Common oats will help combat the negative effects of radiation

The cell walls of oats are very strong due to two polymers - cellulose and lignin. Lignin, in addition to its mechanical function, also increases the plant's resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions, such as the action of chemicals and parasites. These protective functions are related to the fact that this compound has antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial effects. Scientists suggested that the beneficial properties of lignin could be used for medical purposes. However, the effects of this polymer on the bodies of animals and humans have remained insufficiently studied.

Why oats?

Biologists from the Komi Science Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences took the most ordinary oats, chemically extracted lignin from its stalks, and dissolved it in water using an authorial technique. The resulting substance was tested for toxicity on human cell cultures, and then on laboratory mice. For this purpose, a solution of lignin was administered to 20 mice in four different concentrations (each experimental group consisted of five mice and there was one control group). The experiment showed that the drug did not worsen the condition of the animals. Moreover, it triggers processes that destroy cells with damaged DNA in the bone marrow and thyroid gland.

Sexual Giants

After that, the scientists began a long-term study. The rodents were given a solution of lignin daily for 8 months, after which they examined the condition of their internal organs. The experiments showed that the weight of mice receiving lignin, as well as the mass and appearance of their internal organs, did not differ from the control group. Thus, no negative effects of the drug were observed. On the contrary, the long-term administration of the drug increased sperm production by 30% in males and reduced the number of "defective" sperm by 35%. In females, lignin extended the favorable stage for conception by 15%, thereby increasing fertility.

The scientists also conducted tests on the cognitive abilities of the mice, tracking the behavior of the rodents in a circular open space. The observations showed that lignin stimulates exploratory behavior in the animals and reduces anxiety.

During the experiments, we confirmed that lignin from oats does not have a toxic effect on rodents. This means that the polymer could potentially serve as a basis for biomedical drugs, - said the project leader, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Senior Researcher at the research center Lyudmila Kocheva to Metro. - We have determined that lignin prevents the accumulation of cells with damaged DNA in rapidly dividing tissues - in the bone marrow and gonads. In the future, we plan to study and test other lignins extracted from woody and herbaceous medicinal plants in experiments on laboratory animals, thereby expanding the range of medical preparations.

The results of the research, supported by the Russian Science Foundation Grant, have been published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.