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The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is one of the major medical problems that the modern world is currently facing. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus both result in early disability and death, as well as serious social and financial problems. In some cases, synthetic drugs can be quite effective in the treatment of diabetes, though they have side effects. Plant-derived pharmacological substances are of particular interest. This review aims to study the antidiabetic properties of secondary plant metabolites. Existing review and research articles on the investigation of the antidiabetic properties of secondary plant metabolites, the methods of their isolation, and their use in diabetes mellitus, as well as separate articles that confirm the relevance of the topic and expand the understanding of the properties and mechanisms of action of plant metabolites, were analyzed for this review. The structure and properties of plants used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, including plant antioxidants, polysaccharides, alkaloids, and insulin-like plant substances, as well as their antidiabetic properties and mechanisms for lowering blood sugar, are presented. The main advantages and disadvantages of using phytocomponents to treat diabetes are outlined. The types of complications of diabetes mellitus and the effects of medicinal plants and their phytocomponents on them are described. The effects of phytopreparations used to treat diabetes mellitus on the human gut microbiota are discussed. Plants with a general tonic effect, plants containing insulin-like substances, plants-purifiers, and plants rich in vitamins, organic acids, etc. have been shown to play an important role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the prevention of its complications.

The pulp and paper industry leads to the formation of significant amounts of bark and wood waste (BWW), which is mostly dumped, causing negative climate and environmental impacts. This article presents an overview of methods for recycling BWW, as well as the results of assessing the resource potential of old bark waste based on physicochemical and thermal analysis. It was found that using BWW as a plant-growing substrate is challenging because it was observed that bark waste is phytotoxic. The C:N waste ratio is far from optimum; moreover, it has a low biodegradation rate (less than 0.15% per year). The calorific value content of BWW ranged from 7.7 to 18.9 MJ/kg on d.m., the ash content was from 4% to 22%, and the initial moisture content was from 60.8% to 74.9%, which allowed us to draw conclusions about the feasibility of using hydrothermal methods for their processing to obtain biofuel and for the unreasonableness of using traditional thermal methods (combustion, pyrolysis, gasification).

International audience; The beneficial properties of algae make them perfect functional ingredients for food products. Algae have a high energy value and are a source of biologically active substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and macro- and microelements. They are also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, mycosporine-like amino acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols, steroids, lectins, halogenated compounds, polyketides, alkaloids, and carrageenans. Different extraction parameters are used depending on the purpose and the substances to be isolated. In this study, the following parameters were used: hydromodule 1:10 and an extraction duration of 1–2 h at the extraction temperature of 25–40 °C. A 30–50% solution of ethanol in water was used as an extractant. Algae extracts can be considered as potential natural sources of biologically active compounds with antimicrobial activity and antiviral properties. The content of crude protein, crude fat, and carbohydrates in U. Prolifera, C. racemosa var. peltata (Chlorophyta), S. oligocystum and S. fusiforme (SF-1) was studied. It was found that C. muelleri (Bacillariophyta), I. galbana (Haptophyta), and T. weissflogii (Bacillariophyta) contain about 1.9 times more omega-3 than omega-6 fatty acids. N. gaditana (Ochrophyta), D. salina (Chlorophyta), P. tricornutum (Bacillaryophyta) and I. galbana (Haptophyta) extracts showed inhibitory activity of varying intensities against E. coli or P. aeruginosa. In addition, algae and algae-derived compounds have been proposed to offer attractive possibilities in the food industry, especially in the meat sector, to evolve functional foods with myriad functionalities. Algae can increase the biological activity of food products, while the further study of the structure of compounds found in algae can broaden their future application possibilities.

Microalgae are widely used to produce sorbitol, ethyl and methyl alcohols, acetone, organic acids, esters, pigments, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and other compounds. The purpose of this work was to study the potential of the Baltic Sea microalgae Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris, as new ingredients for functional bread. Bread was baked with a dry mixture of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris microalgae (1:1). Gas chromatography, sequencing, chromametry, pH-metry, rheological methods, methods for determining the antioxidant ability of bread samples with microalgae for ferric reduction and removal of active free radicals were used for the research. When baking bread, the organoleptic, physicochemical properties, density, coefficients of elasticity, chewiness, stickiness, resistance to crumbling, the content of polyphenols and volatile compounds in the samples of bread with microalgae were controlled. It was found that with a higher content of microalgae in bread (3% of the flour weight on dry basis), the color of the crust and crumb decreased due to the degradation of the pigment during baking. The specific volume of a loaf with a large amount of microalgae (5%) was lower than the volume of loaves with the addition of 1% and 3% microalgae. It is shown that the moisture content increased with an increase in the amount of microalgae in bread. Replacing wheat flour with the amounts of microalgae of 1% and 3% did not affect the pH and water activity in bread. With the addition of 5% microalgae, bread became more sour, sticky, with a slight “fishy” smell. The addition of more microalgae led to an increase in polyphenols in bread samples, and, accordingly, to an increased antioxidant capacity. In total, 42 volatile compounds were found in bread with microalgae, which makes it possible to obtain functional bread. It is assumed that in the future, bread with microalgae will be competitive with ordinary wheat bread due to improved nutritional and biological value.

