Probiotic bacteria exhibiting antagonistic activities against pathogenic bacteria are widely considered as potential options for the prevention and treatment of various infectious diseases and represent potential substitutes of antibiotics. Here we show that the L. plantarum AG10 strain represses the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in vitro and diminishes their negative effects in vivo in a Drosophila melanogaster model of survival on embryonic (larvae) and pupa stages. In an agar drop diffusion test, L. plantarum AG10 exhibited antagonistic properties against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and repressed the growth of E. coli and S. aureus during milk fermentation. In a Drosophila melanogaster model, L. plantarum AG10 alone did not provide any significant effect, either during the embryonic stage or during further development of the flies. Despite this, it was able to restore the viability of groups infected with either E. coli and S. aureus, almost to the level of non-treated control at all stages of development (larvae, pupa and adult). Moreover, in the presence of L. plantarum AG10, pathogens-induced mutation rates and recombination events reduced 1.5–2-fold. The genome of L. plantarum AG10 was sequenced and deposited at NCBI under the accession number PRJNA953814 and consists of annotated genome and raw sequence data. It consists of 109 contigs and is 3,479,919 bp in length with a GC content of 44.5%. The analysis of the genome has revealed considerably few putative virulence factors and three genes responsible for the biosynthesis of putative antimicrobial peptides, with one of them exhibiting a high probability of antimicrobial properties. Taken together, these data allow the suggestion that the L. plantarum AG10 strain is promising for use in both dairy production and probiotics as a preservative from foodborne infections.

The main objective was to evaluate the biological effects of color-grain varieties of soft spring wheat of Tatar selection (Nadira – purple-grain, Khazine – yellow-grain) on living organisms using in vitro and in vivo models, including Drosophila melanogaster . The experiments demonstrated that addition of Nadir and Hazine extracts to the substrate for Drosophila larvae significantly increased viability. Thus, when Nadir extract was added at a concentration of 10%, the mean survival rates of females and males were, respectively, 60.5% and 59.5% compared to 40.25% and 39% in the control (p<0.0001). Similarly, when applying 10% Hazine extract, the levels of 55% and 55.75%, respectively, were recorded. DNA-comet assay revealed a 20–25% reduction in oxidative DNA damage with the extracts applied, which correlated with the high content of anthocyanins (Nadira) and carotenoids (Hazineh). PCR data confirmed a decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes ( Drosocin, Defensin ) in the grain supplemented groups: Drosocin levels decreased from 2.36 to 0.13 (Hazine 5%), Defensin from 2.29 to 0.28 (p<0.05). The Drosophila fecundity was increased by 18–27% using 5% concentrations, and pupal stage mortality was reduced by 30–45% (p<0.01). The results obtained are consistent with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of bioflavonoids, which are known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The study confirms the potential of using colored-grain wheat in the production of functional foods that meet the requirements of the Doctrine of Food Security of the Russian Federation. The development of varieties with increased content of anthocyanins and carotenoids, as well as optimization of processing technologies (e.g., the use of starter to preserve pigments) will extend the range of healthy products such as bread, pasta and cereals, contributing to the health of the population.

Influence of age of parents and duration of starvation on egg production and demonstration of embryonic mortality at different stages of egg development has been studied. It is shown that, with...

Background. Brown rust of bread wheat caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks. is one of the most harmful diseases in the temperate climate of the Russian Federation, causing significant crop losses and reducing grain quality. In this regard, an urgent task is to assess the resistance of wheat cultivars and the diversity of Lr genes in Tatarstan. Of greatest interest are the genes Lr9 , Lr19 , Lr24 , Lr26 , Lr34 , Lr37/Yr17/Sr38 and Lr46 , which provide resistance at various stages of plant development. The aim of the study was to comprehensively assess the brown rust resistance in spring bread wheat cultivars bred in Tatarstan using field and molecular genetic methods. Materials and methods. The resistance of 15 cultivars of bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) was assessed in 2023-2025 by the degree of damage to the flag and pre-flag leaves in field conditions at the experiment base of the Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture of the Kazan Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Resistance genes were identified using diagnostic DNA markers associated with six Lr genes. Results and discussion. The most resistant cultivars in field conditions were ‘Nastavnik’, ‘Khazine’ and ‘Chistopol’skaya’ characterized by the presence of combinations Lr9+Lr24+Lr46 , Lr19+Lr24 and Lr9+Lr24+Lr34 , respectively. The cultivars ‘Al’ Varis’, ‘Balkysh’, ‘Bulyak’ and ‘Sakara’ had an average level of resistance (resistance index 0.4-0.6) in the epiphytotic year. It has been shown that high and long-term resistance is formed due to a combination of race-specific and age-related genes. The data obtained indicate differences in the informativeness and specificity of molecular markers used to assess the resistance of cultivars. Conclusions. The manifestation of resistance in field conditions is determined by the genetic background of the cultivars, agroclimatic conditions and the race composition of the pathogen. The results of the study can be used for the targeted selection of source material and the implementation of a strategy for pyramiding resistance genes in spring wheat breeding programs.

A comparative analysis of parental age-associated changes in the reproductive function and embryonic development has been performed for offspring of D. melanogaster imagoes of mutant ( w CS1 and w Or1...