Culinary traditions, food, and eating habits in Russia

The national cuisine is an integral part of every national culture and depends on such factors as the geographical location of the country, its climatic conditions, and the history, religion, and traditions that people have developed over many centuries. In the vast expanses from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south, from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, live the Russians-a nation united in language, culture, and way of life. Russian cuisine is unique in many ways, it includes a whole range ofproducts that are not typical of other national cuisines, including buckwheat, sour milk, and cavia

Effect of immune drugs to treat acute viral nasopharyngitis

The task in treating acute nasopharyngitis (ANP) deals with reducing the disease symptoms and the risk of complications. The lack of reliable antiviral drugs makes it important to search for appropriate medicines among other pharmacotherapeutic groups.The study involves a comparative analysis of the efficiency and estimates potential: the recombinant interferon α2b and the compound containing fungal β-D-glucans used in treat ANPThe studies involved patients with ANP from 18 to 55 years old. As many as 152 people were examined including the following: 38 were practically healthy people (group 1); and 114 patients wuth ANP: 38 people (group 2) was subject to a standard therapy (vasoconstrictor nasal drops, nasal cavity irrigation using 0.1% Miramistine solution, gargling using the Furacilin solution); forty people (group 3) were administered application of intranasal interferon α2b of 105 IU, it was delivered with a spray into each nasal passage twice a day; 36 people (group 4) were administered an immunotropic drug containing β-D-glucans orally twice a day. The duration of drug administration lasted 7 days. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the ANP etiological factor. Concentrations of cytokines IL-1β, IL-1ra were estimated using enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) technique. Clinical efficiency was assessed through score approach. The following symptoms were taken into account: general malaise, sore throat, character of nasal discharge, and the difficulty of nasal breathing. The results of the study were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric statistical methods. In 60.0% the nasal secretions of patients revealed RV. The distribution of cytokine concentrations in nasal secretions in group 1 indicated that the concentration of IL-1β was in the range of 20.0-25.0 pg/ml, and the concentration of IL-1ra was about 1250.0-2500.0 pg/ml. Developing ANP stimulated an increase in IL-1β concentration up to 30.0-70.0 pg/ml in nasal secretions of patients without affecting IL-1ra concentrations. On day 7 of treatment, the cytokine concentrations among the patients treated using the immunotropic drugs were the same as in the group of healthy individuals. There were no significant changes in cytokine production on day 7 in the group of patients undergoing the standard treatment. Application of proposed immunobiological medicines to ANP does not result in overproduction of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β in nasal secretion. This confirms that these drugs are promising in the treating strategy including reduction of the risk of developing complications

Potential of mushroom bioactive compounds for use in pharmacology

Mushrooms contain many different biologically active compounds. The immunomodulatory action of mushroom β-glucans has been shown. Native liquids of mushroom cultivation can be sources of different valuable enzymes with significant potential for use in medicine and pharmacology

INFLUENCE OF PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS β-GLUCANS ON THE GROWTH AND ACTIVITY OF CERTAIN LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

Over the last few decades, polysaccharides of fungi, namely beta-glucans captivated researchers' attention for they hold many significant properties; the most important ones are immunomodulating and antitumor properties. Although, beta-glucans are widely represented in nature, the most biologically active form of beta-glucans is beta-1,3 / 1,6-glucan. Most often, this type of beta-glucans is found in some yeast, bacteria, and mycelial fungi. Thus, in recent years, fungi have been the focus of scientists around the world as a source of biologically active compounds with beneficial effects on human health. Some fungi and derived from them biologically active substances were included in the product group, defined as "functional foods", i.e. as food, whose health benefits were documented by scientific research and whose beneficial effects can not be attributed only to the availability of nutrients. The use of functional foods containing beta-glucans leaves no doubt. With the aim of imparting new properties to functional fermented products by introducing into their composition beta-glucans of fungal origin, the effect of water-soluble beta-glucans obtained from the deep mycelium of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on the activity of lactobacillus bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus salivarius subsp., thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus)