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Background. The possibility of applying near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy for rapid assessment of various biochemical parameters in barley varieties and forms is discussed. The data obtained by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department of VIR served to construct calibration models for the content of protein, starch, oil, beta-glucans, and total phenolic compounds (PhC) in grain, facilitating further screening of various barley samples.Materials and methods. The chemical composition of grain was studied in naked and covered spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions grown in 2022 in the northwest of Russia. Calibration models were developed to measure the content of protein, oil, starch, beta-glucans, and PhC (80 accessions) in barley grain with the Matrix-I IR analyzer (Bruker Optics, Germany). The models were constructed on the basis of the data obtained by conventional techniques of chemical analysis. The protein/ nitrogen content was assessed using the Kjeldahl method, oil according to the method of defatted dry residue modified by S. V. Ruszkovsky, starch by the polarimetric method according to Evers, beta-glucans by gravimetric analysis, and the total PhC content by the Folin–Ciocâlteu method modified by Singleton and Rossi.Results. Statistical significance of the constructed calibration tests was compared with the results of measuring protein, starch, oil, beta-glucan and PhC levels by chemical methods. It was shown that the data of calibration techniques for protein and starch were significant, while the remaining models required improvement.Conclusion. The proposed method helps to preserve valuable source material, increases labor efficiency, and does not require chemical reagents. Scanning each sample makes it possible to obtain data for several indicators at once, with a specified replication and standard deviation.

Despite the widespread use of oat β-glucans as ingredient of foods and dietary supplements, there is insufficient data on their effect on the metabolism of vitamins and minerals. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of including oat bran with a high content of β-glucans (β-glucan) in the diet on the absorption of micronutrients and lipid metabolism in growing rats deficient in vitamins D, group B and trace elements (iron, copper, zinc). Material and methods . After the development of micronutrient deficiency (for 23 days), in order to assess the effect of oat bran (5%) with a high content of β-glucans on the correction of the micronutrient status of growing male Wistar rats (with initial body weight of 70.7±0.7 g), the missing micronutrients were introduced in the semi-synthetic diet deficient in vitamins D, group B, iron, copper and zinc within 7 days either along with β-glucan (1.47%) or without its addition. Indicators of micronutrient sufficiency (riboflavin serum concentration, daily urinary excretion of thiamine, riboflavin and 4-pyridoxic acid, measured by fluorometric methods; serum concentration and urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus, measured by the atomic absorption method or using standard methods on a biochemical analyzer) and the biochemical parameters of blood serum were compared with the parameters of rats adequately provided with all micronutrients throughout the experiment. Results . Replenishment of missing micronutrients in the diet of rats with deficiency in vitamins D and group B, iron, copper and zinc for 7 days led to the elimination of deficiency of vitamins B1, B2 and B6, regardless of the presence of β-glucans in the diet. At the same time, against the background of the presence of β-glucans in the feed, an increase in the absorption of iron was observed, as evidenced by an increase by 1.73 times in iron blood plasma level (р<0.05) and a tendency towards its urinary excretion decrease by 1.60 fold (р<0.10) compared to animals from the control group. Adding oat bran with β-glucans to the feed did not lead to a decrease in blood plasma level of total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins cholesterol. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in rats of all three groups did not have statistically significant differences. Conclusion . The presence of β-glucans in the diet had virtually no effect on the absorption of B vitamins and improved the absorption of iron., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

The purpose of our researches was to develop a cheap feed recipe for improving the bio-productive indices of juvenile phytophagous fishes. The experiments were performed on a total of 160 larvae of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), divided into 3 groups: one control and two experimental groups. The ration of juvenile grass carp from the control group consisted of: yeast autolysate, fish meal, wheat flour, milk powder, methionine and vitamin-mineral premix. In the experimental rations, wheat flour was replaced by grape marc meal and yeast autolysate – by dry wine yeast. In addition, the immunostimulatory bio-product beta-glucans extracted from cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was administered. The results showed that the introduction of the mentioned components to the feed provides the organism of larvae of phytophagous fishes with easily assimilated protein and carbohydrate substances, thus stimulating the metabolic processes and increasing the overall ichthyo-mass. The use of the given feed recipe leads to an increase of 22.0-26.7 % of the survival rate, 16.9-24.0 % of the average larvae weight, 45.2- 56.3 % of the average general ichthyo-mass, compared to the control group. The stimulating effect was achieved when administering the feed 5-10 days after hatching, during a period of 20 days. Depending on the age, the feed is administered every 3-4 hours according to the ratio of 75-50 % of feed per mass unit of larvae.

