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Organic agriculture, as a holistic system, aims to maximize the productivity of agricultural sector by integrating tradition, innovation and science, helping to improve the quality of agrifood products reaching the market. One of the most rapidly evolving sectors in the EU is the organic manufacturing industry. Due to the increased interest of consumers it has had a significant increase in the last decade. This paper offers a detailed perspective on organic agriculture in Romania in the context of current European development. We present essential information about the organic sector, current legislation and market data, at national and European level. Official data show that organic agriculture has registered an increase in plant and animal production in recent years in Romania. Although it represents a small part of the cultivated area and total production, organic agriculture is attracting attention due to the principles of sustainable development and the associated economic opportunities.

Abstract

Designing efficient and sustainable pathways for ensuring the transition to a circular economy is one of the main challenges to which an answer must be found, regardless of the economic sector, activity field or geographic area of interest. In order to improve the planet natural resource conservation systems, the main representative institutions and policy makers have implemented a series of strategies and directives, all over the world. From a simple crossing through relevant documents, assumed at global level such as: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, United Nations 2015, regional level: The New Circular Economy Action Plan, EC 2020 or national level: Recovery and Resilience Plan of Romania, 2023, the main common denominator it can be identified- focusing on finding the optimal balance between the environmental resources rational exploitation, protection and developing competitive economy systems. The bioeconomy involves the use of renewable biomass, including raw material obtained from different categories of secondary products, for the production of finished products in the economy. Interest in the bioeconomy has grown over the last decade, and this study analyses the potential of biomass and circular bioeconomy models in the agricultural sector, using systemic modelling approaches. In this sense, studies and models of bioeconomy and circular economy applied at the regional and European level are presented, specifically for dynamic system modelling methods. Finally, we propose studying a circular bioeconomy pilot model for sunflower production in Romania, highlighting the potential of biomass and secondary products from this crop. The use of sunflower by-products in various applications, such as animal feed, biofuels, functional food ingredients or bio-composite materials, underlines their importance in promoting circular economy practices.

Abstract

The need to address the complex exchanges between natural resource efficiency and economic growth has become increasingly discussed in worldwide strategies and position papers. Resource depletion, environmental challenges and climate change are just a few topics related to fast industrialization and economic expansion. The question is how information regarding crops, climatic factors, or solutions used in plant treatment are managed. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the scientific environment regarding quantitative indicators and models for the assessment of sustainable agriculture practices. The study is based on a bibliometric analysis made using Web of science database and processing using biblioshiny environment from R package. The most relevant works and influential authors in the field of quantitative modelling for sustainable agriculture were identified and a set of indicators and metrics for evaluating efforts in transitioning towards sustainability were synthetised. Integrating practical data into quantitative models can provide insights into trends, correlations, or even predictions, and the results obtained serve as inputs for decision-makers.

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The proper management of nutrient use in modern agricultural practices is of paramount importance. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as the three essential nutrients for crop growth, play pivotal roles in ensuring healthy and productive agricultural systems. Farmers meticulously calculate and apply these nutrients to optimize crop yields, but a heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers can lead to imbalances and environmental challenges. Managing nutrient use efficiently is not only crucial for enhancing crop productivity but also for achieving economic efficiency by reducing input costs and minimizing environmental externalities. With a specific focus on the Circular Economy Action Plan and the food, water, and nutrients category, the article highlights the significance of nutrient management, particularly in the agricultural context. It underscores the necessity of moving towards organic farming practices to enhance nutrient cycling and biodiversity. Overall, it provides a valuable overview of nutrient management and its relationship to the circular economy, agriculture and environmental protection.

Abstract

The recovery of by-products and waste resulting from the food chain is a current concern at the European and global level. The capitalization of agro-food by-products represents the core of the sustainable bioeconomy, an important chapter of the European Green Deal. Therefore, the applied research has to focus on the optimization of the recovery processes of bioactive compounds from the food waste and their use in further industrial processes related to food, pharmaceutical, animal husbandry domains, thus achieving sustainable agri-food practices. According to this context, this paper is reporting a brief overview on capitalization of agro-food by products within transition to bioeconomy focused on materials that would be otherwise considered a waste. An exploration of state-of-the art advanced technologies for bringing to market value-added products from agro-food side streams will be presented, based on most frequent occurrence of research topics in scientific literature. The analyzed data showed a significant increase in research related to the topic in the last decade, highly oriented toward environmental pillar of sustainability rather than the economic or social one. This investigation provides an important guidance for further directions on the development of research for valorization of bioactive compounds from the agrofood byproducts and their use in further industrial processes for obtaining multifunctional ingredients. © 2024 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Sheep farming is an important branch of the animal husbandry sector in Europe. In 2023, Romania’s sheep and goat herds ranked third in the European Union, with more than 10 million heads, contributing substantially to the production of meat, traditional cheeses, and wool. However, in the current climate context, with extreme weather events and especially long periods of drought, providing optimal fodder ratio becomes a challenge for farmers. As animal nutritionists provide valid alternatives, consistent with the nutritional requirements of the species, the present work aims to present some economically efficient fodder alternatives to use for milk production in sheep farms of different sizes. The study brings added value to research in the field of using fodder alternatives in animal nutrition through the economic aspects researched because profitability is pursued in any activity, thus completing the technical arguments of previous studies in the literature in the field. Several economic indicators were calculated, such as the total value by categories of expenses, the value of production, the level of profit, and the rate of gross and net return. The analysis demonstrated that regardless of their size, the sheep farms located in lowland areas can reach positive values of profitability indicators when using alternative fodder in animal feeding. © 2024 by the authors.

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The availability of primary resources correlated with waste production from exploration and mining activities will remain a need to satisfy the growing global demand for raw materials. The present research started with the idea that tailings and wastes from mining can be considered mineral reserves. The project aimed to increase the efficiency of resources through the recycling of residues and their integration into a circular economy concept. Special emphasis is placed on processing mine tailings to turn them into a valuable source of secondary raw materials. This is an important step toward sustainability and reducing the negative impact on the environment. This chapter presents the objectives targeted by the REVIVING research project. Therefore, the aim was to obtain improved models for efficiently recycling metals from residues in selected case study mines, based, for the first time, on the manipulation of the microbiome existing within autochthonous tailings, using molecular data to promote the bioleaching bacterial populations, and innovative hydrometallurgy, using negative pressure. The study aimed to cover the entire cycle of obtaining metals, from secondary sources to the production of a marketable product. It also aimed to enable the efficient recycling of tailings and reduce the residues generated by the mining process, thus contributing to the reconnection of raw materials to society. The ultimate goal of the project was to find alternative sources of critical metals, as these are vulnerable to disruption of supply because their core source is restricted to just one or two regions of the world, and they are difficult to substitute within the specific technologies that use them, being vital raw materials in various new and green emerging industrial processes. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferences of Romanian consumers when purchasing agri-food products, with a focus on products from family farms, and to identify pathways for promoting family farms' outputs for enhancing the development of rural areas and the local economy. For this, a survey was carried out using a questionnaire as the main tool. Firstly, the data collected were analysed from a descriptive point of view. Then, multiple linear regression and the chi-square test were used to determine the relationships between variables, and ANOVA was used to identify significant differences between groups. The results revealed that consumers with a higher level of education are more confident in certified products and are better informed, with a greater ability to distinguish certified from non-certified products through logos. Finally, the results indicate an opportunity for family farms to sell their products for a higher price within a secure market, mainly in urban areas. However, for this to happen, it is necessary to implement a quality scheme, highlighting the origin and originality of the product (product obtained from a family farm, including logo) coupled with awareness campaigns on the advantages that this product has, both for the consumer and the farmer or the region it comes from. These aspects could improve the development of rural areas from all points of view.

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This paper is an overview of comparison of bioeconomy indicators, in Romania and European Union, related to Green Deal Pact of the EU..The so called European Green Deal, is a set of proposals adopted by European Commission in order to reduce the climate change by 2050.Official statistical data related to green transition were retrieved from Eurostat database. Specific indicators taken into consideration were circular material use rate, raw material consumption, valued added at factor cost and environmental protection expenditure. Comparison of the dynamics of these indicators for Romania vs other European Union member states, for latest available data, was plotted. When analyzing the data it can be observed that steps are being taken in each state towards fulfilling the objectives of green transition. However, Romania's bioeconomy is still underdeveloped as compared to most of the EU's member states.In order to support the Green Deal targets we need a national strategy and action plan towards green and just transition of our economy.

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In the perspective of observing the latest worldwide and European strategies toward green transition and delivering a secured access to local resources, the objective of this study was to analyze the research progress on critical materials and, more specific, critical metals and review the future research hot-topics for critical metals. Consequently, a bibliometric analysis for the assessment of the current state of the art research, future trends as well as evolution through time of the critical metals research was performed in the present work. The study included four phases of work: (i) search string selection, (ii) data collection, (iii) data processing, and (iv) data interpretation. A total of 433 publications on critical metals were collected from Scopus database between 1977 and 2023, with an increasing yearly trend and a burst in 2013. The data retrieved showed a significant increase in publications related to the topic in the last 10 years. The results show that research interest is concentrated around six critical areas: (i) bioleaching as an important process of critical metal recovery, (ii) circular economy concepts and recovery of critical metals by urban mining from e-waste, (iii) resource recovery from waste landfills as urban mines, (iv) targeted studies on various critical elements (copper, zinc, gallium, silver, lithium), (v) rare elements as industry vitamins and, (vi) coal deposits and coal ashes as an alternative source of critical metals. This analysis could provide important guidance for further directions on the development of research for recovery of critical metals.

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Agriculture plays a crucial role in Romania's economy, a fact that accelerates the search for ways to maximize production yield and profit. The aim of the paper is to study the characteristics of the transformation of agriculture in the context of digitization. Research methods include scientific and theoretical approaches to assess the state of agriculture and its potential in the context of digitization, such as system and situation analysis. The current stage of agricultural development is characterized by a significant transformation of management and production processes due to the introduction of digital technologies. The experience has convincingly shown that the traditional forms of development of agricultural production have practically exhausted themselves. In the new conditions of financial and economic activity, the scientific and technological progress becomes decisive. In agriculture, the digital transformation has a significant impact on material and human resources, increases the productivity of crops, improves the quality of agricultural and livestock products. The digitization of agriculture is extremely important, because it is a source of agricultural economic growth and can become a strong incentive for the innovative development of the sector. Investments in the development of digital infrastructure in rural areas can improve the living conditions of the rural population, with local authorities solving more efficiently the problems within their competence. Also, the digitalization of agriculture will promote the development of small farms in rural areas and contribute to the diversification of the rural economy.

Abstract

In Romania, demand for organic food has surged since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020. Healthy growth is expected to continue in the coming years as consumers associate organic foods with good health, nutrition, and wellness. The complex challenge of protecting ecosystems while sustainably feeding the global population has attracted increasing attention in recent years and the need for improving food production and consumption led to the development of this field. The present study represents a comparative economic analysis of the sweet potato crop in a conventional and organic system. Data on production costs (materials, labour, mechanical works) as well as data on the commercialization of production, including preparatory activities for marketing (packaging, marketing conditioning) were taken into account. Following the analysis, cost efficiency proposals are highlighted in order to improve the producer's economic performance.

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Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plants and is required by them in relatively large quantities. This paper presents an overview of scientific literature related to nitrogen management, with a specific highlight on permanent grasslands and has involved a bibliometric analysis of scientific literature regarding nitrogen management. The analysis was performed using the SCOPUS, which is an extensive database of literature all over the world, with wide coverage in keyword of analysis. For visualization and analysis, VOSviewer 1.6.18 was employed, which is an open access computer program, developed for creating bibliometric maps. The search results were downloaded as full record and citation data, with information related to document type, year of publication, title, author, keywords, abstract, references, funding agency, citations. A number of 3,948 articles were retrieved for analysis. The articles were sorted by relevance. The information was downloaded as .csv file and imported into VOSviewer 1.6.18 application software. Using the search query nitrogen management, meadows and pastures indicated that 90% of the papers retrieved were research articles indexed in agricultural and biological sciences, followed by those in the environmental sciences, with themes of the ecosystem process, environmental management, land use, nitrogen fixation, organic nitrogen, soil structure, soil processing techniques.

