Pharmacological Activity of Sea Buckthorn Leaves: <i>In silico</i> and <i>In vivo</i>
Authors: Kovaleva N. A. , Trineeva O. V. , Buzlama A. V. , Kuznetsov A. Yu. 
Published: September 2023

Introduction. Sea buckthorn leaves are a promising object for the development of new medicinal herbal preparations due to an extensive list of biologically active substances (tannins, flavonoids, organic acids, etc.). However, despite the active study of biologically active substances of buckthorn buckthorn leaves, their use in medicine is limited to obtaining an antiviral drug "Hyporamine" containing a dry purified extract from the leaves of this plant.

Aim. The aim of the work is to predict the pharmacological and toxic effects of decoction from buckthorn leaves in silico and to evaluate its anti-inflammatory activity in vivo in preclinical studies.

Materials and methods. With the help of the PASS-online Internet resource, the prediction of promising pharmacological and possible toxic effects for the main biologically active substances of the phenolic complex of sea buckthorn leaves in silico was carried out. In preclinical studies in vivo (white outbred conventional male rats, 21 individuals, 210–240 g, 3 groups of 7 individuals each) on a model of formalin paw edema of rats (3.0 % aqueous formalin solution, 0.1 ml subplantarly), the anti-inflammatory activity of decoction of sea buckthorn leaves was evaluated. Animals of the experimental groups were administered: a comparison drug – an infusion of chamomile flowers or a decoction of sea buckthorn leaves at a dose of 10 ml/kg intragastrically daily for 7 days.

Results and discussion. The analysis and systematization of data on the most likely pharmacological effects of the main biologically active substances of sea buckthorn leaves in silico using the PASS-online platform allow us to consider the most promising study of anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity, which opens up prospects for further preclinical and clinical studies in order to expand the list of indications for the use of extracts from the leaves of sea buckthorn. The prediction of the toxic effects of the main biologically active substances of sea buckthorn leaves showed that the smallest number of probable toxic effects is predicted for narcissin and quercetin, the largest for the substance strictinin I (including neurotoxicity, hematotoxicity, negative effects on the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal toxicity, reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity), which requires confirmations in preclinical toxicological studies. In preclinical studies in vivo on a model of rat paw edema, it was proved that a decoction of sea buckthorn leaves with a short-term oral course application of 7 days at a dose of 10 ml/kg (235 mg/kg based on the dry residue), it shows a sufficient anti-inflammatory effect, providing a significant, reliable decrease in the severity of rat paw edema, maximum 3 hours after phlogogen administration by 36.0 % compared with the control, which exceeds the effectiveness of the comparison drug (infusion of chamomile flowers).

Conclusion. The main types of pharmacological activity (anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral) and toxic effects (neurotoxicity, hematotoxicity, negative effect on cardiovascular activity and gastrointestinal tract) have been established. Pronounced anti-inflammatory activity was reliably detected.