Information on the thesis

The doctoral thesis is devoted to the research of the biochemical effects of yacon
water extracts (made from leaves and root tubers) and suspensions (made from root tubers)
on the morphofunctional state of peripheral blood cells in rats under diabetes mellitus type
1. It is the first time that a comparative study into hypoglycemic effects of yacon water
extracts (made from leaves and root tubers) in the dose of 70 and 500 mg/kg and yacon
root tuber suspensions (both stabilized and non-stabilized) has been conducted under
streptozotozin-induced DM. Our findings reveal that the most marked hypoglycemic effect
is exerted by the yacon water extracts in their higher dose and the suspensions stabilized
by biogenic surfactants. Under experimental diabetes mellitus, both the water extracts (in
the dose of 500 mg/kg) and the stabilized suspensions produce positive corrigent effects
on the erythron system, leading to increased erythrocyte resistance to acid hemolytic and
decreasing numbers of reticulocytes, as well as their daily synthesis, which testify to
reduced tension in erythropoiesis, which might result in the depletion of erythropoiesis
productivity and are emergence of anemia in advanced stages of diabetes mellitus. Apart
from that, our study has indicated that the water extracts (in the dose of 500 mg/kg) and
the stabilized suspensions have corrigent effects on indexes of leukocyte formulas under
experimental diabetes mellitus. When the yacon water extracts and suspensions were
administered under the pathology, there was a decrease in the content of TBA-positive
products and carbonyl groups, as well as an increase in enzyme activity of erythrocyte and
leukocyte antioxidant deference, which point to their marked antioxidant effect. In
addition, our findings show the normalizing effect of the yacon extracts and suspensions
on the content of separate glycoconjugates contained in leukocyte and erythrocyte
glycocalyx in rats under experimental diabetes mellitus. It has been demonstrated that the
yacon water extracts and suspensions produce positive effects on the functional properties
of leukocytes, the content of fragmented DNA and the ratio between р53 and Bcl-2
proteins in diabetic rats.
Key words: diabetes mellitus, yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius Poepp. & Endl.),
erythrocytes, leukocytes, oxidative stress, glycoconjugates, blood cell functional activity.