Introduction: Today, scientists are searching for alternative approaches to preventing metabolic diseases, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which reduces the healthy life expectancy of the working population. Fungi, such as Hericium coralloides (Scop.) Pers., are promising raw materials for extracting bioactive substances with preventative potential. Materials and Methods: This review covered review and research articles published over the last 42 years and indexed in the databases of the eLIBRARY.RU, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and Scopus. Results and Discussion: It has been established that H. coralloides is valued for its nutritional properties due to its rich protein, fat, and mineral composition. It is in demand for pharmaceutical purposes due to its content of bioactive metabolites. The most studied metabolites are lovastatin and ergothioneine. The activity of these biologically active substances against NAFLD has been confirmed by studies in vitro and in vivo. Market analysis revealed that most dietary supplements contain fungal mycelium or its extract. It is preferable to use pure metabolites of H. coralloides as nutrients in dietary supplements and functional foods, since it allows the scientists to standardize their doses, target the therapeutic effect (immunity, neuroprotection, or antitumor), and reduce the required intake of the product. Since this fungus is a rare species in nature, its biomass should be grown in vitro for industrial use. Conclusions: Further research will focus on developing methods for extracting H. coralloides metabolites and assessing their biopotential in vivo and clinical studies.

Introduction. The prevalence of obesity is becoming more relevant every year. Individuals with increased body weight show alterations in various biochemical parameters including lipid profile. One of the genes involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism is the APOE gene. The aim of the work. To study the influence of ApoE gene on biochemistry parameters and BMI level in coal mine workers. Materials and Methods. Data of one hundred thirty four coal mine workers were included. Venous blood was collected from all participants for DNA and serum isolation. Further genotyping was carried out for two polymorphic variants of ApoE gene (rs7412 and rs429358). Along with this, blood biochemical parameters were evaluated. Results. While studying the effect of two polymorphic variants on BMI in subjects, a significant association was noted among carriers of E2/E3 and E3/E3 genotypes. Among biochemical indices, had an effect on cholesterol, folic acid, homocysteine, total calcium, low density lipoproteins, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltransferase, and fibrinogen. Limitations. The results obtained characterize the situation at a specific production site (coal mine) in a particular region (Russia, Western Siberia). In the future, the reproducibility of the results of our study will be tested on other, larger samples with a wide range of genetic variants related to lipid metabolism and eating behaviour. Conclusion. The results obtained in this study may be useful for further work in the formation of certain risk groups and preventive measures.

If starter culture bacteria are infected with bacteriophages, it results in poor or faulty fermentation of cheese and fermented milk. Despite strict sanitation measures, culture rotation, and special equipment design, bacteriophages with their growing heat resistance remain a serious biotechnological problem for the dairy industry. As a rule, raw milk is the main source of highly mutating bacteriophages with various heat resistance values. Bacteriophages are more resistant to heating than the host strain and most vegetative microbiota; however, scientific publications provide contradicting data on the effect of thermal exposure on lactic acid bacteriophages in various environments. As a result, industrial bacteriophage inactivation requires additional studies to define the most efficient modes. The article introduces the optimal modes of physical bacteriophage inactivation and pasteurization as part of phage monitoring. The authors analyzed available reports on types and groups of lactic acid phages typical of dairy plants, the nature of their heat resistance, and their adaptive evolution to increasing sublethal temperature. The standard methods of analysis and synthesis made it possible to reveal the effect of thermal action on lactic acid bacteriophages in different laboratory conditions. The resulting optimal thermal modes of fermented dairy production may help to develop a system of effective practical antiphage measures that could be compiled into a Program of Preliminary Measures of Phage Monitoring. Although the recommendation for a stricter heat treatment of raw milk does not find unanimous support, dairy plants may apply thermal antiphage inactivation if the processing involves boiling or steaming.

