Antibacterial activity of plants is a subject of interest in the search for new antibiotics and fungicidal preparations. This article analyzes the effectiveness of the action of extracts of plants on microorganisms: six species of bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Corynebacterium xerosis, Proteus vulgaris) and one fungus (Candida albicans). For the assay, we used herbal material of 50 species (seeds, grass, shoots, leaves, compound fruit, peel) obtained at different periods of the growing season. We studied Levisticum officinale, Petroselinum crispum, Nerium oleander, Vinca minor, Eleutherococcus senticosus, E. sieboldianus, Yucca filamentosa, Artemisia annua, Echinacea purpurea, Matricaria recutita, Tanacetum vulgare, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Buxus sempervirens, Humulus lupulus, Crassula ovata, Bryophyllum daigremontianum, Juniperus communis, Platycladus orientalis, Cycas revoluta, Calluna vulgaris, Rhododendron ferrugineum, Ceratonia siliqua, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Ribes nigrum, Phellinus tuberculosus, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Monarda fistulosa, Origanum vulgare, Salvia sclarea, Laurus nobilis, Punica granatum, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Menispermum dauricum, Ficus benjamina, Morus alba, Paeonia suffruticosa, Picea abies, Adonis vernalis, Amelanchier ovalis, Prunus armeniaca, Crataegus monogyna, Citrus sinensis, Salix babylonica, Bergenia crassifolia, Schisandra chinensis, Taxus baccata and Xanthoria parietina. The alcohol tincture was filtered with sterile multi-layer gauze disc filters. Before the discs were put on the surface of agar with inoculation of the corresponding culture, they were dried in a sterile laminar box under ultraviolet rays. Antibacterial activity of various tinctures was determined by the disk diffusion method in agar with the measurement of the diameter of the growth suppression zone of the culture using a template ruler. Maximum inhibiting effect was achieved for Punica granatum on K. рneumonia, L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium, P. vulgaris, C. хerosis and E. сoli, Lavandula angustifolia – on P. vulgaris, K. рneumonia and S. typhimurium, Echinacea purpurea – on C. аlbicans, E. сoli, P. vulgaris, K. рneumonia, Bergenia crassifolia – on P. vulgaris, K. pneumonia and S. typhimurium.

At present, climate change significantly affects living organisms on the planet, leading to transformations in their niches, ranges and abundance. The aim of our work was to forecast the range of the representative of the large family Carabidae, famous for its indicative characters, richness and importance in soil communities. We used 19 bioclimatic variables of Bioclim according to our own data and the data of GBIF with the help of the MaxEnt program. We used 550 coordinates of ground beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) records. We distinguished the potential range the species studied and drew prognostic maps of the species’ distribution related to climate change according to four scenarios. Mean annual temperatures and the mean temperature in the warmest and the coldest quarters of the year were the major factors affecting spatial distribution of P. melanarius. Visualization of potential range according to RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 6.0 scenarios predicted range reduction by 2050 but its recovery by 2070. According to RCP 8.5 scenario, the range of the species studied will be significantly transformed: by 2070 the range will shift towards the north-west in the continental European states but to the northeast – in the coastal states. By 2070 almost all southern territories of Europe will become unsuitable for P. melanarius survival. The most visible changes will be the shift in range to the north in the eastern part of the European plain. The comfort conditions for P. melanarius decrease in mountain regions including the Alps, Carpathians, Caucasus and Urals. By 2070, the cenotic optimum significantly decreases on the Balkan Peninsula. Thus, a sharp reduction in Southern European and Mediterranean populations is predicted.