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This article examines how circularity can be measured and evaluated in the agricultural sector. Circularity represents a key approach for promoting sustainability in agriculture and for the efficient management of resources. Through a comprehensive review of the scientific literature and employing rigorous selection methods, we identify the relevant indicators and tools for assessing circularity in the agri-food chain. The initial bibliometric analysis was performed by using a Biblioshiny instrument from R package tool Bibliometrics. Additionally, this article analyzes the methodologies based on the indicators and metrics that can be applied to measure the restorative capacity and effectiveness of the agricultural system. Most current research follows the 3R principles of the circular economy and establishes an evaluation index system based on the regional characteristics. Methods such as the multi-criteria decision analysis, data envelopment analysis, and life cycle assessment are the most used to date. For the micro-level analysis, system dynamics, material flow analysis, and emergy analysis were the most suitable. Our results provide a clear perspective on the current state of the research in the field of measuring circularity in agriculture and lay the groundwork for the future development of effective strategies for implementing the circular economy in this crucial sector.

Abstract

Organic farming, characterised by environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, has gained significant attention throughout the years due to its potential to address critical issues such as food security, environmental sustainability, and public health. Voluntary certification systems play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity and quality of organic products in the market. Understanding the research landscape surrounding organic farming and voluntary certifications is of paramount importance for scholars, policy makers, farmers, and consumers. In this context, the present study utilizes a bibliometric approach to achieve a deeper understanding of the trends, key contributors, and key terms in these domains via a bibliometric analysis in order to contribute to the broader goals of promoting sustainable agriculture and informed consumer choices. The evolution of the field is traced, shedding light on seminal papers, influential authors, and prolific journals. The research type is quantitative, using Web of Science, VOSviewer, and bibliometric study as instruments. The results show that, for both terms organic farming and voluntary certifications, papers usually involve three or more authors and use other sources as the unit of analysis, leaving room for improvement and the filling of a gap in the specialty literature. This insight can guide future researchers and policymakers in focusing on critical areas within organic farming and certification systems, further advancing the field and addressing pressing issues related to sustainability, quality, and consumer awareness.

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The EU's goals by 2050 are to ensure food security, prevent bio-diversity loss, and strengthen the EU food system's resilience. Recent scientific research and the situation in the global market show that the cultivation and processing of raspberries is currently completely unsustainable. This sector is experiencing a huge decline in Lithuania. Therefore, we chose the sustainability of raspberry growing (from farm) and processing (to fork) as an object. The aim of this article was (i) to analyze the raw material of the raspberry plant for product sustainable processing, (ii) to create a digital sustainability measurement model, and (iii) to present sustainable development solutions for effective raspberry growing and processing on Lithuanian farms using content and descriptive methods. This paper discusses how to help small raspberry growers and processors achieve sustainable economic, environmental, and social performance from field raw material to processed products. Analysis of the scientific literature has revealed qualitative and quantitative sustainability indicators for improving raspberry production. The assessment of the sustainability according to our created model revealed the (un)sustainable factors and the current situation in raspberry farms on a Likert scale from very unsustainable to very sustainable. Based on the evaluation we have determined sustainable development solutions. Raspberry growing and processing in Lithuania can contribute to environmental conservation, economic growth, and social well-being, fostering a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector by investing in R&D, improving productivity, creating employment opportunities and supporting rural communities, establishing a robust waste management system, and embracing renewable energy sources. Raspberry growers and processors can use the digital model we created for the sustainability, efficiency, and development directions of their farm.

Abstract

Nowadays, intensive agriculture correlated with the impact of climate change has led to nutrient soil depletion and the salinization of agricultural lands, making them unsuitable for conventional agricultural crops, with a direct impact on the food industry. Therefore, it is necessary to find sustainable alternative solutions that satisfy the needs of both consumers and food production. One such solution may be represented by salt-tolerant species that can fulfill food requirements. One of the most promising salt-tolerant plant species that can be used is Salicornia europaea L. The present work was conducted in greenhouse conditions, and the adaptability of the species on different cultivation substrates was investigated by means of monitoring the plant indicators such as cuticle, epidermis, parenchyma, polyphenols content, and minerals. Moreover, the correlation between the polyphenol and mineral contents was highlighted. Therefore, three cultivation substrates with different levels of salinity/electrical conductivity were used. The reference (I) for biochemical indicators was represented by the plant grown in natural salinity conditions in the Southeast region of Romania. The results indicate that Salicornia europaea L. can be grown on different cultivation substrates other than salted soils, the plant showing the capacity to accumulate bioactive compounds similar to natively grown ones.

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Maize is one of the most important crops cultivated around the world and can be easily grown in various climate conditions, under conventional and organic system. Maize cultivation has many advantages, such as: high yield, strong stability, great potential for increasing yield, strong disaster resistance, wide application range, and high economic benefits. It plays an important role in food production, and it is also due to the growth of animal husbandry and the food processing industry. This article is an overview of global maize market and maize market and production in Romanian economy, related to trade indicators, with a special target on organic production and analysis on territorial profile of organic maize cultivation.

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Hemp has been cultivated by man for its multiple uses: its solid fibres for textiles, its nutritious oilseeds and the medicinal and therapeutic properties of its resin. Hemp is a technical plant that has been cultivated in Romania for over 2,000 years, its main use being to obtain fibres for making clothing. Before 1989, in Romania hemp was cultivated in large areas, exceeding 50,000 hectares, ranking 4th in the world. After 1989, interest in cultivating hemp declined, and by 2008 this crop has almost disappeared. Starting from national production capacity, this paper is presenting an overview of the textile market in Europe, with a view on the hemp market, and the marketing possibilities for Romanian hemp, based on calculations retrieved from official data available on INTRACEN and the National Institute of Statistics of Romania. The study of production capacities was analysed in terms of cultivated areas and productions obtained in Romania, reported in official national statistics. For a market projection, the data were extracted from the trade map database. The export potential was studied taking into account the harmonized standard codes for hemp. © 2022 Inst. Nat. Cercetare-Dezvoltare Text. Pielarie. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Hemp has been cultivated by man for its multiple uses: its solid fibres for textiles, its nutritious oilseeds and the medicinal and therapeutic properties of its resin. Hemp is a technical plant that has been cultivated in Romania for over 2,000 years, its main use being to obtain fibres for making clothing. Before 1989, in Romania hemp was cultivated in large areas, exceeding 50,000 hectares, ranking 4th in the world. After 1989, interest in cultivating hemp declined, and by 2008 this crop has almost disappeared. Starting from national production capacity, this paper is presenting an overview of the textile market in Europe, with a view on the hemp market, and the marketing possibilities for Romanian hemp, based on calculations retrieved from official data available on INTRACEN and the National Institute of Statistics of Romania. The study of production capacities was analysed in terms of cultivated areas and productions obtained in Romania, reported in official national statistics. For a market projection, the data were extracted from the trade map database. The export potential was studied taking into account the harmonized standard codes for hemp.

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The paper presents the biological variation in biochemical compounds of fruits belonging to Ribes nigrum L. species during the maturation process. The fruits from two varieties were collected in the following phenological stages: early first fruits (SIII), advanced first fruit (SIV), harvesting maturity (SV), and consumption maturity (SVI). The extracts were subjected to analysis. Total phenolic content (TPC) expressed as gallic acid equivalent (GAE), total flavonoid content (TFC) expressed as rutin equivalent (RE), and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) expressed as mg/mL ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE), and gas-chromatographic profile were determined. The phenolic content differed considerably during the maturation process. Thus, the maximum value of TPC was achieved by 'Kzvana' fruits in the SV stage with 7.36 mM GAE/ml extract. The flavonoid content was highlighted in 'Roxia' fruits in the SVI stage with 1.24 mM RE/mL extract. With regard to FRSA, 'Kzvana' fruits have better activity. Also, the aromatic profile was characterized using gas chromatographic analysis.

Abstract

Currently, the entire world is facing major challenges related to agricultural practices and heavy metals contaminations of agricultural systems and food production. On the other hand, the structure, texture, and properties of the soil have deteriorated as a result of intensive conventional agriculture based on the addition of different inputs. Along with these, toxic metals affect agricultural soils, crops, food chain, becoming a major threat to living systems. Among these is chromium (Cr), an element naturally occurring in rocky soils and volcanic dust. The increased use of chromium in several multiple activities causes soil and water contamination. Differently from other heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and copper, chromium presents different degrees of toxicity depending on its chemical form. In the present review, we present data regarding chromium abundance in agricultural systems, factors favouring the absorption in the plant and bioaccumulation in different organs and tissues, bioaccumulation and translocation factors, its toxicity in plants, animals, and human through the food chain, and how it can be quantified using different types of analysis.

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In Romania, there is an emerging market of dairy products delivered through short food supply chains. Although this distribution system has existed since the communist period, and even though more than three decades have passed since then, the market fails to be mature, subject to taxation, or achieve a high diversity in terms of dairy categories, with a consolidated marketing culture that has significant effects on the regional socio-economic environment. The aim of this study was to observe whether the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has influenced consumer behavior regarding dairy products delivered directly from producers in Suceava County, Romania. The research is based on a survey conducted between April and May, 2020, and the analysis relies on both quantitative and qualitative methods (namely, anthropological and ethnographic). From the provided responses, it a change was observed in the future buying behavior on short food supply chains, in a positive sense. One of the key findings was that family represents the main environment for passing on the values that influence the buying behavior. Another key finding was that the behavioral changes on the short food supply chains exert pressure on their digital transformations.

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Helianthus annuus (sunflower) is an oilseed crop with multiple food and industrial uses, such as production of edible oil, the biofuel industry, the manufacture of soap and fodder production. Sunflower is the most important honey plant, considering the large areas cultivated with sunflower and the quality of nectar. Due to its ability to use soil moisture and soil nitrogen reserve better than other species, and to good productivity and the high quality of its by-products, sunflower crop is representing a good option for organic farming systems. This study presents an overview of organic production of sunflower in Romania, starting from a general analysis of the European Union organic production of sunflower and going to an in depth analysis of Romanian cultivation and production, presenting an up-to-date report on the dynamics of the sunflower cultivation, up to county level.

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To meet the global challenges of climate change and human activity pressure on biodiversity conservation, it has become vital to map such pressure hotspots. Large areas, such as nation-wide regions, are difficult to map from the point of view of the resources needed for such mapping (human resources, hard and soft resources). European biodiversity policies have focused on restoring degraded ecosystems by at least 10% by 2020, and new policies aim to restore up to 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. In this study, methods developed and applied for the assessment of the degradation state of the ecosystems in a semi-automatic manner for the entire Romanian territory (238,391 km(2)) are presented. The following ecosystems were analyzed: forestry, grassland, rivers, lakes, caves and coastal areas. The information and data covering all the ecoregions of the Romania (~110,000 km(2)) were analyzed and processed, based on GIS and remote sensing techniques. The largest degraded areas were identified within the coastal area (49.80%), grassland ecosystems (38.59%) and the cave ecosystems (2.66%), while 27.64% of rivers ecosystems were degraded, followed by 8.52% of forest ecosystems, and 14.05% of lakes ecosystems. This analysis can contribute to better definition of the locations of the most affected areas, which will yield a useful spatial representation for future ecological reconstruction strategy.

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Globally, ecosystems are constantly degrading as a result of pressures derived from human activities and climate change. For working towards the restoration of the natural balance, it is necessary to evaluate the deviations induced in the ecosystems, to identify where the changes took place, to know what is their amplitude and to decide where it is possible to get involved. Many aquatic ecosystems are depreciated and their restoration is often difficult. Development of appropriate assessment methodologies will improve the decision-making process in public policies for environmental protection and conservation of biodiversity. This study presents an assessment of the degradation level of lentic ecosystems in Romania, performed through a multi-criteria analysis. An extension of the WRASTIC index (Wastewater-Recreational-Agricultural-Size-Transportations-Indutrial-Cover) was generated, namely WRASTIC-HI. The new index was obtained by including values derived from the Potential Pollutant Load index. The analysis showed that 13% of the evaluated lakes are natural, 56.5% are semi-degraded and 30.5% are degraded. The proposed methodology allows to determine the spatial distribution of the degradation sources and to calculate the corresponding indicators. The results obtained provide a useful tool for diagnostic step that can be used as a cornerstone to further identification of environmental conflicts and proposals for improvement of the ecological status of the lentic ecosystems.