Chemical fungicides play a key role in protecting crops, but their use can result in environmental problems. We tested a novel fungicide, composed of endophytic microorganisms, for its effect on wheat yield, grain quality, plant development, and the rhizosphere microbiome, assessed by 16S and ITS metabarcoding. The fungicide increased the grain yield, the effect being similar to a well-known commercial bacterial fungicide, without affecting its quality. Ascomycota, Zygomycota and Mucoromycota together comprised 80% of the mycobiome. Mucoromycota/Mucoromycetes/Rhizopodaceae/Rhizopus arrhizus were significantly decreased. The dominant (≥10%) bacterial phyla were Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Bacteroidota and Actinomycetota, but their fungicide-related differences were small or random. Different modes of fungicide application (seeds only, seeds plus one or two foliar applications) had no effect on wheat characteristics. Neither of the fungicide’s agents (Raoultella ornithinolytica and Pantoea allii) were found in the rhizosphere. The changes in the mycobiome seemed more pronounced than in the bacteriobiome. The proposed preparation is concluded to have good prospects as a fungicide. However, the low species/strain resolution of the DNA metabarcoding did not allow us to fully interpret shifts in the microbiome diversity, both agronomically and environmentally. These aspects need more comprehensive investigation, using methodology with higher species resolution.

Nanocellulose materials are distinguished by their safety, biodegradability, and adaptability. It was shown that bacterial nanocellulose does not contain lignin and hemicellulose and has an ultrafine network structure. The wide compatibility of such materials with biological molecules and the ability to change their structure makes nanocellulose a promising material for medical applications. Today, in the production of nanocellulose, mainly softwood is used. Despite the obvious advantages of nanocellulose, the limiting factor in production is the high cost of wood raw materials and the environmental damage caused by deforestation. Therefore, there is increasing interest in cheap and annually renewable herbaceous plant biomass, which is a potential raw material with a negative cost for the synthesis of nanocellulose. This review aimed to evaluate the viability of using Miscanthus plant genus as the primary source of nanocellulose. The characteristics of various types of nanocellulose and methods for their preparation from miscanthus are discussed. Miscanthus plants are disease resistant, frost resistant, and grow rapidly. The biomass growth of this plant reaches 35 tons per hectare, and the life span of miscanthus reaches 20 years. Miscanthus is a promising source of nanocellulose crystals because it is rich cellulose. The development of effective methods for obtaining nanocellulose will allow the introduction of a new class of materials for the production of biotechnical composite liquid and solid compositions, as well as raw materials for the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Vitamin D is a unique compound that can enter the human body not only with food, but also be synthesized in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Individual differences in the need for this vitamin may be associated with the carriage of polymorphic variants of genes that implement its biological effects, which include VDR BsmI C>T (rs1544410), VDR TaqI A>G (rs731236) and GC rs2282679 T>G. At risk for vitamin D deficiency are workers in the coal mining industry, whose working conditions combine limited insolation and a pronounced deficiency of vitamins in the diet. The purpose of the study was to assess vitamin D plasma level in coal mining workers depending on the carriage of polymorphic variants of the VDR BsmI C>T (rs1544410), VDR TaqI A>G (rs731236) and GC rs2282679 T>G genes and professional working conditions. Material and methods. The study included 154 coal mining workers. The main group consisted of 100 workers associated with the underground nature of work, the comparison group - 54 ground workers of the enterprise. In all individuals, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood plasma was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and genotyping was performed for three polymorphic loci: VDR rs1544410, rs731236, GC rs2282679 by real-time PCR. Results. A statistically significant decrease in the concentration of plasma vitamin D in the underground workers was revealed, compared with the level of this vitamin in ground workers of the enterprise (p=0.037). Underground workers - carriers of the CT genotype of the VDR rs1544410 gene, AG of the VDR rs731236 gene and TT of the GC rs2282679 gene had a lower 25(OH)D level in blood plasma compared to owners of similar genotype variants in the comparison group (p<0.05). Among ground workers, carriers of the TT genotype of the GC rs2282679 gene had a significantly higher vitamin D plasma level compared to carriers of the TG and GG genotypes (p=0.02). An association of the GC gene with vitamin D level in blood plasma was revealed according to a dominant model of inheritance (OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.97; p=0.037, for owners of the TT genotype, compared with carriers of the TG+GG genotypes). Conclusion. The development of personalized diets based on individual genetic status may be of great importance for the prevention of diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency in individuals at risk.

