The research featured fortified fermented drinks from pasteurized buttermilk with such natural additives as Jerusalem artichoke syrup and beetroot dietary fiber. The optimal symbiotic culture included Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus: it provided rapid fermentation and a creamy, homogeneous structure with delta pH time = 3.5 h. Jerusalem artichoke syrup was added in amounts of 3, 6, and 9%. Its optimal share proved to be 6% by the weight of the finished product. Beet dietary fiber was added in amounts of 2, 4, and 6%, where the optimal amount was 4%. A higher percentage affected the consistency of the finished product but not its clotting or taste. The experimental drinks were produced by the tank method and fermented at 42 ± 2°C until dense clotting and titratable acidity = 72 ± 2°T. The finished product was stored at 4 ± 2°C. The shelf-life was 12 days for the sample with Jerusalem artichoke syrup and 14 days for the drink fortified with beetroot fiber. The physical and chemical indicators showed that the energy value of the fortified fermented buttermilk drinks was on average 45.3% lower compared to conventional fermented dairy drinks. As a result of research, it has been established that the use of plant components, namely Jerusalem artichoke syrup and beet dietary fiber in the production technology of fermented milk drink from buttermilk makes it possible to obtain a finished product with improved consumer properties.

The wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) is the largest pigeon in Russia: an adult bird weighs max. 620 g. Its population in Central Ciscaucasia is quite numerous, which makes it a popular object of sports hunting. However, very little is known about its diet and feeding habits. This article describes the seasonal features of C. palumbus diet during the hunting season in the Stavropol Region, Russia. The study relied on the analysis of foods extracted from 66 crops and stomachs of wood pigeons killed by hunters or hit by road vehicles in various biotopes in 25 districts of the Stavropol Region. In the steppe areas, wood pigeons usually inhabit summer gardens, orchards, vineyards, and green belts along fields, roads, and railways. Wood pigeons are phytophages, which means they feed on plants. Their autumn diet includes sunflower seeds (17.98% occurrence rate, 19.68% total diet), corn grains (15.11 and 9.56%, respectively), wheat (14.39 and 9.98%), flax (6.47 and 10.4%), and millet (2.88 and 4.82%), as well as seeds of wild plants, e.g., wild vetch (7.19 and 3.14%), catchweed (5.75 and 6.25%), trailing bindweed (2.88 and 4.27%), etc. The wood pigeon inhabits all districts of the Stavropol Region, which makes it a promising game bird species. In addition to cultivated plants, e.g., wheat, sunflower, peas, and corn, wood pigeons feed on a wide range of weeds. The research results contribute to scientific data on C. palumbus as a game bird and cast light upon some of its feeding patterns.

Intensifying agricultural production involves an active use of agrochemicals, which results in disrupted ecological balance and poor product quality. To address this issue, we need to introduce biologized science-intensive technologies. Bacteria belonging to the genera Azotobacter and Pseudomonas have complex growth-stimulating properties and therefore can be used as a bioproduct to increase plant productivity. We aimed to create a growth-stimulating consortium based on the strains of the genera Azotobacter and Pseudomonas, as well as to select optimal cultivation parameters that provide the best synergistic effect. We studied strains Azotobacter chroococcum B-4148, Azotobacter vinelandii B-932, and Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca B-548, which were obtained from the National Bioresource Center “All-Russian Collection of Industrial Microorganisms” of Kurchatov Institute. All the test strains solubilized phosphates and produced ACC deaminase. They synthesized 0.98–1.33 mg/mL of gibberellic acid and produced 37.95–49.55% of siderophores. Their nitrogen-fixing capacity ranged from 49.23 to 151.22 μg/mL. The strain had high antagonistic activity against phytopathogens. In particular, A. chroococcum B-4148 and A. vinelandii B-932 inhibited the growth of Fusarium graminearum, Bipolaris sorokiniana, and Erwinia rhapontici, while P. chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca B-548 exhibited antagonism against F. graminearum and B. sorokiniana. Since all the test strains were biologically compatible, they were used to create several consortia. The greatest synergistic effect was achieved by Consortium No. 6 that contained the strains B-4148, B-932, and B-548 in a ratio of 1:3:1. The optimal nutrient medium for this consortium contained 25.0 g/L of Luria-Bertani medium, 8.0 g/L molasses, 0.1 g/L magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, and 0.01 g/L of aqueous manganese sulfate. The optimal cultivation temperature was 28°C. The microbial consortium created in our study has high potential for application in agricultural practice. Further research will focus on its effect on the growth and development of plants, in particular cereal crops, under in vitro conditions and in field experiments.