The role of macrophage (Kupffer cell) stimulation and suppression in the development of a toxic liver damage was studied in rats with acute hepatitis induced by paracetamol (acetaminophen, 1000 mg/kg). Pretreatment with carboxymethylated (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (25 mg/kg, i.p., 48 h before paracetamol) for the macrophage stimulation or with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3, 7.5 mg/kg, i.v., 24 h before paracetamol) for the macrophage suppression has a protective effect manifested by normalization of the liver function test parameters and by a decrease in the degree of morphological changes in the liver cells. A relation between these positive effects and the TNF-alpha secretion by macrophages is discussed.

The properties and effects of two plant resistance suppressors (1,3-beta-1,6-beta-glucan and a pentasaccharide of xyloglucan origin) involved in the pathosystem of potato (Solanum tuberosum) and the causal agent of blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont) de Bary) were compared. The microbial 1,3-beta-1,6-beta-glucan suppressed the defense response over a narrow concentration range (10(-2) M), whereas the plant pentasaccharide had a broad range of effective concentrations (10(-12) to 10(-6) M). In the pathosystem of potato-causal agent of late blight, the beta-glucan caused a local and race-specific suppressor effect on the plant host defense response. In contrast, the pentasaccharide caused both local and systemic suppression of potato resistance, and the presence of terminal fucosyl residue in the xyloglucan oligosaccharine played a decisive role in its effect. The recognition of both suppressors by potato cell membrane sites is discussed.

The paper presents experimental findings of the combined antiinfluenza drug (inactivated influenza vaccine + an interferon inducer - an immunogenetic anstimulator - polysaccharide 1,3beta-glucan). The oral immunization with the drug induces antibody accumulation in the secretions of the upper airway and blood sera in defense titers, interferon synthesis at days 1-3 postadministration, forms murine resistance to infection with homologous and heterologous viruses, enhances the functional activity of alveolar macrophages.

A new 1-->3;1-->6-beta-D-glucan (translam) with immunostimulating activity was isolated from products of the laminaran (L. cichorioides) transformation with endo-1-->3-beta-D-glucanase L0 (Chlamys albidus). As compared with laminaran, translam has a higher molecular weight, contains a 2.5-fold number of 1-->6-bound glucose residues mainly about the nonreducing end of the molecule, but no mannitol. Some of the 1-->6-linked glucose residues are included, in contrast to laminaran in the main chain of 1-->3-beta-D-glucan. It was shown that the translam formation is due to the ability of endo-1-->3-beta-D-glucanase L0 to catalyze the synthesis not only of 1-->3-but also of 1-->6-glucosidic linkages.

Experiments were performed on CBA mice to study the effect of intravenous injections of beta-1,3-f-carboxymethylglucan (Bratislava, Slovakia) during acute massive blood loss (50% of the total blood volume). Two different fractions were used in doses of 25 mg/kg of body weight. The first fraction (semisoluble, its molecular weight being about 10(6)) was shown to have a potent protective effect when it was injected 24 h before blood loss. On the contrary, the other fraction (water soluble, its molecular weight being less than 1.2 x 10(6)) showed no protective effect. Moreover, injection of this fraction 72 h before blood loss can lead to increases in deaths among the mice.

Immunological properties of astasin, a novel substance isolated from Astasia longa was studied. 3-4 days after intraperitoneal administration of astasin in a dose of 1000 micrograms per a mouse (50 mg/kg) in the form of suspension in physiological solution or gel in dimethylsulfoxide there was observed maximum increase in the number of the Fc-receptor cells of the macrophage plasmatic membranes and intensity of sheep red blood cell phagocytosis (3.6-4 and 3.2-4-fold, respectively). Dimethylsulfoxide solution of astasin increased migration of the cells into the abdominal cavity by 5.8 times. The respective figure for the astasin suspension was 28. times. Therefore, differences in the nature of the effect and quantitative indices after the exposure to astasin in the above two forms were observed. Sodium chloride isotonic solution of astasin had a retarded but more prolonged effect on the macrophages which was probably due to gradual digestion of the polysaccharide phagocyted granules by the macrophages.