Food security is part of national security, self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs being its important indicator. The situation with cheese production raw materials in the Russian Federation is gradually improving. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the production of raw milk is growing, which means that the level of self-sufficiency is gradually increasing. However, milk-converting enzymes can create a bottleneck situation since the entire rennet cheese production depends on them. The share of imported milk-coagulating enzyme preparations on the Russian market is 84.3 %. Recombinant milk-converting enzymes dominate both domestic and global cheese-making. However, Russia has neither microbial recombinant chymosins nor coagulants of its own. The domestic commercial production of milk-converting enzymes, especially of modern recombinant preparations, is one of the most relevant issues the domestic food industry will have to tackle in the nearest future.

Study of the mineralogical composition of soils in coal dumps formed in sectors of the Kemerovo region for further remediation of posttechnogenic landscapes.Samples of technogenically disturbed soils of the Mokhov, Korchakol and Barzas dumps located on the territory of the Kemerovo region were studied. The results were obtained using X‐ray diffraction analysis.The chemical composition of the soils of the Mokhovsky, Barzassky and Korchakolsky coal dumps have been determined. Chromium pyrophosphate (Cr2O7Р2), aluminium sulfphide (Al2S3) and zirconium silicide (ZrSi) prevail in the samples of the Mokhov dump, while the Barzas dump contains a significant amount of carbon (C), strontium zirconate (SrZrO3) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3).Based on these results, conclusions were drawn about the structure and some physical and chemical parameters of the soil.

The Kemerovo region is a region of extreme farming, and therefore requires the development of effective biological methods for improving productivity of cultivated plants adapted to these conditions. The purpose of the current work was to find plant growth-stimulating microorganisms associated with spring barley, as well as to form a microbial consortium on their basis and to conduct field trial. The objects of the study were spring barley seeds selected in the Kemerovo region, growth-stimulating microorganisms isolated from them, and consortia formed on their basis. During the study, there were isolated and tested 9 bacterial isolates for their ability to synthesize growth-stimulating substances (kinetin and indolyl-3-acetic acid). There were selected three strains with the best indicators SHv-2, SHv-5, SHv-6 for further studies. There has been found that the strains are capable of fixing nitrogen (SHv-2 – 800 µg/ml; SHv-5 – 210 µg/ml; SHv-6 – 840 µg/ml). There was also seen an ability to solubilize phosphates (SHv-2 – 2.53; SHv-5 – 1.25; SHv-6 – 3.33). The study of cultural, morphological and biochemical properties made it possible to identify such strains as SHv-2 – Pantoea allii; SHv-5 – Raoultella ornithinolytica; SHv-6 – Pantoea ananatis. Based on these microorganisms, there were made various variants of microbial consortia, which were also valued for their ability to produce growth-promoting substances and fix nitrogen. Consortium MC-7 composed with Pantoea allii, Raoultella ornithinolytica, Pantoea ananatis in a ratio of 1:1:3, respectively, showed maximum activity in terms of the studied parameters. Field trials of this consortium have shown that it successfully improves spring barley productivity. Despite abnormal weather conditions (lack of productive rains), there was an increase in the growth of crops treated by the consortium in comparison with control options. There have been established the most promising options for processing spring barley, options 3 and 4.

The quality of the finished cheese depends on the process of obtaining a milk clot under the action of a milk-converting enzyme. Most types of cheeses can be produced using the full range of dairy coagulants available on the market. However, without taking into account their technological features, enterprises save pennies on the cost of enzymes and lose rubles on the quality of products. The main technological characteristics of rennet enzyme substitutes (proteolytic activity, sensitivity to Ca2+ ions, pH, temperature stability), important for regulating the coagulation process during cheese production, are investigated. Practical recommendations on the use of milk-clotting enzyme preparations are given.

