Potencjał zastosowania fitozwiązków z dzikorosnących roślin zielnych w prewencji i terapii wybranych chorób cywilizacyjnych

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). Lifestyledependent 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.