Obtaining a dry extract of Erodium cicutarium and studying its antioxidant activity

Objective - to obtain an extract of dry Erodium cicutarium L., and to study its antioxidant effect on white rats with experimental hepatitis.

Materials and methods. The object of the study is the hemlock crane grass ( Erodium cicutarium (L.) L'hér. ex Aiton.), harvested in 2023 during the mass flowering period in the Baikal region. The extract was obtained by dynamic maceration. The sum of the active substances - phenolic carboxylic acids and flavonoids - was determined using a spectrophotometric method using a SF-2000 spectrophotometer (Russia) in quartz cuvettes with an absorbing layer thickness of 1 cm at a wavelength of 325 and 410 nm, respectively. Experimental hepatitis was reproduced by intragastric administration of tetracycline to rats at a dose of 1 g/kg body weight for 5 days. Simultaneously, from the 2^nd day of the experiment and for 14 days, the animals were treated with the studied extract. The antioxidant effect of the extract was assessed by the level of malonic dialdehyde and diene conjugates in the blood on days 7 and 14. The experimental results were processed statistically using the Student's t-test.

Results. The optimal technological parameters for obtaining a dry extract from the herb Erodium cicutarium L., which ensures the maximum yield of active substances and extractives, are the following: the degree of grinding of raw materials is 3 mm, the extractant is 50% ethyl alcohol, the ratio of raw materials:extractant is 1:14. During pharmacological studies of the obtained extract, there was a decrease in the values of diene conjugates and malonic aldehyde in the blood of rats by 27% and 14%, respectively, relative to the control. At the same time, on the 14^th day, the studied extract contributed to a further decrease in these indicators to 29% and 19%, respectively.

Conclusion. The obtained extract from the herb Erodium cicutarium L. contained the maximum amounts of active substances, the results of a pharmacological study showed its high antioxidant activity, which indicates its potential effectiveness in combating oxidative stress.

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