— Together with colleagues from Tomsk State University, you have patented a new method for determining triterpene acids in extracts of Siberian fir greenery. Please tell us about these compounds: how do they affect the human body, why are they valuable?
— Triterpene acids (TTA) have antitumor, antiviral, and antioxidant effects—their potential is enormous. However, such acids have not yet found widespread use in medical practice. Experiments show that they do not pass through the cell membrane well, and therefore do not achieve a sufficiently powerful antitumor effect. Therefore, finding ways to deliver these molecules inside cells is an urgent task for scientists.
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Triterpene acids are also used as plant growth stimulants. What mechanism is this effect based on? In what cases are such drugs used in agriculture and what results do they give?
“Our team is currently studying these processes. It is already known that when using drugs, plant stress resistance genes are activated. The plant begins to synthesize special compounds that ensure the inclusion of genes responsible for protective reactions. Thus, TTC-based extracts protect the plant from stress caused by drought or other negative factors.
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© Morsa Images
At the same time, it is very important to correctly select the dosage and concentration of the substances included in such natural preparations. The fact is that if in small concentrations TTC stimulate the growth of plants, then in large concentrations, on the contrary, they suppress their growth.
— What other useful compounds are obtained from fir? Traditional medicine actively uses fir infusions and extracts against a number of diseases, from rheumatism to psoriasis. Which of these properties attributed to fir have received scientific substantiation?
— Since ancient times, fir has been considered a sacred tree. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese were well aware of the beneficial properties of this plant. The Sumerians, for example, used fir in all rituals, fumigating the room before the rituals. In Rus', the needles of this tree were used for therapeutic purposes in cases where it was necessary to calm the nervous system or reduce stomach pain. A decoction based on pine needles was drunk after meals. Resin (resin -
RT
) of trees was used to treat infected wounds and ulcers. Fir cones were considered an effective remedy for rheumatism and other diseases of the joints of the legs.
Today there is a lot of scientific data on the wide spectrum of action of fir extracts. It is also known that they promote hematopoiesis, stimulate the immune system, fight inflammation and have an antimicrobial effect. Due to this, fir extracts can be used in complex therapy for the prevention and treatment of a number of diseases.
— Another Siberian tree, larch, is also famous for its biologically active compounds
. Please tell us more about this
.
— Larch resin contains, for example, the compound isocembrol, a hormonal plant growth regulator that can be used in agriculture. Alcohols, hydrocarbons and lignan compounds - powerful antioxidants - are also isolated from resin. It has been proven that larch resin has a positive effect on the strength and growth of the root system, which also makes it possible to develop preparations based on it for plant growth and protection.
Yellowing larches on the hills in the Republic of Tyva
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© Alexander Kryazhev
In particular, dihydroquercetin is a bioflavonoid, the most powerful natural antioxidant. It is important that this compound completely lacks mutagenic properties for humans. Dihydroquercetin binds free radicals released during the inflammatory reaction and deprives them of harmful activity in the body tissues.
It also has a positive effect on cell membranes in the body, reduces inflammation and, as a result, has an anti-edematous effect.
Another larch product, arabinogalactan, increases the body's protective functions. This is a prebiotic that can stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora. It also has an immunomodulatory effect. The use of this compound has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of colds in humans.
— How complicated is the technological process for obtaining bioactive components from wood? What kind of wood is usually used for this - sawmill waste or whole trees?
— The process of obtaining specific substances with bioactive properties includes many stages. At each stage of extraction, we use different solvents; the temperature also changes, which allows us to separate the initial mixture into fractions with different groups of substances.
The process is repeated until we get the desired product. Often this is a whole complex of compounds. Thus, it is known that the triterpene acids, which I spoke about at the beginning, are best used in combination rather than individually.
To extract valuable substances, woody greens are used - needles, leaves, buds and young shoots; during wood harvesting, a lot of such green waste is generated.
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Why do trees synthesize these active compounds, what role do they play for plants?
“How these substances are synthesized in plants and what the exact mechanism of action of each such compound is is not yet completely clear. However, it is known that such substances perform a number of important functions for the plant. First of all, they suppress the growth of microorganisms, fungi, and also protect against insect pests.
In addition, this is how plants are protected from non-biological threats, such as excessive exposure to light, oxygen, etc. Thus, by evaporating, essential oils reduce the thermal permeability of air near the plant. This protects the tree from overheating during the day and hypothermia at night, and also helps in regulating water metabolism. In addition, biologically active compounds are involved in the processes of plant storage of essential microelements.
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Another well-known useful compound of wood origin is betulin, which is obtained from birch bark. It is believed to have a range of beneficial properties. In ancient times, it was used to treat tuberculosis; it has now been found that it can help prevent diabetes. Its content in birch bark can reach 40%. What does science know today about the properties of this compound? And how easy is it to get it?
- Betulin is obtained from birch bark - the upper layer of birch bark. The substance is isolated by extraction and then purified from unwanted impurities. Large pulp and paper and wood processing plants accumulate large amounts of bark every year. As in the case of pine needles, these valuable materials, rich in biologically active substances, are industrial waste. Therefore, there is no need to specifically extract birch bark or tree greens.
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© Patrick J. Endres
Betulin is used as a dietary supplement to improve the condition of patients as part of complex therapy for a number of diseases. In addition, it is a cheap raw material for the production of other biologically active substances.
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Why do most biologically active compounds of wood origin have such a wide spectrum of action? Can they be synthesized artificially?
— Trees, like other plants, need protection and nutrition; the plant receives all the substances necessary for this during biosynthesis. These reactions occur under the influence of biocatalysts - enzymes. Each biologically active compound performs many functions in the tree’s body, so we can find many different applications for such substances at once.
Chaga
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Yes, all of these compounds can technically be synthesized artificially. But this will require much more resources than obtaining them from wood waste. It is also important to take into account environmental feasibility: by obtaining valuable products from shavings, etc., we manage natural resources more efficiently. Nature has already created a whole range of useful substances; we just have to correctly isolate and use them.
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Birch chaga is also famous as a medicinal mushroom. Which of the properties attributed to it is true and which is a myth?
— Being a “parasite”, the hyphae (formations. -
RT
) of chagas destroy the wood of the tree, causing it to rot. The biosynthesis processes probably take place somewhere at the wood/mushroom boundary, and therefore it is difficult to say who exactly is responsible for the valuable properties of chaga.
The fruiting body of the mushroom contains a whole range of compounds, including sterols, organic acids, alkaloids, etc. As well as an even richer set of elements: aluminum, silicon, magnesium, copper, zinc.
As part of complex therapy prescribed by a doctor, chaga can improve the overall well-being of patients diagnosed with early stage cancer. Of course, you cannot try to treat yourself with chaga alone; it is a biologically active food supplement, not a medicine. Scientists believe that the beneficial properties of chaga are associated with the immunostimulating properties of the fungus. And this effect, in turn, is ensured by the presence of polyphenol, lanostane and ligin-carbohydrate complex in chaga.
Chaga can also help alleviate the condition as part of the treatment of diabetes and bronchial asthma; the hepatoprotective and antibacterial properties of this mushroom are described.