Currently, scientists are increasingly focusing on utilizing the natural flora of the planet to search for and isolate individual bioactive substances that prevent various diseases, contribute to increased life expectancy, and affect all major life-supporting systems in the human body. This study describes the examination of the composition of plant raw materials from the Siberian Federal District. The research focuses on plant specimens from the root parts of Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa, collected in the Kemerovo region. The study determines the contents of the water-soluble vitamins B and C in the research subjects. The investigation includes assessing antioxidant properties, antimicrobial activity, and flavonoid content in extracts based on plant raw materials. All samples show a high percentage of antioxidant activity, with the highest antioxidant activity for T. officinale at 85.51 and that for A. lappa at 88.97. The results indicate low antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (growth inhibition zone up to 15.5 mm). Plant extracts contain significant amounts of B-group vitamins, with pyridoxine in T. officinale (156.40 μg/mL) and thiamine (46.20 μg/mL) and pyridoxine (357.10 μg/mL) in Arctium lappa. Flavonoids (rutin and quercetin) are identified in T. officinale and A. lappa extracts based on the study results.

Functional products containing natural antioxidants contribute to the improvement of human health indicators, and thus contribute to an increase in life expectancy. Milk is a valuable solubilizer that promotes the dissolution of insoluble substances in a liquid. The paper presents the results of a study under conditions of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with amperometric detection of antioxidant properties of secondary plant metabolites for the enrichment of dairy products. The objects of the study were biologically active compounds isolated from extracts of callus cultures of plants grown in vitro on liquid nutrient media. The use of HPLC chromatography with an amperometric glass-carbon detector to analyze the antioxidant properties of biologically active substances of plant origin made it possible to identify the following substances from 8 types of individual compounds with a pronounced potential for biological activity: rutin, rosemary acid from Pulmonaria officinalis, trans-cinnamic acid from Scutellaria baicalensis, rutin from Filipéndula ulmária. These compounds are able to effectively inhibit free radical processes in dairy products. The use of high-performance liquid chromatography with amperometric detection can be used as a criterion for evaluating the antioxidant properties of biologically active substances isolated from extracts of callus cultures.

The formation of a clot under the influence of proteolytic enzymes is an essential stage in cheesemaking technology. Depending on their composition, milk-clotting enzyme preparations have a different effect on the quality characteristics of the clot, whey separation, and yield of the finished product. At present, the Russian market offers a wide range of domestic and imported milk-clotting enzyme preparations. In this connection, the choice of a milk coagulant by cheese makers should be carried out in accordance with the cheese group produced by the enterprise. The milk-clotting activity of enzyme preparations depends not only on the active acidity of the mixture, but also on the temperature of the solution used to obtain them. It is the solution temperature that has a determining effect on the duration of the coagulation process and, therefore, the quality of the formed clot. Research into the specific activity of milk-clotting enzyme preparations, obtained in a working solution with different active acidity (pH from 4.0 to 8.0), showed their milk-clotting activity to decrease significantly upon pH shifting to the alkaline region. Application of solutions with a pH of 4.0 led to an increase in the milk-clotting activity of bovine pepsin, VNIIMS SG-50 rennet-bovine preparation, and rennet enzyme by 94, 72, and 36%, respectively, relative to the control. Bovine pepsin demonstrated the highest sensitivity to fluctuations in active acidity. A study into the effect of substrate temperature in the range from 30 to 40 degrees C established rennet to be the most sensitive preparation to temperature changes. It is concluded that a properly selected enzyme composition is an effective means for affecting the quality of cheese products.

Diseases associated with metabolic disorders seem to affect more and more people worldwide. Biologically active supplements may prevent or relieve metabolic disorders. Quercetin is known for its potential to inhibit metabolic syndrome. This paper introduces an in vivo experiment on rodents. It featured hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and hepatotoxic properties of quercetin. Quercetin was obtained from the hairy root extract of Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb. Two doses (50 and 100 mg/kg) were used to evaluate its hypoglycemic potential. Rats with induced diabetes were tested for body weight, glucose, and cholesterol while mice with induced hypercholesterolemia were checked for blood cholesterol changes. Potential biochemical and pathological changes in the liver were also studied on rats. Quercetin treatment caused neither significant health problems nor death in the model animals. It had no effect on body weight, even in the animals with induced diabetes. In addition, quercetin did not increase glucose and cholesterol in the blood and triggered no pathological changes in the liver. Quercetin isolated from H. neglectum hairy root extract demonstrated no hepatotoxicity. Unfortunately, it showed no beneficial effect on cholesterol and glucose levels and had no efficacy against metabolic syndrome. Further research is needed to assess the effect of quercetin on other metabolic markers, e.g., genes associated with the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, etc.