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In general, the elaboration of the synthesis of water quality in Romania is based on the processing of a large volume of information coming from primary analytical data collected with a constant frequency by the organisms with a specific role in water quality monitoring. This study proposes a novel methodology for multi-criteria analysis aiming to evaluate the degradation state of lake ecosystems. The cornerstone of the newly presented methodology is a geographic information system (GIS) automated tool, involving the assessment of potential degradation sources affecting the watershed that supply the lakes with water. The methodology was tested by performing an analysis on 30 lakes in Romania. The lakes belong to different geographical areas, owing various natural specific conditions and were selected to fit to various types and specific local conditions. The calculation of the WRASTIC-HI (Wastewater-Recreation-Agriculture-Size-Transportation-Industry-Cover-Hazard Index) revealed that, out of 30 lake ecosystems selected as the case study, two lakes were fully degraded, 24 lakes were semi-degraded, and four were in a natural state. The four lakes characterised by a natural state are located in mountainous regions or in the Danube Delta. The results obtained on the selected lakes proved that the proposed index calculation corresponded in all case studies to the real field situation, highlighting thus the accuracy of the assessing process and increased advantages of the assessment's automation.

Abstract

Modern agricultural production technologies, based on the widespread use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers, have made it possible to significantly solve the problem of providing the population with food, and at the same time, they have created numerous environmental and medical problems. At present, the development and application of new plant protection products that are non-toxic to humans, animals and environment is of priority importance. Biopesticides are a specific type of pesticides that derive from natural substances and materials. For example, they can originate from animal, vegetal or mineral materials. The biopesticides are derived in three major categories: biochemical, microbial and bioprotectors incorporated into the plant. They are used to control and combat diseases that occur in the vegetal crops or against pests. In the category of biopesticides are those substances that are naturally found and that fight pests through non-toxic mechanisms. For example, they are able to interfere with the insect mating or attract them in different traps, thus protecting the plants. Microbial pesticides are formulated from microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi. They kill different larvae of specific insects or interfere with weeds growth in agricultural fields. This category is also known as biological pesticides. The protectors incorporated in the plants are pesticide substances produced by plants, from genetic material. The present paper is an overview of existing research regarding biopesticide formulations for integrated pest and disease management, both for protection of crops and for post-harvest disease. Other important aspects will be taken into consideration, such as their advantages and forms of packaging. Existing regulatory framework regarding the commercialization and use of biopesticides will also be discussed. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Phytometabolites-drug interactions, when administered concurrently, may affect the body’s ability to metabolize the medication or provoke critical side repercussions. Clinically considerable medicament interactions present a potential danger to the sick person and may lead to alterations in pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic, or pharmacodynamic features. Nourishment and way of living can occasionally have a considerable effect on medication. This chapter is structured in two parts, based on a study of the production mode as well as the factors favoring the production of phytometabolite-drug interactions, comprising: general aspects regarding the production of phytometabolite-drug interactions, the changes produced by medication, aspire to nutritional status, the effect of phytometabolites and their compounds in drug metabolism, and the interaction of grapefruit juice with certain classes of drugs to avoid accidents caused by active medications in an inappropriate dietary context, and the part that includes the mechanism of producing the interaction between grapefruit juice and diclofenac (DCF) based on the pharmacokinetic parameters determined experimentally. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Biotechnologies are involved in the transformation of raw products into foods, providing enzymes for the manufacture of bread, dairy products, and bakeries. Other enzymes are involved in the manufacture of juices, flavors, etc. Biotechnologies make the agrifood industry less polluting. For example, when converting starch into sugar, enzymes allow to reduce water vapor consumption by 30% and waste by 50%, suppressing 90% of unwanted additional products. The application of modern biotechnologies in phytomedicines offers new possibilities for human development and health. The inclusion of new characters contributes to increasing agricultural productivity or to improving the quality of phytomedicines, which thus contributes to improving the health of the population. Regarding the effects on public health, there may be indirect effects, such as reducing the use of chemicals and increasing incomes of agricultural households and increasing the viability of cereals and the safety of raw products in phytomedicines (PRPs), especially in developing countries. © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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The exceptional organic recycling ability of fungi is attracting attention in the bioeconomy, being exploited in industrial processes. Mushroom mycelium has been classified as the largest living organism on earth, being capable of growth through its symbiotic relationship with the substrate components. The ability of fungal mycelium to decompose lignocellulosic materials makes it usable for the fabrication of packaging materials, as isolation material or for bio-textile products. This paper presents an up-to-date overview of the current state of the art regarding mycelium biostructures. Thus, we described the development of research over the years, the most tested fungal species, the most used substrates and the up-to-date findings regarding technological challenges.

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Situated at the crossroads between several sectors, from biology, biochemistry, agronomy, management and economy to technology, the bioeconomy represents all uses of bio-resources, whether they come from agricultural land, sea, forest or waste materials. The current bioeconomy strategy of European Union identifies agriculture as one of the sectors mainly supplying biomass. In the last decades, agriculture was constantly transforming towards a knowledge intensive sector. Being almost entirely the physical support for agriculture, the rural regions are expected to become a key player in the development of the bioeconomy activities of the near future. In the modern biobased economies, the rural regions represent more than just a source of raw materials to bioeconomy industries. Future opportunities for the development of the agricultural sector in Romania, thus boosting rural development were identified by conducting a SWOT analysis of the domain through agriculture development.

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In the context of shift towards bioeconomy, ensuring the food security under limited territorial resources is a challenge for any national economy. The policies in the field of innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship can play a major role in stimulating business and innovation, thus increasing the productivity which in turn leads to well-being and job creation. Entrepreneurship directly influences innovation, competitiveness and economic growth is recognized. At the same time, in order to make a significant contribution to the revitalization of the national economy, the concept of multifunctional and diversified agriculture, as a key sector of bioeconomy, will have to be included in the future business models. This paper constitutes an overview of the Romanian enterprise ecosystem with a focus on bioeconomy field. The companies with activity in the field of bioeconomy were identified quantitatively, for an estimation of the proportion of the bioeconomy in the national economy. With a proper awareness raising from the policy makers and effective collaboration between research organizations and business environment, the entrepreneurship in bioeconomy sector can only bring benefits for both society and economy.

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The present paper intends to address the impact of COVID-19 crisis upon the consumer buying behavior of fresh vegetables directly from local producers as observed 30 days later, after enforcing the state of emergency in Romania within a well-defined area, namely, the quarantined area of Suceava. The study relies on the interpretation of answers received from the quarantined area (N = 257) to a questionnaire applied online nationwide. The starting point of this paper is the analysis of the sociodemographic factors on the purchasing decision of fresh vegetables directly from local producers before declaring the state of emergency in Romania (16 March 2020). Further research has been conducted by interpreting the changes triggered by the COVID-19 crisis on the purchasing intention of such products before and after the end of the respective crisis. The aim of this scientific investigation relies on identifying the methods by which these behavioral changes can influence the digital transformation of short food supply chains.

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The present study is part of a comprehensive study dedicated to the cultivation of halophytes species on salt affected soils, aiming on new value chains development from obtained biomass. The work is conducted on the monitoring the degree of soil purification, the biomass production and seeds yield, and their chemical composition. In this context, the paper contains information related to the oil content of Portulaca saliva sp. seeds, in order to produce 2nd generation biofuels. Extraction of oil from seeds via traditional method (Saxhlet method) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) were carried out. ASE method was applied because requires small quantities of solvent, sample and operating time. ASE appear to be the most suitable method and the optimal conditions were: pressure - 10.34 AlPa, temperature - 105 degrees C, residence time - 10 min, solvent - petroleum ether, extraction ratio of 1:40, dynamic extraction time - 30 min. and 0.3 g diatomaceous earth. The highest oil recovery achieved was 33.4%.

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Anemia is one of the most common disorders in the world generated by multiple causes. Despite a good understanding of the causes of anemia, there is still uncertainty about how best this should be investigated, prevented and managed. This reflects the limitations of laboratory tests, as well as the poor understanding of the complex physiological mechanisms. A better understanding of the nature of anemia and the changes in erythrocytes may provide new strategies to benefits of patients. In this study, it was identified by flow cytometric and SEM analysis, the morphological changes of forms that deviate from the classical discoid shape, which had an increase in the mean fluorescence intensity of calcein (erythrocyte viability measured by the level of intracellular esterase activity with the Calcein-AM method). The results obtained for RBCs from the patients with different types of anemia did not demonstrate a massive phosphatidylserine externalization measurable with Annexin-V-FITC compared to the values for normal erythrocytes. The present study provides that flow cytometric analysis can be a quick and efficient method for diagnosing in haematological diseases and monitoring and in the medical biotechnology industry in order to develop drugs to treat anemia.

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The growing demand of consumers for healthy and quality nutrition is of a global nature. The modern development of technologies, including nanotechnologies, has made it possible to obtain bioproducts with unique properties that are being actively used in the food industry, but also require careful study of their properties and the impact on the human body and the environment. Silver nanoparticles (AgNps) are the most widely used nanoparticles (NPs) in the industry due to their antimicrobial properties. It is well known that silver can have a bactericidal as well as a bacteriostatic effect on many microorganisms. NPs obtained by biosynthesis are considered to be less toxic, safer, and cheaper to obtain. In this study, the objective was to obtain silver nanoparticles by the synthesis mediated with plant extracts (french marigold flowers (Tagetes patula), pot marigold flowers (Calendula officinalis) and lemon peel (Citrus limon)), aiming their practical application in fruits protection at storage, for a longer preservation.

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Bioeconomy was defined as the economic sector which is based on sustainable use of bioresources (crops, wood, vegetal and microbial biomass), provided either by the soil or the aquatic environment, for producing food, materials and energy. The present paper is representing an overview of the opportunities and challenges surrounding green growth through the use of biomass as renewable raw material in the transition towards bioeconomy. Global and European data are provided, and Romanian situation is briefly described. In a broad sense, biomass is a general term, covering various biological materials that can be further used in the production of renewable energy or materials. The biomass signifies the biodegradable part of byproducts, wastes and residues of biological (vegetal and animal) origin from agriculture, silviculture, related industries and also urban activities. It came into the attention due to the increased potential as clean, affordable and renewable bioenergy source, with a particular interest on the production processes that imply agricultural and forest waste as those two possess a great potential throughout the whole world.

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This paper presents the elemental content found in two saline soil samples with a certain electrical conductivity and the differences between two variants of extraction. The soil samples collected from a region in South-East of Romania affected by salinization process were investigated using a semi quantitative (SMA) inductively coupled plasma with mass spectrometry analysis (ICP-MS). Thus, the multi-elemental analysis of soil samples was preceded by one-step digestion in a high-pressure microwave system. For matrix destruction two mixtures of reagents were used: A - HNO3, HCl and H2O2 in 3:1:1 (v/v), and B - HNO3, HCl 3:1 (v/v). The electrical conductivity was realized using an adapted method, and the value was up to 10000 dS/m. Following semiquantitative analysis, the results showed that both of extraction methods showed the same elemental composition, the difference being only of the quantity of each element. Regarding the extraction efficiency, mixture A was more suitable for this type of soil.

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Should you attend to the relevant published literature on perceptions belonging consumers of ecological products, it can be easily noticed that, as a rule, the interpretation insists heavily on the analysis of an error: the consumer's confusion about the ecological product. The official concept of an ecological product does not overlap with the idea of an ecological product at the mental level of the consumer. Most studies, if not all of them, tax this confusion and analyze it as a deviant phenomenon. The starting point for this study was based on this very confusion: If there is so much confusion, it most likely means we are dealing with a symbolic projection at a social level. We found intriguing the idea of trying to understand what exactly are the mechanisms behind the ideological forming of this symbolic projection and their impact upon the decision of purchasing ecological agroalimentary products. The study was based on a nationwide questionnaire conducted in Romania in 2016. The collected data were employed in an anthropological analysis of phenomenological approach to further understand the concept of ecological agroalimentary products as it appears in the mentality of the contemporary Romanian consumer.

