Aleksandra Pashtetskaia

The study aimed to identify mineral determinants of potential therapeutic effects of Olea europaea L. leaves from introduced cultivars of the Southern Coast of Crimea and to assess their suitability for functional aqueous tisanes. Using ICP-OES, eighteen macro- and micro-elements were identified in dried leaves, with K and Ca predominant (>10.0 g/kg), followed by P, S, and Mg (>1.0 g/kg). Maximum values occurred in ‘Nikitskaya’ (K 15.6 g/kg; S 2.05 g/kg; and P 1.97 g/kg) and ‘Tlemcen’ (Ca 18.6 g/kg and Mg 1.46 g/kg). Extractability into infusion (2 g/100 mL, 60 min) reached 325 mg/L for K, 26 mg/L for Ca, 48 mg/L for S, 18 mg/L for P, and 9 mg/L for Mg. Potentially toxic elements were below detection limits, indicating the safety of both the raw material and beverage. Principal component, correlation, and Ward clustering analyses highlighted ‘Nikitskaya’, ‘Lomashenskaya’, and ‘Coregiolo’ as having the highest cumulative mineral value among the tested six cultivars. Overall, the findings support the feasibility of olive-leaf tisanes as accessible sources of K, Ca, S, P, and Mg, with potential contributions to antioxidant defense, blood-pressure regulation, and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.

The fatty acid composition of the oil from the fruits of various olive cultivars (Olea europaea) and seeds of the spicy-aromatic culture Perilla frutescens, growing in the conditions of the Southern Coast of the Crimea, has been specified. cv.ʹNikitskayaʹ is characterized by a high content of monounsaturated (49.5–66.2% oleic acid) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (3.3–10.7% linoleic and 0.2–0.4% linolenic), as well as a low content of saturated acids (10.43% in green and 8.04% in ripe fruits). Perilla seed oil is a rich source of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids: 52.77% linolenic and 10.88% linoleic with an oil content of 34.54% seeds. Perilla oil has the lowest ratio of saturated fatty acids to total (7.42%), while olive oil exhibits the highest ratio of monounsaturated acids (75.68%). Thus, different oilseed crops have unique nutritional features, which means that it is necessary to choose depending on the specific purposes of use.

The fatty-acid composition and some volatile components of essential oil extracted from the leaves of European olive (Olea europaea), growing in the conditions of a dry subtropical climate of the Mediterranean type of the Southern Coast of the Crimea, were determined. 11 fatty acids were found, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ones, the composition and ratio of which are similar to the lipid profile of oil from freshly harvested olive fruits. Among the fatty acids, the leading position is occupied by cis-9-oleic (35.07%), palmitic (32.88%) and stearic (10.21%) ones, a significant content of polyunsaturated (cis-9.12-linoleic (9.2%) and cis-12.15-linolenic (6.7%) acids, which determine the nutritional value of the leaves, was also revealed. Among the volatile components of the essential oil of the leaves, 4 aldehydes (pentanal, isobutanal, isopentanal, hexanal) and n-octane, which belongs to the class of alkanes, were determined. The major components of the essential oil are pentanal (valeric aldehyde) and isobutanal (isobutyraldehyde), the mass fraction of which is 60.5% and 22.1%, respectively, which determines the pharmacological value of the leaves.

An application of natural antioxidants remains the focus of research groups. The effect of Satureja montana L. essential oil in various doses on the main biological characteristics of Wistar rats was the main aim of the study. The intensification of protein metabolism in the blood plasma of rats on the background of the use of Satureja montana L. essential oil was noted. Total protein increases by 17.9 – 19.7%, and albumin by 27.6% in rats of the experimental group received the essential oil at a dose of 0.6 ml per kg of feed. A significant increase in the AST level in control group rats to 207.3 U.L-1 was revealed. Its one to a certain extent indicates the hepatoprotective effect of mountain savory oil and a decrease in inflammatory processes in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract in the conditions of cell maintenance of rats of the experimental groups. Gastric epithelium thickness of rats of both experimental groups was lower than the control animals. But it did not bear any signs of atrophy. The difference of this indicator in comparison with control was 12.75 μm (p ≤0.05) in the second group and it was reliable. The number of chief stomach cells increases in animals of the experimental groups, which may indicate a greater enzymatic activity. An increased dose of mountain savory oil contributes to the formation of more damage to hepatocytes on the periphery of the liver lobule. Thus, the relationship between liver enzymes and the state of peripheral hepatocytes was noted.

The effect of the liposomal form of antioxidants with the inclusion of organic iodine on the growth of young Tsigai sheep was described in the article. The liposomal form allowed increasing average daily gain of young animals by 11.9 % and live weight by 10.8 % compared to the control one-year age group. The animals of the experimental group were characterized by more embodied meat forms according to the analysis of their exterior. Interior indicators were represented by the increased content of RBC that reached 1.8×1012 cells per liter or 25.7 % (p≤0.001), and WBC – 1.80×10⁹ cells per liter or 20.0 % (p≤0.01) at 7-months age; 1.9×1012 cells per liter (p≤0.001) and 1.74×10⁹ cells per liter (p≤0.05) at 12 months, respectively. This fact was due to the increased content of monocytes and neutrophils: the difference between the control and experimental groups of animals was within 1.1% and 0.6% at the age of 12 months.

The use of active carbon additive (ACA) in the diet of in chickens of Hubbard Redbro M dual-line cross and its effect on their growth and the main blood parameters is reflected in the article. Feeding ACA gives a significant increase in live weight (3.5 – 7.5 %) during the growth period. RBC and WBC in the experimental group are within the physiological norm. The index of serum bactericidal activity in relation to the S. aureus test-culture in serum dilution 1:10 is higher in experimental group. Starting with the phase of logarithmic growth of test culture after a three hour exposure in the dilution of 1:5 is approximately the same in both groups. Serum bactericidal activity in E. coli test-culture is higher in control samples than in experimental ones in serum dilution is 1:5 higher than in dilution of 1:10. The data obtained are confirmed by an indicator of the intensity of serum bactericidal activity: the difference between the experimental and control groups vary from 2.1 to 5.6 abs. %. There is a positive relationship between indicators of serum bactericidal activity on the background of the studied test-cultures. At the dilution of serum in chickens of control group 1:10 correlation of serum bactericidal activity with the index in the experimental group were not observed.