Izabela Jasicka-Misiak

STRESZCZENIE Wprowadzenie. Nowotwory ginekologiczne, w tym rak jajnika, szyjki macicy i endometrium, stanowią istotne wyzwanie współczesnej onkologii ze względu na częste nawroty choroby, rozwój lekooporności oraz działania niepożądane związane z chemioterapią. Wzrasta zainteresowanie związkami pochodzenia naturalnego, które mogłyby wspomagać konwencjonalne metody leczenia przeciwnowotworowego. Jednym z ich potencjalnych źródeł jest Zingiber officinale Roscoe, bogaty w związki fenolowe o udokumentowanej aktywności biologicznej. Cel. Celem pracy była ocena aktualnego stanu wiedzy dotyczącego potencjalnego zastosowania biologicznie aktywnych związków pochodzących z kłącza imbiru jako środków wspomagających terapię nowotworów ginekologicznych, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem ich mechanizmów działania, właściwości uwrażliwiających komórki nowotworowe na chemioterapię oraz dostępnych dowodów przedklinicznych i klinicznych. Metody. Przeprowadzono przegląd piśmiennictwa z wykorzystaniem baz PubMed, Web of Science i Scopus. Uwzględniono publikacje oryginalne, badania przedkliniczne i kliniczne oraz przeglądy systematyczne opublikowane w latach 2016–2026. Analizie poddano przede wszystkim mechanizmy działania związków pochodzących z kłącza imbiru, ich wpływ na skuteczność chemioterapii oraz ograniczenia związane z biodostępnością i możliwością zastosowania klinicznego. Wyniki. Najlepiej poznanymi związkami bioaktywnymi Z. officinale są 6-gingerol i 6-szogaol. Wyniki badań eksperymentalnych wskazują, że związki te mogą modulować procesy proliferacji i apoptozy komórek, autofagię, stres oksydacyjny, angiogenezę, przejście epitelialno-mezenchymalne oraz mechanizmy lekooporności. W wybranych modelach przedklinicznych obserwowano również nasilenie działania niektórych leków przeciwnowotworowych, w szczególności związków platyny i paklitakselu. Dowody kliniczne dotyczące bezpośredniego działania przeciwnowotworowego substancji zawartych w kłączu Z. officinale pozostają jednak ograniczone. Znacznie lepiej udokumentowane jest zastosowanie preparatów imbiru w łagodzeniu nudności i wymiotów związanych z chemioterapią. Wnioski. Bioaktywne związki pochodzące z kłącza Z. officinale stanowią obiecujący przedmiot badań nad terapią wspomagającą nowotworów ginekologicznych. Dostępne dane nie pozwalają jednak na jednoznaczne potwierdzenie ich skuteczności przeciwnowotworowej w warunkach klinicznych. Konieczne są dalsze, odpowiednio zaprojektowane badania kliniczne z zastosowaniem standaryzowanych preparatów, a także badania ukierunkowane na poprawę biodostępności i określenie optymalnych dawek.

Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Galium aparine L., and Galinsoga parviflora Cav. are cosmopolitan species widely used in traditional medicine and as food sources. All three plants have been traditionally applied as anti-inflammatory agents and for the treatment of wounds and skin disorders. S. media has also been used as anti-arthritic remedy, while G. parviflora has been employed for protection against solar radiation. This review evaluates whether the traditional medicinal uses of these species are supported by contemporary phytochemical and pharmacological evidence and provides an updated overview of their chemical composition and biological activity. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted using major scientific databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, SpringerLink, and Wiley Online Library. Phytochemical studies revealed high chemical diversity in all three species, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, iridoids, terpenoids, and phytosterols. Polar fractions were rich in phenolic compounds, whereas non-polar fractions were dominated by fatty acids, hydrocarbons, and terpenoids. Reported biological activities include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibitory, and antidiabetic effects. S. media additionally demonstrated anti-obesity, neuroprotective, and wound-healing activities, while G. aparine showed immunomodulatory and anticancer potential. Extracts of G. parviflora exhibited anti-biofilm, larvicidal, anti-arthritic, and photoprotective effects and inhibited enzymes such as α-amylase, α-glucosidase, urease, and hyaluronidase. Current evidence partially supports the traditional uses of these species. However, further studies employing standardized extraction procedures, bioactivity-guided fractionation, and detailed phytochemical characterization are necessary to clarify structure–activity relationships and support the development of evidence-based phytotherapy.