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In the case of the Romanian urban consumer, ecological agroalimentary products do not merely operate on the discursive line mapped by the rules of certification. The ecology of the agroalimentary products is reinterpreted and, thus, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The products perceived as natural, local, or peasant are seen as ecological enough to influence the purchase decision. Hence, according to the Romanian urban consumer, the ecological product stands for a symbolic projection provided by their own experience and trust level as a consumer. In the present paper, we aimed to go beyond the theory claiming that such behavior is determined by confusion in the social action of purchase and, following this line of interpretation, we also intended to identify the symbolic systems and hermeneutical criteria by which the Romanian urban consumer makes a social projection of ecological agroalimentary products through certain ethnocentralizing mechanisms. Our research paper was based on a qualitative and quantitative anthropological analysis that had, as a starting point, a questionnaire applied online (with a total of 1792 respondents, out of which 1342 were urban respondents).

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The current worldwide research is pointed toward exploiting the key role that food, in general and beverages, in particular, play in maintaining the quality of life, in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Consumers are more and more aware about the importance of high-quality beverages bringing health benefits, thus leading to increased consumption of natural products with proved functionality in preventing or inhibiting the progression of degenerative diseases caused by oxidative stress. Therefore, the producers from the beverage industry are oriented to respond to the emerging demand of natural beverages, as a result of therapeutic benefits that they provide beyond the basic nutritional properties. Exploitation of the synergies between raw materials as ingredients, processing methods, and product formulation will eventually lead to substantial innovations in the natural beverages industry. Depending on the processing technology, natural beverages may include juices or smoothies. They are produced with minimal processing and are usually consumed fresh, or soon after. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Microbial nanobiosensors (NBSs) contain immobilized microorganisms and a chain of transduction and are generally used for a single biochemical process. There are two classes of microbial NBSs that use the same principle for measuring the activity of metabolism in the presence of the analyte. The NBSs using immobilized microorganisms from which the products resulting from metabolism are measured are known as microbial NBSs. NBSs that measure the electrical activity of the metabolism of microorganisms when consuming a “biofuel” are generally known as bioelectrochemical cells or biofuel cells. The advantages of microbial NBSs are lower sensitivity to inhibition and contamination of the substrate; higher tolerance to pH and temperature variations; higher lifetime compared to the enzymatic ones; cheap; high variability, because they are able to adapt better to environmental conditions; cofactor independence; physiological response to toxic compounds; and ease of preparation due to the easy cultivation of microorganisms. The disadvantages of NBSs are as follows: they have a longer response time than enzymatic electrodes; and reusing them in a new measurement requires a longer time. Photomicrobial NBSs are based on the optical phenomena manifested by microorganisms in metabolic processes: photoluminescence, chemiluminescence, electroluminescence, polarization, absorbance, etc. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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In this chapter, the organoleptic characteristics and chemical composition of the raw wine distillates that have received multiple uses over the time are described. The bioprocesses occurring throughout the evolution and the development phases of distillates of wine make it to be the least harmful for human health compared with the distillates of different origins. Efforts of centuries of wine producers regarding the preparation of distillates of wine, aging them and preparing brandy, completed and stimulated by researches in the first half of the 20th century, allow defining it as an alcoholic beverage, having pleasing taste characteristics and high fineness, durable, and stable, that keeps well even in unfavorable conditions of transportation, storage, and warming. The technology for producing wines requires rapid processing of the grapes, avoiding oxidation and maceration, the total fermentation of sugars at relatively low temperatures and the temporary preservation of the wines on yeast. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Despite the increase of awareness and government involvement, the potential of many European countries to develop bioeconomy is still at a low level. The concept of bioeconomy is rather abstract and largely untapped. Many factors, including insufficient involvement of stakeholders in developing bio-economics strategies, which probably stem from the lack of theoretical and practical knowledge that governs this concept, technological transfer and proper exploitation of current scientific research tools, contribute to this situation. A preliminary analysis of the perception of the bioeconomy concept, as well as of its environmental economic component was carried out in rural environment among Romanian farmers. This analysis was designed to identify the farmers’ interest and capacity of adopting the environmental policies and to contribute to the development of national bioeconomy. As a result of the analysis it was concluded that it is necessary to align with the existing development directions at European level in the field of bioeconomy and the development of customized tools. Thus, the start of research activities can stimulate not only innovation in production, but also the creation of sustainable business models and funding mechanisms. © SGEM2019, All rights reserved.

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The concept of bioeconomy began to actively take shape in the world in the mid-2000s, when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission (EC) began to develop programs to promote the bioeconomy in different countries. Documentation in the field of bioeconomy is a challenge for research, as official statistics report data on traditional sectors without distinguishing between synthetic and biological production. Therefore, indicators for the bioeconomic field are currently estimated based on a combination of multiple sources. In order to successfully achieve the objectives proposed in the presented research and to obtain the estimated results, we used summaries of the methods and techniques for analyzing, evaluating, comparing and confirming the identified approaches. Thus, in order to achieve the bibliographic study, the approach was multidisciplinary by accessing established platforms containing research databases in natural sciences, economics and social sciences: Thomson Reuters Web of Science, Scirus, Scopus / ScienceDirect, EconLit and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences. The analysis of various strategies was carried out on the basis of an evaluation grid following the definition of a good practice system. The main results of the research are represented by the identification of the directions of development of the bioeconomy in Romania, the improvement of bioeconomic assessment tools, personalized tools for scientific communities, representatives of public authorities, students, NGOs and other stakeholders. © SGEM2019.

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Despite the numerous potential applications of nanoparticles and the growing trends in scientific publications and patents, applications on vegetables and fruits shelf life extension are not yet available on the market. The growing demand for fresh vegetables and fruits leads to the constant challenge to develop innovative solutions for vegetables and fruits preservation. Nanoparticles such as gold, silver or copper nanoparticles have increasingly attracted the researcher's interest for antimicrobial products due to their biological properties. Most harvested fruits and vegetables cannot be stored in natural conditions for a satisfactory shelf life duration due to their perishable nature. Conventional preservation methods have the limitations of high production cost and/or unsatisfactory shelf-life and/or undesirable residue. Due to unique properties, nanotechnology-related shelf life extension strategies have the potential to compensate the shortcomings of traditional preservation methods. At present, the methods for keeping fresh berries mainly include low-temperature refrigeration and fresh-keeping technology, modified atmosphere packaging storage technology UV shortwave ultraviolet radiation technology, chemical preservation etc. However, most of these treatments are expensive, time consuming, and may even damage the appearance of the berries. The objective of our research was to study the silver nanoparticles by the synthesis mediated with plant extracts and to evaluate their preservation effect on fresh berries. The vegetal material used for plant extracts was Vaccinium vitis idaea fruits and Petroselinum crispum leaves. The silver nanoparticles were formed by reducing silver nitrate solution with the plant extracts. Various concentrations of silver nanoparticles - plant extracts solutions were investigated for their effect on prolongation of fruits shelf life. The fruit species used were Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberries) and Rubus fruticosus (blackberry). The influence of the mixtures on fruits preservation was evaluated by monitoring the sensorial and microbiological quality during the storage period. The synthesis of nanoparticles was characterized by the color change of mixture. The silver nanoparticles produced by green synthesis with both extracts showed the good results on prolongation of tested fruits shelf life. Our study demonstrated both the potential of green silver nanoparticles and the synergistic effect of plant extract and nanoparticles in preservation of fresh fruits. © 2019 Avestia Publishing.

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High-tech critical metals were defined as those metals essential for high-tech industry but with low availability due to uneven geographical distribution, thus resulting a high price volatility [1 - 3]. The challenge of the future is to assure a stable supply of high-tech metals by innovative approaches such as biomining. Potential alternative sources and possible new biotechnologies are the subject of current research [4, 5]. The main objective of our work was to isolate microbial strains with potential on biosolubilization and bioaccumulation of high-tech critical metals. Experimental: The samples of mining tailings containing high tech critical metals were collected from a depth of approximately maximum 100 cm below surface. They were placed in clean sterile bags, labelled accordingly and stored at 4 °C until further analysis. In order to be used for the microbiological studies, the samples were grounded to obtain a coarse powder. The chemicals used was metal(loid)s (Mo, W) and cultivation media for isolation and maintenance of the strains isolated (nutrient agar, nutrient broth, DSMZ 670 modified). Two different strategies were employed for the isolation of bacteria from the mine wastes samples. Following the isolation and purification, the strains were evaluated for the ability to grow on minimal agar in the presence of various concentration of Mo and W. The isolated strains were tested for their metal tolerance using the agar diffusion method. The agar was supplemented with successively higher concentrations (0, 5, 25, 50 mg /L) of the critical metals mentioned before. The growth of bacteria on the plates containing culture media with no metals was considered as control. Results: Bacterial strains capable of biosolubilizing and bioaccumulating Mo and W were isolated by applying two different strategies. The strains were isolated from the plates incubated at ambient temperature (23 - 24 ° C). The bacterial colonies were studied with respect to size, colour, opacity, and form. All bacterial strains proved to be Gram-negative. © 2019 Avestia Publishing.

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Most European countries are investing in research to reduce reliance on pesticides and the risks associated with their use. At this moment, farmers' access to a wide range of pesticides is predicted to become limited due to legal regulations regarding sustainable use of pesticides. Therefore, the modern farmers will have to incorporate innovative pest and disease management approaches to reduce their dependency on pesticide use. This study presents an overview about the recent results on the efficacy of natural products obtained from plant extracts to control tomato seedlings damping off disease. It was already demonstrated that several plants contain secondary metabolites that are toxic to plant pathogenic microorganisms infecting horticultural crops, especially on the early emergence of the disease. The rich phenolic compound solutions possess antimicrobial effects and serve as plant defense mechanisms against plant pathogens. For using these products with reproducible efficiency, it is important to compare their mode of action for the optimization of the manufacturing process, the stabilization of these preparations, dates and rates of application.

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In this paper, we present the fabrication and characterization of new chitosan-based membranes while using a new biotechnology for immobilizing alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This technology involved metal ions incorporation to develop new biopolymeric supports. The chemical structure and morphological characteristics of proposed membranes were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the scanning electron microscopy technique (SEM). The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) evidenced the metal ion release in time. Moreover, the effect of Mg2+ on the enzymatic activity and the antibacterial investigations while using Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, hemolysis, and biocompatibility behavior were studied. Immobilizing ALP into the chitosan membranes composition followed by the incorporation of Mg2+ led to polymeric supports with enhanced cellular viability when comparing to chitosan-based membranes without Mg2+. The results obtained evidenced promising performance in biomedical applications for the new biopolymeric supports that are based on chitosan, ALP, and metal ions.

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Critical metals are those metals considered to be of fundamental importance for high-level industrial development. The definition of criticality derives, on the one hand, from the concentration of raw material sources in certain geographic areas, and on the other hand, the impossibility of replacing them with similar materials in the production processes. For a good management of raw material resources in general, and critical metals in particular, it is necessary to establish an eco-efficient strategy, to reinvent the sources of raw materials. The most recent European Commission reports on economy include legislative proposals on waste, aiming long-term measures to reduce landfilling on the one hand and to increase the recycling and reuse rate. Thus, innovative biotechnological methods for recovery of critical metals from mine waste (tailing, dumps, and ponds) or industrial process residues (e.g. waste waters, industrial waste) have been developed. Microbial leaching and microorganisms’ involvement in the control of redox reaction and metal adsorption could enhance the recovery of various amounts of critical metals from diverse secondary materials. Another research direction is the so-called urban mining, which represents the recovery of critical metals from waste electronic and electric equipment. This paper presents success stories in the current context of bioeconomy development regarding proper resource management by applying eco-efficiency principles. © 2018, International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference. All rights reserved.

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A new derivative 5-phenyl-7-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (pmtp) was synthesised by [1 + 1] condensation of benzoylacetone and 3-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the pmtp crystallises in monoclinic system, P21/n spatial group. In order to modulate the biological activity, new species M(pmtp)Cl-2 center dot nH(2)O (M: Co, n = 2; M: Ni, n = 3; M: Cu, n = 1; M: Zn, n = 0) were synthesised by one-pot method. Chemical analysis, molar conductivities, IR, UV-Vis-NIR and EPR spectroscopy, as well as magnetic data recorded at room temperature provided useful information concerning the molecular formula, stereochemistry and ligand coordination mode. The modifications at heating and also the thermodynamic effects that accompany them were investigated by thermal analysis. The nature of the gaseous products formed in each step was evidenced by simultaneous TG/DSC/EGA measurements. Processes as water and chloride elimination, fragmentation and oxidative degradation of the triazolopyrimidine derivative were observed during the thermal studies. The final residue was the most stable metallic oxide as X-ray powder diffraction indicates. Zinc (II) and copper (II) complexes exhibited the most significant antimicrobial activity against a wide spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, both reference and clinical resistant ones, in planktonic and biofilm state. The minimal biofilm eradication values were two to four times lower than the minimal inhibitory concentrations demonstrating the potential of the obtained complexes to act as anti-pathogenic agents.

