Vol. 57 No. 3 (262) (2023)

In this work, several varieties of instant and ground, roasted black packaged coffee were studied. Various extraction methods were used to obtain extracts. The caffeine content was investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and HPLC chromatography. The antioxidant properties of the extracts were studied by the method of competitive reactions.

In the field of food safety, sensors are widely used for the detection and determination of a wide variety of volatile compounds. This work presents the synthesis of a number of polyaniline analog polymers and the study of their properties as such sensors. In the course of the work, the design and preparation of carriers for polymers with sensor properties was carried out and, based on it, a new method for measuring and recording changes in the electrical conductivity of insoluble polymers in the presence of volatile substances was developed. The applicability of the developed method was verified.

A detailed conformational analysis of ethyl methyl sulfone has been carried out using quantum chemical approaches, by revealing all stable conformers, their energy, structural parameters, relative population, and IR spectra at different levels of theory. Thermochemical parameters, such as energy, entropy and heat capacity of ethyl methyl sulfone stable conformers in the gas phase were calculated directly using the wB97XD/6-311++G(2df, 2pd) density functional theory method. Some correlation has been established between the structural characteristics of various conformers and their thermodynamic properties.

The purpose of this research is the extraction of phenolic compounds from nettle leaves, grown in urban conditions, with different concentrations of ethanol and the study of the antioxidant properties of these extracts. Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a great source of bioactive compounds. The content of biologically active compounds in nettle leaves depends on the growing conditions of the plant. Analysis of the electronic spectra of the extract shows that all extracts contain aurones and coumarins, hydroxybenzoic acid and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity (AO) of polyphenols in alcoholic extracts of nettle was studied using the stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). It was found that the total amount of biologically active substances is greatest in a 70% ethanol solution of nettle leaves, but the antioxidant activity is higher in a 95% solution. The total amount of flavonoids in the leaves of urban nettles is higher than in the leaves of the nettle grown in the meadow. Perhaps this is connected with the process of the plant’s protective mechanisms caused by air pollution in the city.

Interaction of ethidium bromide (EtBr), acridine orange (AO) and non-intercalator methylene blue (MB) with DNA as well as interaction of EtBr and MB with single-stranded synthetic polynucleotides poly(rA) and poly(rU) have been studied. It was revealed that in absorption spectra of EtBr and MB with DNA or single-stranded polynucleotides a real- or pseudo-isosbestic point appears. Particularly, in absorption spectra of the complexes of classical intercalator EtBr with DNA the real isosbestic point is formed, but in the case of non-classical intercalator MB a pseudo-isosbestic point is formed, while in the absorption spectra of their complexes with single-stranded polynucleotides a pseudo-isosbestic point is formed. It was found out that for another classical intercalator AO there is no a real or pseudo-isosbestic point.

Many species of the genus Pleurotus (Fr.) P. Kumm. (Oyster mushrooms) are known as valuable edible and medicinal fungi, cultivated worldwide. The studied 18 different collections of five Pleurotus species (P. ostreatus, P. cornucopiae, P. eryngii, P. pulmonarius, and P. cystidiosus) during submerged growth in malt extract medium formed round shaped fluffy pellets and disperse mycelium. After seven days of cultivation, they accumulated up to 29.46 g/L biomass, while after 14 days the amount increased up to 40.4 g/L, reaching the value of commercial P. ostreatus 22 strain. More than 30.0 g/L biomass was formed in nine from 12 P. ostreatus collections, among which Armenian (SB24 and SB25), French (Po/28) and Spanish (N001) strains, as ecologically safe resources are perspective for further study to develop mushroom-based biotech products, food, pharmaceuticals and cosmeceticals.

Currently it is relevant to reveal possible new sources of natural antibacterial components, the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance formation in bacteria, and the possible ways to overcome the problem of microbial resistance to antibiotics. So, our research aimed to study the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil (EO) isolated from the herb Mentha arvensis harvested at high altitude Armenian landscape. Menthol constitutes a significant part of the EO components of the M. arvensis plant, reaching approximately 70%. The investigated EO showed high antimicrobial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. In particular, the EO equally suppressed the growth of both wild-type and kanamycin-resistant strains of Escherichia coli and manifested the minimal inhibitory concentration against all tested microorganisms of 0.18 mg/mL. So, M. arvensis EO is relevant for application in the food and cosmetic industry as a natural aromatizer and preservative.

Plants of the genus Alchemilla are well known for their pharmacological effects. Alchemilla smirnovii Juz., also known as lady's mantle possessed high growth-inhibiting properties against cancer cells according to earlier reports. We aimed to explore the anticancer modulatory effect of A. smirnovii extract toward 5-fluorouracil and elucidate the possible mechanism of its cytotoxic action in the HeLa cancer cell model. Synergistic interactions of plant extract with the chemotherapeutic agent were assessed by MTT assay. Based on obtained data the ethanol extract of A. smirnovii exhibits synergistic effects, enhancing the growth-inhibiting properties of 5-fluorouracil when used together. Additionally, the extract leads to a reduction in arginase activity and an elevation in the level of MDA․ This implies that A. smirnovii induces oxidative stress, and can potentially cause apoptosis in cancer cells.

The increase in the incidence of cancer in Armenia and around the world is a serious problem, and the chemical interventions used in cancer therapy, which partially have a therapeutic effect, are often accompanied by the destruction of normal body cells. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new alternative treatments that will be highly effective and accompanied by a small number of side effects. From this point of view, several medicinal plants used in traditional medicine can be considered new, effective means of treating cancer, since they have an immunostimulating effect on individual parts of the human immune system. Considering all this, the work aimed to study the quantitative changes in the production of interleukin-2 in the blood and tumor of rats under the influence of plant extracts in an experimental model of DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene)-induced breast cancer, as well as cell cultures of breast cancer and lungs. We showed that Hypericum alpestre and Rumex obtusifolius extracts have a pronounced anticancer effect by increasing interleukin-2 (IL-2) levels in the blood and tumors of rats. They also brought quantitative changes in phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), which plays a key role in cancer development. This could be the basis for developing new anticancer or cancer-preventing drugs derived from more potent H. alpestre and R. obtusifolius herbs.

