Natural potential of bioactive compounds accumulated by plants is often not taken into account in particular breeding. Biofortification, the enrichment of basic food crops with essential vitamins and minerals using breeding, is one of the most notable recent innovations in agriculture. In this paper, we studied pigment composition with regard to the amount of carotenoids and their contribution to fruit coloration in 20 accessions of different species of genus Capsicum. Red and yellow pigment levels and their ratios detected in the study were indicative of the carotenoid composition in fruits of each species. Also the varieties differed significantly in the carotenoid accumulation. In temperate climate of Moscow region the highest amount of pigments was found in the sweet variety Shokoladnyi (C. annuum; 0.536 mg/g), and in the spice varieties Purpurnyi tigr (C. annuum; 0.708 mg/g), Kitaiskii fonarik (C. baccatum; 0,685 mg/g), Ideya (C. annuum; 0.629 mg/g) and Chudo Podmoskov'ya (C. annuum; 0.628mg/g). The highest level of ascorbic acid was accumulated by chili pepper Ideya (C. annuum; 414 mg%), Rozhdestvenskii buket (C. annuum ½ C. frutescens; 370 mg%), Yubileinyi VNIISSOK (C. annuum; 326 mg%), and Ognennaya deva (C. chinense; 301 mg%). The ascorbic acid content did not depend on fruit color and plant species. Among the sweet pepper varieties high total antioxidant content (TAC) was characteristic of hybrid F 1 Oranzhevoe naslazhdenie (C. annuum). The maximum total antioxidant amounts, as milligram equivalents (MME) of gallic acid per g, were 2.82 for Rozhdestvenskii buket (C. annuum ½ C. frutescens), 2.65 for Ognennaya deva (C. chinense), 2.57 for Idea (C. annuum), and 2.19 for Kitaiskii fonarik (C. annuum). In assessment of thermostable antioxidants extracted with 80 % ethanol at 60 С it was shown that the unstable antioxidants, mainly ascorbic acid, averaged 16 % of the total antioxidants. Rozhdestvensciy buket, Kitaiskii fonarik, Purpurnyi tigr, Ognennaya deva plants, additionally to antioxidants, can accumulate one of the strongest natural antioxidant, the capsaicin, which determines their hot taste. The capsaicin content of the studied chili peppers varied from 1.36 to 9.57 mg/g of dry weight. High contents of carotenoids, ascorbic acid and TAC combined with capsaicin at 8 to 9 score points increase the total antioxidant capacity of these samples.

A novel hybrid system composed of biological components and synthetic polymer, thylakoid/polycation complex, has been formed and studied. Effects of complex formation on the structure, electrostatics and functioning of thylakoid membranes have been examined. Thylakoids from bean leaves were used to form complexes with polycation polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAAH) in two systems: (i) thylakoid/polycation complexes formed in an aqueous bulk phase, and (ii) immobilized thylakoid/polycation planar complexes. Immobilized on a solid substrate surface, thylakoid/polycation complexes were prepared using layer-by-layer stepwise alternate adsorption technique, i.e., via the sequential alternate adsorption of thylakoids and polycation molecules. The morphology of built up structures was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Light-induced electron transport in chloroplasts was studied by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method. Spin probe technique was employed to study the structural and electrostatic characteristics of thylakoid membranes. We have found that efficiency of light-induced electron transport in thylakoid membranes and membrane structure were not changed noticeably by PAAH binding to thylakoids in a wide range of PAAH concentrations. The data obtained indicate the physiologically-soft character of polycation interactions with thylakoid membranes and demonstrate effectiveness of interfacial self-assembly approach to fabrication of complex planar functional nanostructures from biological components and synthetic polymers.

н а у ч н о п р а к т и ч е с к и й ж у р н а л [ 84 ] о в о щ и р о с с и и № 4 (3 3) 2 0 1 6 ФИЗИОЛОГИЯ И БИОХИМИЯ РАСТЕНИЙ В современных условиях полноценные продукты растительного происхождения, в том числе овощные, рассматриваются как эффективное средство для стимулирования и поддержания здоровья и снижения риска возникновения многих заболеваний, связанных с нарушением обмена веществ. Часто в селекции той или иной культуры не учитывается природный потенциал накопления биологически активных соединений. Последние годы предпринимаются первые робкие шаги в селекции растений по показателям на качество продукции. Одно из самых заметных новшеств в сельскохозяйственной науке-био

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