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The bioeconomy field covers the agricultural domain, all manufacturing sectors and associated services that involve any form of biological resources. Thereby, the research on bioeconomy is dependent on the data collection both about biological resources (such as plants, animals, and microorganisms) and about the connex phenomena. The remote sensing techniques provide an excellent way for the acquisition of information without making physical contact with these biological resources. So that, the remote sensing finds the applicability in numerous sectors of research on bioeconomy, such as agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and aquaculture, plant and animal breeding, forestry, energy, as well as food, beverage, chemicals, pharmaceutical, wood, paper, leather and textile industries. There are a range of datasets that can be collected for an individual research or for a research group with specific aims. In this study, the current limitations and challenges of the remote sensing techniques are identified and the future solutions are synthesized and evaluated aiming that these techniques to be integrated into bioeconomy research services. The state-of-the-art on development of the tools and technologies of remote sensing and the potential practical benefits of application of these techniques on the bioeconomy research will be presented. © SGEM2017. All Rights Reserved.

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Development of disease resistance to conventional pesticides and environmental contamination problems created pressure on farmers to adopt new strategies for disease control in the production of vegetables. In addition, consumers demand to minimize pesticide residues in food products is forcing the growers and the pesticide producing companies to formulate and develop alternatives to the contentious inputs currently marketed. Products obtained from biologically active compounds extracted from plants will play an increasingly important role in crop protection strategies. Exploiting antimicrobial substances from plants that inhibit or halt the reproduction of pathogenic microbes, would become a more realistic and ecological method for the integrated management of plant diseases with the final goal of reducing or gradually phasing out contentious inputs without compromising the competitiveness of the organic sector. Obtaining, identifying, testing and physicochemical characterization of biologically active compounds with action to combat microbial diseases in vegetable crops shows both originality and complexity of activities proposed in the research work. The present study provides an overview of the current state of external inputs use and proposes a solution to the stricter European standards, by a systemic approach of biotechnological sciences and agricultural sciences, with immediate applicability of the obtained results in farm practices.

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The aim of this study was to develop a new variant of membranes based on collagen (COL), chitosan (CHI) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) immobilized and cross-linking with glutaraldehyde (GA) at different concentrations. The biodegradation in the presence of collagenase was investigated. Biocompatibility was evaluated by MTT assay using a mouse fibroblast cell culture type NCTC (clone 929). Non-cross-linked samples were biocompatible and membranes cross-linked with low concentrations of GA (0.04, 0.08%) were also biocompatible. However, high concentrations of GA lead to a decreased biocompatibility. The adsorption behaviour of Ca2+ ions to all membranes were evaluated using the Freundlich isotherms. Haemolytic studies were performed in order to consider their applications in biomineralization process. By the addition of collagen and ALP to chitosan, the haemolytic index decreases, the COL-CHI-ALP membrane being in the non-haemolytic domain, while the COL-CHI-ALP-GA membrane has a haemolytic index greater than 2, and is slightly haemolytic.

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The paper presents a method for elaboration and characterization some chitosan-gelatine membranes with different collagen gelatine mass ratio, cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GA) and coupled with extract plants. The aqueous extracts obtained from these plants were analyzed in terms of biologically active substances content (amino acids, polyphenols and phytosterols). The investigation for all obtained membranes involves: SEM microscopy, porosity, degradation test, contact angles measurement, hemolisys and antibacterian index determination.

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Nine previously isolated and identified fungal strains from post-finishing textile effluents were investigated for their decolorisation ability of three Bemacid textile dyes, in aqueous solution. Identified fungal isolates belong to the following groups: Trichoderma parceramosum, Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma longi, Polyporus squamosus and Fusarium oxysporum, along with Aspergillus niger (IMI 45551), used as a reference collection strain. Maximum absorbance peaks in visible region, for each dye, were assessed spectrophotometrically and dye residual concentration reduction were assessed at 500nm for Bemacid ROT, 370nm Bemacid GELB and 590nm Bemacid BLAU. Purity screening of the dyes was assessed by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), and decolorisation assays were carried out in nutritive media, in 5 simultaneous batches, for 3, 5, 9, 12 and 15 days, with each batch run in triplicate, and results expressed as mean of triplicate values for each combination of strain and dye. Quantitative analysis of solutions decolorisation was carried out via UV-VIS spectrophotometry assessment, quantifying decolorisation degree over post-incubation period at 29 degrees C, each dye residual concentration reduction ranging from 20.98% to 98.02% for Bemacid ROT, 43.5% to 96.06% for Bemacid GELB and 35.68% to 98.38% for Bemacid BLAU, thus promoting biological approach of wastewater treatment with the aid of filamentous fungi as an efficient, cost effective and environmental friendly solution.

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Ecologic and health effects of applying materials with advanced functions for leather surface finishing are priorities for the European leather industry and contribute to the increase of added value and durability of leather and fur articles. The innovative properties of Ag/TiO2 nanomaterials (NMs) on leather surface are due to their antimicrobial, self-cleaning and flame retardant characteristics. The NANO_SAFE_LEATHER project aims to contribute to the industrial development of safer and advanced leathers that make use of Ag/TiO2NMs, which are ecological alternatives to volatile organic biocides, organic solvents and halogenated flame retardants. The cytotoxicity study of the Ag/TiO2NM's efficiency for leather functionalization related to the dose response on human health is very important for their large scale application in footwear industry. The paper presents the strategy of research regarding the leather surface finishing by spraying and by physical deposition of Ag/TiO2NMs, the impact of NMs use in industrial environment and in connection with wearing behavior. In vitro assay to study the cytotoxicity of the Ag/TiO2NMs, leather functionalized with Ag/TiO2NMs and leached Ag/TiO2NMs on different human cells, the cell morphology and cell death mechanism as well as the exposure risk assessment on lung cells will allow to estimate for the first time the impact of NMs industrial application in leather and footwear industry and on consumer health. In silico study of human cells in vitro interacted with Ag/TiO2NMs provides information on the potential changes induced by the NPs on cellular morphology and helps build a domain ontology. © 2016 Certex, INCDTP-ICPI.

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Nine previously isolated and identified fungal strains from post-finishing textile effluents were investigated for their decolorisation ability of three Bemacid textile dyes, in aqueous solution. Identified fungal isolates belong to the following groups: Trichoderma parceramosum, Trichoderma reesei, Trichoderma longi, Polyporus squamosus and Fusarium oxysporum, along with Aspergillus Niger (IMl 45551), used as a reference collection strain. Maximum absorbance peaks in visible region, for each dye, were assessed spectrophotometrically and dye residual concentration reduction were assessed at 500nm for Bemacid ROT, 370nm Bemacid GELB and 590nm Bemacid BLAU. Purity screening of the dyes was assessed by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), and decolorisation assays were carried out in nutritive media, in 5 simultaneous batches, for 3, 5, 9, 12 and 15 days, with each batch run in triplicate, and results expressed as mean of triplicate values for each combination of strain and dye. Quantitative analysis of solutions decolorisation was carried out via UV-VIS spectrophotometry assessment, quantifying decolorisation degree over post-incubation period at 29°C, each dye residual concentration reduction ranging from 20.98% to 98.02% for Bemacid ROT, 43.5% to 96.06% for Bemacid GELB and 35.68% to 98.38% for Bemacid BLAU, thus promoting biological approach of wastewater treatment with the aid of filamentous fungi as an efficient, cost effective and environmental friendly solution.

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According to European Commission reports published between 2010 - 2013, the development of European economy depends crucially on access to critical raw materials. Following the analysis performed by experts at European level, in 2011 was compiled and published a list of 14 critical raw materials, the so-called EU-14. In 2014 the list was updated with several new elements and one element (tantalum), was withdrawn from the list. The current list, being renamed EU-20, covers 20 critical raw materials including several high tech critical metals. Traditional mine exploitations are concentrated on using the deposits of ore extracted and processed by conventional techniques. The efficiency of metal recovery was variable over time and as a result, a significant amount of metal was discarded, most concentrations exceeding the current minimal permissible threshold. On the other hand, it is necessary the recovery of recyclable waste for reducing the risk of shortage of high tech critical metals. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new technologies for obtaining high tech critical metals, which is applicable to both primary and secondary sources of raw materials. Recovery of high-tech critical metals by processing ore, tailings or mine wastes, and recyclable materials can be successfully done with help of consortia or individual isolates of microorganisms, bacteria or fungi. Microorganisms interact with metals thus altering their physical and chemical condition. Isolation of individual strains and identification of microbial consortia that can be used in the design and development of effective biotechnological processes for the extraction of high tech critical metals is a current challenge of the scientific research in Europe. © 2016 Vasile Goldis University Press.

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The regional bioeconomic potential takes into consideration many sectors of the economy that use renewable biological resources. The plants are one of the main resources for the most sectors - food, health, environment, materials and energy. The assessment of bioeconomic potential involves the modeling of the biological and economical aspects. Establishing the indicators involved in the study of this aspect requires a “what we have and what we need” analysis. We started with the development of a database of plants to facilitate an easy access to information for all interested scientist from related research fields. © 2016 Vasile Goldis University Press.

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The paper is focused on elaboration and physical chemical and biological characterization of new membranes based on chitosan and gelatine. The membranes were prepared using two gels chitosan and gelatin, in molar ratio 1:1 and 1:3. The surface characterization includes scaning electronic microscopy (SEM), water absorbtion, and determination of contact angles. As biological tests hemolysis and biodegradation were performed.

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The aim of this study was to obtain new films based on collagen-chitosan with and without silver for biomedical applications. Membranes with a thin transparent elastic structure were obtained and after immersion in silver nitrate new membranes with silver have been elaborated and their physicochemical properties were assessed using infrared spectroscopy as well as contact angle determinations, and sorption properties. The water absorption has permitted the evaluation of the diffusion coefficient for modified collagen membranes and the values were comparable with diffusion coefficient specific for human cornea. Adsorption and desorption studies of silver ions were investigated based on the concentration of the silver solution. This concentration was determined by an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. Antimicrobial investigations performed on Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and hemolytic properties assays have been evaluated measuring optical density. The enhancement of antibacterial activity of membranes with silver content was emphasized.

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Currently, there are only few studies regarding the phenolics and free radical scavenging activity of berries during the phenological phases of maturation. This study investigated the ripening - dependent changes in phytonutrients and their correlations, in five varieties of Ribes rubrum L. species. The fruits were harvested at advanced first fruits, harvest maturity and intense red stage. Total phenolic content (TPC) expressed as gallic acid equivalent (GAE), total flavonoid content (TFC) expressed as rutin equivalent (RE), and free radical scavenging activity expressed as percent inhibition (I%) of extracts, were determined. TPC of fresh red currant was 0.47 - 5.76 mM GAE/mL, with the highest content for Tatran variety. Pearson coefficient showed positive correlation between TPC and I% assay in the second (R-2 = 0.786) and third (R-2 = 0.710) maturity stages. TFC ranged between 0.23 and 1.12 mM RE/mL, the highest being for Tatran variety. For TFC, there was a strong positive correlation with I% in all maturity stages, R-2 was 0.866, 0.887, and 0.944. During all maturity stages free radical scavenging activity was 21.81 - 88.28%. This demonstrates that variation in phenolics and free radical scavenging activity in red currants is affected both by phenophases of maturation and genotype.

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Bortezomib is the first therapeutic agent designed to inhibit mainly the activity of the 26S proteasome. It is used for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The objective of this study was to develop and optimize liposomal formulation of bortezomib in order to improve the encapsulation efficiency. For evaluating the encapsulation efficiency it was investigated the effect of two parameters: the drug/lipid molar ratio and the pH of the medium. The liposomal formulation of bortezomib was obtained by mixing a solution of bortezomib with SUV liposomes (small unilamellar vesicle). A transmembrane pH gradient was obtained by creating a difference of pH between internal medium of the liposomes and the external medium in which the liposomes were suspended. When preparing the liposomes by using a pH gradient it was obtained an encapsulation efficiency of 48 % for the molar ratio bortezomib:lipid 1:5.

