Relevance. Contarinia nasturtii Keiffer is one of the most dangerous insect pests of Brassicaceae plants dramatically affecting plant yield and seed productivity.Material and Methods. The effect of single foliar application of sodium selenate, ionic form of silicon (Siliplant fertilizer) and garlic extract on the efficiency of Raphanus sativus lobo defense against Contarinia nasturtii infestation was evaluated in condition of greenhouse. Concentrations of the applied reagents were: sodium selenate 26.4 mM; Siliplant – 1 ml/l; garlic extract – 8 g/l. Seed productivity and C. nasturtii infestation levels under Se, Si and garlic extract administration under infestation were determined along with the analysis of plant antioxidant status and sugar content.Results. Foliar application of Siliplant singular or in combination with Se provided the highest seed productivity and mass of 1000 seeds. Plants treated with Si, garlic extract and Si+Se demonstrated lack of C. nasturtii infestation only a week after the preparation supply. Contrary, selenate provided less pronounced defense. Among biochemical parameters tested the values of the total dissolved solids were the highest in plants treated with Se and Se+Si. Changes in the intensity of plant defense due to garlic, Se and Si supply were reflected in the increase of the total phenolic content compared to the values typical for control plants and in a significant accumulation increase of disaccharides, participating in tissue recovery after herbivory attack. Silicon application also provided an increase of selenium accumulation by lobo leaves.

Relevance. Production of functional food with high levels of antioxidant status and selenium is essential for human protection against viral and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer.Methods. Evaluation of the efficiency in foliar sodium selenate biofortification (25. 50 and 75 mg Se/L) was achieved on three chervil genotypes.Results. Intervarietal differences in biofortification level was demonstrated: from 15.5 to 31.1 for 25 mg Se/L dose; from 36.9 to 64.6 for 50 mg Se/L dose; and from 72.9 to 130 for 75 mg Se/L dose. At the chosen doses, selenium supply did not affect significantly the yield, antioxidant properties and photosynthetic content of chervil. Total antioxidant activity was in the range from 30 to 42 mg GAE/g d.w., phenolics content from 9 to 13 mg GAE/g d.w, flavonoids from 5 to 12 mg-eq quercetin/g d.w., ascorbic acid from 33 to 66 mg/100 g fresh w. High levels of carotene were a typical feature of Se fortified and non-fortified chervil. A direct correlation was recorded between phenolics content and total antioxidant activity (r=+0.954, P<0.01), and between water soluble compounds and nitrates accumulation (r=+0.920, P<0.01). Biofortification with selenium did not affect significantly the mineral content of plants. Consumption of 100 g of fresh chervil leaves, fortified with selenium, provides from 50 to 75% of the adequate selenium consumption level and from 16 to 20% of potassium. Taking into account that both selenium and potassium normalize heart activity, the new functional food product may be recommended for prophylactics and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and for the human selenium status optimization.

Evaluation of biochemical characteristics of 8 perennial Allium species is achieved (A. ramosum, A. caeruleum, A. erubescens, A. obliquum, A. moly, A. aflatunense, A. oreophilum and A.ursinum). High nutritional significance of separate decorative species is demonstrated. A. caeruleum is shown to be a leader in the accumulation of ascorbic acid (more than 9000 mg/100 g d.w.) and polyphenols (more than 8000 mg GAE/kg d.v.). Detected ascorbic acid concentration range for 8 studies Allium species was 568 (A. ramosum) – 9980 (A. caerulum) mg/100 g d.w.; polyphenols 1392 (A. obliquum) – 8582 (A. caerulum) mg GAE/kg d.w.; water-soluble compounds 28 (A. aflatunense, A. obliguum) – 69 (A. ramosum) mg/kg d.w.; chlorophyll 0.54 (A.oreophilum) – 1.69 (A. ursinum) mg/100 g d.w.; carotene 0.07 (A. oreophilum) – 0.25 (A.ursinum) mg/100 g d.w.; selenium 72 (A. ursinum) – 245 μg/kg d.w., (A. ramosum). Adequate consumption level of vitamin C may be provides by 6.2 g of A.caerulum leaves. Antioxidant activity of Allium species alcoholic extracts composed a range from 1.5 (A. obliquum) to 6.4 (A. ursinum) mg GAE/g d.w. A. ramosum and A. oreophilum demonstrated the highest content of total soluble solids. The highest content of photosynthetic pigments happened to be typical for A. ursinum. The ratio between antioxidant activity of alcoholic and water extracts of Allium leaves was in the range between 0.89 and 2.21 depending on plant species: the highest value was registered in leaves of A. ursinum, the lowest – in leaves of A. ramosum. In a whole the highest content of antioxidants was demonstrated for leaves of A. caerulum. The highest levels of photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts were indicated in leaves of A. ursinum.