Cathepsin C (CatC) is a lysosomal cysteine protease implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases and cancer metastasis, representing a crucial therapeutic target. Despite the therapeutic potential of protease modulation, the inhibitory activity of pentacyclic triterpenoids against CatC has not been previously explored. This study provides the kinetic characterization of oleanolic (OA) and ursolic acids (UA) as competitive inhibitors of CatC. Kinetic analysis revealed that OA exhibits superior inhibitory potency (IC50 = 41.35 µM) compared to its structural isomer UA (IC50 = 112.10 µM), suggesting that the methyl group position within the triterpene scaffold significantly influences binding affinity. Furthermore, the methanolic extract of Solidago virgaurea demonstrated inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ of 0.467 mg/mL. Effect-directed profiling using HPTLC quantified the OA content (3.952 µg/mg extract) and allowed for the calculation of its molar contribution to the extract's total activity. The theoretical IC50 of the extract, expressed as OA equivalent (4.04 µM), was significantly lower than the experimental IC50 of pure OA, indicating a potential synergistic effect or the presence of other potent inhibitors within the complex matrix. While HPTLC-ABTS+• profiling confirmed the presence of antioxidant constituents in the extract, pure OA and UA showed no direct radical scavenging activity under the conditions applied, pointing to a specific mechanism of action like modulating the activity of enzymes involved in the development of oxidative stress. These findings identify S. virgaurea as a promising source of CatC inhibitors and establish oleanane-type triterpenoids as lead scaffolds for the development of novel inhibitors.

Hydrodistillation of aromatic plants for essential oil production generates substantial amounts of solid and liquid residues that are commonly discarded despite their potential value as sources of bioactive compounds. In this study, the essential oil and post-distillation residues of Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja were evaluated within a waste-to-value framework to recover phenolic compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Dry extracts obtained from liquid (DEA) and solid (DEE) residues were characterized in terms of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant capacity (DPPH assays), and antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms. Quantitative HPLC–PDA analysis revealed multiple phenolic compounds. Extracts derived from solid residues exhibited significantly higher phenolic and flavonoid contents and stronger antioxidant activity than those obtained from liquid residues, indicating that solid by-products constitute a richer phenolic matrix. Antimicrobial assays revealed pronounced activity for extracts prepared from plant material harvested in October, particularly those based on propylene glycol and glycerin, which were effective against both Gram-positive bacteria and selected Gram-negative clinical isolates. The essential oil showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including inhibition of Aspergillus niger. Stability studies demonstrated that the phenolic composition and bioactivity of the dry extracts were largely preserved after one year of storage. These findings demonstrate that R. tomentosum hydrodistillation residues represent a promising source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents, supporting their potential utilization as value-added ingredients in food and cosmetic applications and contributing to circular economy strategies.

Snail mucin is one of the animal products widely used in cosmetic products. The mucus of Cornu aspersum (C. aspersum) contains compounds that have antibacterial, antioxidant, proliferative, pro-migration, angiogenesis-promoting, and other biological effects. This study aimed to critically analyze and consolidate existing data on the bioactive components of C. aspersum mucus and the mechanisms of their influence on human health, focusing mainly on its cosmetic, regenerative, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. We conducted a literature search analysis on this problem using the following search databases in English: PubMed, PubChem, Mendeley, Google Scholar, Scirus, DOAJ, BASE, CORE, Science.gov, and RefSeek up to 12 August 2025. It was shown that snail mucus facilitates wound healing, which could be the prerequisite for the development of innovative formulations for the adjuvant therapy of skin wounds. However, there are problems with the standardization of snail mucus because of the absence of single quality indexes, their limits, and the complicated structure of snail mucins. Moreover, there is a lack of clinical randomized trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of C. aspersum snail mucus. In conclusion, snail mucus’s biological effects deserve further investigation and pave the way for further studies of its potential as a raw material for pharmaceutical products, including the chemical structure of the still unknown molecules, its standardization, nonclinical and clinical studies, and further studies of snail mucus for its usage in cosmetology.

