Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain to be the leading cause of death in the whole world. The structure of nutrition of the population and diet therapy are extremely important factors for prevention and treatment of CVDs. Results of the scientific research obtained over the last decade give new data on the role of certain micronutrients in the physiological processes and pathogenesis of these groups of diseases. The aim of this research was to study the current role of certain trace elements (magnesium, zinc and copper) in the pathogenesis of diseases, including assessment of the level of their intake in different countries. Furthermore, the review considers the necessity of creating new functional products to use in diet therapy for patients with cardiovascular diseases. It includes publications in Russian and English for the period of 2011 to 2022 from open databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, CyberLeninka, eLIBRARY as well as from open Internet sources. The research work carried out during preparation of this review was directed to studying the sphere of CVD prevention, role and relevance of the development of functional foods enriched with micronutrients. The data on the dysfunctions of the human body caused by the deficiency of zinc, copper and magnesium intake are presented. The current physiological daily norms for intake of these trace elements in different countries are given, and the dynamics of changes in the norms of intake over the last twenty years is shown. The review summarizes new data on the correlation between the risk of emergence of certain CVD types and the specific features of assimilation of the above-mentioned trace elements. The regulatory conditions acting on the RF territory for introducing trace elements into food products are analyzed. Based on the obtained results, conclusions were made regarding the relevance of the further development of functional foods that do not require changes in the traditional food behavior model.

Due to the high prevalence of allergic diseases among the children, especially when transiting a child to bottle feeding at an early age, the development of dairy and other food products with reduced allergenicity is of high relevance and true importance nowadays. Meanwhile Russia still lacks sufficient production of raw materials and ingredients to create home-produced specialized food, including designated babies’ and children’s food. The use of whey milk proteins for the production of baby food has its advantage, as whey proteins feature pretty high digestibility and bioavailability: after eating the food based on whey proteins, the concentration of amino acids and peptides in the blood increases dramatically already within the first hour. However, it should be kept in mind that allergy to cow’s milk proteins is the most common symptom of food allergy, which is particularly often diagnosed in early postnatal age. Technological approaches to reduction of the potential allergenicity of the protein component shall take a leading place in the system of food control and food safety of children’s dairy products. The most efficient and widely used technological approach to reduce the potential allergenicity of food protein is the elimination of its antigenic structures, which approach makes it possible to include this protein into the composition of specialized food, which is intended for the people who suffer from food allergies or for the people exposed to the allergy risk. The allergenicity is reduced by means of enzymatic hydrolysis in combination with membrane processing of the obtained hydrolyzate. To obtain a peptide module with pre-determined physical and chemical parameters, an appropriate selection of initial protein, application of various enzymes, and ranging of technological parameters like pH, temperature, exposure time, enzyme-substrate ratio and other parameters is required.

Special features of the protopectin complex structure of plant tissue suggest the necessity of performing point destruction of certain glycoside bonds in the structure of rhamnogalacturonan polymer chains for industrial production of pectin. These chains include homogalacturonan sites and branching zones. As the homogalacturonan fragments of the protopectin complex carry the main functional load, glycoside bonds between residues of rhamnose and galacturonic acid are targeted bonds. For their directional destruction, it is most expedient to use enzymes of lyase and hydrolase action. The aim of this review is to systemize notions of molecular specific features of enzymes of lyase and hydrolase action that catalyze the process of enzymatic destruction of the rhamnogalacturonan main chain. The paper examines systematics of lyase and hydrolase enzymes by mechanism of destruction of glycoside bonds and by molecular structure. It is shown that the classification data intercross, as a result, each family can include one or several enzyme groups. The review shows the main structural difference of enzymes of lyase and hydrolase action that consists in the obligatory presence of Ca2+ cations in the composition of lyase enzymes. These cations take part in stabilization of conformation of the enzyme molecule and in the catalytic process per se blocking the residue of galacturonic acid. Ca2+ cations are absent in the composition of targeted hydrolase enzymes. Molecular specific features of lyase enzymes determine sensitivity of their catalytic activity to the presence of Ca2+ cations in the system. Exceeding certain concentration can lead to the antagonistic effect. There is no unambiguous idea of this regarding hydrolase enzymes. The review demonstrates the necessity of studying approaches to assessment of expediency of preliminary partial removal of cations from the substrate.

