Vol 31, No 3 (2024)

BACKGROUND: The development and approval of plant-derived branded drugs have emerged as promising areas in the pharmaceutical industry. Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) has historically been used in folk medicine as a source of biologically active substances with medicinal properties. Red clover is a widely abundant and easily extractable plant, offering a high cost-efficiency. Therefore, red clover extracts may reasonably be proposed as a potential source for the development of new promising pharmaceuticals.

AIM: To evaluate the pharmaceutical potential of biologically active extracts of red clover.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved a systematic review of scientific literature sourced from the PubMed biomedical database. A review of the literature was conducted over a 50-year period. The preliminary keyword-based search yielded 1,194 articles. Of these, 41 publications were selected for further analysis, as they were deemed to be the most relevant to the subject matter of the study.

RESULTS: Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is a widespread, perennial officinal herb. Herbal extracts have been demonstrated to have a wide range of biological activities. The majority of these compounds are isoflavones, flavonoids, saponins, clovamides, and phenolic acids. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens that have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of female reproductive system diseases. Moreover, scientific studies have evidenced their anti-inflammatory and reparative potential, along with efficacy in the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders. Flavonoids, saponins, clovamides, and phenolic acids have been documented to produce antioxidant and antiplatelet effects.

CONCLUSION: Among biologically active extracts of red clover, isoflavones have been identified as the most promising for pharmacological applications. Furthermore, there are other compounds with a well-documented therapeutic potential that require further investigation to develop novel branded drugs.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks (TAs), and related medical and biological consequences.

AIM: To analyze global terrorism statistics covering the period from 1970 through 2020 to enhance the effectiveness of anti-terrorism activities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study analyzes the available data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). The individual risks of TA-related deaths and injuries were calculated per one million people. The data are expressed as means or medians with upper and lower quartiles (Me [Q₂₅; Q₇₅]).

RESULTS: Over the 51-year period (1970–2020), approximately 215,000 TAs were recorded globally, resulting in 498,500 fatalities and 597,800 injuries. The mean annual terrorism statistic was 4,200 TAs (3,100 [1,400; 4,800]), with 9,600 deaths (7,100 [4,400; 10,300]) and 11,700 injuries (7,600 [3,600; 15,900]). The TAs were analyzed based on the following criteria: geographical region, type, weapons, and objectives (targets). For the global population, as calculated excluding terrorists, the estimated individual risk yielded a value of 1.25×10^–6 (1.16 [0.64; 1.73]×10^–6) deaths/(person×year) and 1.71×10^–6 (1.32 [0.80; 2.28]×10^–6) injuries/(person×year). It is noteworthy that the risk is increasing.

CONCLUSION: The most common types of weapons used in TAs were explosives and firearms, which made it extremely challenging to prevent deaths and injuries. While approximately half of TAs have no medical or biological consequences, the probability of dying in a terrorist attack remains high. As terrorism cannot be completely eradicated, it is crucial to implement effective anti-terrorism measures to minimize its impact.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a common, multifactorial disease that significantly contributes to other chronic noncommunicable diseases, which are the leading causes of premature mortality worldwide. The observed increase in the prevalence of obesity is attributable to a wide range of behavioral, medical, social, and biological factors.

AIM: To assess of the actual prevalence of obesity among the employed population in the Saratov region and its correlation with medical and social factors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of obesity among 3,721 employees, evaluating a range of medical and social factors, including sex, age, education, place of residence, physical activity, and risk factors for metabolic syndrome. The R programming language was used for statistical analysis. A probit regression model was created to determine the probability of obesity based on the presence or absence of specific factors.

RESULTS: A univariate analysis demonstrated a correlation between obesity and a number of medical and social factors, including sex, age, education, labor intensity, physical activity, and the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. A regression analysis revealed a lower prevalence of obesity among males engaged in physically demanding work and among females with a university degree. A regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between obesity and the markers of cardiometabolic risk, including an above-normal waist circumference, hyperglycemia, low HDL, and hypertension, in the overall study population and male participants. In the female cohort, the analysis identified an above-normal waist circumference and hypertension as correlates of obesity. The notable finding was that triglyceride levels were not associated with obesity in any of the groups. The study had several limitations, including those related to region (the Saratov region), age (working-age population), and occupational status (employed population).

