The aim of this work was to study the possibility of using medicinal plants in combination with salt-containing raw materials from the Aral Sea region for cosmetic purposes. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of salts occurring in this region were studied for pharmacological and cosmetic purposes. The salt-containing raw materials were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microflora of saline-containing raw materials and flora of the Zhaksy-Klych lake were studied. Fifty-six plant species were identified, of which 25% belong to the Asteraceae family, 32% were Poaceae, 22% were Amaranthaceae, and 21% were Tamaricaceae. Using the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, the composition of volatile compounds in such plant species as Artemisia alba L., Achilleamillifolium L., Eleagus commutate Bernh. Ex Rydb., Psoraleadrupacea Bunge, Artemisia cipa O. Vegd., Thymus vulgaris L., Morus alba L., Salvia pratensis L., Glycyrhizaglabra L., Tanacetum vulgare L., Polygonumaviculare L., Alhagipseudoalhagi Gagnebin and Peganumharmala L., chosen on the basis of their herbal components for future cosmetic products, was determined. In total, 187 different volatile compounds were found in the endemic plant species Glycyrrhizaglabra L., of which the following were dominant: 1,7-octadiene-3-, 2,6-dimethyl- with a peak area of 4.71%; caryophyllenes; bicyclo[7.2.0]4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-, [1R-(1R*,4E,9S*)]—3.70%; bicyclo[2.2.1] heptane-2-1,7,7-trimethyl-,(1S)—3.46%; cyclohexanone, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyledene)-; 2-isopropyledene-5—2.97%; menthol; cyclohexanol, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-; p-menthane-3-ol; menthol alcohol; and 2-isopropyl-5—2.08%. The remaining compounds were detected in amounts of less than 2.0%. Tests of seven cosmetic compositions developed on the basis of plant extracts and salt-containing raw materials revealed that three samples had a moisturizing effect. Launching the production of cosmetic products in the Aral region will not only reduce social tensions but also significantly improve the environmental situation in the region.

The ecological state of the Aral Sea remains an important issue affecting the overall state of the ecosystem in the region. Despite the fact that the state of the northern part of the sea or the Small Aral Sea can be described as stable, the southern part of the former sea continues to degrade....

Cold stress significantly challenges agricultural productivity, particularly in regions susceptible to low temperatures. In response to this challenge, the current study investigates the effects of over-expressing the ICE1 gene in rice plants on cold tolerance. Through constructing the pCAMBIA3301-ICE1 vector, transgenic rice lines with increased ICE1 expression were generated and investigated for their response to chilling stress. Upon subjecting the transgenic rice plants to chilling stress conditions, notable improvements were observed compared to wild-type (WT) plants. Specifically, the transgenic lines exhibited a substantial 62% reduction in visual damage severity, highlighting their enhanced resilience to cold-induced damage. Additionally, the transgenic lines showed a significant 30% increase in proline concentrations, indicative of enhanced stress tolerance mechanisms. Further analyses revealed a 50% reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and a 38% increase in peroxidase (POX) activity in the transgenic rice plants compared to the WT plants. These findings suggest improved antioxidant defense mechanisms and reduced oxidative damage, contributing to the overall cold stress tolerance of the transgenic lines. Interestingly, differential expression patterns of the ICE1 gene were observed between the leaves and roots of the transgenic plants under cold stress. Roots consistently exhibited higher levels of ICE1 expression, highlighting potential organ-specific responses to cold stress. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that over-expression of the ICE1 gene significantly enhances cold stress tolerance in rice plants; offering promising avenues for developing stress-resistant crop varieties that can better withstand the adverse effects of chilling stress on agricultural production.

