In the recent years, consumers’ interest in healthy diet opened a new field for functional food development through combining the valuable composition of cereals and the health‐promoting properties of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB with amylolytic properties can assimilate starch in a single‐step process and could be successfully applied as starter cultures offering an efficient nutritional conversion of cereal matrices. The probiotic potential of amylolytic LAB has not been investigated so far, therefore the present study focused on the molecular screening and in vitro tests of five amylolytic Lactobacillus plantarum strains to assess their tolerance to high acid and bile salts concentrations and antibiotic resistance as basic characteristics required for probiotic strains selection. Results showed excellent correspondence between the genetic screening and the phenotypic tests performed. Survivability at high acidity and bile salts presence was strain specific, with significant positive effect observed for cultures in stationary phase compared to those in exponential phase. Effect of starch in the medium proved most important to ensure viability of the amylolytic strains, which reveals the excellent potential of amylolytic LAB for commercially relevant probiotic applications. The strains proved to be generally safe in terms of antibiotic resistance. Among the five tested strains, L. plantarum Bom2 showed the best probiotic potential.

Background:Traditional Beninese fermented food Degue is widely consumed in Benin and other countries in West Africa. It was originally made from milk and millet flour, but currently other cereals are used as well. Nowadays, Degue production occurs by spontaneous fermentation in individual households and information about the microorganisms involved is currently limited.Objective:The microbiota of Degue from Benin has not been studied so far, but its growing production in the country sets a demand for revealing the biodiversity of the microbial population involved in the fermentation process in order to take future steps for development of industrial technology and offer products with improved quality and safety.Method:In the present study, yeast and lactic acid bacteria from raw materials for Degue production and from several Degue products were isolated and identified by molecular methods including RFLP and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA gene sequence analysis in yeasts, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis in lactic acid bacteria.Results:Lactic acid bacteria isolates were assigned to eight species within the generaLactobacillus,Enterococcus,Pediococcus,StreptococcusandWeisella. Four species of yeasts were found in Degue:Cyberlyndnera fabianii,Candida glabrata,Kluyveromyces marxianus, andMeyerozyma caribbica.Conclusion:The microbial population revealed is unique to Beninese Degue and needs further characterization for development of defined starter cultures.

Влияние гепатопротектора ZIGBIR ® на организм стельных сухостойных коров РЕЗЮМЕ Актуальность. Кормовая добавка ZIGBIR ® , состоящая из набора растений, влияющих на состояние и восстановление гепатоцитов, уникальна и представляет интерес для исследований. В результате эксперимента изучена целесообразность и эффективность использования растительной кормовой добавки ZIGBIR ® в рационах стельных сухостойных коров. Показано ее влияние на усвоение питательных веществ рациона, биохимические показатели, сохранность молодняка и гинекологические заболевания.Методы. Экспериментальная часть работы была выполнена в сельскохозяйственном кооперативе «Имени Ильича» Новгородской области на коровах сухостойного периода. По принципу аналогов были сформированы три группы животных -контрольная и две опытных (n = 10 в каждой) из коров, находящихся в запуске, учитывая даты планируемого отела. Животные первой опытной группы помимо основного рациона получали кормовую добавку ZIGBIR ® в количестве 20 г/гол/сутки, второй опытной группы -25 г/гол/сутки. Результаты. В результате научных исследований было установлено, что группы коров, получавших дополнительно к основному рациону кормовую добавку, лучше усваивали питательные вещества, так коэффициент переваримости сухого вещества в первой опытной группе увеличился на 0,9%, во второй -на 0,4%. Аналогичное повышение коэффициентов переваримости наблюдалось по органическому веществу (на 1,7-8,3%), сырому протеину, сырому жиру, БЭВ и сырой клетчатке. Введение в рацион добавки не привело к ухудшению биохимических показателей. Так, например, значение белкового индекса (соотношение альбуминов к глобулинам), показывающего интенсивность белкового обмена, в контрольной группе равнялось 0,66, и было ниже физиологического предела на 27%. Однако в обеих опытных группах его показатели выросли и практически пришли к норме со значениями 0,9 и 0,8 соответственно. Снижение послеродовых патологий и увеличение сохранности молодняка позволяет предположить терапевтическую эффективность кормовой добавки ZIGBIR ® .

Relevance and methods. The article assesses the effectiveness of the use of herbal feed additives "Zigbir" (which is positioned as a plant hepatoprotector) on the cows diets in the second half of lactation, how it influence on the digestibility of dietary nutrients, on hfhematological composition of blood serum, on productivity and quality of milk.Results. As a result of research experiment, it was found that the introduction of herbal feed additives into the diet had a positive effect on the digestibility coefficients. So, the concentration of total protein at the end of the period, in the experimental group increased by 5.34 g/l and came into compliance with the physiological norm, the digestibility of organic matter, of crude fat and of nitrogen-free extractives in the experimental group increased by 2.2%, 1.6% and 1.0%, respectively. Although the decrease in the digestibility coefficient of crude fiber by the end of the period occurred in both groups, however, the dynamics of its value in the experimental group was on 3.5% less than the value in the control. The use of the feed additives "Zigbir" in the diet made it possible to bring the indicator of urea concentration closer to the physiological norm, the blood glucose increased by 46.4% and came into line with the norm. The dynamic change of bilirubin in the test groups blood was not as significant as in the control group, the total bilirubin decreased by only 15%, against 36% in animals in the control group. The decrease in milk yield due to the attenuation of lactation in the test group was slower relative to the control group and was lower by 0,6l, the mass of fat share and of protein in the cows milk from the test group was higher by 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively.

At present, the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex report many cases of cows having liver dysfunctions caused by the failure of metabolic processes. As a rule, in the early stages of the disease, clinical signs are absent; it leads to a productivity decrease, the birth of weak young animals with low adaptive capabilities, and pathologies of the reproductive system. There is a need in drugs and biologically active feed supplements that can prevent and eliminate pathological processes in the liver at early stages, adjusting physiological metabolic processes. The article presents the research results on the use of the herbal feed supplement ZIGBIR having hepatoprotective properties in cows’ diets. Biochemical studies of blood serum have shown a positive effect of the feed supplement on most parameters in relation to physiological norms. Since the studied parameters are referred to as hepatic (they have a diagnostic value for the liver), it is possible to assume an improvement in the functional state of the liver.