In the research area of healthier meat products a possible trend is to replace high energy density fat in formulations with substances providing less energy than fat. The aim of the producers is to obtain a product having maximum yield with similar or same organoleptic properties and structure like well-known full-fat analogues. Properties of high fat products can be restored with the use of different fat substitutes, non-meat protein, and/or hydrocolloids or starch, owing to their stabilization abilities, fat coating, and water binding, respectively. The review is aimed to summarize the effect of different fat substitutes on the processing quality, textural characteristics, and sensory properties of comminuted meat products with low lipid content.

The article presents the results of the study of biochemical composition of sheep milk in the summer lactation period for 4 sheep breeds. According to research results, 18 amino acids were found in sheep milk. During the summer lactation period, the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, both the Ordabasy breed and the South Kazakh merino exhibit higher levels (ranging from 6349 to 6989) compared to the Kazakh fine-fleeced and meat Merino breeds (ranging from 5835 to 5500). When analyzing sheep milk, a tendency towards a higher content of vitamin A (59.91 μg/100 g) and B6 (73.0 μg/100 g) was noted. The highest calcium content was found in the milk of the Kazakh fine-fleeced sheep, while the lowest was observed in the South Kazakh merino breed. Better milk productivity, along with increased fat and protein content, has been noted in sheep of the Ordabasy and South Kazakh merino breeds.

The article presents the results of studies on rams of the meat breeds Dorper (in the North Kazakhstan and Abai regions) and Suffolk (in the Abai region) when crossed with ewes of the Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool and Edilbay breeds. The aim of the study was to investigate the meat productivity and meat quality of crossbred lambs at the age of 4–4.5 months. Additionally, the morphological composition of the carcasses was determined. It was found that all variants of industrial crossbreeding ensured an improvement in meat productivity indicators compared to purebred animals. In the “Dorper × Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool” cross, an increase in the proportion of lean meat in the carcass (82.7%), the meat yield coefficient (4.68), and a reduction in fat-tail size were observed. The “Dorper × Edilbay” cross provided the highest lean meat yield (82.9%) and meat yield coefficient (4.86), as well as an improvement in carcass marketability due to the uniform distribution of fat. The use of Suffolk rams on Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool ewes led to an increase in carcass yield, lean meat content (81.2%), meat yield coefficient (4.32), and the absence of a fat-tail. The results confirm that industrial crossbreeding with Dorper and Suffolk rams effectively enhances the meat traits of the offspring, improves the commercial characteristics of the carcasses, and contributes to increased economic efficiency of mutton production.

В статье представлены результаты исследования ферментативной активности зародышей и посевных качеств семян нута (Cicer arietinum L.) и гороха (Pisum sativum L.), возделываемых в условиях Республики Казахстан. Изучены показатели активности основных дыхательных ферментов – дегидрогеназ, каталазы и пероксидазы, а также их влияние на энергию прорастания и всхожесть семян. Выявлены значительные межвидовые различия: семена гороха отличались более высокой ферментативной активностью (98,5 %), что коррелировало с увеличением энергии прорастания (r = 0,89). Разработана модель прогнозирования всхожести на основе ферментативных показателей: Всхожесть = 0,95 × Активность + 5,2 (R² = 0,92). Полученные результаты подтверждают возможность использования тетразолиевого теста как экспресс-метода оценки жизнеспособности семян и представляют практическую ценность для семеноводства и переработки зернобобовых культур.

Traditional Suzbe is a fermented dairy product widely prepared at the household level in Kazakhstan, but the composition and functional potential of its microbiota remain poorly characterized. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the microbial communities of 20 traditional Suzbe samples collected from five geographically distinct regions of Kazakhstan. Lactic acid bacteria dominated the microbial communities, with annotations assigned to Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus cremoris, and Streptococcus thermophilus present in all samples. Alpha diversity did not differ significantly among the five regions, and PERMANOVA did not detect statistically significant regional differences in overall microbial community composition (R² = 0.253, p = 0.216). Nevertheless, LEfSe analysis identified several region-associated taxa, mainly among less abundant members of the microbiota. Functional annotation using the KEGG database showed that carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, cofactor and vitamin metabolism, and membrane transport were among the major functional categories. Functional PERMANOVA did not detect statistically significant regional differences in overall functional composition (R² = 0.249, p = 0.276), although several metabolic pathways differed in relative abundance. Overall, the sampled Suzbe microbiomes were dominated by lactic acid bacteria, with several species detected in all samples and major functional categories detected across regions. Region-associated differences were identified among specific taxa and metabolic pathways; the nonsignificant PERMANOVA results do not establish taxonomic or functional conservation. This study provides new metagenomic data on traditional Suzbe and contributes to a better understanding of fermented dairy microbiota in Central Asia.

This study presents the results of evaluating the meat productivity of crossbred ram lambs obtained through industrial crossbreeding of ewes of the Kazakh meat-wool and Kazakh fine-wool breeds with rams of the Ile de France, Romney Marsh, and Hampshire breeds. The primary objectives of the research were to assess the growth and development of crossbred lambs, evaluate the slaughter and meat characteristics of first-generation (F1) crossbreds, and analyze the effectiveness of different mating and crossbreeding combinations based on key productive traits. The dynamics of live weight from birth to 2-2.5 and 3.5-4 months of age were studied, and average daily gain was calculated. To determine slaughter and meat characteristics, ram lambs from experimental and control groups were slaughtered at 3.5-4 months of age, and economic performance indicators were estimated. The results indicate that crossbreeding schemes involving stud rams of the Ile de France and Hampshire breeds were the most promising. Increased meat production can be achieved through marketing lambs within the year of birth, thereby reducing production costs and improving the profitability of sheep farming. Accordingly, studies focused on meat productivity are of considerable scientific and practical importance.