The article presents the results of a study of the quality indicators of semi-hard cheeses produced from defrosted goat’s milk. Natural and defrosted goat’s milk, semi-hard cheeses with a low temperature of the second heating were used as objects of research. Studies of defrosted goat’s milk were carried out after 6±1 days of its storage at a temperature of minus 18°C and subsequent defrosting at a temperature of 37±2°C for 60 minutes; natural goat’s milk — after storage for 24±12 hours at a temperature of 4±2°C. It was found that milk freezing and its subsequent defrosting did not affect the chemical composition of milk and the total content of microorganisms, but the number of somatic cells decreased. Cheeses were produced according to the traditional technological scheme of semi-hard cheese using a bulk mesophilic-thermophilic bacterial starter culture. There was no significant effect of the freezing process of goat’s milk on its technological properties: the duration of curd formation in both variants was (30±1) min, the duration of processing of cheese grain was (90±2) min. The level of syneresis was (55±2)% in the control, (55±6)% — in the test versions and was in the range of error of the method. The degree of transition of dry matter to whey was: in the control — (7.26±0.21)%, in the test — (7.21±0.32)%. It was found that there were no differences in the degree of proteolysis in cheeses during ripening. The values of the acidity the content of available fat in the cheeses of both variants was comparable. The organoleptic characteristics of cheeses at the standard age of 60 days had similar characteristics, both in terms of the degree of intensity of the cheese taste, and in the taste notes of “zest” and “spice”, typical of goat’s milk cheeses. The cheese texture of both variants was characterized as “homogeneous, moderately dense”. It has been established that the process of freezing goat’s milk does not reduce its cheese properties and the qualitative characteristics of the semi-hard cheese produced from it.

Aspartame and acesulfame potassium are among the best known food sweeteners. Despite numerous studies showing the safety of these supplements, in recent years the attention of researchers has been focused on the negative side effects of their exposure, which can lead to the development of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this investigation was to study the nature of the impact (reversible or irreversible) of aspartame and acesulfame potassium on weight gain, as well as cytological, cytogenetic and metabolic parameters of onion roots. Roots were pre-treated with 0.5 and 1 g/l aqueous solutions of sweeteners, and then they were transferred to water for the purpose of further regenerative germination. The consequences of the toxic effect of aspartame on the weight gain of onion roots were minimal compared to the control. This indicator significantly and dose-dependently decreased to 38% in the samples with acesulfame potassium, which shows the presence of a delayed effect after exposure to this sweetener. In the experimental groups with the maximum content of sweeteners, a lower mitotic index (p≤0.05) in the meristem cells was also maintained compared to the control. The results obtained indicated an irreversible mitotoxic effect of these compounds. However, an increase in the frequency of mitosis pathologies found in the experimental samples due to pre-treatment with sweeteners was completely leveled after regenerative germination. Therefore, these genotoxic disorders were reversible. To assess the processes of lipid oxidation of root tissues, the concentration of malondialdehyde was measured. The effect of reducing the level of this indicator in all experimental samples compared with the control turned out to be irreversible, although not dose-dependent. The results obtained can be used in the development of formulations for adding food sweeteners to food products to reduce the risk of delayed toxic effects.

Recently, a question of producing a complex of biologically active substances from microalgae has aroused widespread interest. It is known that microalgae are able to produce a significant amount of exopolysaccharides. The aim of this work was to study morphological features and growth parameters of psychrophilic microalgae and cyanobacteria for the subsequent production of exopolysaccharides. The morphology of microalgae was observed using a binocular microscope. Growth parameters were studied by spectrophotometry; parameters of the culture medium were determined using a pH-meter. Exponential dependency graphs that show the dynamics and expected growth rate of microalgae were built. A rate of growth and polysaccharide biosynthesis in microalgae was determined upon changing the light intensity from 50 to130 mmol/m2/s. The highest level of cell counts in the logarithmic growth phase was up to 0.8 for Scenedesmus obtusiusculus Chod IPPAS S-329. A level of cells also varied in the deceleration phase from 0.25 for Ankistrodesmus acicularis Korsch IPPAS А-218 to 1.8 for Scenedesmus obtusiusculus Chod IPPAS S-329. Microalgae showed a high level of biomass accumulation under alkalophylic conditions. Eukaryotic algae actively photosynthesized at a pH of more than 8.0 and a temperature of 30 °C.The maximum activity at the level of pH 3.0/3.2 in the lag phase was 100% in C-1509 Nannochloris sp. Naumann. Microalga C-1509 Nannochloris sp. Naumann showed a high level of biomass accumulation under alkalophylic conditions; it photosynthesized at a pH of more than 8.0 and a temperature of 30 °C. It has been proved that neutrophiles can grow at pH lower than 3.0; this corresponds to the results of the experiments with the collection strains of microalgae with biomass productivity of 27.3%. At the alkaline pH values of 8.3-9.0, biomass productivity reduced from 46.0 to 37.2%. It is especially interesting that at the alkaline pH values of 7.5 and 8.0 biomass productivity of microalgae increased, which indicates the optimal growth conditions at this narrow pH range. An ability of microalgae to produce exopolysaccharides opens prospects of their use for practical purposes.

