The article presents the results of a comparative study conducted in the southern agro-climatic zone of Belarus (Gantsevichsky District, Brest Region), as part of two field experiments with low and high levels of soil fertility. The study examined the effect of biological growth-stimulating agents, such as Blueberry Peat Oxidate with micronutrients at a concentration of 0.4 %, and the new microbial preparation Ecoberit at concentrations of 2, 4, and 8 %, on the formation of the bioflavonoid complex in highbush blueberries. The stimulating effect of the tested agricultural practices on the accumulation of P-vitamins in the plants was established, and the degree of this effect was determined by the state of the agrochemical background, the type and concentration of the preparation, as well as the chemical nature of the organic compounds. The main trends in the changes in the ratio of the main groups of bioflavonoids under the influence of the tested preparations, depending on the edaphic factor, were shown. It was found that in soils with a lower level of fertility, the most significant enrichment of soybean fruits with these bioflavonoids occurred.

Using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, vector genetic constructs, carrying CRISPR/Cas9 elements in their composition for the knockout of the StDMR6-1 and StCHL1 genes regulating defense responses, were introduced into the genomes of Belarusian potato varieties Pershatsvet, Yuliya and Krasavik. The knockout of these genes (S-genes) is a promising, essential and modern approach for increasing potato resistance to late blight. A total of 288 transgenic T₀ potato plants were obtained, and 161 out of them were analyzed for insertion-deletion mutations using Sanger sequencing. Moreover, out of 161 transformants of the T₀ generation, 84 had mutant sequences of the StCHL1 and StDMR6-1 genes with a mutation frequency from 1 to 97 % at p < 0.001 and 99.2 % at p ≥ 0.001, depending on the variety. As a result of the experiment, genetically edited potato plants of the varieties of Belarusian selection Yuliya, Pershatsvet, and Krasavik were obtained for the first time in the Republic of Belarus. These plants carry mutations in the StCHL1 and StDMR6-1 genes, leading to a shift in the reading frame and, as a consequence, to gene knockout.

Rubiaceae species are widely distributed, mainly concentrated in tropical regions. They contain various alkaloids, flavonoids, and other active compounds that have significant therapeutic effects on many diseases. In this study a meta-analysis of the existing experimental data on the therapeutic effects of Rubiaceae was conducted using Cochrane, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases for report retrieval. The search contained “Gardenia”, “Hedyotis”, “Morinda”, “Nauclea”, and “Paederia” species of Rubiaceae, which were used in animal inflammation models. A total of 348 papers were analyzed, duplicate studies were removed, data reliability and adequate sample sizes were filtered. Proinflammatory cytokines (PCs), and the expression of inflammatory gene NF-κB were used to evaluate the inflammatory levels in two animal models, the Rubiaceae-treated (RT) and Inflammation Model (IM). Subgroup analysis was used to explore: 1) the anti-inflammatory effects of different genera; 2) the anti-inflammatory effects of different extracts. The results from meta-analysis show that Rubiaceae extracts exert significant anti-inflammatory effects in animal models, with the RT group exhibiting lower levels of PCs (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and NF-κB expression than the IM group (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis found that Gardenia, Hedyotis, and Morinda all significantly reduced IL-1β and TNF-α levels, while only Morinda had a notable inhibitory effect on IL-6; aqueous, ethanol, and terpenoid extracts all showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. Substantial heterogeneity was observed, which subgroup and meta-regression analyses identified as being primarily due to intergeneric differences. Begg’s and Egger’s tests indicated the presence of publication bias across the included studies. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments are therefore required to verify the anti-inflammatory effects of various medicinal plants of the Rubiaceae family.

In recent years, the attention of researchers and practitioners has been focused on the use of probiotic drugs in aquaculture, which are characterized by high antimicrobial activity against target pathogens and have a pronounced stimulating effect on fish productivity. In order to develop such drugs, we screened isolates of spore-forming bacteria of the genus Bacillus isolated from the intestines of carp and waters of fish ponds. Two of the most active strains of antagonist bacteria were selected, and their morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties were studied. Amplification with specific primers revealed the presence of genes responsible for the synthesis of major antimicrobial metabolites.

The effect of phenazine compounds on prokaryotic organisms has been well studied. However, there is a large gap with regard to eukaryotic cells.

The aim of this study is the proteomic analysis of HeLa and HepG2 cell cultures before and after treatment with purified complexes of phenazine compounds from the bacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aurantiaca and the identification of targets for phenazines in eukaryotic cells.