Reprocessing historical lead–zinc (Pb–Zn) slag offers a circular-economy pathway for secondary metal recovery, yet it can remobilize legacy contaminants where containment is inadequate, transferring risk to the surrounding land. Sustainable management of such sites requires frameworks that link contamination assessment to actionable remediation. We integrated ICP-OES geochemistry, native-plant biomonitoring, and US EPA RAGS-based risk modeling at an active Pb–Zn slag reprocessing site in Shymkent, Southern Kazakhstan. Twenty-four soil samples along four cardinal transects, two reference samples, and four composite plant samples (Centaurea pseudosquarrosa + Plantago lanceolata) were analyzed for ten metals by ICP-OES. UCC-referenced indices classified six metals as geoaccumulation Class 6 at most points (enrichment factors up to 90,871, confirming an exclusively anthropogenic origin). Peak concentrations reached 9350 mg·kg⁻¹ Pb, 290 mg·kg⁻¹ Cd, and 10,900 mg·kg⁻¹ As—exceeding Kazakhstan MPC by 72×, 290×, and 5450×. Worst-case carcinogenic risk reached 4.3 × 10⁻³ (43× above the US EPA threshold), driven almost entirely by arsenic (93%); ecosystem risk (RCR_total = 223) was dominated by cadmium (43%), arsenic (27%), and mercury (16%)—a disconnect between mass-based and toxicity-based prioritization. On this basis we propose a three-tier remediation framework (engineered containment, phytostabilization, monitored attenuation) that couples resource recovery with contamination control, is transferable to analogous Pb–Zn legacy sites, and supports sustainable land use, urban resilience, and responsible secondary-resource use.

Reprocessing historical lead–zinc (Pb–Zn) slag offers a circular-economy pathway for secondary metal recovery, yet it can remobilize legacy contaminants where con-tainment is inadequate, transferring risk to the surrounding land. Sustainable man-agement of such sites requires frameworks that link contamination assessment to ac-tionable remediation. We integrated ICP-OES geochemistry, native-plant biomonitor-ing, and US EPA RAGS-based risk modeling at an active Pb–Zn slag reprocessing site in Shymkent, Southern Kazakhstan. Twenty-four soil samples along four cardinal transects, two reference samples, and four composite plant samples (Centaurea pseu-dosquarrosa + Plantago lanceolata) were analyzed for ten metals by ICP-OES. UCC-referenced indices classified six metals as geoaccumulation Class 6 at most points (enrichment factors up to 90,871, confirming an exclusively anthropogenic origin). Peak concentrations reached 9,350 mg·kg⁻¹ Pb, 290 mg·kg⁻¹ Cd, and 10,900 mg·kg⁻¹ As — exceeding Kazakhstan MPC by 72×, 290×, and 5,450×. Worst-case carcinogenic risk reached 4.3 × 10⁻³ (43× above the US EPA threshold), driven almost entirely by arsenic (93%); ecosystem risk (RCRtotal = 223) was dominated by cadmium (43%), arsenic (27%), and mercury (16%) — a disconnect between mass-based and toxicity-based prioritiza-tion. On this basis we propose a three-tier remediation framework (engineered con-tainment, phytostabilization, monitored attenuation) that couples resource recovery with contamination control, is transferable to analogous Pb–Zn legacy sites, and sup-ports sustainable land use, urban resilience, and responsible secondary-resource use.

More than five thousand plant species thrive in various zones across Kazakhstan, representing a rich botanical diversity. Unfortunately, numerous plant species are becoming increasingly rare, and some are even threatened with extinction. The significance of utilizing medicinal plants has increased immeasurably in recent decades. The rational combination of medicinal plants holds the potential to expand therapeutic possibilities. However, the future use of medicinal plants may face significant limitations due to the overarching issue of diminishing biodiversity. While efforts to address biodiversity conservation predominantly focus on safeguarding species richness, the intraspecific variability of plants, crucial for population-level adaptation in transforming environments, remains inadequately explored. Particularly, the use of informative methods to study this variability has not received sufficient attention. Theoretical exploration of the population approach to conserving medicinal plant resources is lacking, exacerbated by a scarcity of experimental data in this domain, underscoring the relevance of this research. In light of the aforementioned challenges, it becomes evident that studying red-listed plants is pertinent not only in the context of Kazakhstan but also on a global scale. In this context, our research allowed investigate Arum Korolkov (Arum korolkowii Regel), a red-listed medicinal plant species found in the territories of Kazakhstan.