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The vegetal material is an inexhaustible source of biologically active compounds. It was already demonstrated that secondary metabolites of plant origin have practical application in the industry of food and beverage, drugs, and flavours. Furthermore, considering the acquired resistance of bacterial pathogens to existing antibiotics, research on new molecules of plant products is nowadays of great interest. Taking all these into consideration, we conducted a study on the inhibitory activity of Humulus lupulus L. (hops) extract against several gram negative and gram positive bacteria, (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli). The antimicrobial activity was performed by diffusion methods. The hops extract was also studied for its radical scavenging activity and total phenol content and total flavonoid content. The results obtained indicated that the hops extract could be used as raw material in the design of a plant based antimicrobial product.

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This study investigated the inhibitory activity of Sambucus ebulus (danewort) fruit extract on the growth of several gram positive and gram negative bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli and on the mycelial growth of some fungal pathogens, namely, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora infestans. The contents of phenols, flavonoids and the antioxidant capacity were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The extract showed antimicrobial activity against most of the tested strains. The best results regarding antibacterial activity were obtained against P. fluorescens and E. fecalis.

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The inulins are a group of oligosaccharides that contain fructose. They belong to the class of carbohydrates known as fructans. The aim of this paper is to determine the quantity of proteins, lipids, and glucides by known standard methods, from roots of Phalaris arundinacea. The inulin was determined by a fast and simple way, based on the fact that in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid, vanillin and inulin form a red complex which has a characteristic in the absorption spectrum at 520 nm. The qualitative evidentiation of inulin was done in agreement with the USP 23 criteria: The solubility test, speciric rotation, percentage of iron, reducing sugars, microbial load and from the physico-chemical point of view, melting point, Molish test, with lugol and resorcinol. Inulin was characterized with the help of UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometric methods. The use of undigestable poly glucides (inulins) may improve taste, texture and humidity of many foods.

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Vegetables and their products (salads, fermented and nonfermented pickles, prepared sauces, and pickled, conserved, frozen, marinated, and dried vegetables) are a good source of compounds that are involved in pharmacodynamic activity. Humans are inseparably linked to the existence of vegetables, as they are the source of several bioproducts essential for the survival of the animal kingdom. The importance of vegetables from the point of view of the food industry is determined by their complex chemical content that is important to the human body and includes organic substances (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and organic acids), phytoncides and antimicrobial substances, a high content of minerals (Ca, P, Fe, K, Mg, S, Cl, Zn, and Cu), and a high content of vitamins (A, B complex, C, E, F, K, P, and PP). The complex chemicals in vegetables have a favorable effect on the human body because they provide hydration due to their high water content, regulate metabolism in general, stimulate the muscular and skeletal systems, internal glands, and enzymatic activity, and have high nutritional and energy value. Vegetables are characterized by high nutritional density with low energy input and contain a variety of biological phytonutrients that make them an important part of the basic diet. It is recommended that vegetables be consumed fresh when their nutritional value is at its highest; some methods of processing and storage cause some water-soluble vitamins and nutrients to be lost. With energy from the sun, vegetables synthesize the basic compounds necessary for their survival (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins), and a variety of organic phytochemicals can be extracted as raw materials that have important applications in dermatology, cosmetics, medicine, technology, and commerce. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015.

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The concern in developing research on antimicrobial natural active ingredients from plant material is constantly growing nowadays, due to acquired resistance of pathogens to antibiotic products existing on the market. The aim of this study was the screening of the antibacterial activity of several medicinal plant extracts, namely licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Clear inhibition activity was observed for the ethanolic extracts of licorice against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus cereus, while the ethanolic extracts of elderberry inhibited Enterococcus faecalis, E. coli and P. fluorescens. The antibacterial evaluation was followed by the biochemical characterization in terms of quantitative determination of the total phenolic content, total flavonoids content. The results obtained revealed the fact that the selected plants, traditionally used in various forms in folk medicine, can be in the future a potential source of antimicrobial compounds. © 2015,Inst Materials Physics. All rights reserved.

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Characterization and confirmation of identity as part of the structural interaction perspective of essential oils biostructure from lavender (Lavandula officinalis), peppermint (Mentha piperita), green Douglas (Pseudotsuga menziesii), fir (Abies alba) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) has been addressed by qualitative detection and quantification of specific natural clusters, by infrared absorption spectrophotometry. The method allows the identification of structural components that are characteristic to essential oils, due to steric and electronic effects of vibrational coupling (neighbouring bonds acting on force constant of the bond, changing the position of the absorption band). Through this research the essential oil identity was confirmed by quantifying the structural components and by assigning characteristic absorption bands in the spectrum measured. Comparisons of spectra by calculating the correlation coefficient is a convenient, fast and secure method for objective confirmation of essential oils identity. © 2015, Inst Materials Physics. All rights reserved.

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Brain-imaging studies in animals provided evidence that salvinorin A biostructure, in addition to hallucinations and impairment of motor function in humans, could become a popular drug. Salvia divinorum samples were analyzed by gas chromatography, after being dried at 40°. For extraction was used analytical grade purity acetone and recrystallisation was achieved with methanol of chromatographic purity. Preliminary processing of crude extract allowed enriching the final solution composition in salvinorin A. The large number of signals showed that under ionization an advanced fragmentation of the molecule occurred. By the advanced fragmentation of S. divinorum it was obtained a sample image, with the mass spectrometer, which may constitute a specific footprint of the component salvinorin A. © 2015, Inst Materials Physics. All rights reserved.

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Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally recognized as safe and can be used against fungi that contaminate various food commodities. The aim of the research was to select LAB strains with high antifungal activity for the biocontrol of Aspergillus ochraceus. The antifungal activity of eight strains of lactic acid bacteria has been evaluated by overlay assay method against the spoilage fungus, Aspergillus ochraceus isolated from white bread. The antifungal effect was assessed by co-cultivation of lactic acid bacteria strains and Aspergillus ochraceus in liquid media and mycelium growth inhibition was monitored for over 14 days. The LAB strains Lpl, LAB 43 and LAB 13 presented intense antifungal activity with large inhibition zones of fungal growth and sporulation, but smaller for Lpa and LAB 15 strains. Total inhibition of mycelia growth was induced by the strains LAB 43, LAB 13 and Lpa. The strains LAB 15 and LAB 35 had a moderate inhibition activity on the mycelia growth. The results of this study demonstrated the antifungal activity of several LAB strains by overlay assay and by co-cultivation method. Therefore, it was confirmed the inhibitory effect of the strains LAB 43 and LAB 13 against Aspergillus ochraceus. The experiment revealed that these LAB strains could be further used as biocontrol agents.

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Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are natural alternative to chemical preservatives for fruits. The aim of the research was to select LAB strains with high antifungal activity against Penicillium digitatum for the biopreservation of fruits. The antifungal activity of eight lactic acid bacteria strains has been evaluated against Penicilliuum digitatum isolated from orange, by overlay assay method and by optical microscope examination. The reversion of inhibition zone after 96 h was recorded as a fungistatic effect while those with inhibition zone for at least 7 days were recorded as fungicidal. The antifungal effect of efficient LAB strains was assessed by comparing inhibition of fungal biofilm formation in liquid media. The strains Lpl, Lpa, LAB 13, LAB 15, LAB 43 and LAB 58 presented intense antifungal activity with clear inhibition zones diameter over 20 mm. The microscopy has evidenced atypical hyphae and delaying of conidial chain formation. The strains Lpa, LAB 13, LAB 15 fully inhibited the mycelia growth, strains LAB 43 and LAB 58 partly with delaying of biofilm formation on the surface of culture medium. The results of comparative antifungal activity of LAB strains evidenced the highest inhibition of fungal biofilm formation and structural damages of hyphae and spores caused by the strains Lpa, LAB 13 and LAB 15. These strains could be an efficient biocontrol agent of Penicillium digitatum in fruits.

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The medicinal herbs, a valuable source of biologically active compounds, have been used in folk medicine for various diseases, but phytochemical exploration is still incomplete. This study presents the extractive technological processes and spectrophotometric characterization of threeindigenous plants in order to obtain anantifungal formula with applications inhorticulture. Therefore, it was evaluated the antioxidant activity, total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) and the correlation between them for individual extracts obtained by two different methods: Soxhlet (S) and percolation (P). The obtained data showed a significant difference both between the plant material used, as well as the extraction method applied. Most of the extracts prepared by Soxhlet method had higher antioxidant properties and phenolic contents than the ones obtained by percolation. Based on the results, were elaborated five association formulas, of which Rosmarinus officinalisL. combination 1: 1 (S: P) showed the best results: TPC -236.38 mg GAE /g DW, TFC -247.11 mg rutin /g DW, EC50 -0.030 mg/mL.

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Late blight is one of the most severe diseases in horticultural crops worldwide, causing important economic losses. Phytophthora infestans, causal agent of late blight in potato and tomato, is a very difficult phytopathogen to manage in organic production systems. The main goal of this paper is the study of the in vitro antifungal activity of extracts prepared from samples of Artemisia absinthium collected from different geographic regions in Romania. The extracts were obtained by cold maceration in ethanol, a simple technique which allows the transfer of the technology to the field. Inhibitory effects were determined by measuring radial growth of P. infestans mycelium cultivated on PDA medium containing the selected plant extract. No significant differences in antifungal action among the extracts originating from plants collected from various regions were detected. The results show the potential of extracts of A. absinthium for control of late blight and encourages us to further studies in this direction.

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Zeaxanthin was intended for use in foods and beverages as a colouring and as a nutritional supplement. The main goal of this article was the study of the carotenoid antioxidants by spectrophotometric methods, in order to identify and determine maize zeaxanthin by using known extinction coefficients or experimentally calculated from calibration curves. Zeaxanthin concentration in acetone, by means of the extinction coefficient of 2340, was 1.4 times higher than the one obtained from the calibration curve (n = 8, r(2) = 1.000). The carotenoid levels in maize presented a wide range, with the highest levels of zeaxanthin being 16.3 mg kg(-1). In order to establish ethanol efficiency in zeaxanthin conditioning, ethanol extracts were tested for their stability. The study of the selected conditions for zeaxanthin storage highlighted the determining parameters of zeaxanthin stability, meaning the temperature of 0 degrees C. Qualitatively, zeaxanthin can be identified based on its characteristic spectrum intervals of carbon-carbon single bond (1156 cm(-1)) and from the carbon-carbon double bond stretch vibrations (1657 cm(-1)) of its molecule backbone (zeaxanthin characteristic bands).

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The aim of the study was the recording and interpretation of the MS fragmentation spectrum for alpha-zingiberene [S-(R*,S*)]-5-(1,5-dimethylhexen-4-yl)-2-methyl-1,3-cyclohexa-1,3-diene. The mass spectra are line spectra (peaks) which contain signals, such as the line of the molecular ion, isotopic lines, base line, and lines generated by the fragmentation of the molecular ion (fragmentation peaks). The highest peak of the mass spectra of this research is alpha-zingiberene; base peak that corresponds to the long life ions which reach the detector in the highest amount. Alpha-zingiberene is identical to the molecular peak (it can be a peak generated through the fragmentation of the molecular ion M+). The relative percentage intensity I% is considered 100% for alpha-zingiberene, and the relative intensities of the other peaks are determined relative to the base peak. Knowing the relative percentage intensity allows knowing the relative percentage abundance for each species of ions in the mass spectra. For spectra obtaining was used an ion trap spectrometer, capable of recording sequential ionization spectra, before reaching the MS11. It was recorded and interpreted the fragmentation spectrum for alpha-zingiberene. For each fragment, the ionic or radical-ionic character was indicated.

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The low solubility of Nystatin causes biopharmaceutical problems decreasing the bioavailability or biological availability, compromising the bioanalytical analysis. The aim of this study is to achieve a quantitative analysis method with appropriate sensitivity and suitable robustness for this drug substance. The controlled photochemical transformation of Nystatin solution was conducted with a LUP 6W lamp. The maximum slope (in absolute value) of the curve associated with 322 nm radiation is recorded at the beginning of the irradiation; based on this, it can be established the optimal irradiation time (30 minutes) when analysis were carryied out. The average value of the determinations is not far from the expected value. The method for quantification of Nystatin in pharmaceutical formulations, based on the photosensitivity and selective photo-transformation of the active substance, has proved to be reliable for the analytical control of these types of pharmaceutical formulations.

