Based on the conducted research, the influence of mineral fertilizers, drip irrigation, growth regulators, and harvest times on the polysaccharide content in Althaea officinalis L. raw material was determined. The study utilized field, laboratory, and computational methods. A trend was observed where increasing the dose of mineral fertilizers resulted in higher polysaccharide content in the dry raw material. Drip irrigation slightly reduced the polysaccharide content in the grass and leaves of A. officinalis but increased their content in the roots. When examining the effect of foliar application of growth regulators on the total polysaccharide content in A. officinalis raw material, it was found that growth regulators can either increase or decrease the content of biologically active substances compared to the control. The highest polysaccharide content in the grass and leaves was obtained with the application of N120P120K120, and in the roots with N180P180K180. Among the studied growth regulators, Potassium Humate and Sodium Humate were found to be the most effective. The optimal time for harvesting the aerial parts of A. officinalis to achieve the highest polysaccharide content is during the flowering phase, where the dry grass collected in this phase contained 9.11% polysaccharides, the leaves contained 11.21%, and the stems contained 6.18%. To obtain high-quality A. officinalis raw material, timely preventive measures against the pathogen Puccinia malvacearum Mont and the spread of the pest Podagrica fuscicornis L.
This study investigates the structural transformation of regional livestock production systems toward an integrated Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) framework. Using an integrated Bayesian Tree–Spline approach, spatially disaggregated regional data were analyzed to evaluate the environmental, technological, and logistical determinants of sustainable livestock production. The empirical model incorporated key indicators, including infrastructure readiness, market accessibility, manure intensity, biogas conversion rates, methane emissions, alternative feed utilization, and transport-related emissions. The probabilistic classification results revealed substantial spatial heterogeneity among the analysed regions, enabling the identification of areas with high circular bioeconomy implementation potential, transitional regions, and areas requiring further technological and infrastructural development. Shannon entropy measures were applied to quantify classification uncertainty and identify transitional zones, while penalized B-splines captured non-linear saturation effects associated with alternative feed utilization and the integration of bioenergy technologies. The findings provide a data-driven basis for supporting the implementation of circular bioeconomy principles, enhancing resource-use efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitating the transition toward climate-neutral livestock production systems. Compared with the deterministic benchmark model, the proposed Bayesian Tree–Spline framework additionally quantifies classification uncertainty, captures nonlinear threshold and saturation effects, and provides probabilistic regional typologies that support more robust and evidence-based policy recommendations.
The article summarizes recent scientific findings on the presence of microplastics in bee products and highlights the key trends reflecting the impact of human activities on the environment. It examines the factors that cause the accumulation of synthetic polymer particles in honey, pollen, bee bread, propolis, and wax, and analyzes the biological response of bees to the impact of microplastics from the perspectives of physiology, toxicology, and ecology. Particular attention is given to the methodological aspects of identifying microplastic particles in bee products, as well as the challenges of standardizing this process. The presented data aim to integrate existing research results in the context of assessing risks to human health and ecosystem stability and developing veterinary and sanitary control methods. This material is intended for specialists in veterinary medicine, food safety, apitherapy, and ecology
The study was conducted at the experimental farm “Conservation of the State Poultry Gene Pool” of the State Poultry Research Station of the Livestock Farming Institute of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine on Birkivska Barvysta egg-type chickens. The paper presents the results of evaluating the nutritional value of dry walnut leaves and compound feeds with different levels of their inclusion, as well as the specific features of nutrient utilization in the diet when this plant material was introduced into the feeding of chickens at levels of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%. It was established that dry walnut leaves are characterized by a high content of dry matter, protein, fiber, mineral substances, vitamin E, and pronounced antioxidant activity, and their inclusion in compound feed contributed to an increase in the nutritional and antioxidant value of the diets. The best results were obtained with the inclusion of 1% of the additive. In this group, dry matter digestibility was 77.87% versus 77.00% in the control, organic matter digestibility was 85.73 versus 84.99%, crude protein digestibility was 88.46 versus 87.16%, and nitrogen-free extractives digestibility was 88.84 versus 88.21%. The level of metabolizable energy of the feed was also the highest, at 355.15 kilocalories versus 351.75 kilocalories in the control. With the inclusion of 1.5% dry walnut leaves, the highest digestibility of crude fat and crude fiber was observed; however, this occurred without improvement in the main integral indicators of feed utilization compared with the 1% dose. According to the nitrogen balance, the inclusion of 1% of the additive was accompanied by the highest nitrogen output with the egg, at 0.893 grams per head per day, which indicates more productive utilization of nitrogenous compounds. The practical value of the obtained results lies in substantiating the expediency of using dry walnut leaves in compound feed for laying hens at the level of 1% as the one that ensures the best combination of nutrient digestibility indicators and the energy value of the diet.
