The Use of BrownAlgae Laminaria Saccharinain Iodine Enriched Products Aimed at PreventingIodine Deficiency

The high content of iodine in dried algae has allowed it to be used as a physiologically functional food ingredient in the technology of fortified foods, which can help prevent iodine deficiency. The aim of this research was to develop a technology for food products enriched with iodine (Italian crispbreads), as well as fermented dairy products (thick and drinking yoghurts with various fruit fillings). The brown algae Laminaria saccharina, which originates from the islandFrøya (in Norway), was used to enrich the products with iodine. This algaewas grown on the farms of the company ”Energy Solutions AS” and was dried by various methods of low-temperature drying (heat pump at a temperature of minus 10 ∘C, drying in 1-3 layers; vacuum freeze drying with pre-storage at a temperature of minus 8 ∘C; and pre-freezing and storing at a temperature of minus 25 ∘C for 2-6 days). The chemical composition of the algae was studied. The findings showed that the modes of pretreatment of algae and the method of cold drying did not influence the following indicators (in % of the total mass of dried algae): the mass fraction of water (6.00±0.50% to 6.93±0.50%),ash (46.40-50.14%), andsodium chloride (31.00±1.75%). The above technological factors substantially affected the content of protein and iodine in the dried algae. Thus, the mass fraction of protein varied from 5.88% to 12.35% per total mass, and iodine varied from 0.367% to 0.522% in terms of dry matter. The optimal dosage of dried algae for adding to raw material was calculated (which provided anabove-stated iodine content of % of the recommended level of adequate consumption in 100g of the developed products): from 66% in crispbreads to 88% in fermented dairy products. All new products provided a high level of organoleptic evaluation. Keywords: brown algae, Laminaria saccharina, iodine, functionalproduct, crispbreads, drinking yoghurts, thick yoghurts

Functional Properties and Metabolic Profile of National Fermented Products of Russia and South Africa

. Both Russia and South Africa have a long-standing history of fermented milk product consumption. Along with the products widely distributed around the world, such as yoghurts, in each of these countries there are a number of national products. An example of a widely demanded fermented milk product in Russia is Kefir.This productis used not only as a food source in the diet of children and adults, but also in medical institutions, since ithasa positive effect onhuman health when consumed regularly. South Africa is characterized by the consumption of products such as Amasi,which is produced commercially. Its consumption has also been shown to have beneficial effects on the digestive system. In this research, the metabolic profiles(fatty acid composition and volatile compounds) of these fermented milk products were analyzed and these showed significant differences. The results indicated that this metabolite composition reflected the different production protocols and microbial complexity of these dairy products. The functional properties of the studied drinks were also considered.The average content of L-leucine equivalents in Amasi was slightly higher (6.5-8.9mMol×L −1) than in Kefir (4.9-6.7mMol×L −1). Antioxidant and antihypertensive activity of the fermented products correlated with the depth of hydrolysis of the milk proteins. Amasishowed higher antioxidant and antihypertensive activities (600- 796µМolТE/ml and 1.3-1.5mg/ml, respectively) than Kefir (246-574µМolТE/ml and 2.0-4.3mg/ml, respectively). Keywords: fermented products, Kefir, Amasi,metabolic profile, antioxidant potential, antihypertensive properties

The Technology and Composition of Functional Food Ingredients Obtained by Sorption of the Polyphenolic Compounds From Cranberry on Coagulated Egg Albumen

The technologies for developing food products for people with type 2 diabetes involve enrichment with polyphenolic compounds that have hypoglycemic and/or hypolipidemic properties. The production of ingredients for introduction into such food products should involve the techniques of concentration of natural polyphenols on certain food-grade protein matrices. In this study, a technology was developed for the production of a functional food ingredient, which was a complex of polyphenols (mostly anthocyans) from cranberries with coagulated egg albumen. The optimal parameters of sorption of anthocyans from cranberry juice on the albumen during the coagulation of the latter were determined. The contents and profile of anthocyans within the resulting food ingredient were assessed. The concentration of total anthocyans (recalculated to equivalents of cyanidin-3-glucoside) was determined by pH-differential spectrophotometry; the profile of individual anthocyans was determined by highperformance liquid chromatography. Sensory evaluation of the resulting ingredient (through a taste panel test) evidenced the possibility of including the product in the functional foodstuffs. The technology developed can be used in the design of functional food ingredients for subsequent introduction into anti-diabetic food products. Keywords: coagulated egg albumen, cranberry juice, anthocyans, functional food ingredients

Intensive Reclamation of Landfills and Polygons for Solid Waste Disposal

This research proposed the use of one of the most effective complexons – oxyethylidenediphosphonic acid, namely its derivative compound – phenyldiacetic acid,for the active sorption matrices of humus of mineral origin. The application of active components that stimulate plant growth and photosynthesis processes in hybrid preparations during reclamation were also proposed. Keywords: recultivation of landfill, plant growth stimulation, phytoremediation

Resource-Efficient Methods to Facilitate the Preservation of a Reservoir's Self-Cleaning Potential

The aim of this research was to develop environmental methods for the restoration and rehabilitation of Moscow’s water bodies. A number of methods are recommended. These can help to improve the environmental condition and water quality of water bodiesin Moscow. Keywords: ehabilitation of water body, engineering biology, environmental preservation