In the course of this study, most proteins found in the proteome of HeLa and HepG2 cell cultures were found to be involved in the regulation of cell membrane potential, signalling cascades involved in oncogenesis, calcium regulation in cardiac muscle, nervous system function and response to xenobiotics. In addition, an accumulation of histone proteins and chromatin modifiers that promote conversion to heterochromatin was detected in HeLa and HepG2 cultures after phenazine treatment. At the same time, the content of chromatin decompaction enzymes decreases in both cultures. The concentration of some ribosomal proteins changes significantly in the HeLa cell culture, while in the HepG2 cell culture there is a massive increase in their content.

As a result of the conducted research, a target of the Torque Teno Virus (TTV) genome was selected, a set of primers and a TaqMan probe were developed flanking a conserved region of 111 nucleotide pairs (nucleotide positions 103–213 of the TTV reference genome TA278 GenBank: AB017610.1). This probe formed the basis of a molecular genetic method for diagnosing TTV infection, allowing for the detection and calculation of TTV viral load in human biological material. Using the developed molecular genetic method, a high frequency of TTV DNA detection was detected in plasma (71.4–90.4 %) and in the leukocyte fraction of blood (81.0–97.1 %), in both in the control group and in patients afflicted with secondary immunodeficiency, with HIV infection, and severe COVID-19 infection. The TTV viral load in the target groups was determined. A significantly lower median TTV viral load was found in the leukocyte fraction of blood in the control group – 2.58 [1.66; 3.25] log₁₀ TTV DNA copies/10⁵ cells, than in the group of patients with secondary immunodeficiency – 3.67 [1.88; 4.47] log₁₀ TTV DNA copies/10⁵ cells (p = 0.0014), patients with HIV infection – 3.84 [3.09; 4.20] log₁₀ TTV DNA copies/10⁵ cells (p < 0.001) and in the group of patients with severe COVID-19 infection, point 1 – 3.67 [3.09; 3.91] log₁₀ TTV DNA copies/10⁵ cells (p < 0.001).

The article presents the results of an assessment of the ecological state of 11 lakes of the Belarusian Lake Region with different trophic status using the Q index of the phytoplankton community during the seasons of 2023–2025. The seasonal dynamics of the index and its relationship with key trophic indicators were examined. The Q index was found to vary widely (from 0.11 to 4.03), demonstrating seasonal variability: increasing from spring to summer and decreasing towards autumn, which reflects the seasonal succession of phytoplankton. The highest average index values, corresponding to good water quality, were recorded in mesotrophic lakes Volos Severny, Volos Yuzhny, while the lowest were typical of hypertrophic lakes Velikoye, Ilmenok. Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant negative correlations of the Q index with phytoplankton biomass (ρ = –0.67) and total phosphorus concentration (ρ = –0.50), and a positive correlation with water transparency (ρ = +0.68). The absence of a significant correlation with the proportion of cyanobacteria emphasizes the integrated nature of the index, which accounts for the contribution of all functional groups. It was shown that in hypertrophic lakes, the index remains consistently low regardless of the season, whereas in water bodies with a lower trophic status, it is sensitive to seasonal community rearrangements. The obtained results confirm the diagnostic value of the Q index as an integrative indicator of trophic status, but also highlight the need to consider its seasonal dynamics and limitations associated with the dominance of certain taxa.

The study presents data on the peculiarities of accumulation of some chemical elements in soils and organs of Artemisia gmelinii, which grows in the Transbaikal Region (7 study sites).

The content of chemical elements in the studied samples was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis. It has been established that the soils of the studied areas contain high concentrations of gross and mobile forms of elements, especially iron, manganese, zinc, titanium, and chromium.

Exceedances of the MPC for Cr in gross forms of the element have been recorded. Exceeding the clarke value for Mn, Zn, and Co in soils was observed at two study sites. According to the content of elements in the organs of the studied species as a whole it is possible to build a series: Fe > Mn > Zn > Ti > Cr > Cu > Ni > Co. Exceedances of the clarke value for iron, zinc, titanium, chromium, and nickel have been observed in above-ground plants. Zinc and copper are predominantly concentrated in the leaves of the species under study, while iron, titanium, chromium, and nickel are concentrated in the roots. The calculation of root barrier coefficients showed that most of the micronutrients have a barrier type of accumulation. Technogenic contamination of the studied species with chromium, nickel, iron, and titanium was detected. A direct relationship was found between the content of Co, Ni, and Cr in the soil and the plant.