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In the phyto-chemical research of extracts, there is a rising demand for simple, quick, selective and precise quantitative analysis methods of polyphenolics. The goal of this research was to realise a quantitative meta-analysis of the experimental methods that investigate flavonoids from three types of seeds of Lens culinaris Medikus extracts using spectrophotometry. Polyphenol quantitative determination was done through spectrophotometric methods (based on the chelating reaction with AlCl3/CH3COONa for flavones, and Arnow reaction for poliphenolcarboxylic acids). Determination of the antioxidant activity of the extract was realised with the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and ORAC (antioxidative capacity of the oxygen radical) method. The antioxidant capacity of the analysed extracts is proportional with their concentration value. In order to use as nutraceuticals, the organic solvents were replaced with alimentary ethanol of fermentative origin, and HCl was replaced with acetic acid of 0.5% concentration.

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Polyacetylenes, carotenes and other components such as starch, pectin, cellulose, lignin were investigated in the root of Petroselinum sativum by a noninvasive spectroscopic method. The components were measured in situ, directly in the plant tissue, with no preliminary sample preparation. The analysis was done on the basis of intensity of characteristic bands observed in Raman spectrum. The principal polyacetylenes from P. sativum are all-cis-polyacetylene (C2H2)(n) and all-trans-polyacetylene (C2H2)(n) have similar molecular structure, but present in their spectra a change of the symmetric group C=C-C=C- from 2210 cm(-1) to 2002 cm(-1). The differences observed can be due both to the conformational differences and those existing in the environment. By Raman quantification were detected polyacetylenes that visualize the distribution of biostructures between the sections in root of P. sativum. The technique of quantification was applied to evaluate the distribution of some compounds such as lignin and polyglucides. Results showed an internal tissue specific accumulation in starch and biostructures like lignin, pectin and cellulose in the cell wall.

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The general objective of the research was to study the biostructure of flour from bones of Europeanhare (Lepus europaeus) with the aim of valorizing it by its use in non food activities. In the study of biostructure obtained from bone flour we used IR absorption spectroscopy. The studies allowed us to characterize this biostructure obtained from bone flour at the moment of obtaining, after 7 days of obtaining and 14 days, respectively. The IR spectra of the obtained samples present bands of characteristic frequency without essential differences between them. The differences that appear are referring to the intensity and profile of the bands with insignificant displacement of the characteristic bands.

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Composite gels based on collagen and eucalyptus oil were prepared in order to be used in dentistry. The main components such as beta-Cymene (32.1%), Eucalyptol (36.59%), Cryptone (4.35%) and Spathulenol (3.82%) of Eucalyptus camadulensis Dehnh. essential oil were determined by GC-MS. The eucalyptus oil dissolved in different concentration of ethanol (4 and 8% v/v) was embedded in collagen gels (0.4 and 0.8% w/w) and crosslinked with tannic acid (0.2 and 0.4% w/w). The stability of gels was depending on collagen concentration, only the gels with 0.8% of collagen being stable. The rheological analysis of composite gels showed that formulation containing a combination of ethanol and tannic acid at the ratio of 8% v/v: 0.4% w/w resulted in the highest consistency index and yield stress. All the 0.8% collagen gels exhibited a suitable pseudoplastic behaviour and could be recommended for an adequate administration in the oral cavity.

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The paper refers to a bioactive matrix in membrane shape, with a thickness of 0.5 - 1.0 mm, and consisting of gelatine, chitosan, and α-chymotrypsin, with or without addition of glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. The bioproduct is a biomaterial with biomedical applications as biocompatible membrane with anti-inflammatory action due to coupling of the proteolytic enzyme. Bioproducts have complex implications in the treatment of traumatized tissue, accelerating the pus cleansing of infected wound, blood clots and other cellular debris, secretions liquefaction and cleansing of necrotic tissue, and also stimulating tissue regeneration and a faster healing of open infected wounds. In order to establish the influence of cross- linking process and membrane’s thickness on mechanical properties, ultrastructural studies were carried out on obtained biomaterials by electron microscopy analysis. To demonstrate the biological qualities of new enzymatic biomaterials, the membrane’s biological effect was analyzed in a cell culture model (mouse fibroblasts NCTC). © 2014 Vasile Goldis University Press.

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The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics of the mistletoe lignin, through the qualitative evaluation of the chemical and biochemical modifications. The analysis of lignins by FTIR spectroscopy was accomplished by evaluating the intensity of the absorption bands, determined by the wide number of functional groups present in the structure of these aromatic compounds. The 1700-900 cm(-1) domain represents an area in which absorption bands corresponding to the guaiacil and siringil structural units with different substitutions meet. The intensity of the absorption peak is different for the three studied samples. All the investigated samples present a wide central band around the value of 2930 cm(-1), assigned to a methylenic spread vibration. v(CH2), and a second central band at 2873 cm(-1), assigned to a methylic spread vibration. v(CH3). In the case of these samples, there can be observed that the spread of the absorption peak is higher for the sample harvested from the birch, decreasing in intensity for the samples harvested from fir and ash, respectively, which can be a proof for including -OH groups at the level of the aromatic rings.

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An essential step in the characterization of liposomal systems as drug vectors is one that analyzes the release rate of incorporated substances. In vitro release tests are used not only to characterize various formulations of therapeutic use, but also to predict their in vivo behavior. The objective of this work was to formulate and in vitro characterize hydrogels containing liposomal suspension of Anethum graveolens volatile oil for topical application, capable of efficient release of the incorporated active principle. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol and incorporating Anethi aetheroleum were prepared by thin film hydration method and dispersed into two types of hydrogels (0.5%, respectively 1% carbopol). For the in vitro release kinetics assessment of the entrapped volatile oil we used an adapted Frank diffusion cell. The experimental data were processed to verify different kinetic models, and the obtained results were used to assess the kinetic parameters of the designed hydrogels. Studies have shown that the designed hydrogels follow a 0 order kinetic model after a period of three hours from the beginning of a kinetic experiment. This reinforces the conclusion that liposomes can act as reservoir systems for the controlled release of the entrapped volatile oil.

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Lipid carriers were prepared by thin film hydration technique using various types of lipids, cholesterol and incorporating the drug in different weight ratios. The size and physical stability for the designed lipid carriers as well as the influence of the lipidic material and the experimental conditions on the entrapment efficiency were closely followed. All results showed that incorporation of low soluble drugs in lipid carriers is high when the appropriate formulations are used. The experimental studies were focused upon investigating the variations in the lipidic carriers characteristics (entrapment efficiency, size and stability) depending on the formulation parameters (weight ratio of phospholipids, cholesterol and drug). It was therefore shown that, by modifying the formulation, lipidic carriers with entrapment efficiencies over 90% can be obtained. Considering their stability, the lipid carriers content in incorporated low soluble drug was stable for one month, when stored at 4-6 degrees C.

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The allelopathy research can contribute to protecting the biodiversity and may develop new strategies for sustainable ecosystems controlled by allelochemicals. The present investigations have estimated the allelopahtic features at Festuca rubra and the ability of the allelopathic compounds to affect the germination and the quality of perennial grasses (Dactyilis glomerata, Lolium perenne and Poa pratensis). These perennial grasses were treated with alcolic extracts obtained from dry aerial parts of Festuca Rubra. Were quantified and also physico-chemical characterized the polyphenolic compounds and the alkaloids from the chemical structure of plants. The extracted compounds from the dry aerialparts of F. Rubra were quantified using HPLC method. In the aqueous extracts were quantified the following alkaloids: N-formyl-loline (NFL), N-acetyl-loline (NAL) and ergovaline (EGV). The results of the research have showed that the effect of the alkaloids lead to modifications in the quality index by reducing of the crude protein content and thus lead to lower feed value of these plants. © 2013 University of Bucharest.

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An essential step in the characterization of liposomal systems as drug vectors is one that analyzes the release rate of incorporated substances. In vitro release tests are used not only to characterize various formulations of therapeutic use, but also to predict their in vivo behavior. The objective of this work was to formulate and in vitro characterize hydrogels containing liposomal suspension of Anethum graveolens volatile oil for topical application, capable of efficient release of the incorporated active principle. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol and incorporating Anethi aetheroleum were prepared by thin film hydration method and dispersed into two types of hydrogels (0.5%, respectively 1% carbopol). For the in vitro release kinetics assessment of the entrapped volatile oil we used an adapted Frank diffusion cell. The experimental data were processed to verify different kinetic models, and the obtained results were used to assess the kinetic parameters of the designed hydrogels. Studies have shown that the designed hydrogels follow a 0 order kinetic model after a period of three hours from the beginning of a kinetic experiment. This reinforces the conclusion that liposomes can act as reservoir systems for the controlled release of the entrapped volatile oil.

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This research aims to use extracts of tropane alkaloids in Datura stramonium using known extraction procedures followed by microencapsulation in order to facilitate environmental protection and sustainable development. The advantage lies in the fact that the release of extracts of plants can be controlled and extended by the chemical mediation. The microcapsules were prepared by the process of the interfacial cross-linking. Tropane alkaloids inhibit the proteinases and native/active site shall be secured, by introducing the microcapsules incorporated in the aqueous phase. The paper studied the effects of the influence of pH of the aqueous phase, PMMA, terephthaloyl chloride concentrations, and the rate of stirring on the morphology and size of the microcapsules. The pH was a determining factor in the amount of microcapsules, influencing the encapsulating yield. The size of the microcapsules varied depending on the speed of mixing 50, 100 and 150 rpm respectively. Infrared spectroscopy was performed on the microcapsules prepared under different conditions. Between the spectral changes, the morphology and size of microcapsules may be set a correlation. It was found that the active substances (tropane alkaloids) protected by encapsulation kept constant their activity after microencapsulation.

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This research aims to use extracts of tropane alkaloids in Datura stramonium using known extraction procedures followed by microencapsulation in order to facilitate environmental protection and sustainable development. The advantage lies in the fact that the release of extracts of plants can be controlled and extended by the chemical mediation. The microcapsules were prepared by the process of the interfacial cross-linking. Tropane alkaloids inhibit the proteinases and native/active site shall be secured, by introducing the microcapsules incorporated in the aqueous phase. The paper studied the effects of the influence of pH of the aqueous phase, PMMA, terephthaloyl chloride concentrations, and the rate of stirring on the morphology and size of the microcapsules. The pH was a determining factor in the amount of microcapsules, influencing the encapsulating yield. The size of the microcapsules varied depending on the speed of mixing 50, 100 and 150 rpm respectively. Infrared spectroscopy was performed on the microcapsules prepared under different conditions. Between the spectral changes, the morphology and size of microcapsules may be set a correlation. It was found that the active substances (tropane alkaloids) protected by encapsulation kept constant their activity after microencapsulation.

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In this paper a study of the effect of flavonic compounds in preventing and/or reducing the membrane lipid oxidation due to free radical attack was performed by using fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. Lipid peroxidation was investigated by using liposomes-artificial membrane models, which were prepared by lipid hydration method. Their oxidation was performed with a 15-W ultraviolet germicidal lamp having wavelength radiation 253.7 nm. In the first series of experiments, the protective effect of two synthetic antioxidants (quercetin and caffeic acid) against free radicals was monitored, while in the second series two 70% hydroalcoholic extracts from blueberry and blackcurrant leaves was used. It was determined that natural antioxidants have a much higher antioxidant power against free radicals than synthetic compounds but they degrade after two hours of oxidation. Liposomes are better protected when using natural antioxidants, but their degradation is completed more quickly, than in the case of synthetic antioxidants.

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It had been proved by scientific research that in the case of a pathogen attack the antimicrobial peptides are key players of the innate immune system. The antimicrobial peptides have been found in all organisms from plants to humans, and even in the microorganisms. The viscotoxins belong to thionine class of antimicrobial peptides and are produced by leaves and stems of Viscum album. In this paper was analyzed the dynamics stability in molecular simulation experiments for seven viscotoxin structures. The conformational structure of the peptide sequence is linked to biological activity and dynamic parameters analysis led to the identification of amino acid residues which show the most important flexibility.