Many species of Ocimum genus have a long history in folk medicine and food industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of leaves of Ocimum basilicum var. purpureum cultivated in Armenian (Ararat province, village Dvin, 1000–1200 m a.s.l.). Antimicrobial activity of O. basilicum leaves' extract was determined by agar disk-diffusion method. Different Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis WT-A, Staphylococcus aureus MDC 5233, Enterococcus hirae ATCC 9790) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella typhimurium MDC1754, ampicillin resistant E. coli dhpα-pUC18 and kanamycin resistant E. coli pARG25) bacteria and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 9804 and S. cerevisiae ATCC 13007) were used as test-microorganisms. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was applied to measure the radical scavenging capacity of O. basilicum ethanol extract. The total flavonoid content in O. basilicum extract was determined employing AlCl₃ colorimetric assay, and the value was 46.9±0.884 μg QE mg^–1. Total phenolic content of studied extract was investigated by Folin–Ciocalteu assay. The content for O. basilicum extract was 317.75±4.105 μg of GAE mg^–1. Antiradical activity of O. basilicum extract expressed as IC₅₀ value of 19.37±0.38 µg·mL^–1. Thus, O. bacilicum can be considered as potential source of biologically active substances.

Тhe enzymes adenosine deaminase (ADA), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) and glutaminase (GL) are involved in the development of both the type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). They can be considered as targets in the prevention and/or treatment of these diseases. The autoimmune response of the body is caused by the post-translational protein modifications, one of which is protein citrullination, when arginine residue transforms to citrulline. This work compares the ADA, DPP4, GL enzymes and protein citrullination in blood plasma from T1DM, T2DM patients and relatively healthy individuals. The enzymes were isolated and purified from the blood samples. We found that DPP4 activity was significantly higher in the plasma of patients compared to controls, particularly in T1DM. Currently the medicines based on DPP4 inhibitors are used in the treatment of T2DM. Our results indicate that this treatment strategy can be recommended in the T1DM treatment as well.

The advantage of the reserpine model in the development of parkinsonian syndrome in experimental animals was shown: symptoms appeared as early as 2 h after reserpine administration and persisted for up to 3 days. Injection of reserpine at a dose of 3 mg/kg, quite clearly influenced behaviour. Significant changes in biochemical indicators, markers of oxidative stress, accompanying disorders of motor functions of experimental animals were revealed. The possibility of correcting the pathology with the help of some agents of antioxidant nature has been shown. Despite the lack of clarity regarding the efficacy of succinate, tocopherol, the study showed that the use of goji berries significantly reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease.

In this research, we investigated the impact of micromycetes on polyethylene bags used for household waste disposal and packaging, plastic bottles, as well as bags designed for everyday use and food storage. As a result of mycological studies of soil samples 17 species of microscopic fungi belonging to 7 genera were isolated and identified: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus. It should be noted that the major part of species (13) belongs to the Ascomycota. Mucoromycota division is represented by 4 species. The taxonomic analysis of the mycobiota of the studied soil samples revealed that the most common genera in the samples were Penicillium and Aspergillus. This research provided the biodestruction potential of the studied polymer materials and has been observed that the duration of biodegradation can be influenced by changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and certain growth factors. Not all species of fungi growing on polymer materials are true destructors capable of using the material itself or its components as an energy source. The degradation of materials is not only attributed to a single specific species but rather to a complex interplay of various species of micromycetes.

Antibiotic resistance has become a significant public health problem. So it is essential to design and synthesize new agents for the treatment of multi-resistance pathogens. Quinolines and their derivatives are used as antibacterial properties against gram-negative bacteria. In this work, we report the new antibacterial properties of two series of quinoline derivatives against pathogenic E. coli.

The quality of life research methodology has developed a new modern direction of the interdisciplinary researches in which the concept of quality of life research is reasonably based on the WHO definition of health and is offering comprehensive approaches to the assessment of school age children health status.

The study of the dynamics of interhemispheric relations during adaptation to changing environmental conditions, as well as during brain lesions or functional disorders in the activity of any structures, has revealed a predominant increase in the activation of the right hemisphere. Studies by different authors also show that many pathological brain states are characterized by a deviation of the functional brain asymmetry profile from that recorded in a normally functioning CNS. In our research we tried to trace the peculiarities of the formation of individual asymmetry profile under the influence of sensory deprivation in children with hearing pathology.

The Editor-in-Chief of "Proceedings of the YSU B: Chemical & Biological Sciences" retracted the following article:

Tereza Yu. Azatyan, Peculiarities of formation and distribution of the profile of functional interhemispheric brain asymmetry in mentally retarded children. Proceedings of the YSU B: Chemical & Biological Sciences, volume 57, issue 3, 2023, pages 321-329.

The article was retracted after an investigation conducted by the journal's editors, during which facts were revealed that should have prevented the publication of this article.

Some results of a comparative analysis of the textural parameters and sorption characteristics of carbonizates obtained by microwave and traditional heating of apricot kernel shells are presented. It has been shown that sorbent samples obtained by microwave carbonization of shells, in comparison with sorbents obtained by traditional heating, are characterized by a more uniform distribution of pore sizes, greater adsorption capacity and low fractal dimension of the surface.