Barnûf (Pluchea dioscoridis L.) is a wild plant that grows in Egypt. Barnûf leaves are utilized as a folk medicine, as well as part of food and drink formulations. Their numerous biological benefits include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We examined the antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antithyroid, and anticancer activities of methanol, ethanol, and acetone extracts of barnûf leaves. The methanol extract exhibited the highest total phenolic (241.50 ± 3.71 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (256.18 ± 3.19 mg QE/g extract) contents. All three extracts proved to possess good antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, antithyroid, and anticancer activities. Ellagic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid in the methanolic (30.33%) and ethanolic (24.71%) extracts. The antioxidant experiments revealed that the methanolic extract had potent DPPH• (IC50 = 18.21 μg/mL) and ABTS•+ (IC50 = 17.6 μg/mL) scavenging properties. The acetone extract demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity against gramnegative bacteria. Regarding α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, the methanolic extract showed the most potent activity with IC50 values of 104.28 ± 1.97 and 133.76 ± 2.09 μg/mL, respectively. The methanolic extract also proved to be the strongest inhibitor of lipase and thyroid peroxidase, with IC50 values of 127.35 and 211.2 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the methanolic extract showed the strongest anticancer activity against MCF7-1 and H1299-1 lines with IC50 values of 29.3 and 18.4 μg/mL, respectively. The findings suggest that barnûf leaf extracts could be used in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.

This study explores the potential of utilizing quinoa protein as an egg substitute in bakery products for customers with health, culture/religion, or dietary restrictions. Quinoa protein was prepared from quinoa seed by alkaline solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation and drying. Four different formulations of egg-free cakes were prepared by incorporating quinoa protein in egg equivalents of 50 g (Formulation 1), 75 g (Formulation 2), 100 g (Formulation 3), and 150 g (Formulation 4). The research involved Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and revealed such functional properties as proximate composition, physical properties, color, texture, microstructure, and sensory characteristics for the batters and the cakes. The incorporation of different quinoa protein concentrations significantly (p < 0.05) affected all the functional properties of the batters and the cakes. Such variables as crude protein and ash increased while moisture and fat contents decreased. The baking loss went down as the share of quinoa protein went up. The structural analysis showed an increase in gumminess and chewiness accompanied by a decrease in cohesiveness and elasticity. The analysis also revealed hardness and non-uniform changes. The lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) of the cake surface and crumb decreased while the redness (a*) increased. The cakes prepared according to Formulation 4 with the greatest share of quinoa protein had a high nutritional value with reasonable concentrations of essential amino acids in general and a high level of lysine in particular. The same sample also received the highest score for overall sensory properties. The sensory assessment proved that quinoa protein could meet consumer expectations of egg-free cakes.

Flavonoids are plant polyphenols that exhibit biological activity with antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic effects. The medicinal plants of Kuzbass have high contents of flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds. Therefore, they can be used in medicinal preparations to prevent or treat serious diseases. We studied the following plants collected in Kuzbass: common thyme (Thymus vulgaris Linn., leaves and stems), woolly burdock (Arctium tomentosum Mill., roots), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., leaves and stems), common lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis L., leaves and stems), common yarrow (Achillea millefolium L., leaves and stems), red clover (Trifolium pratense L., leaves and stems), common ginseng (Panax ginseng, roots), sweetvetch (Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb., roots), and cow parsnip (Heracleum sibiricum L., inflorescences, leaves, and stems). To extract flavonoids, we used ethanol at concentrations of 40, 55, 60, 70, and 75%. Spectrophotometry was used to determine total flavonoids, while high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to study the qualitative and quantitative composition of the extracts. The highest yield of flavonoids was found in H. sibiricum leaves (at all concentrations except 70%), followed by the 55% and 70% ethanol extracts of T. vulgaris leaves and stems, as well as the 75% ethanol extract of A. millefolium leaves and stems. Thus, these plants have the greatest potential in being used in medicines. High-performance liquid chromatography showed the highest contents of polyphenolic compounds in the samples of P. officinalis, A. millefolium, T. vulgaris, and T. pratense. Our results can be used in further research to produce new medicinal preparations based on the medicinal plants of Kuzbass.