CONCLUSION: A representative sample of the employed population in the Saratov region was used to establish the obesity prevalence patterns among males and females in various age groups. Additionally, the study identified the major medical and social risk factors for obesity. It is essential to consider the probability of a high body fat percentage among individuals with normal body weight and those who are overweight to prevent and mitigate cardiometabolic risks. The findings of this study are potentially beneficial for the creation of preventative strategies integrated into employee wellness initiatives focused on maintaining the wellbeing, quality of life and professional longevity of the employed population.

BACKGROUND: Living in the northern climate is associated with increased cardiovascular stress, which highlights the necessity for the study of candidate genes associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases in both the native population and newcomers. Polymorphic loci of the renin-angiotensin system, NO-synthase, and endothelin-1 system genes have been identified as contributors to cardiovascular dysfunction and age-related blood pressure shifts. It is therefore crucial to assess the genetic polymorphism in the elderly population.

AIM: To compare frequencies of gene alleles and genotypes involved in blood pressure regulation, including angiotensinogen AGT (rs699 and rs4762), angiotensin 2 type 1 receptor AGTR1 (rs5186), angiotensin converting enzyme ACE (rs4646994), endothelial NO synthase NOS3 and endothelin-1 EDN1 (rs5370) genes, in the native and non-native elderly population of the Arkhangelsk region.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a random sample of Arkhangelsk residents between the ages of 60 and 74 years (N=604, with 36.4% of males). The molecular genetic analysis was conducted to determine the alleles and genotypes of six genes that are involved in blood pressure regulation. The Stata 18.0 software was used to assess the deviations of empirical genotype distributions from the predicted Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and to compare the empirical distributions between the study groups.

RESULTS: Alleles associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases were minor in the study population. The genotype frequency distributions for the analyzed genetic variants were consistent with the Hardy–Weinberg principle, with the exception of the T704C variant of the AGT gene (rs699) in the native participants. The allele and genotype frequency distributions in the study sample were found to be similar to those reported worldwide and in European Russia. One exception was AGTR1 gene A1166C frequencies, with their 95% confidence intervals falling below the global level for both native and non-native elderly residents of the Arkhangelsk region. This may suggest that this allele is a selection variant associated with adaptation to the climate of the northern regions.

CONCLUSION: The genetic polymorphism in blood pressure regulation was found to be similar between the native and non-native populations of the Arkhangelsk region. However, the AGTR1 gene A1166C frequency among the native population and newcomers was found to be lower than that observed globally.

The article "Analysis of the influence of living conditions, as a collection of social factors within the environment, on mortality rates among the rural and urban populations of the Nenets autonomous okrug from 2000 to 2019" published in Ekologiya cheloveka (Human Ecology) journal Volume 31 Issue 1 in 2024 (doi: 10.17816/humeco630439) contained several errors in the spelling of some terms and inaccuracies in the graphical presentation of the results. The electronic version of the published article has been revised and updated: the use of the term ‘tertiles’ throughout the text of the article has been unified, the full name of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug has been given in the translation of the names of tables and figures, technical errors in the compilation of images have been eliminated, and the author-proofed translation of the title has been restored (from “Analysis of the influence of living conditions, as a collection of social factors within the environment, on mortality rates among the rural and urban populations of the Nenets autonomous okrug from 2000 to 2019” to “Evaluation of the impact of living conditions, as a set of social factors of the habitat, on mortality rates of the rural and urban population of the Nenets autonomous okrug in 2000–2019”).

The authors and the publisher apologize to readers for the published error and express their confidence that this mistake could not significantly affect the perception and interpretation of the results of the study described in the text of the article.