Increase of plants resistance to adverse environmental factors is considered to be the basic factor affecting the production of sustainable yields and high quality of agricultural crops. Anomalously high and low temperatures, water logging and drought, bacterial infections and herbivore attack compose significant risk factors during cultivation of different agricultural crops including tomatoes. In last decades great attention is paid to the possibility of plants protection against oxidative stress via biofortification with selenium. Effect of selenium biofortification in adverse ecological conditions of the Chechen republic (high humidity and low temperature) on yield and biochemical characteristics of two tomatoes varieties (Utro, Krasny Velican) was investigated. Dose of 4 mg Se/sq. m in triple processing during vegetation resulted in 18.9-89.9% increase of fruit yield depending on the cultivar tolerance to cladosporium. For the first time the possibility of selenium utilization in protection of plants against cladosporium was demonstrated. Biofortification of plants with selenium resulted in 1,36-1.41 increase of ascorbic acid content, 1.1 times – of carbohydrates, 1.13- 1.22 times – of titratable acidity, 1.9-1.23 time – of betacarotene, 1.55-1.36 times – of licopene. Taste index of tomato fruit also increased by 10%. 16 Fold fortification level of tomato fruit provides 22-29 % from the adequate selenium consumption level with 300 g of the product.

Selenium accumulation level in basil plants is investigated. A direct correlation between selenium concentration and essential oil content is demonstrated for basil and other aroma plants. No correlation is found between selenium and flavonoids.

Selenium (Se) and iodine (I) are essential elements for humans, and their deficiency is widespread throughout the world. In order to obtain a functional nutritional product with an increased content of these trace elements in the vegetative experiment, foliar biofortification of two chervil varieties with selenium (sodium selenate 10 mg/l) and iodine (potassium iodide 100 mg/l) was carried out without and against the background of the use of silicon-containing fertilizers Siliplant (3 ml/l). The combined and separate application of selenate, iodide and Siliplant increased plants’ biomass. Siliplant utilization increased the accumulation of iodine by 1.7-1.9 times, and selenium supply – by 2.2-3.1 times. A significant increase in ascorbic acid content was provided by the combined supplementation of iodine and selenium (1.25-1.27 times), iodine and silicon (1.46-1.87 times) and joint application of selenium, iodine, and silicon (1.31-1.73 times), while an increase in total antioxidant activity (1.3-1.4 times) was observed for (Se+I) and (Se+I+Si) treatments. High varietal differences in the responsiveness of plants to the selected treatments were manifested, particularly an increase of polyphenols accumulation under separate and joint treatments of chervil with iodine and selenium by 1.26 times in the cultivar 21-20, and the absence of a significant effect in the cultivar 24-20. Taking into account the adequate consumption levels (ACL) of iodine and selenium, 50 g of the resulting functional product can provide up to 79% of iodine ACL and up to 40% in selenium ACL.

Relevance. Evaluation of nutritional value of seeds of agricultural crops is considered to be highly significant for revealing new sources of antioxidants for humans.Material. The aim of the present investigation was antioxidant status and selenium accumulation levels by chicory seeds (13 cultivars) and comparison of the results with antioxidants status of seeds of other root vegetables: celery (5 cultivars), parsley (2 cultivars), parsnip (3 cultivars) and carrot (7 cultivars).Results. Among agricultural crops studied chicory was characterized by 3-4 higher levels of selenium accumulation by seeds and relatively low total antioxidant activity and polyphenol content. Anomalously high protein content in chicory seeds may explain the efficiency of selenium accumulation while relatively low antioxidant activity may be connected with lower levels of essential oil. Direct correlations between polyphenol content and total antioxidant activity were demonstrated for carrot (r=+0.924; P<0.01) and chicory (r= 0.803; P<0.01) seeds.

