Immunodeficiency causes a lot of modern diseases. Immunodeficiency, in its turn, is caused by such fac- tors as polluted environment, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, etc. All these factors weaken respi- ratory organs and gastrointestinal tract, disturb hormonal regulation, and destabilize immune defence. Food industry responds to these challenges by developing functional foods and dietary supplements from medicinal plants. Dietary supplements made from natural plant extracts have more advantages than their numerous synthetic analogues. They produce a mild therapeutic effect and no pronounced side effects. Purple Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea L.) posses- ses immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and tonic properties. However, climatic and soil conditions are known to affect the qualitative and quantitative profile of biologically active substances. The present paper describes the micronutrient profile of various parts of Echinacea purpurea grown in the Kemerovo region. The study employed a complex of physical and chemical methods. The research featured leaves, roots, and flowers, as well as components extracted from the plant with the help of a 70% ethanol solution. The latter was chosen for its universal properties in micronutrient extraction. The methods included high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chro- matography (TLC), and IR spectroscopy. A set of triple experiments showed that the extracts contained substances with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulating properties. Thus, Echinacea extract can be recommen- ded for functional foods and dietary supplements.
This article presents results of a study of the effect of blue color on the bacteriocin activity. It was revealed that photostimulation of Lactobacillus Lactis with light in the blue spectrum (435-470 nm) with a light flux intensity of 1800 mcd for 50-60 minutes positively affects the bacteriocin activity (increases by 60.1%), while titer of the Lactobacillus lactis is 2 times higher. It was found that it was in the first 18 hours that the irradiated samples had a greater difference in terms of activity and titers than unirradiated samples. Oxidative stress affects the culture’s viability, both in samples treated with blue light and in the untreated cultures. However, impact intensity on the treated cultures is weaker. These outcomes indicate the possibility of using blue light for stimulating bacteriocin biosynthesis in order to use it as a food additive for prolongation of shelf life of food products.
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