Chymotrypsin inhibitors were initially considered mainly as anti-nutritional factors. However, the potential for their use as therapeutics has been recognized, particularly in the control of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory processes. The search for new, effective, and safe chymotrypsin inhibitors has become important not only for food and feed safety reasons, but also in the search for new compounds with potential for use in the pharmaceutical industry. Oxidative stress is also an integral etiological factor in the development of the aforementioned pathological conditions. Antioxidants supplied with food can have an impact on reducing the probability of developing these diseases. Herbaceous plants are a valuable reservoir of biologically active chemical compounds, which can show both inhibitory effects against a number of enzymatic reactions and have antioxidant activity. The compounds found within them are also often characterized by higher bioavailability and safety than their synthetic analogs. In the present study, phytochemical characterization of plant materials Galium aparine L., Galium verum L., Solidago virgaurea L. and Solidago canadensis L. was performed, in order to search for new, potential substances with chymotrypsin inhibitor and antioxidant properties. Antioxidant and inhibitory activities against chymotrypsin were determined using effect-directed HPTLC. The total content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids and antioxidant activity were also determined in UV-Vis spectrophotometric tests. Both plant species showed antioxidant and chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. Among the methanol and methanol:water extracts, the extracts from Solidago sp. showed stronger inhibitory and antioxidant activity. However, in the case of dichloromethane extracts, Galium aparine inhibited chymotrypsin activity in a stronger manner than Solidago sp. The results indicate the application potential of compounds obtained from these plants as chymotrypsin inhibitors and antioxidant agents.

Green tea catechins are bioactive polyphenolic compounds that possess a number of biological activities and potential health benefits. This review will focus on discussing the effects of green tea catechins, with a particular emphasis on clinical studies that evaluate their anticancer potential. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), either as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with conventional anticancer therapies, represents a promising alternative strategy for the management of leukaemia. This review was based on a search of the scientific sources indexed in the databases PubMed and Scopus using the following keywords: ‘Camellia sinensis’, ‘tea catechins’, ‘anticancer’, ‘antioxidant’, ‘hematological cancer’, and ‘leukaemia’ in combination. A deeper comprehension of the multifaceted mechanisms and findings of research could facilitate the development of novel strategies and the integration of green tea catechins into clinical practice, thus enhancing treatment outcomes for patients with leukaemia.