Galenic preparations are broadly used against microorganisms pathogenic to humans, thought their poteintial in this aspect is not studied completely. In our in vitro experiment we studied the influence of alcohol tinctures from 38 species of plants on 15 species of bacteria and one species of fungus. Zones of growth inhibition of colonies measuring over 8 mm were observed during the use of ethanol extracts of Maclura pomifera against eight species of microorganisms (Escherichia сoli, Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marcescens, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella typhimurium, Rhodococcus equi, Campylobacter jejuni and Corynebacterium xerosis), Ginkgo biloba – against eight species (Enterococcus faecalis, S. marcescens, Y. enterocolitica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria іnnocua, L. monocytogenes, Р. аeruginosa and C. jejuni), Genista tinctoria – against seven species (E. coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, K. pneumoniae, S. typhimurium, Р. аeruginosa and Rh. equi), Phellodendron amurense – against seven species (E. faecalis, S. marcescens, S. typhimurium, Rh. equi, C. jejunі, C. xerosis and Candida albicans), Berberis vulgaris – against seven species (P. mirabilis, S. marcescens, K. pneumoniae, S. typhimurium, C. jejuni, Р. аeruginosa and C. xerosis), Vitex negundo – against six species (E. faecalis, E. coli, P. mirabilis, K. pneumoniae, S. typhimurium and Rh. equi), Koelreuteria paniculata – against six species (E. faecalis, P. mirabilis, S. marcescens, S. typhimurium, C. jejunі and E. coli), Magnolia kobus – against six species (E. faecalis, E. coli, P. mirabilis, S. marcescens, S. typhimurium, C. jejunі and C. xerosis), Liriodendron tulipifera – against six species (K. pneumoniae, Listeria іnnocua, Р. аeruginosa, C. jejuni, Rh. equi and C. albicans), Clematis flammula – against six species (E. faecalis, P. mirabilis, L. monocytogenes, Р. аeruginosa, C. jejuni and C. xerosis), Wisteria sinensis – against five species (E. coli, S. typhimurium, L. monocytogenes, Rh. equi and C. albicans), Chimonanthus praecox – against five species (E. faecalis, S. marcescens, L. monocytogenes, C. jejuni and Rh. equi), Colchicum autumnale – against five species (S. marcescens, K. pneumoniae, L. ivanovi, L. monocytogenes and Р. аeruginosa). As a result of the study, these plants were found to be the most promising for further study of in vivo antibacterial activity. In the search of antibacterial and antifungal activities, the following plants were observed to be less promising: Ailanthus altissima, Aristolochia manshuriensis, Artemisia absinthium, Callicarpa bodinieri, Campsis radicans, Catalpa duclouxii, Celastrus scandens, Dictamnus alba, Eucommia ulmoides, Geranium sanguineum, Laburnum anagyroides, Nepeta racemosa, Parthenocissus tricuspidata, Polygonatum multiflorum, Prunus dulcis, P. laurocerasus, Ptelea trifoliata, Pteridium aquilinum, Quercus castaneifolia, Q. petraea iberica, Salvia officinalis, Securigera varia, Styphnolobium japonicum, Tamarix elongata and Vitex agnus-castus.

The balance between anti- and prooxidants in animal organisms in general and in each cell in particular is responsible for the regulation of many metabolic processes that provide immunocompetence, growth, development and protection of animals from oxidative stress, related to inflow of cadmium and plumbum. Therefore, the objective of our study was the influence of a liposomal drug based on interferon and milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) on the antioxidative status of the organism of bulls in the conditions of cadmium and plumbum loading. The experiments were performed on six-months-old Black Motley dairy cattle. The fodders in the farm were determined to contain high levels of plumbum and cadmium. The liposomal drug Lipointersyl inhibited the lipid peroxidation processes in the bulls. The drug components promoted the decrease in the level of intermediate and end products of lipid peroxidation, in particular 22% decrease in the level of diene conjugates and 20% decrease in TBA-active products. Intramuscular injection of the liposomal drug to bulls of the experimental group strengthened the antioxidant protection of their organism. On the 30th day of the experiment, blood from experimental group animals was seen to have a 9.8% increase in reduced glutathione. Assay of the enzymatic link of the glutathione system revealed that the activity of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in the blood of the animals that had been injected the liposomal drug Lipointensyl had increased by 24.0% and 27.7% respectively by the 30th day of the experiment. The experiments conducted on young cattle demonstrated that intermuscularly injected the Lipointensyl liposomal drug – against the background of cadmium and plumbum loading – promoted the activation of the glutathione system of antioxidant protection as a result of increase in the activity of its enzymatic and non-enzymatic links. The study of catalase and superoxide dismutase activities revealed that on the 30th and 40th days of the experiment, the activity of those enzymes varied within the physiological norms. Therefore, the analyzed Silybum marianum-based liposomal drug has antioxidant properties, it is recommended for young cattle in the conditions of contamination with heavy metals in order to prevent the development of oxidative stress.

Pest control should be ecologically-based, therefore use of ecologically safe approaches is the best variant. Essential oils of plants can affect the main metabolic, biochemical, physiological and behavioural functions of insects. In the experiment, we evaluated the influence of 20 essential oils on migration activity of imagoes of Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, 1863 in the conditions of a laboratory experiment. Notable repellent activity against T. confusum was exhibited by essential oils of Jasminum officinale and Thuja occidentalis. Essential oils of Zingiber officinale and Cedrus atlantica had an attractant effect on imagoes of T. confusum. Essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis, Melaleuca alternifolia, Lavandula angustifolia and Cinnamomum verum exhibited repellent properties while essential oils of Juniperus communis and Citrus sinensis had an attractant effect on the pests. Therefore, out of 20 studied essential oils, only four samples had notable biological effect on migration activity of T. confusum imagoes. These data indicate the possibility of using essential oils or their main components as ecologically safe natural repellents against pests of stored wheat and products of its processing.

Changes in the viability of the eggs of Ascaris suum under the influence of flavourings and source materials approved for use in and on foods