BackgroundOne of the pathogenic mechanisms of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which in turn aggravates the disease progress. We have investigated novel cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) due to their promising antioxidant auto-regenerative ability and low toxicity.Methods30 white male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control, monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity and MSG treated with nCeO2 (MSG+nCeO2) groups. Newborn rats of control group were injected with saline (control). MSG− and MSG+nCeO2 groups were injected with MSG (4 mg/g concentration, 8 μl/g volume) between the 2nd and the 10th days of life subcutaneously [13]. At the age of 1 month, rats of group II were administered water 2.9 ml/kg orally, MSG+nCeO2 group received 1 mM solution of nCeO2 1 mg/kg orally. 4-months rats were sacrificed and the liver was harvested for histological and biochemical analysis. To assess the morphological changes in the liver we used NAS (NAFLD activity score). The content of lipid peroxidation products and enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in the liver were studied by standard biochemical methods [Refs].ResultsIn 4-month rats we found significantly lower total score (1.3±0.26 vs 3.6±0.34, p<0.001), degree of steatosis (1.1±0.18 vs 2.1±0.18, p<0.001), manifestation of lobular inflammation (0.2±0.13 vs 1.2±0.2, p<0.001) and ballooning degeneration (0.0±0.0 vs 0.3±0.15, p=0.034) due to NAS in the nCeO2 group compared to the MSG-group. nCeO2 significantly decreased lipid peroxidation in the liver tissue, namely it reduced the conjugated dienes content by 27% (p<0.05), TBA-products – by 43% (p<0.05) and Schiff bases – by 21% (p<0.05).ConclusionsDue to its antioxidant properties nCeO2 significantly reduces the incidence of NASH and improves the main NAFLD histological features.

No abstract

Melanin produced by yeast Nadsoniella nigra strain X-1 lead to significant reduction of steatosis, lobular inflammation and ballooning degeneration, according to NAFLD activity score (NAS), in liver of rats with monosodium glutamate (MSG) induced obesity. These histological changes were associated with substantial decrease of TNF-α expression in sinusoid cells that prevented NF-kB activation in hepatocytes.

No abstract

The article represents the scientific achievements and work of a Ukrainian botanist, candidate of agricultural sciences, director of the O.V. Fomin Botanical Garden (1987–2006, 2008–2012), Vasyl Kapustyan, who died on August 19, 2020, after a long illness.Vasyl Kapustyan was born on July 24, 1942. In 1965 he graduated from the Ukrainian Agricultural Academy, and in 1972 received the degree of candidate of agricultural sciences. Since 1974, the work of Vasyl Kapustyan was associated with the O.V. Fomin Botanical Garden, where he served in 1975–1987 as deputy director and head of the sector of tropical and subtropical plants, in 1987–1997 – as director and head of the sector of tropical and subtropical plants, and from 1997 – exclusively as director of the Botanical Garden.The scientific work of Vasyl Kapustyan was related to the introduction of tropical and subtropical plants, their conservation, and rational use. He was the author of over 80 scientific articles and monographs, the last of which was dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the botanical garden. Since the founding of the series “Introduction and Conservation of Plant Diversity” of the “Bulletin of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv”, Vasyl Kapustyan was its editor-in-chief. He was also a member of the Academic Councils of Kyiv University and Faculty of Biology, chairman of the Academic Council of the Botanical Garden, a member of the Bureau of the Council of Botanical Gardens of Ukraine, and a member of the editorial board of the international scientific journal “Plant Introduction”. He was the founder and scientific director of the Museum of the Botanical Garden History, which opened in 2004.