In Ukraine, due to martial law, inclusive education and the creation of a barrier-free space for people with disabilities are taking on a new meaning. Purpose. To study the European experience and conduct a comparative analysis of the provision of educational services to people with disabilities (PD) by two higher education institutions: a domestic University and a University of an EU country. Methods and materials. The comparative analysis method was applied to ensure the readiness of the provision of educational services to PD on the materials we collected from the documents of the National University «Lviv Polytechnic» (NULP) (Ukraine) and the University of Opole (Republic of Poland). Storage of information on the organization of inclusive education is carried out within the framework of the GoodPharma project. The materials used were data from the PD Resource Center, the Lviv City Organization of the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf, the Galician Pharmaceutical Association (Lviv), the Lviv branch of the All- Ukrainian Association of Sign Language Interpreters and People with Disabilities. Results and discussion. The National Strategy for the Creation of Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine for the Period Until 2030 is reviewed, which is oriented towards international documents, in particular for the implementation of the right to education. It has been established that free access to the infrastructure of higher education institutions is a basic condition for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the educational process. Standards for the accessibility of buildings have been developed in individual EU countries, in particular in the Republic of Poland and Ukraine. A comparative analysis of these documents allows us to establish that they concern the arrangement of parking spaces for vehicles for people with disabilities, their dimensions, ease of exit, and marking. Requirements are also put forward for buildings: the equipment of ramps, special lifts, tactile floor tiles, information tables and the well-known Braille font, audio guides for people with visual impairments, duplication of important audio information with texts, organization of sign language interpretation, use of a sound amplification system for people with hearing impairments, etc. These standards are mandatory and are implemented at both the University of Opole and the Polish National University of Physical Education. It has been proven that physical accessibility is the first component of the inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the University, and the second component is ensuring inclusion in learning, teaching, participation in self-government, scientific and research work, etc. Special units have been created at the Polish National University of Physical Education: the International Center for Professional Partnership «Integration» (ICPP), the Center for Veteran Development (CVR), the inclusive space «Without Limits», the Resource Center for Educational Technologies. Conclusions. A comparative analysis of the organization of the provision of educational services for people with disabilities in two higher education institutions of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland confirmed the possibility of further studying the European experience of creating a barrier-free environment and ensuring the readiness to provide educational services. В Україні, у зв´язку з воєнним станом нового змісту набуває інклюзивна освіта та створення безбар´єрного простору для людей з інвалідністю. Мета. Дослідити європейський досвід та провести порівняльний аналіз надання освітніх послуг людям з інвалідністю (ЛІ) двома закладами вищої освіти: вітчизняним Університетом та Університетом країни ЄС. Методи та матеріали. Метод порівняльного аналізу було застосовано щодо забезпечення готовності надання освітніх послуг ЛІ на зібраних нами матеріалах документів Національного університету «Львівська політехніка» (НУЛП) (Україна) та Опольського університету (Республіка Польща). Отримання інформації щодо організації інклюзивної освіти відбувалось у межах виконання проєкту GoodPharma. Матеріалами слугували дані Ресурсного центру ЛІ, Львівської міської організації Українського товариства глухих, Галицької фармацевтичної асоціації (м. Львів), Львівського підрозділу Всеукраїнської асоціації перекладачів жестової мови і людей з інвалідністю. Результати та обговорення. Розглянута Національна стратегія із створення безбар'єрного простору в Україні на період до 2030 року, яка орієнтується на міжнародні документи, зокрема й для реалізації права на освіту. Встановлено, що вільний доступ до інфраструктури ЗВО є базовою умовою інклюзії ЛІ до навчального процесу. Стандарти доступності будівель розроблені в окремих країнах ЄС, зокрема в Республіці Польща та в Україні....

