STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF THE SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS GEORGI EXTRACT ON THE CONTENT OF MINERALS IN THE BLOOD SERUM OF RATS UNDER "SOCIAL" STRESS
Authors: Uranova Valeria V. , Lomteva Natalya A. , Kondratenko Elena I. , Komarov Stepan V. 
Published: September 2024

Background. The study of the influence of "social" stress on biogenic elements involved in mineral metabolism and playing an important role in the life of the human body, the search for agents that have a leveling effect on their content, is an urgent problem of modern pharmacological science.
Purpose. To study changes in the content of biogenic elements in the course of mineral metabolism in the blood serum of rats under conditions of "social" stress and under the influence of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extract.
Materials and methods. Experimental studies were carried out on 96 mature male non-linear rats weighing 295±12.17 g at the age of 7-9 months. The first stage of the experiment involved the study of mineral metabolism in the norm. Individuals of the first group of animals were injected with water; the second was an extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (100 mg/kg/day); the third – medicinal product (MP) "Mebicar®" (25 mg/kg/day) and the fourth - MP "Phezam®" (45 mg/kg/day). At the second stage of the experiment, “social” stress was reproduced on animals, in groups of which aggressors and victims were identified after the formation of inter-male confrontations for 21 days. These individuals received the solutions used earlier (stage I) for two weeks. The content of sodium and potassium ions in plasma was determined by flame photometry; the level of total calcium - by the photometric method; the concentration of phosphorus and magnesium - by biochemical analysis; the amount of chloride ions - by mercurimetric titration. Statistical data processing was performed using the Statistica 10 package.
Results. It was found that the introduction of the extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, MP "Mebikar®" and "Phezam®" normally does not affect the content of minerals in plasma. It has been shown that modeling of "social" stress in control animals with both dominant and submissive types of character contributes to a significant decrease in the concentration of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium ions compared with individuals of the intact group. A statistically significant difference in the content of chloride ions was proved only in the case of a group of victims. Comparable values of mineral metabolism parameters of the group that received the extract under stress conditions were obtained with the first stage of the experiment in the norm of both intact and experimental animals, as a result of which the leveling effect of the extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi was substantiated. Statistically significant differences in the concentration of magnesium ions in the group of victims exposed to "social" stress under the influence of the type of behavior were determined.
Conclusion. The analysis of the data obtained forms an idea of the mineral composition of blood plasma in normal conditions and under conditions of "social" stress. The results of the study characterize the extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi as a remedy that has a leveling effect in conditions of anxiety-depressive state caused by inter-male confrontations.