Hydrocarbon Generative Properties and Maturity of Cretaceous and Eocene Sediments in the Middle Kura Depression, Azerbaijan

Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover in the Middle Kura depression located between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain structures contains numerous oil accumulations. According to studies in the Cretaceous and Paleogene strata, sedimentary organic matter is of mixed clastic-marine origin. Moderate amounts of organic matter have been recorded in the Eocene sediments (on average 0.70%), in the Upper and Lower Cretaceous average values made up 0.39% и 0.42%, respectively. Analysis of bitumoid composition suggests that in a number of areas bitumoids have experienced a widespread movement across the sedimentary strata. The results of measurements on isolated samples indicate that the Cretaceous strata have only advanced to the initial hard-coal stage of organic transformation (0.48-0.55%Ro). On vitrinite reflectance data the Eocene deposits in studied areas of the Middle Kura depression have reached initial (brown-coal) stage of catagenetic transformation (±0.48Ro%; est. paleotemperature of 85°C). Nonetheless, analysis of formation conditions of commercial HC accumulations found earlier in the Eocene strata allows considering them the most prospective in the Middle Kura depression.

Justification of the possibility for obtaining meat culinary products using objects of marine origin

Обоснована возможность получения мясных кулинарных продуктов с добавлением компонентов морского происхождения (макруруса малоглазого, тепловых экстрактов из голотурий - трепанга и кукумарии). В качестве основного сырья использованы мясо индейки и курицы, баранина и говядина. Критериями для оценки данного направления в технологии служили результаты органолептического исследования образцов и показателей биологической ценности. Установлено, что рациональным количеством при производстве котлет из мяса птицы мышечной ткани макруруса малоглазого является 25 % от основного ингредиента рецептуры; биологическая ценность готового изделия при этом увеличивается почти на 20 %. Тепловые экстракты из голотурий (трепанга и кукумарии), применяемые практически вместо воды в составе рецептур котлет из говядины или баранины, способствуют повышению органолептической оценки, а также положительно влияют на биологическую ценность, которая выше, чем у контроля, почти на 18 %. Использование тепловых экстрактов из морского сырья (голотурий) приводит к обогащению продукции растворимыми коллагеновыми фрагментами (установлено по увеличению количества свободного оксипролина), биологически активными аминокислотами (глутаминовая и аспарагиновая, аланин, глицин, пролин), аминосахарами и тритерпеновыми гликозидами. The possibility of obtaining meat culinary products with the addition of components of marine origin (small-eyed macrurus, thermal extracts from holothurium-trepang and cucumaria) is justified. Turkey and chicken meat, lamb and beef are used as the main raw materials. The criteria for evaluating this direction in the technology were the results of organoleptic examination of samples and indicators of biological value. It is established that the rational amount in the production of cutlets from poultry meat of muscle tissue of small - eyed macrurus is 25 % of the main ingredient of the recipe; the biological value of the finished product increases by almost 20 %. Thermal extracts from holothurias (trepang and cucumaria), used instead of water in the recipes of beef or lamb cutlets, contributes to an increase in organoleptic evaluation, and also positively affects the biological value, which is higher than that of the control by almost 18 %. The use of thermal extracts from marine raw materials (holothurias) leads to the enrichment of products with soluble collagen fragments, biologically active amino acids (glutamic and aspartic, alanine, glycine, proline), amino sugars and triterpene glycosides.

Harnessing Natural Products of Marine Origin for Induction of Immunogenic Cell Death

Conventional cancer chemotherapy aims to kill highly proliferating tumor cells and is often immunosuppressive due to its off-target side effects. However, certain cytotoxic cancer chemotherapeutic drugs can kill tumor cells by triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD). Cells undergoing ICD release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to activate robust innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Despite many compounds being able to trigger one or two hallmarks of ICD, very few bona fide ICD inducers are available. Identification of bioactive natural ICD inducers with low side effects and high tolerability represents a priority in biomedical research. In this review, we discuss the various strategies to regulate the hallmarks of ICD and enhance immunogenic potentials. We focus on evaluating the potential of natural compounds of marine origin to amplify the effects of ICD and therefore serve as novel therapeutic anti-cancer agents alone or in combination with existent chemo- or immune-therapies.