Wprowadzenie. Choroby neurodegeneracyjne występujące najczęściej u osób starszych stanowią globalny problem, na który nie ma skutecznego leczenia przyczynowego. Do jednych z najczęściej opisywanych chorób starzejącej się populacji należą: choroba Alzheimera (AD), choroba Parkinsona (PD), choroba Huntingtona (HD) i stwardnienie zanikowe boczne (ALS). Do patogenezy chorób neurodegeneracyjnych prowadzi wiele czynników biologicznych, takich jak stres oksydacyjny, dysfunkcja mitochondriów, zapalenie neuronów i gleju, akumulacja białek i aktywacja szlaków apoptotycznych. Ponieważ zaburzenia neurodegeneracyjne postępują powoli, nie ma rozstrzygającej opcji leczenia, która mogłaby zatrzymać rozwój choroby tych zaburzeń. W ciągu ostatnich kilku dekad roślinne substancje fenolowe są szeroko stosowanymi związkami naturalnymi o wyraźnych właściwościach terapeutycznych. Należące do tej klasy flawonoidy i kwasy fenolowe wykazują działanie przeciwzapalne, przeciwutleniające, przeciwnowotworowe, a także neuroprotekcyjne. Substancje te w znaczących stężeniach występują w szerokiej gamie produktów spożywczych oraz w produktach zbieranych i przetwarzanych przez pszczoły – w miodzie i pyłku pszczelim. Cel pracy. Celem przeglądu było zebranie i usystematyzowanie wiedzy na temat możliwości zastosowania produktów pszczelich (miodu i pyłku pszczelego) w terapii chorób neurodegeneracyjnych, w świetle bieżącej literatury naukowej. Metodyka badań. Do analizy piśmiennictwa wykorzystano bazy PubMed, Scopus, Sciene Direct, używając następujących słów kluczowych: „honey”, „bee pollen”, „flavonoids”, „phenolic acids”, „neuroprotective activity”, „Alzheimer's disease”, „Parkinson's disease”, „Huntington's disease”, „amyotrophic lateral sclerosis”, „depression”. Wyniki. Skład chemiczny frakcji fenolowej miodów nektarowych oraz pyłku pszczelego zależy od pochodzenia botanicznego. Wykazano, zarówno w testach in vitro, jak i in vivo, że związki polifenolowe zidentyfikowane w miodach o różnym pochodzeniu botanicznym i w pyłku pszczelim zwiększają funkcje poznawcze i minimalizują neuropatię mózgu poprzez różne mechanizmy. Zdolność tych składników do leczenia chorób mózgu jest determinowana przez ich zdolność dotarcia do struktur mózgu i bezpośredniej interakcji z neuronami, neurytami i glejem. W rezultacie uznawane są za naturalne środki wspomagające w przypadku wielu schorzeń, w tym problemów neurologicznych. Wnioski. Zgodnie z wynikami badań in vitro i in vivo, bioaktywne składniki fenolowe zidentyfikowane w miodzie i pyłku pszczelim mogą chronić przed chorobami neurodegeneracyjnymi, takimi jak choroba Parkinsona i choroba Alzheimera, choroba Huntingtona, stwardnienie zanikowe boczne oraz zaburzeniami, lękiem i smutkiem, stanowiącymi podstawę depresji. Do najczęściej opisywanych substancji z grupy flawonoidów należą: kwercetyna, kemferol, luteolina, mirycetyna, apigenina, pinocembryna, chryzyna, galangina, rutyna, katechina i naryngenina, natomiast z grupy kwasów fenolowych: kwas kawowy, kwas chlorogenowy, kwas galusowy, kwas cynamonowy, p-kwas kumarowy, kwas ferulowy, kwas elagowy.

The prevalence of individual civilisational diseases has been constantly increasing in recent years. Their occurrence is related, among other factors, to changes in lifestyle (stress, low levels of physical activity, low-quality diet), increasing urbanisation and industrialisation (environmental pollution). Lifestyle- dependent diseases include type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease which is not only related to lifestyle - one of the main risk factors is age. The increasing life expectancy of the population associated with the development of civilisation (health, social and welfare) therefore has a significant impact on its occurrence. In 2017, the number of people with diabetes was approximately 476 million, which represented an increase of 129.7% compared to 1990 [1]. For Alzheimer's disease, incidence and prevalence increased by 147.95% and 160.84% respectively between 1990 and 2019 [2]. The economic and social costs associated with the occurrence of these diseases are enormous [3,4]. Among the drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, compounds of natural origin that have the cholinesterase inhibitor activity - the isoquinoline alkaloid galantamine - have been successfully used [101], as well as the semi-synthetic phisostigmine derivative isolated from Physostigma venenosum – rivastigmine (Fig. 4.) [5,6]. One of the most commonly used drugs in the treatment of diabetes is metformin, a synthetic derivative of galegin isolated from Galega officinalis (Fig. 2.) [7]. Natural-derived compounds can therefore be highly active and safe preparations used in both the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. The present work aims to review and summarise information on the potential use of herbaceous wild plants: Stellaria media, Epilobium angustifolium and Chenopodium album in the prevention and therapy of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Promising results have been obtained in both in vitro and in vivo studies on the potential use of extracts from these plants. They exhibited protective (neuroprotective activity, protection of organs from damage in the progress of diabetes, effects on body weight control and obesity reduction) and therapeutic (effects on lowering blood glucose levels, reducing insulin resistance, inhibitory effects on cholinesterase, α-glucosidase and α-amylase) activities. Polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids were shown to be important in determining the biological activity of the extracts. Available literature data indicate a high potential for the use of extracts obtained from these plants, both in the prevention and therapy of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.