Metagenomic Profiles of the Intestinal Virome of Long-Livers

The microbial community of the human intestine is important for maintaining human health. It has been reported that the gut microbiome changes with age, and it can be enrichedwith certain beneficial bacteria while also losing certain commensal bacteria.Little is known about the gut virome of long-livers. Our research aimed to extract, sequence and analyze the viral fraction of long-livers’ gut microbiota in comparison with those of young adults and the elderly. We were thereby able to characterize the gut virome profiles and viral diversity of three age groups. Keywords: aging, gut microbiome, viral metagenomics, bacteriophages

Characteristic Features of the Transcriptome in a Rat Strain with Audiogenic Epilepsy

Audiogenic epilepsy (AE), developing in rodent strains in response to sound, is widely used as the model of generalized convulsive epilepsy, while the molecular mechanisms determining AE are currently poorly understood. The brain region that is crucial for AE development isthe inferior and superior colliculi (IC, SC). We compared IC-SC gene expression profiles in rats with different AE susceptibility using transcriptome analysis.The transcriptomes were obtained from the IC-SC of Wistar rats (with no AE), Krushinsky-Molodkina (KM) strain rats (100% AE susceptible), and ”0” strain rats (with no AE) selected from F2 KM x Wistar hybrids for AE absence. KM gene expression displayed characteristic differences inboth of the strains that were not susceptible to AE. There was increased expression of a number of genes responsible for positive regulation of the MAPK signaling cascade, as well as of genes responsible for the production of interferon and several other cytokines. An increase in the expression levels of theTTR gene was found in KM rats, as well as significantly lower expression of the Msh3 gene (involved in post-replicative DNA repair systems). AE was also describedin the 101/HY mouse strain with a mutation in the locus controlling DNA repair. The DNA repair system defects could be the primary factor leading to the accumulation of mutations, which, in turn, promote AE. Keywords: udiogenic seizure, KM strain, transcriptome, TTR gene, Msh3 gene, DNA repair

A New Approach for Accurate Identification of Allele State Based on Real-Time PCR for Biomedical Tasks

Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is an important task in medicine, veterinary medicine and biology. Precise differentiation of SNPs can be challenging. Methods based onTaqman can lead to false positive results due to nonspecific annealing of the probe. The aim of this research was to develop a new approach for the accurate differentiation of SNPs based on real-time PCR with Taqmanprobes and their rivals.The rivals competed with the Taqmanprobes for annealing to the site. The rivals blocked the nonspecific allele so that the Taqmanprobe could not anneal to it. Thus,the Taqmanprobe only detected specific alleles.This approach madeit possible to fine-tune the diagnostic system by selecting the ratio of Taqmanprobes and rivals (in non-equimolar amounts too).The new approach was tested on several diagonally significant SNPs in veterinary medicine.Using Taqman probes and rival probes showed a significantly greater specificity and efficiency in the determination of both homozygotes and heterozygotes than when conventional systems based only on Taqmanwere used. Keywords: SNP, allele identification, real-time PCR, fluorescent dye

Pyrite Biooxidation by Acidophilic Archaea AcidiplasmaSp. MBA-1 Under Varied Conditions

The goal of this research was to study pyrite (FeS2 ) bioleaching by a strain of the genus Acidiplasma under different conditions (temperature, pH) to evaluate the potential role of Acidiplasma representatives in biooxidation of this sulfide mineral. To compare the role of Acidiplasma archaea in pyrite biooxidation with other acidophilic microorganisms, the experiments were also performed with representatives of othergroups of microorganisms predominant in biohydrometallurgical processes.Pure and mixed cultures of moderately thermophilic acidophilic microorganisms, including strains Acidithiobacillus caldus MBC-1, Sulfobacillusthermosulfidooxidans VKMV 1269T and Acidiplasmasp. MBA-1, were used. The experiments were carried out in flasks with 100 mL of mineral nutrient medium supplemented with 0.02% yeast extract and 1 g of pyrite on a rotary shaker for 20 days. Bioleaching was performed at 45, 55, and 60∘С. The results demonstrated that the representatives of the genus Acidiplasmaprovided a comparatively higher rate of pyrite bioleaching at high temperatures (55 and 60∘C) and low pH of the medium (1.0). Thus, according to the results, strains of thegenus Acidiplasma may provide a high rate of pyrite bioleaching at low levels ofpH. Therefore, the results suggest that archaea of the genus Acidiplasma may be promising microorganisms to improve bioleaching processes with an increase in the operational temperature, which is usually maintained at 40–45∘C in industrial-scale reactors. Keywords: biomining, bioleaching, acidophilic microorganisms, sulfide minerals, pyrite

Investigating Antisense Transcription at the HTT Locus

Antisense transcription is an important mechanism of gene expression regulation. Antisense RNAs play a role in mRNA processing, translation and epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones in the locus of their origin, leading to gene silencing. HTT is a widely expressed gene, the mutation of which causes Huntington’s disease. The product of the gene plays an important role in many cell processes, such as intracellular trafficking, cell division, autophagy, and others. An antisense transcription has been found at the HTT 5’-region. The HTT-AS gene has been reported to affect HTT expression in a Dicer-dependent manner. In this study, we analyzed extensive data from RNA-seq experiments for antisense transcription at the HTT locus. Antisense transcripts corresponding to the HTT-AS gene were not found. However, we revealed a number of antisense transcripts in different parts of the locus that may take part in the regulation and functioning of the HTT gene. Keywords: antisense transcription, HTT-AS, HTTregulation, Huntington’s disease