The Influence of Zn and Cd Accumulation on the Growth and Development of Medicinal Plants in the Impact Zone of the Novocherkassk Power Station

Over the pastdecade, particular attention has been paid to studies of the chemical composition of medical plants to identify the possible negative consequences of using raw plant material polluted with heavy metals for the production of medical drugs. In our study, we analyzed the chemical composition of the medical plants growing in the impact area of the Novocherkassk power station. Specifically, the plants Artemisia austriaca, Poa pratensis and Elytrigia repenswere examined for the analysis.The content and distribution of Zn and Cd, which are most distributed in industrial emissions and belong to the first class of hazardous elements, were measured. The maximum permissible content (MPC) of Zn in the raw material of Artemisia austriaca and Elytrigia repens was found, as was the maximum content of Cd in all analyzed plants growing in the 5km area around thepower station. The plant Artemisia austriacawasfound to have Zn and Cd accumulation in itsabovegroundcomponents, while in Poa pratensis and Elytrigia repens, accumulation was in the roots. The morphobiometric parameters of the plants were mostly dependent on the soil properties, followed by the degree of technogenic load. The content of Zn and Cd in the medical drugs was higher than the MPC without visible features of heavy metal pollution and so these plants weredangerous for human health. Keywords: heavy metals, technogenic load, phytoreagents, morphometric parameters

The Growth Kinetics of RhizoctoniasolaniAfter 1 MeV Electron Irradiation

Crops, especially potatoes, are prone to a wide range of fungal, viral and bacterial diseases, including black scurf caused by Rhizoctoniasolani. This study focused on the radiation treatment of the phytopathogenic fungus RhizoctoniasolaniKuhn, grown from sclerotium irradiated with 1 MeV electrons in the dose range from 20 to 4500 Gy. The doses absorbed by the sclerotia were determined using computer simulation. The growth of the fungus samples was monitored after 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours from the time of seeding. It was found that the dependence of the radial growth velocity of R. solani on the time after irradiation with doses ranging from 20to 1800 Gywas nonlinear. Irradiation at a dose over 4500 Gyled to complete suppression of the germination of R. solani sclerotia. Keywords: radiation treatment, electron radiation, radiation dose, sclerotia of Rhizoctoniasolani, Kuhn, radial velocity of growth

The Influence of Highly Dispersed Metal Forms on Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism in Polygastric Animals

Determining which forms of mineral feed additives can increase farm animal productivity is a key area of research. This study assessed the mineral composition of ruminal fluid and the effectiveness of calcium and phosphorus used by animals after the introduction of finely dispersed particles (FDP) of SiO2 (group I) and FeCo (group II) with a hydrodynamic radius of 109.6 ± 16.6 and 265 ± 25 nm, respectively. The deposition and use of calcium and phosphorus in the body of the experimental animals exceeded the control values. In group I, 30.8% more calcium was deposited (p ≥ 0.05), and in group II, the value was 30.3% (p ≥ 0.01). In the experimental groups, the calcium utilization rate was 27.3% higher in group I (p ≥ 0.05), and 28.2% higher in group II (p ≥ 0.01) compared to in the control. Phosphorus deposition was 34% higher (p ≤ 0.01) in experimental group I and 6% higher in experimental group II, compared with the control. Group I had a high utilization rate of phosphorus from the feed (with a 29% difference compared to the control). Comparison of the experimental groups revealed that the introduction of SiO2 FDP promoted an increase in the concentration of silicon, phosphorus, and calcium in the ruminal fluid. The introduction of FeCo FDP was accompanied by a decrease in the concentration of iron and cobalt in the ruminal fluid. Thus, the use of feed additive in finely dispersed form in the diet of animals was accompanied by an increase in the use of calcium and phosphorus by the animal’s body, which is advisable when intensifying milk and meat productivity. The obtained results require further research. Keywords: finely dispersed forms of microelements, ruminants, calcium and phosphorus exchange, feeding

Prospects for Knockout of MYB60, a Transcriptional Repressor of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis, in Brassicaceae Plants by Genome Editing

The Brassicaceae plant family contains many economically important crops such as Brassica napus L., Brassica rapa L., Brassica oleracea L., Brassica juncea L., Eruca sativa Mill., Camelina sativa L. and Raphanus sativus L. Insufficient data on the genetic regulation of agronomic traits in these species complicates the editing of their genomes. In recent years, the attention of the academic community has been drawn to anthocyanin hyperaccumulation. This trait is not only beneficial for human health, but can also increase plant resistance to stress. MYB transcription factors are the main regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. Some of them are well studied in Arabidopsis thaliana. The AtMYB60 gene is a transcriptional repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis, and it also negatively impacts plant responses to drought stress. Myb60 is one of the least studied transcription factors with similar functions in Brassicaceae. There is a high degree of homology between predicted MYB60 genes of A. thaliana and related plant species. However, functions of these homologous genes have never been studied. Gene knockout by CRISPR/Cas technology remains the easiest way to perform genome editing in order to discover the role of individual plant genes. Disruption of genes acting as negative regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis could result in color staining of plant tissues and an increase in stress tolerance. In the present study, we investigated the AtMYB60 gene and its homologs in Brassicaceae plants and suggested universal gRNAs to knockout these genes. Keywords: CRISPR, Brassicaceae, MYB60, knockout, anthocyanin

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