Introduction: Abstract is a system-defining element of a research article. Moreover, the further visibility of the article depends on its quality. Uninformative abstracts also reduce the visibility of the article, destabilize its dissemination.  Despite the structural transparency of the abstract, the art of its composition requires some special skills.

The purpose of this editorial is to acquaint authors with strategies for constructing a research article abstract and ways to optimize it.

Materials and methods: Having analyzed the literature on the topic, the authors presented and illustrated a description of an optimal structure of a research article abstract for journals in the field of agriculture and biological sciences. Further, this structure was traced on the examples of abstracts of already published articles with comments on their strengths and weaknesses.

Results and their application: The stages of writing a research article abstract in agricultural and biological sciences are presented. The advantage of a structured abstract which reflects information about the relevance, scope and methodology of the study, the main results and conclusions is analyzed. The examples presented in this editorial will help authors optimize the abstracts of their research articles, make them visible in literature databases and increase the citation of their work.

Introduction. Currently, the popularity of various restrictive diets tends to increase in most countries of the world. Today, more and more children do not eat whole food groups for various reasons. At the same time, in some cases, these are products that contain the necessary micro- and macronutrients for the development of the child.

The purpose of this article is to study the impact of restrictive diets on a child's health based on data from a number of clinical studies.

Materials and methods. The data of modern scientific literature, consensus papers and international recommendations on the impact of restrictive diets on human health were analyzed.

Results and conclusion. The article presents current information on the impact of long-term adherence to restrictive diets on a child's health. The greatest attention is paid to vegetarianism, its varieties and a long-term dairy-free diet in young children. Possible deficiency states are indicated if these diets are observed. The opinions of various consensus papers of the associations of nutritionists of some countries on the possibility of observing vegetarianism at different age periods, and especially in children and women during pregnancy and lactation, are presented. Possible ways to improve the effectiveness of restrictive diets in childhood are highlighted.

Introduction. Currently, there is a large number of antibacterial medications for the treatment of infectious diseases on the pharmaceutical market. Fluoroquinolones, being an important group among these medications, have a wide spectrum of action and are active against multiresistant bacteria, one of which is ofloxacin. Ofloxacin is characterized by low solubility and belongs to the second class according to the biopharmaceutical classification of medications, so it is advisable to use the method of introducing it into solid carriers to increase bioavailability. 

Purpose of the article is to describe methods for obtaining new dosage forms of ofloxacin with increased bioavailability. 

Materials and methods: Having analyzed the literature on the topic, the authors presented a brief description of the methods and techniques for the manufacture of solid dispersions with this active substance. 

Results and conclusion: The effect of other excipients, such as surfactants, on the release of the medication from the formulation has been described. The physicochemical and biopharmaceutical methods that can be used to establish the quality of the newly developed dosage form of ofloxacin are reflected. Using the methods described in the article, it is possible to create a new dosage form of ofloxacin with improved biopharmaceutical performance in relation to existing medications on the market. This method will allow the creation of a prolonged drug with fewer side effects and more profitable in economic terms.

Introduction. Given the increasing requirements of consumers for the quality of fruits, and food enterprises for processed raw materials, the search for varieties of garden crops with a rich supply of food substances in fruits remains an urgent problem. Cherries (Prunus avium L.) are one of the most popular fruit plants in many countries of the world. 

Purpose of the article is to assess the nutritional value of the fruits of 12 introduced varieties of cherries grown in the agroecological conditions of the foothill fruit zone of Dagestan is given in order to identify among them varieties that differ in their greatest ability to accumulate soluble dry substances, sugars, tar acids and vitamin C. 

Materials and methods. The composition and content of these food substances in cherries were studied by conventional analysis methods. The identified differences in the biochemical composition of the studied fruits, depending mainly on the variety, made it possible to assess their nutritional value and functional orientation. The varieties Valery Chkalov, Hebros, Lambert Compact and Merton Bigarro were distinguished by a high concentration of soluble dry substances (14.5-15.2%). 

Results and conclusion. The best saccharinity (11.82-12.81%) was determined in varieties - Merton Bigarro, Sofiiska Hrushalka, Lambert Compact and Hebros. Hudson, Kosmicheskaya and Hebros varieties distinguished themselves with a good ability to synthesize titrated acids (0.85-0.90%). In the varieties Lambert Compact, Sofiiska Hrushalka, Hudson and Hebros, significant mass concentrations of vitamin C (8.38-8.84 mg%) were determined. The fruits of all studied varieties of cherries can be considered food of functional orientation, since their consumption in the amount of 250 g satisfies the daily human need for vitamin C by 16.5 (Kosmicheskaya variety) - 22.1% (Hebros variety). Among the cherry varieties studied, among the most promising, distinguished by the best ability to accumulate natural nutrients, are Hudson, Lambert Compact, Sofiiska Hrushalka and Hebros. They can be recommended for further successful use in production and selection work in order to optimize the industrial variety of cherries and solve the problem of import substitution of providing the country's population with high-quality fruits.

The article provides an overview of the world experience in obtaining and food use of the oil of Argania spinosa. The relationship between technological methods of oil extraction and purification and the composition of its biologically active components: polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, sterols, phenolic compounds is considered. The main directions of the usage of argan oil in dietary nutrition are analyzed and the results of international clinical studies based on the inclusion of argan oil in diet therapy for metabolic disorders and psycho-neurological disorders of various nature are summarized. The effectiveness of argan oil components in gene expression and remodulation of steroid and hormone metabolism has been noted. It has been shown that, with regular inclusion in the diet, the components of argan oil provide choleretic, cardio-, hepato- and chemoprotective effects, exhibit neuroprotective effects in relation to the causes of cognitive impairments and neuropsychiatric disorders. Along with the high nutritional value of argan oil, the geographical area of growth of Argania spinosa is very limited, the species does not lend itself well to introduction, which is the leading reason for the overestimated market value of the oil, its falsification and the limited circle of real consumers. In this regard, it is advisable to search for technological solutions that make it possible to include argan oil in the diet of a larger number of consumers and, at the same time, make the very idea of falsifying this product senseless. Such a solution, according to the authors of the article, can be achieved by scientifically grounded combination of argan oil with other edible vegetable oils that have a different composition of fatty acids and associated biologically active components. Promising directions for blending vegetable oils are proposed.

Introduction: Starch is widely used in the food industry and biotechnology, including for manufacturing food packaging materials. Native starches from various sources exist in the form of three polymorphic modifications (A-, B- and C-types) differing in their crystal structure, which has an indirect effect on their physicochemical and technological properties.

Purpose: To properly and efficiently use starch as a raw material for biotechnology, one needs to preliminarily identify its polymorphic modification and crystallinity, as well as detect and discard adulterants or substandard raw materials. X-ray diffraction is suggested to be a rapid and accurate method for solving the outlined problems.

Methods: In this study, properties of commercial starch from various plant sources (corn, rice, wheat, potatoes, peas, and tapioca) were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.

Results and conclusion: Starch of some brands was shown to be adulterated: the more expensive potato starch was replaced with cheaper corn starch. The crystallinity indices were determined for all the selected samples; the crystal structure of corn starch was found to be most highly ordered. Contrariwise, the C-type pea starch was characterized by the lowest degree of crystal structure ordering. The findings obtained in this study show that it is necessary to preliminarily determine the source of starch in order to identify its polymorphic modification, as well as physical and chemical properties by X-ray diffraction. This information will be demanded for developing the new types of functional foods and reproducing the currently used biotechnologies.