Sanja Vlaisavljevic

Bio: Sanja Vlaisavljevic is an academic researcher from University of Novi Sad. The author has contributed to research in topics: DPPH & Lipid peroxidation. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 21 publications receiving 458 citations.

Antioxidant Capacity of Ocimum basilicum L. and Origanum vulgare L. Extracts

Abstract: The antioxidant properties of five different extracts (Et₂O, CHCl₃, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H₂O) of Ocimum basilicum L. and Origanum vulgare L. were studied. Antioxidant activity was assessed in six different model systems. Free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) was evaluated by measuring the scavenging capacity of extracts on DPPH, NO, O₂•⁻ and OH radical, as well as on hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). In addition, the protective effects on lipid peroxidation in liposomes (LPx) were evaluated by TBA-assay using the Fe²⁺/ascorbate induction system. The amount of total phenolic compounds and content of total flavonoids was also determined. EtOAc, n-BuOH and H₂O extracts of O. basilicum and O. vulgare expressed very strong scavenger activity. Furthermore, the mentioned extracts showed notable inhibition of LPx. On the other hand, Et₂O and CHCl₃ extracts showed much weaker effect in the neutralization of DPPH, NO and O₂•⁻ radicals and the neutralization of H₂O₂. When examining the production of OH radicals and inhibition of LPx, the Et₂O and CHCl₃ extracts showed weak prooxidative properties. The observed differences in antioxidant activity could be partially explained by the levels of phenolics and flavonoids in the investigated O. basilicum and O. vulgare extracts.

Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Abstract: Since the beginning of the epidemic, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected around 70 million people worldwide, most of whom reside is sub-Saharan Africa. There have been very promising developments in the treatment of HIV with anti-retroviral drug cocktails. However, drug resistance to anti-HIV drugs is emerging, and many people infected with HIV have adverse reactions or do not have ready access to currently available HIV chemotherapies. Thus, there is a need to discover new anti-HIV agents to supplement our current arsenal of anti-HIV drugs and to provide therapeutic options for populations with limited resources or access to currently efficacious chemotherapies. Plant-derived natural products continue to serve as a reservoir for the discovery of new medicines, including anti-HIV agents. This review presents a survey of plants that have shown anti-HIV activity, both in vitro and in vivo.

Carotenoids: Considerations for Their Use in Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Nutricosmetics, Supplements, Botanicals, and Novel Foods in the Context of Sustainability, Circular Economy, and Climate Change.

Abstract: Carotenoids are versatile isoprenoids that are important in food quality and health promotion. There is a need to establish recommended dietary intakes/nutritional reference values for carotenoids. Research on carotenoids in agro-food and health is being propelled by the two multidisciplinary international networks, the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Foods Ingredients (IBERCAROT; http://www.cyted.org) and the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro-Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN; http://www.eurocaroten.eu). In this review, considerations for their safe and sustainable use in products mostly intended for health promotion are provided. Specifically, information about sources, intakes, and factors affecting bioavailability is summarized. Furthermore, their health-promoting actions and importance in public health in relation to the contribution of reducing the risk of diverse ailments are synthesized. Definitions and regulatory and safety information for carotenoid-containing products are provided. Lastly, recent trends in research in the context of sustainable healthy diets are summarized.

In vitro and in vivo effects of Laurus nobilis L. leaf extracts.

Abstract: The in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of different extracts of laurel leaves were studied. Free radical scavenging capacity (RSC) was evaluated measuring the scavenging activity on the DPPH, NO, O(2)(.-) and OH radicals. The effects on lipid peroxidation (LP) were also evaluated. Experimental results indicate that ethyl acetate extract of leaves has exhibited the largest RSC capacity in neutralization of DPPH, NO, O(2)(.-) and OH radicals. The same result was obtained in investigation of extracts impact on LP. The in vivo effects were evaluated on some antioxidant systems (activities of GSHPx, LPx, Px, CAT and XOD, and GSH content) in the mice liver and blood-hemolysate after treatment with the examined laurel extracts, or in combination with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)). On the basis of the results obtained it can be concluded that the examined extracts exhibited a certain protective effect, which is more pronounced on the liver than on blood-hemolysate parameters. The results obtained indicate toxicity of CCl(4), probably due to the radicals involved in its metabolism. Combined treatments with CCl(4) and the examined extracts showed both positive and negative synergism. Based on the experimental results, the strongest protective effect was shown by the EtOAc extract.