Triticum spp. is grown widely all over the world, and numerous fungal diseases have a significant impact on the crop yield. Fusarium graminearum and Bipolaris sorokiniana are the most prevalent pathogens affecting wheat. In this study, the growth-stimulating bacteria in wheat are identified and their efficacy is examined in stimulating the growth of wheat seedlings under phytopathogenic conditions. In the course of the present investigation, four microorganisms that are resistant to the metabolites Fusarium graminearum and Bipolaris sorokiniana were isolated from wheat seeds. These strains were evaluated based on plant growth stimulation indicators, including the production of indole-3-acetic acid (0.4-3.3 mg x mL-1), gibberellic acid (116.9-431.5 mu g x mL-1), siderophores (10.2-31.5%), phosphate solubilization (1.7-3.5), zinc solubilization (1.8-3.7), potassium solubilization (1.3-3.0) nitrogen fixation (250.0-840.0 mu g x mL-1). In a laboratory experiment, two promising growth-stimulating bacteria that enhance the germination and development of wheat seeds under conditions of phytopathogenic stress were identified. When treated with the microorganisms, wheat seeds show a higher rate of germination, and a significant increase in root length was observed in the seedlings. A field test indicated that the presence of strains of Pantoea ananatis and Bacillus subtilis exerts a favorable effect on the wheat yield.

Suspended solids are the predominant pollutants in the wastewater of coal enterprises. The basic wastewater treatment system regulated in BAT No. 15 ITC-37–2017 does not ensure water quality meets the discharge standards for fishery water bodies. The gravitational sedimentation method used in this technology is effective for coarse particles. However, colloidal systems formed from fine insoluble fractions are challenging to separate in a gravitational field. As an effective method for removing suspended solids from wastewater, we recommend filtering through a stationary layer of granular filtering materials. The study investigates the kinetics and dynamics of filtering suspended particles from the wastewater of coal enterprises using various filtering materials. Sedimentation curves of suspended solids from quarry wastewater have been constructed. The dependence of wastewater treatment efficiency on the size of filtering material fractions has been identified. The study provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of using natural filtering materials for treating wastewater from coal enterprises. The experiments demonstrated that the most efficient and cost-effective granular filtering material is quartzite from the Bobrovskoye deposit, which we recommend using in a combination of fractions 20–50 and 0.7–12 mm (in a ratio of 1 : 2). The optimal flow rate of wash water during the regeneration of the granular filter is also determined.

The antimicrobial properties of baicalin against H. pylori and several probiotic cultures were evaluated. Baicalin was isolated from a dry plant extract obtained by extraction with water at 70 °C. For isolation, extraction was carried out with n-butanol and purification on a chromatographic column. The antimicrobial potential was assessed by evaluating changes in the optical density of the bacterial suspension during cultivation; additionally, the disk diffusion method was used. During the study, the baicalin concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/mL) and the pH of the medium in the range of 1.5–8.0 were tested. The test objects were: suspensions of H. pylori, Lactobacillus casei, L. brevis, Bifidobacterium longum, and B. teenis. It was found that the greater the concentration of the substance in the solution, the greater the delay in the growth of the strain zone. Thus, the highest antimicrobial activity against H. pylori was observed at pH 1.5–2.0 and a baicalin concentration of 1.00 mg/mL. In relation to probiotic strains, a stimulating effect of baicalin (1.00 mg/mL) on the growth of L. casei biomass at pH 1.5–2.0 was observed. The results open up the prospects for the use of baicalin and probiotics for the treatment of diseases caused by H. pylori.

Proper (rational, balanced) nutrition is a relatively simple, affordable preventive measure. Thanks to the modern development of science and technology, the concept of “proper nutrition” includes a personalized approach, i. e. can be formed taking into account the individual characteristics of the consumer. This work is aimed at developing the composition of individually selected functional food supplements based on probiotics.