Employees of the IFR RAS RAS, together with colleagues from SPCFU, drew attention to the biologically active substances synthesized by these plants. Since it is difficult to control the content and composition of target molecules in wild plants, the authors took the path of using biotechnological approaches – they obtained and grew cells in special bioreactors.
Extracts from the grown biomass were used as a dietary supplement for rats with already developed obesity – while the animals continued to be given a very high-calorie feed. The phytopreparation of Dioscorea deltoid gave the greatest effect – in some studies it surpassed even liraglutide (a popular synthetic anti-obesity drug). All three herbal remedies also caused a decrease in blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
“In the future, we will be able to offer manufacturers of medicines and food supplements an environmentally friendly, renewable source of medicinal plant materials without the need to collect plants in the wild or grow them on plantations,” said Alexander Nosov, head of the project, head of the Department of Cell Biology and Biotechnology, IFR RAS.