Secondary Metabolites from Marine Sources with Potential Use as Leads for Anticancer Applications

The development of novel anticancer agents is essential to finding new ways to treat this disease, one of the deadliest diseases. Some marine organisms have proved to be important producers of chemically active compounds with valuable bioactive properties, including anticancer. Thus, the ocean has proved to be a huge source of bioactive compounds, making the discovery and study of these compounds a growing area. In the last few years, several compounds of marine origin, which include algae, corals, and sea urchins, have been isolated, studied, and demonstrated to possess anticancer properties. These compounds, mainly from securamines and sterols families, have been tested for cytotoxic/antiproliferative activity in different cell lines. Bioactive compounds isolated from marine organisms in the past 5 years that have shown anticancer activity, emphasizing the ones that showed the highest cytotoxic activity, such as securamines H and I, cholest-3β,5α,6β-triol, (E)-24-methylcholest-22-ene-3β,5α,6β-triol, 24-methylenecholesta-3β,5α,6β-triol, and 24-methylcholesta-3β,5α,6β-triol, will be discussed in this review. These studies reveal the possibility of new compounds of marine origin being used as new therapeutic agents or as a source of inspiration to develop new therapeutic agents.

Anti-tumour drugs of marine origin currently at various stages of clinical trials (review)

Oncological diseases for a long time have remained one of the most significant health problems of modern society, which causes great losses in its labour and vital potential. Contemporary oncology still faces unsolved issues as insufficient efficacy of treatment of progressing and metastatic cancer, chemoresistance, and side-effects of the traditional therapy which lead to disabilities among or death of a high number of patients. Development of new anti-tumour preparations with a broad range of pharmaceutical properties and low toxicity is becoming increasingly relevant every year. The objective of the study was to provide a review of the recent data about anti-tumour preparations of marine origin currently being at various phases of clinical trials in order to present the biological value of marine organisms – producers of cytotoxic compounds, and the perspectives of their use in modern biomedical technologies. Unlike the synthetic oncological preparations, natural compounds are safer, have broader range of cytotoxic activity, can inhibit the processes of tumour development and metastasis, and at the same time have effects on several etiopathogenic links of carcinogenesis. Currently, practical oncology uses 12 anti-tumour preparations of marine origin (Fludarabine, Cytarabine, Midostaurin, Nelarabine, Eribulin mesylate, Brentuximab vedotin, Trabectedin, Plitidepsin, Enfortumab vedotin, Polatuzumab vedotin, Belantamab mafodotin, Lurbinectedin), 27 substances are at different stages of clinical trials. Contemporary approaches to the treatment of oncological diseases are based on targeted methods such as immune and genetic therapies, antibody-drug conjugates, nanoparticles of biopolymers, and metals. All those methods employ bioactive compounds of marine origin. Numerous literature data from recent years indicate heightened attention to the marine pharmacology and the high potential of marine organisms for the biomedicinal and pharmaceutic industries.

Biologically Active Substances from Marine Hydrobionts of the Pacific Ocean as the Basis for Developing New Medicines

Introduction: Since 1970s, a school of thought on management of innate and acquired immunity systems using biologically active substances of the Far East marine origin has been developed by the Immunology Laboratory of Somov Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor). Biopolymers, which constitute the structural basis of live marine organisms and sustain numerous vital processes, draw special attention as potential candidates for pharmaceutical forms. The objective of our study was to summarize the results of long-term research on biologically active substances (BAS) from marine aquatic organisms (hydrobionts) of the Pacific Ocean as the basis for developing medicinal preparations for infectious disease prevention and treatment and dietary supplements for food and functional food products. Methods: We have selected and analyzed 46 principal published works of the researchers of the Institute found in electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, and eLibrary) using appropriate keywords. Results: We established that over 500 substances from various hydrobionts of the Pacific Ocean including invertebrates, fish, algae, marine bacteria (polycationic and polyanionic polysaccharides of brown and red algae), pectins (colloidal carbohydrates of high molecular weight and complex structure), lipopolysaccharides and polysaccharides from marine proteobacteria, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, glycolipids, low-molecular compounds of marine origin (sulfated polyoxysteroids, peptides, beta-glucans, nucleic acids, amino acid complexes, naphthoquinones and spinochromes of sea urchins) had been studied for their biological properties over the past almost half a century. The studies produced abundant new data on immunomodulatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-adhesive, anti-endotoxic, pro-apoptotic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic properties of biologically active substances, substantiated feasibility of designing innovative BAS-based medicines, and developed environmentally safe functional food products and dietary supplements. Conclusions: Biologically active substances from marine hydrobionts are a promising source for the development of novel domestic pharmaceuticals.