The group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are particularly dangerous for the environment and by consequence for human health because of the risk to be transmitted in the food chain. Among them, the urgent problem of obsolete and forbidden organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) needs a rigorous management in many countries, including Kazakhstan. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of pesticides content in food products on the genetic status and health of the population living on the contaminated areas near destroyed warehouses for OCPs (4 villages of Talgar district and 1 control site, Almaty region). The food products sampled in Taukaraturyk (control site), and in 4 villages where non-utilized obsolete pesticides were discovered: Beskainar, Kyzylkairat, Amangeldy, and Belbulak. The contents of 24 pesticides in food products from plant (apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers) and animal (beef meat, cow milk, honey) origin, that grown in places of localization of non-utilized OCPs, were determined, sometimes in high and unacceptably high concentrations (before 2500 times over MRL). In pears, the pesticides content (especially DDT, γ-HCH, β-HCH, endosulfan, and aldrin pesticide group), was higher than in other fruits. Among vegetables, the highest levels of all groups of pesticide were found in cucumbers. Beef meat samples demonstrated increased contents of β-HCH, γ-HCH, endrin and dieldrin. In cow milk samples only the high concentration of dieldrin was found. The content of pesticides in meat was 4-5 times higher than in milk. The medical examinations, carried out among the cohorts living around the polluted by pesticides territories and control cohort from ecologically favorable village, showed that there were more individuals with high and middle levels of somatic health in the control group than in groups exposed to OCPs. The long-term effect of the pesticide contamination of the environment on genetic status of the population was assessed by chromosomal aberration (CA) frequencies. The highest level of chromosomal aberrations was identified for the examined residents of Kyzylkairat (41%) and Belbulak (38%), a high level in Amangeldy (12%), and middle level in Beskainar (6.5%). The association between the CA frequency, health status and the pesticides contents in food were assessed by a Spearman rank correlation. The low indicators of somatic health status were strictly associated with high levels of CA, and good health status indicates that the CA rates did not exceed the spontaneous level of mutagenesis. The strongest correlation was shown between high levels of chromosomal aberrations and the content of different pesticides in pears (Cr = 0.979-0.467), tomatoes (Cr = 0.877-0.476), cucumbers (Cr = 0.975-0.553) and meat (Cr = 0.839-0.368). The obtained results highlight the need to improve health protection by increasing the public awareness to the security of the storage of obsolete OCPs in order to strengthen food safety by efficient control services.

The current study investigated the impact of cold stress on the morphological, physiological, and phytochemical properties of Juglans regia L. (J. regia) using in vitro microclone cultures. The study revealed significant stress-induced changes in the production of secondary antioxidant metabolites. According to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses, the stress conditions profoundly altered the metabolism of J. regia microclones. Although the overall spectrum of metabolites was reduced, the production of key secondary antioxidant metabolites significantly increased. Notably, there was a sevenfold (7×) increase in juglone concentration. These findings are crucial for advancing walnut metabolomics and enhancing our understanding of plant responses to abiotic stress factors. Additionally, study results aid in identifying the role of individual metabolites in these processes, which is essential for developing strategies to improve plant resilience and tolerance to adverse conditions.

The long-term storage of unutilized pesticides raised new problems of long-term environmental contamination. The study presents the results of surveying 151 individuals in 7 villages living close to pesticide-contaminated localities. All individuals have been surveyed concerning their consumption habits and lifestyle characteristics. An assessment of the general exposure risks of the local population was carried out using the analysis of pollutants in food products and the average levels of their consumption in the region. The cohort risk evaluation revealed that the greatest risk was associated with the regular consumption of cucumbers, pears, bell peppers, meat, and milk. The new model to estimate individual risks of long-term pesticide pollution was proposed as a calculation of the combined action of 9 risk factors, including individual genotypes, age, lifestyle, and personal pesticide consumption rates. The analysis of the predictive ability of this model showed that the final score for individual health risks corresponded to the development of chronic diseases. A high level of chromosomal aberrations was evidenced for individual genetic risk manifestations. The combined influence of all risk factors revealed contributions of 24.7% for health status and 14.2% for genetic status, while other impacts go to all unaccounted factors.

The article presents the results of studying the effect of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the efficiency of micropropagation of valuable woody plants. Commercial use of micropropagation requires optimization of various parameters, including light quality and lighting regime. Nowadays, LED have become an alternative source of illumination for plant tissue culture, including woody plants. Recently, along with medicinal herbaceous plants, tree crops have also become widely used as a source of various pharmaceuticals. Therefore, it is promising to optimize the technology of micropropagation for the rapid and massive production of valuable woody plants. The current research focused on analysing the effects of different LEDs on Paulownia sp. micropropagation: white (W), red (R), blue (B), mixed red and blue (R:B), and the Fitotron climate chamber. The fluorescent light was used as a control. Micropropagation efficiency was evaluated using the following parameters: height, number of axillary buds, length of internodes, number and length of roots, and photosynthetic pigment content. P. tomentosa produced the greatest number of roots under R LEDs, while hybrid Paulownia Sieb.Zucc. × Elongata - under W and R LEDs. In hybrid Paulownia Sieb.Zucc. × Elongata, the most intense leaf and internode formation was observed under R:B and R LEDs. The content of chlorophyll a and b in P. tomentosa leaves was significantly higher under R LED, while in HP leaves - under B LED. The obtained results are an important contribution to the commercial use of Paulownia and other valuable woody plants for mass production of plant material with biologically active properties.

Paulownia sp. are tall and fast-growing perennial plants that grow faster than all woody plants in the world. In many countries, Paulownia sp. are used as a raw material in bioenergy, furniture industry, landscape gardening and technologies for phytoremediation. In this study for the first time in Kazakhstan, conditions of Paulownia tomentosa (P. tomentosa) in vitro cultivation and propagation have been optimized, also the factors influencing the morphogenetic activity of primary explants have been studied. Along with the adaptation potential of Paulownia tomentosa microclones to the ex situ conditions, laboratory standing order for microclonal reproduction have been evaluated. For sterilization of P. tomentosa explants are recommended to use 50% domestos and 0.1% merthiolate. Hormone-free WPM medium was considered as the most optimal for the in vitro propagation. Infrared light is highly recommended for P. tomentosa microclones adaptation, due to its ability to stimulate the formation plants aboveground biomass and root system. For Kazakhstan, the research of this type of tree crops is a relevant, new and promising direction. The development of microclonal propagation of Paulownia tomentosa will accelerate the process of introduction of Paulownia in our Republic.

This review collects and analyses information about modern liver models used in toxicological studies from 2015 to January 2026. Currently, human liver models are increasingly being improved and various approaches being explored, including the selection of different cell types and advanced cultivation methods, to more accurately simulate the in vivo liver environment to replace animal models. These new methods are increasing the complexity of in vitro systems. However, the complex liver models currently available are not yet a complete replacement for animal models and does not have all the characteristics of the liver. Since many models undergo phenotypic changes during prolonged cultivation, this limits their suitability for long-term studies of repeated administration toxicity. Moreover, they have limited suitability, lack of vascularization, labour demanding and expensive. However, compared to early 2D hepatocyte cultures, these modern systems demonstrate significantly improved prediction accuracy and physiological relevance. With continued development, it may be possible to create models capable of tracking the occurrence, progression, and potential reversibility of liver drug toxicity. Key words: liver cells, HepG2, HepaRG, 2D culture, 3D culture, toxicology