Methods in Enzymology.

Abstract: I read this book the same weekend that the Packers took on the Rams, and the experience of the latter event, obviously, colored my judgment. Although I abhor anything that smacks of being a handbook (like, \"How to Earn a Merit Badge in Neurosurgery\") because too many volumes in biomedical science already evince a boyscout-like approach, I must confess that parts of this volume are fast, scholarly, and significant, with certain reservations. I like parts of this well-illustrated book because Dr. Sj6strand, without so stating, develops certain subjects on technique in relation to the acquisition of judgment and sophistication. And this is important! So, given that the author (like all of us) is somewhat deficient in some areas, and biased in others, the book is still valuable if the uninitiated reader swallows it in a general fashion, realizing full well that what will be required from the reader is a modulation to fit his vision, propreception, adaptation and response, and the kind of problem he is undertaking. A major deficiency of this book is revealed by comparison of its use of physics and of chemistry to provide understanding and background for the application of high resolution electron microscopy to problems in biology. Since the volume is keyed to high resolution electron microscopy, which is a sophisticated form of structural analysis, but really morphology in a modern guise, the physical and mechanical background of The instrument and its ancillary tools are simply and well presented. The potential use of chemical or cytochemical information as it relates to biological fine structure , however, is quite deficient. I wonder when even sophisticated morphol-ogists will consider fixation a reaction and not a technique; only then will the fundamentals become self-evident and predictable and this sine qua flon will become less mystical. Staining reactions (the most inadequate chapter) ought to be something more than a technique to selectively enhance contrast of morphological elements; it ought to give the structural addresses of some of the chemical residents of cell components. Is it pertinent that auto-radiography gets singled out for more complete coverage than other significant aspects of cytochemistry by a high resolution microscopist, when it has a built-in minimal error of 1,000 A in standard practice? I don't mean to blind-side (in strict football terminology) Dr. Sj6strand's efforts for what is \"routinely used in our laboratory\"; what is done is usually well done. It's just that …

Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Their Active Components.

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. Examples of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential are described, with focuses on preclinical and clinical studies. The beneficial potential of each plant matrix is given by the combined and concerted action of their profile of biologically active compounds.

Antidiabetic effects of natural plant extracts via inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolysis enzymes with emphasis on pancreatic alpha amylase

Abstract: Introduction: The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the negative clinical outcomes observed with the commercially available anti-diabetic drugs have led to the investigation of new therapeutic approaches focused on controlling postprandrial glucose levels. The use of carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitors from natural resources could be a possible strategy to block dietary carbohydrate absorption with less adverse effects than synthetic drugs. Areas covered: This review covers the latest evidence regarding in vitro and in vivo studies in relation to pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibitors of plant origin, and presents bioactive compounds of phenolic nature that exhibit anti-amylase activity. Expert opinion: Pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibitors from traditional plant extracts are a promising tool for diabetes treatment. Many studies have confirmed the alpha-amylase inhibitory activity of plants and their bioactive compounds in vitro, but few studies corroborate these findings in rodents an...

Total phenolic content, flavonoid concentration and antioxidant activity of marrubium peregrinum l. extracts

Abstract: In this study, in vitro antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and concentration of flavonoids of five different extracts, from the whole herb of Marrubium peregrinum L. (Lamiaceae) were determined using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity of extracts were expressed as percentage of DPPH radicals inhibition and IC50 values (μg/ml). Values in percentage ranged from 27.26 to 89.78%. The total phenolic content ranged from 27.26 to 89.78 mg/g of dry weight of extract, expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The total flavonoid concentrations varied from 18.72 to 54.77 mg/g, expressed as rutin equivalents. Methanolic exstract of M. peregrinum showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid concentration and strong antioxidant activity. The significant linear correlation was confirmed between the values for the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of plant extracts. The high contents of phenolic compounds indicated that these compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity. The M. peregrinum can be regarded as promising candidates for natural plant sources of antioxidants with high value.