Relevance. Biofortification of agricultural crops with selenium is considered to be the most promising method for the human selenium status optimization.Methods. Effect of foliar biofortification of cauliflower, Polyarnaya Zvezda cv, with sodium selenate of different concentrations on yield, selenium content and biochemical characteristics of plants were investigated.Results. Enrichment of plants with selenium increased yield by 1.23-1.31 times, sugar content – 1.6 times, ascorbic acid concentration – 1.52-2 times. On the contrary, the treatment did not affect pholyphenol content and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts of plants. Selenium accumulation levels decreased according to inflorescences > leaves > roots. Sodium selenate solution at 75 mg/L concentration increased mass of cauliflower leaves 1.9 times and roots – 1.5 times. Consumption of 100 g of cauliflower fortified with 50 mg/L sodium selenate solution provided 100% of the daily adequate selenium consumption level. Utilization of higher sodium selenate concentrations ensured 127% and 418% of the daily adequate consumption level in case of 75 mg/L and 100 mg/L concentrations respectively. Taking into account insignificant differences between sugar content and antioxidants in cauliflower inflorescences fortified with different doses of selenium the most suitable concentration to be used was 50 mg/L.

Chicory is widely cultivated in many countries of the world due to high nutritional and pharmacological value. The possibility of chicory forcing in winter provides quick production of salad heads, which biochemical characteristics are not fully described. Concentration of sugars, water soluble compounds and antioxidants in roots, leaves and stumps of salad C.intybus Konus cv are studied. Element composition of roots and leaves is obtained using ICP-MS method. The highest amount of water soluble compounds and ascorbic acid was indicated in stumps, while the highest polyphenol concentration was demonstrated in leaves. Antioxidant activity of alcoholic extracts reached maximum in leaves and did not differ between roots and stumps. The ability of Konus variety to hyperaccumulate selenium was revealed for the first time: selenium concentration reached 2800 mcg/kg d.w. in roots and 3800 mcg/kg d.w. in leaves. Konus cv was characterized also by high accumulation of chromium, manganese, molybdenum and iron. Uneven distribution of elements between roots and leaves are demonstrated for all elements except Al, As and Si. Intensive root-leaves transport was revealed for Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Se and Zn and decreased rootleaves flow for B, Cd, Co, Li, Sn, Sr, V and especially Na. One hundred g of fresh leaves provides 22% of the daily adequate consumption levels for Se, 91%- for Cr, 15%- for Mo, 14%- for Fe and 12 % for Mn. The results suppose high prospects of C.intybus Konus cv as a functional food, capable to optimize the human Se and Cr status.

Production of functional food with significant antioxidant and anti-carcinogen activity is considered to be extremely significant in conditions of global ecological crisis. Among Allium species, wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) along with the ordinary garlic are known to be the leaders in accumulation of natural antioxidants and sulfur-containing compounds with strong anti-carcinogen activity. Taking into consideration that Allium species belong to a group of natural accumulators of selenium, foliar biofortification of wild garlic with sodium selenate was achieved in Gudermes region of the Chechen republic. It was demonstrated that fortification of plants with selenium resulted in significant increase of chlorophyll a and b as well as carotene content, and two-fold increase of both polyphenol concentration and total antioxidant activity. Total dose of 2 mg Na2Se04 per square meter provided 14.4-fold increase of selenium content in A. ursinum leaves. Biofortification of plants with selenium resulted in 1.36, 1.28 and 1.38-fold increase of Cr, Fe and V concentration in leaves compared to leaves of non fortified plants. Leaves of A. ursinum fortified with selenium showed anomalously low Si content compared to non fortified plants. Compared to A. ursinum grown in Moscow region, wild garlic of the Chechen republic accumulated 2-fold lower levels of dry matter and 4.8-fold higher levels of monosaccharides. Compared to non fortified garlic leaves, those of A. ursinum demonstrated significantly higher levels of Cu, Fe, Mg и Zn. The results obtained suggest that A. ursinum fortified with selenium may be considered as a new functional food with strong antioxidant activity.