Extremophilic microorganisms attract researchers by their unique characteristics, primarily antagonistic ones, acquired in the process of survival in extreme natural conditions. The antimicrobial potential of the metabolites of these microorganisms is quite broad, from the food industry to therapeutic drugs. Microbial mats of Lake Baikal are a source of unique and diverse microorganisms. The study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of bacterial strains isolated from the bottom sediments of the lake. Using heterotrophic growth conditions, seven bacterial strains were isolated from samples collected in several coastal zones of Lake Baikal. Thisstudy identified both widespread strains of the genera Pseudomonas and Bacillus and rare genera Micrococcus and Acinetobacterrepresentatives. Metabolites of five strains were found to have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Four large fractions of metabolites of the isolated strains wereidentified. Two peptides of the isolated fractions of metabolites (one is produced by microorganisms of all five isolated strains, another—only by Pseudomonas putida) are low molecular weight oligopeptides. These peptides were proved to be bacteriocins.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sewage sludge is considered in the article as an analogue of the natural processes of oil formation (catagenesis). A comparison of the physicochemical composition of primary and secondary sludge with type II kerogen (natural precursor of oil) showed their similarity. Both types of sludge have a slightly higher level of oxygen and nitrogen. The study tested the hypothesis that the elements included in the inorganic part of the oil source rocks can have a catalytic effect on the oil formation processes. For the conducted studies of sludge HTL, the catalysts containing cations and substances found in oil source rocks were chosen: as homogeneous catalysts (KOH, NaOH, NH4Fe(SO4)2, CoCl6, NiSO4, CuSO4, ZnSO4, MoO3) and as heterogeneous catalysts (MgO, Zeolite, Al2O3). The effectiveness of catalysts containing metal ions, zeolite and aluminum oxide has been proven. The highest biocrude yield was achieved in a process with NiSO4 as the catalyst in a dose 2 g per 10 g of sludge: oil yield increased by 34.9% and 63.4% in the processing of primary and secondary sludge, respectively. The use of catalysts provided an increase in fuel HHV by 10.8–12.5%, which is associated with a decrease in oxygen content (by 10.8–43.2%) with a simultaneous increase in carbon (by 7.9–10.9%) and hydrogen (by 6.5–18.7%) content.

The results of the studies have shown that to obtain an extract of a complex of biologically active substances of Cotinus coggygria, ethyl alcohol (mass fraction of alcohol 70%) with a hydromodule of 1:5 should be used, and the extraction should be carried out for 60 min at a temperature of 60 °C. The investigated plant extracts with the complex of bioactive substances from the Cotinus coggygria leaves and flowers are safe from the point of view of the content of heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxin B1, radionuclides, as well as pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. It has been established that the Cotinus coggygria extract contains rutin, hyperoside, ferulic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, disulphuretin, sulphurein, sulphurein, gallic acid, methyl gallate, pentagalloyl glucose, 3,3′,4′,5,6,7-hexahydroxyflavonone, 3,3′,4′,5,5′,7-hexahydroxyflavonone, 3-O-α-L-rhamnofuranoside, 3,3′,4′,5,5′,7-hexahydroxyflavulium(1+), 7-O-β-D glucopyranoside, and 3,3′,4′,7-tetrahydroxyflavonone. The tested extracts have anticancer, antigenotoxic, and antimicrobial (against E. coli, S. aureus, P. vulgaris, C. albicans, L. mesenteroides) properties. The high antioxidant status of the tested extracts was established, the antioxidant activity of the samples was 145.09 mg AA/g (AA—ascorbic acid).

This paper aimed to study the biodegradation of collagen-containing waste (pork skin) induced by collagenase and Neutrase 1.5 MG enzymes and compare the amino acid, peptide, and carbohydrate composition of hydrolysis products. It was found that the degree of biodegradation of collagen-containing raw materials (pork skin) reached 78% when using an enzyme preparation (collagenase with a concentration of 250 U/g of the substrate) at pH 7.0, 40 °C, and a 360 min process duration. It was shown that the content of peptides with a molecular weight of 6.5–14.0 kDa in the hydrolysis products (collagenase) of collagen-containing wastes was 13.4 ± 0.40%, while in the products of hydrolysis (Neutrase 1.5 MG) it was 12.8 ± 0.38%. The study found that the hydrolysis products (Neutrase 1.5 MG) of collagen-containing raw materials contain fewer hexoses, free hexosamines, and hyaluronic acid than the hydrolysis products (collagenase) of collagen-containing raw materials. The content of chondroitin sulfates is practically the same in all samples of hydrolysis products. Proteases with collagenolytic activity are widely used in industry. Recently, they have increasingly been used in pharmaceutical, food, and other industries. Collagenases are promising enzymes for the production of chondroprotectors used for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The effect of three types of polysaccharides (agar-agar, carrageenan, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) on the activity and stability during storage at given temperature conditions of the enzyme preparation L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase was studied. It was found that the most suitable storage temperature for encapsulated L-phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase is room temperature up to 25 °C for all samples of capsules from plant polysaccharides. Samples of capsules with agar-agar and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose under different temperature conditions inhibited the decrease in enzyme activity, which in other samples of capsules reached 90% in 6 months of storage. In samples of capsules with carrageenan at temperatures of 4 °C and 30 °C, there was a significant decrease in the activity of the enzyme preparation. Selection of capsule samples from plant polysaccharides suitable for L-phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase replacement therapy is done after studying the mechanisms of capsule destruction under conditions close to the conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, to which the next stage of our research will be devoted., Pharmaceutical chemistry; Biotechnology; Pharmaceutical science; Capsules; Natural polysaccharides; Enzyme preparation; Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; Stability; Phenylketonuria.