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The research was carried out in order to assess the effects of nine cultivars in factorial combination with open field or greenhouse growing on yield, quality indicators, antioxidants and elemental composition of leek in Moscow region. Greenhouse management resulted in higher yield compared to open field cultivation, due to higher mean pseudo-stem weight, and cultivar Giraffe gave the highest production. Pseudo-stem dry matter was better affected by greenhouse cultivation, whereas the content of monosaccharides, total sugars, nitrates, ascorbic acid and polyphenols was enhanced by open field growing. The cultivars Vesta and Summer breeze showed the highest dry matter and total sugar content, whereas Goliath had the highest antioxidant, selenium and potassium concentration. Among the mineral elements, K and Mg in pseudostems were better affected by greenhouse conditions, whereas Ca attained a higher concentration under open field growing. The antioxidant system of Allium porrum was characterized by significant positive correlations between Se, polyphenols, ascorbic acid and potassium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant biofortification with selenium in interaction with the application of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-based formulate,with the goal of enhancing Se bioavailability, is beneficial for the development of the environmentally friendly production of functional food with a high content of this microelement. Research was carried out in order to assess the effects of an AMF-based formulate and a non-inoculated control in factorial combination with two selenium treatments with an organic (selenocystine) or inorganic form (sodium selenate) and a non-treated control on the yield, quality, antioxidant properties, and elemental composition of shallot ( Allium cepa L. Aggregatum group). Selenocystine showed the best effect on the growth and yield of mycorrhized plants, whereas sodium selenate was the most effective on the non-inoculated plants. The soluble solids, total sugars, monosaccharides, titratable acidity, and proteins attained higher values upon AMF inoculation. Sodium selenate resulted in higher soluble solids, total sugars and monosaccharide content, and titratable acidity than the non-treated control, and it also resulted in higher monosaccharides when compared to selenocystine; the latter showed higher protein content than the control. Calcium, Na, S, and Cl bulb concentrations were higher in the plants inoculated with the beneficial microorganisms. Calcium and sodium concentrations were higher in the bulbs of plants treated with both the selenium forms than in the control. Selenocystine-treated plants showed enhanced accumulation of sulfur and chlorine compared to the untreated plants. The AMF inoculation increased the bulb selenium content by 530%, and the Se biofortification with selenocystine and sodium selenate increased this value by 36% and 21%, respectively, compared to control plants. The AMF-based formulate led to increases in ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity when compared to the non-inoculated control. The bulb ascorbic acid was increased by fortification with both selenium forms when compared to the non-treated control. The results of our investigation showed that both AMF and selenium application represent environmentally friendly strategies to enhance the overall yield and quality performances of shallot bulbs, as well as their selenium content., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Current approaches to the treatment of herpes infection, particularly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), include the use of etiotropic medicines, as well as sensitizing therapy. This virus plays an important role in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adenocarcinoma of the parotid glands, gastric carcinoma, Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoproliferative syndromes [1, 2, 3]. The spectrum of drugs active against EBV remains very limited, and gancyclovir and acyclovir are used in medical practice, so the search of new compounds active against EBV remains urgent. The purpose of this work was to study antiEBV activity of isonicotinic acid derivatives in the cultures of lymphoblastoid Raji cells, B95-8, Namalwa. The indices of cytotoxicity (CC50) which amounted to 840, 1250 and 3000 microg/ml and the concentration of drugs, which inhibit the virus (IC50) reproduction is 0.1, 2.5 and 50 microg/ml, respectively, in cell cultures were identified. It was detected, the drug 4-(n-benzyl)aminocarbonyl-1-methylpyridinium iodide (PV-1) had an ability to inhibit reproduction of the Epstein-Barr virus in all studied cells cultures. The compounds PV-2 and PV-10 were less toxic in respect of the initial preparation PV-1, but their antiviral activity was manifested at 25 and 500 times higher concentrations. It, respectively, influenced the decrease of their selectivity index, which was 8400 for PV-1, 400 and 440--for PV-2 and PV-10. These studies suggest possible ways of further modification of the PV-1 molecule to create highly specific inhibitors of Epstein-Barr virus. The paper is presented in Ukrainian.

Model systems of infecting limphoblastic MP-1 and BJAB cells by Epstein-Barr virus, 5 serotype adenovirus and double infection are developed. A rather high level of accumulation of DNA of these viruses in the cells in dynamics at monoinfection and inhibition interference at multi-infection was shown by PCR method. The influence of virus infection on proliferative activity was studied. The stimulation of cells growth in the system BJAB + EBV was detected, and double infecting inhibited the process by 50%. The 25% difference in development of apoptosis process between cells infected by adenovirus and EBV was established when defining CD95-mediated apoptosis in infected MP-1 cells. The infecting of BJAB cells by viruses had a scarce effect on the processes of spontaneous apoptosis, but the data on CD95-mediated apoptosis at EBV infection testify to inhibition of this process both at a monoinfection, and at a double infection. The work was performed in the framework of the fundamental agreement of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine F7/366-2001, and grant INTAS N011-2382.

The technology of obtaining of specific immunoglobulin for serotherapy of neuroinfection caused by virus herpes simplex 1 type was developed. The patients presented with the following diseases: arachnoencephalitis, encephalopolyradiculoneuritis, encephalomyelitis, encephalitis, arachnoiditis, polyneuropathy, encephalomyelopolyradiculoneuritis, meningoencephalitis. The study showed good tolerance and safety of the medicine, no adverse effects registered during the study. The assessed median score of the efficacy was 2.8 from 3. The obtained results suggest using the liquid form preparation for intramuscular injection "Immunoglobulin for treatment of neuroinfection caused by virus herpes simplex type 1". The Close corporation "Biofarma" located in Kyiv produces this medicine.

Polymorphisms in genes that encode for metabolic enzymes have been associated with variations in enzyme activity between individuals. Such variations could be associated with differences in individual exposure to carcinogens that are metabolized by these genes. In this study, we examine the association between polymorphisms in several metabolic genes and the consumption of tobacco in a large sample of healthy individuals. The database of the International Collaborative Study on Genetic Susceptibility to Environmental Carcinogens was used. All the individuals who were controls from the case-control studies included in the data set with information on smoking habits and on genetic polymorphisms were selected (n = 20938). Sufficient information was available on the following genes that are involved in the metabolism of tobacco smoke constituents: CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2 and GSTP1. None of the tested genes was clearly associated with smoking behavior. Information on smoking dose, available for a subset of subjects, showed no effect of metabolic gene polymorphisms on the amount of smoking. No association between polymorphisms in the genes studied and tobacco consumption was observed; therefore, no effect of these genes on smoking behavior should be expected., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Using the International Project on Genetic Susceptibility to Environmental Carcinogens (GSEC) database containing information on over 15,000 control (noncancer) subjects, the allele and genotype frequencies for many of the more commonly studied metabolic genes (CYP1A1, CYP2E1, CYP2D6, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2, GSTP, and EPHX) in the human population were determined. Major and significant differences in these frequencies were observed between Caucasians (n = 12,525), Asians (n = 2,136), and Africans and African Americans (n = 996), and some, but much less, heterogeneity was observed within Caucasian populations from different countries. No differences in allele frequencies were seen by age, sex, or type of controls (hospital patients versus population controls). No examples of linkage disequilibrium between the different loci were detected based on comparison of observed and expected frequencies for combinations of specific alleles.