and medium-mass molecules in the blood plasma of experimental rats did not differ significantly from the level of similar indicators of intact animals. In the in vitro experiment, water and alcohol extracts from raw Thymus marchallianus showed antioxidant activity.

CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, the experiment was conducted to study the effect of water and water-alcohol extracts of Thymus marchallianus on lipoperoxidation processes in mongrel white rats with alveolar liver cancer PC-1. The activity of formation of intermediate products of lipid peroxidation did not change, since their content in the blood plasma of experimental animals did not differ from the level of similar indicators of intact animals. In vitro the infusion and alcohol extract demonstrated antioxidant activity.