Lycopene and other carotenoids have a significant added value in the food and cosmetic industries due to their nutraceutical properties and antioxidant activity. The extraction and stabilization of these compounds remain challenging due to their sensitivity to light, temperature fluctuations, and oxidation. This article introduces a sustainable method of extracting lycopene from tomato waste (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using layered double hydroxide nanoparticles to stabilize lycopene. We used tomato juice and lycopene as a positive control, while ZnAl was a negative control. The experimental samples included 75 and 100 mg of zinc salt per 1 mL of tomato juice, which were labeled as ZnAl75J and ZnAl100J. Zinc and aluminum salts developed insoluble hydroxides, which precipitated lycopene from tomato juice, thus forming composites. The composites proved to be efficient means of encapsulating lycopene as they recovered 97% lycopene present in tomato juice. The physicochemical properties of the organic material enhanced resistance to thermal degradation and acted as an extended-release antioxidant. ZnAl100J, which contained a lot of lycopene, inhibited 89% of DPPH• in 24 h and showed a value higher than IC50 for ABTS•+, which was 0.02 μg/mL of TEAC ABTS•+. ZnAl75J composites showed a higher protection against oxidation and a higher sun protection factor value (3.08) at 15% concentration. The composites could be used as an active ingredient in a wide range of formulations that require antioxidant and photosensitizing properties, or simply as encapsulators and carriers of lycopene.

Wines are complex alcoholic beverages. Apart from alcohol, they also contain other compounds, including those that have a beneficial effect on human health. This paper features the basic physicochemical properties of four red grape varieties (Blatina, Vranac, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) from the Mostar area, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of wines made of these grape varieties. The wines were produced in a standard way; the results were observed during two consecutive seasons of 2020 and 2021. The physicochemical properties were analyzed by standard methods recommended by the International Organization of Vine and Wine. The study involved tests for total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, as well as for antioxidant activity. The methodology included FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays. The antimicrobial activity was tested by agar dilution method, which made it possible to determine the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal values. The list of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria consisted of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. Pathogenic yeasts were represented by Candida albicans. Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces boulardii were selected as probiotic cultures. The physicochemical characteristics of grapes, i.e. must, depended on the harvest year, variety, and their interaction. The best antioxidant effect and the highest total phenolic content belonged to the Vranac wine, vintage 2020. B. cereus appeared to be the most sensitive bacteria. The Blatina wines of both harvest years demonstrated the lowest antimicrobial and the antioxidant activities. Probiotic cultures proved to be resistant to the effects of wine. The Pearson’s test revealed a reliable correlation between the antioxidant properties and the antimicrobial effect on B. cereus and, in one case, on S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. All grapevine varieties in this research proved to be suitable for the production of quality wines in the Mostar area.

Accurate citrus fruit yield and estimation is of utmost importance for precise agricultural management. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote-sensing systems present a compelling solution to this problem. These systems capture remote-sensing imagery with both high temporal and spatial resolution, thus empowering farmers with valuable insights for better decisionmaking. This research assessed the potential application of UAV imagery combined with the YOLOv7 object detection model for the precise estimation of citrus yield. Images of citrus trees were captured in their natural field setting using a quadcopter-mounted UAV camera. Data augmentation techniques were applied to enhance the dataset diversity; the original YOLOv7 architecture and training parameters were modified to improve the model’s accuracy in detecting citrus fruits. The test results demonstrated commendable performance, with a precision of 96%, a recall of 100%, and an F1-score of 97.95%. The correlation between the fruit numbers recognized by the algorithm and the actual fruit numbers from 20 sample trees provided the coefficient R2 of 0.98. The strong positive correlation confirmed both the accuracy of the algorithm and the validity of the approach in identifying and quantifying citrus fruits on sample trees.

Orange seeds, often overlooked as waste, have hidden potential since fiber derived from them contains numerous biochemical substances that can enhance the nutritional value of food. We aimed to investigate the impact of pomelo seed fiber on the biscuit dough’s properties (starch and gluten), physicochemical characteristics, and biochemistry, as well as the product’s shelf life. We studied three types of samples: control (no dietary fiber), biscuits with dietary fiber from pomelo (Citrus maxima (Brum.) Merr.) seeds, and biscuits with wheat germ fiber. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to analyze rubbery starch and gluten in the dough, while response surface methods were used to optimize the biscuits’ strength via a central composite design. The product’s shelf life was determined based on microbial contamination levels. ANOVA test and Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference post hoc test were performed to assess the differences in physicochemical and biochemical properties. Citrus seed fiber influenced rubbery starch and gluten properties, causing significant differences (p < 0.05) in fracturability, total dietary fiber, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity among the three samples. The biscuits enriched with citrus seed fiber contained flavonoid compounds and acylserotonin, with acyl-Nω-methylserotonin dominating in the C22 and C24 homologs. Despite varied evaluations in texture and aroma, the biscuits with citrus seed fiber were well-received for their taste and boasted an extended shelf life (> 12 months). Dietary fiber obtained from C. maxima seeds not only enhanced the nutritional value of the biscuits but also paved the way for innovative healthy food opportunities.