The paper examines the problem of falsification of edible fish products, which concerns producers and consumers worldwide. Food products are most often falsified by imparting them some of the most typical features, for example appearance, upon the overall worsening or losing the other most significant properties of nutritional value, including safety. Market analysis shows that there is a tendency of replacing natural roe with imitated roe by its selling in metal and glass jars with indication of the address of the Far Eastern producer. It has been established that the protein content is not higher than one percent upon imitated roe production using modern technologies. To establish product authenticity, a methodology for measuring the protein mass fraction in grained salmonid roe by the Kjeldahl method was developed. The metrological characteristic of the developed methodology in three concentration ranges is presented. The used values can serve for identification of claimed properties with the specified indicators of accuracy, trueness, repeatability and reproducibility. In addition to the methodology, product organoleptic indicators are proposed, including assessment of appearance, consistency, taste, odor, as well as specific features of the cooking test that can serve as distinctive features and are taken into consideration in identification of grained salmonid roe.

The COVID-19 crisis is impacting the reconfiguration of food systems at different scales. In poor countries where food insecurity had already been a major problem, the urban population under the lockdown often had to cope alone with shortages of food and access to it. In the poorest country in the Americas, the urban population adapted the food system by intensifying the practice of urban agricultural activities. In this exploratory research, using a sample including urban dwellers that were engaged in urban agriculture and those who were not, we investigated the following question: Did urban agriculture linked to COVID-19 represent an appropriate and innovative strategy for the urban food system resilience? Our results confirm that the Haitian urban population used urban agriculture as an innovative and appropriate food resilience strategy. They produced varieties chosen for their very rapid production character and were able to cope successfully with the crisis, and also have lessons to share with other actors and countries.

The concept of adequate nutrition envisages the compliance of a diet or a multicomponent product with multiple specific criteria, including the balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (P: F: C), biological value of protein, the presence of necessary vitamins and minerals in the composition and so on. Adherence to the theory of adequate nutrition is a multicriterion task, which solution in the full measure is not considered possible. The paper examines specific indicators and makes an attempt to construct multicomponent groats that meet two main criteria — protein completeness and balance (P: C). The value of the criteria is based on the recommendations of the Federal Hygienic and Epidemiological Center of the RF. Complete protein corresponds to the minimal essential amino acid (EAA) score not lower than one. The B: C ratio, in general, depends on a human gender, age and physical load. The B: C was taken as averaged for men of different ages and different physical loads. In this study, traditional groats (fine-ground barley, rice, maize, millet), groats from grains of leguminous crops (chickpea, lentil, kidney bean, pea) and oil seeds (flax, hemp) were examined as ingredients. Using the computational method and data on the nutritional value of food products from several databases, the authors developed recipes of two- and threecomponent groats that meet the indicated criteria. The proportion of leguminous and oil crops in the obtained mixtures is 17–45%, which can affect taste of porridge. During the study, tasting of fine-ground barley porridge with addition of chickpea and lentil upon legume addition at a level of 10–35% was carried out. The porridge taste remained to be pleasant even at the maximum level of legume addition. Off-flavor typical of legumes was absent.

The study describes the peculiarities of the development of uric acid produced by lesser grain borers Rhizopertha dominica during their vital activities in the grain mass. Pollution of grain by insects makes it poisonous. The conventional determination of grain pollution by the number of insects in the intergrain space in several cases (for example, after grain separation) gives a false picture of its actual hazard for human nutrition, which is a possibility for introduction of falsified grain products to the market. This leads to provision of the population with low-quality primary products, which, subsequently, reduces the quality of foods produced from such grain. During their vital activities, insects pollute grain with uric acid, which analysis is proposed as an alternative to the conventional method. The present study is devoted to the determination of the quantitative dependence of uric acid formation in wheat grain on the number of Rhizopertha dominica. It is shown that uric acid formation in grain by this pest is conditioned by the character of its nutrition with the development of a large amount of excrements in a form of fine gray dust with the characteristic odor commonly referred to as “floury dust”. It was established experimentally that the main part of uric acid excreted by the pest is concentrated in “floury dust”. Grain without “floury dust” contains the insignificant amount of uric acid; however, it is closely linked with the density of its pollution with imago Rh. dominica. As grain before milling in milling plants is subjected to thorough cleaning, during which “floury dust” is removed along with other contaminants, it is recommended to sift “floury dust” from grain before determination of uric acid in it.