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The aim of the present work was to evaluate the interaction between double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and liposomes by voltammetric methods. The experimental results were analyzed considering the initial studies regarding the oxidation mechanism of dsDNA purine bases by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry at the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The interaction between dsDNA and 1,2-Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (DMPC) was studied in a suspension containing both dsDNA and DMPC liposomes, prepared in pH = 7.0, 0.1 M phosphate buffer and using different incubation time periods. The formation of dsDNA-liposome complex was put in evidence by the decrease of the dsDNA oxidation peaks, dependent upon the incubation time. This behavior was explained considering the electroactive centers of dsDNA, guanosine monophosphate and adenosine monophosphate residues, part of them hidden inside the dsDNA-liposome complex structure and thus being unable to reach the GC electrode and preventing their oxidation. The electrochemical results are relevant for a better physicochemical characterisation of the dsDNA and dsDNA-liposome complex, which can be important for the development of gene therapy vectors.

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Humans, animals and plants are constantly subject to pathogen microorganisms attack. The biggest threat to organisms is represented by fungal attack. Permanently seeking for new solutions to prevent and treatment of diseases caused by fungi, the researchers have turned their attention to antimicrobial peptides. These are produced by a large variety of organisms. The plans are the most important source of peptides having antifungal properties. In the present article is revealed a study of the molecular dynamics of such a peptide, namely the antimicrobial peptide WAMP-1a. Since the conformational structure of the peptide sequence is directly related to its activity, the dynamic parameters were analysed and were identified the amino acid residues that show the largest flexibility.

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The aim of the present study was to draw a comparative analysis of the content in flavones and polyphenols of the hydro alcoholic extracts obtained from two medicinal plants, namely artichoke (leaves) and respectively, licorice (root) according to the origin of the vegetal material and the method used in the preparation of the extracts. The plants used in the experiments are two indigenous medicinal plants belonging to wild and cultivated flora in Romania. Artichocke (Cynara scolymus) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) were purchased from three local companies trading medicinal plants: Plafar, Vitaplant and Franco Impex. It was evaluated the composition of the extracts in terms of the content of polyphenolic compounds expressed in caffeic acid and flavone compounds content expressed in rutin. Plant extracts were obtained by two different methods of preparation: ultrasonation and maceration with intermittent shaking.

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A systematic use of the Monte Carlo method appeared since the early days of electronic computing and since then it is more present in different scientific research fields. Therefore, many techniques were developed based on this method and one of them is called sequential importance sampling. This technique is an adaptation of the Monte Carlo method that can be used to better extract samples form the domain using an importance weight function.

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The antimicrobial peptides are small, cationic, amphiphilic peptides, characterized by microbicidal activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens. The knowledge of their quick and strong antimicrobial action, as well as the non-specific membrane-mediated mechanism of antimicrobial peptide-induced cell death has led researchers to study substitution of conventional antibiotics by antimicrobial peptides. Understanding the correlation between structure and function of antimicrobial peptides is the key element for the development of nontoxic therapeutics in many infectious diseases. This review presents some recent progresses in the study of antimicrobial peptides, recognized as the most important elements of non-specific host defense systems and the innate immunity in fungi, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates.

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The defensins are a family of antimicrobial peptides and contain six cysteine residues that form three characteristic intramolecular disulfide bonds. Human alpha-defensin (HD) 5 is a molecule consisting 32 amino acid residues in three beta-sheet structure and disulfide bridges between Cys 3 - Cys 31, Cys 5 - Cys 20, Cys 10-Cys 30. The HD 5 is mainly expressed in Paneth cells of the small intestine. In this paper was analysed the dynamic stability of the native and mutant structure of the HD 5 by molecular dynamics simulation method. In the mutant structure, arginine amino acid residue 13 is replaced by histidine amino acid residue. From comparative analysis of the native and mutant structure of the HD 5 results that ARG13HIS mutation leads to a structural change at the level of the residue 13 the secondary structure beta-sheet is changes in alpha-helix structure. At global level, in the native structure compaction occur in dynamics, while in the mutant structure there is a volume expansion.

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The use of nanoparticles for biological and medical applications has rapidly increased and the potential for human and ecological toxicity is a growing area of investigation. For assessing cytotoxicity of nanoparticles we developed a new experimental cell system based on the use of nucleated erythrocytes (RBCs) from fish and batrachians, which are directly exposed to pollutants or nanoparticles absorbed by different ways and we have evaluated the toxic effects by flow cytometric analysis. The two modes of cell death (apoptosis and necrosis) differ fundamentally in their morphology, biochemistry and biological relevance. We and others have recently shown that programmed cell death of nucleated erythrocytes is related to an apoptotic mechanism. The toxicological analysis were performed comparatively on porphyrin base or metalloporphyrin and for each porphyrin bare derivative on two correspondent porphyrin-silica-hybrid nanomaterials obtained by one step acid catalysis and by two steps acid-base catalysis. To evaluate cell-nanoparticles interactions, nucleated RBCs were exposed to different concentrations of nanocomposites and analyzed by flow cytometry, after 24h incubation endpoints for morphological changes (FSC/SSC), apoptosis/necrosis analysis (FITC-annexin-V labeling/PI) and viability (using calcein-AM method). The investigation showed that the type of cellular death of nucleated erythrocytes is related to an apoptotic mechanism and that flow cytometric analysis of nucleated RBCs viability and cell death discrimination could provide a rapid and accurate analytical tool for evaluating in vitro the biological responses towards of nanoparticles for environmental protection. Nucleated erythrocytes can be a new experimental cellular model easy to use, with no costs for culture and for maintaining in the culture. The results reported in the present study indicate that our new flow cytometric protocols can be used to create dose-response curves which allow us to determine EC50 for toxicity or ecotoxicity tests. It is also generally applicable for identifying harmful effects associated with general antropic impact for the aquatic environment and for its biomonitoring.

Abstract

Polycythemia vera (PV) is characterized by an absolute increase in the red blood cell mass, but the mechanisms are not completely understood. In this study, we identified by flow cytometric analysis morphological forms that deviate from the classical discoid shape, who had level. Measurement of glycoconjugate sialylation using lectines demonstrates but which is close to normal after treatment and an increased percentage of cells with active caspase-8 and -3 compared to normal RBCs, showing that the organism tries to restore the apoptotic mechanism for maintaining the normal hematocrit. may contribute elucidation of the mechanism this diseasea more viability determined by Calcein-AM method and a normal phosphatidylserine exposure a low degree of sialilation of membrane glycoconjugates of Polycythemia vera RBCs Our observations for understanding the survival of RBCs in Polycythemia vera and may also participate in elucidation of the mechanism this diseasein pathogenesis of this disease. © 2011 Vasile Goldis University Press.

Abstract

The human activities have a negative impact to the environment, consisting in the water contamination with toxic products, heavy metals or with xenobiotic substances. Manufactured nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanosheets and nanowires) have recent applications in drug delivery, medical devices, cosmetics, chemical catalysts, optoelectronics, electronics and magnetics. Some nanomaterials have been found to be toxic to humans and other organisms either upon contact or after persistent environmental exposure. In present, the measurements of the pollution degree are made with two methods: phisyco-chemical methods and ecotoxicological test (bioassay or environmental biosensors). Our results indicate that flow cytometric analysis of nucleated red blood cells viability using calcein-AM and cell death discrimination could provide a rapid and accurate experimental cellular model for effectively screening and evaluating biological responses for in vitro nanotoxicology and can be used in ecotoxicology as bioassays for the ecological monitoring of aquatic environment. In the some time, our results indicate that the use of nucleated erythocytes could be potentially useful for the development of rapid and low cost safety tests to assess fisheries product quality. © 2011 Vasile Goldis University Press.

Abstract

In this paper we presents a research study on the molecular dynamics of human transthyretin. It is already known that the transthyretin, both native and mutant, can forms amyloid deposits. This biostructure causes dysfunction of various organs and lead to disease known as amyloidosis. This research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism by which amyloid deposit is formed. In this study are conducted, in silico, molecular dynamics experiments for 2 native structures and 4 mutant structures of human transthyretin. In mutant structures residue 84 of isoleucine are replaced with residue of serine and alanine respectively. Mutant structures were determined at pH 4.6 and pH 7.5. Variation of RMSD in the simulation experiments performed on transthyretin is between 0.7 Å and 1.1 Å. Comparative analysis performed on residue 84 of the 6 studied structures show that both mutation I84S and I84A mutation induces specific destabilization of protein structure.

Abstract

The present study pursued the possibility of extraction of sugars and other useful components from fresh marc, by diffusion method. The biological material was represented by two types of marc: one from Greaca Vineyard-Wine Research and Production Station and one from Vinalcool Focsani. It was studied the influence of temperature, time, pH and the amount of washing solution on the diffusion of sugars and other useful components. Extraction efficiency was monitored by determining total sugars in the diffusion solutions, and by measuring the volume of solution. Besides the main components which can be found in large quantities: sugars, nitrogen and potassium tartrate, the fresh marc contains, in various concentrations, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, also. These ingredients are partially passing into the diffusion solution, some remaining in the washed marc. For this reason, the marc continues to remain, even after diffusion, a raw material that can be further used for valorification.

Abstract

Sucrose is one of the major sources of carbon and energy to the culture media used for in vitro cultures of plants. In this article, was studied the influence of different sucrose concentrations on in vitro multiplication of the species Ribes rubrum (15 g/l, 30 g/l, 45 g/l, 60 g/l) on MS culture medium containing half macroelements supplemented with growth regulators BA (0.2 mg/l), IBA (0.01 mg/l) at pH=5.7-5.8. The highest multiplication rate was observed using the culture medium with a sucrose concentration of 45 g/l.

Abstract

The problem of valorification of wine products was treated differently over time. In the past it was regarded as a minor issue, but today occupies an important place both in researches issues, as well as in economics, because of the global crisis of raw materials and energy, and because of environmental issues involved, too. Under these conditions, research in biotechnology that brings new solutions and can contribute in solving any of these problems is of particular interest. This task is required therefore as a necessity of the economy, with the intention to bring into attention subproducts of a definite value that have a special attention of the specialists abroad, but who are considered waste in our country and treated as such. In this work are presented and analyzed the recovery directions in this field worldwide, as well as research progress in our country.

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Molecular dynamics simulations method gives the possibility of studying and understanding the relationships between the structure and the function of biological molecules. Once with increasing the computing power, this method became a very powerful tool to predict the quantities that cannot be measured directly or whose accurate experimental data are difficult to obtain. It can provide a microscopic image of system which may explain macroscopic behavior of the biomolecular system. Molecular dynamics simulation method can be applied to: sampling configuration space, description of the system at equilibrium, calculating dynamics and kinetics of system. The peptide MTF-E is a fragment of 13 residues (residues 29-41) from rat ATPase 6. This peptide is recognized by Major Histocompatibility Complex class I (MHC I). Here we examine the conformational properties of the peptide using molecular dynamics simulation method. Trajectory analysis indicated that the peptide adopts a certain conformation of the backbone.

Abstract

Monte Carlo (MC) methods have become an important tool in biophysics, structural molecular biology and rational drug design. They are used to predict quantities that either cannot be measured directly or when accurate experimental data are difficult to obtain. They are also helpful for the interpretation of experimental results since in a simulation the system of interest can be studied in detail on the molecular level.

Abstract

Over the past 30 years greater attention has been focused on development of controlled and sustained drug delivery systems. The goal in designing these systenis is to reduce the frequency of dosing or to increase effectiveness of the drug by localization at die site of the action, decreasing the dose required or providing uniform drug delivery. Polymers have historically been the keys to the great majority in drug delivery systems. Hydrogels preformed by chemical or physical cross-linking form three dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluid. In order to obtain biocompatible hydrogels chitosan, hyaluronic acid extracted from swine vitreous, gelatin, carrageenan etc were used. To improve the qualities of pellicles it was used physic cross-linking agents (UV and thermic radiations) and/or ionic substances (sodium citrate, calcium chloride). The obtained hydrogels were tested for swollen capacity (in PBS at 20 degrees C) and in vitro degradation (in PBS at 37 degrees C). Preliminary studies for entrapment of protease inhibitor in hydrogel were done.

Abstract

Although the functional dynamics of the biomolecules goes from pico to miliseconds, the time needed to compute the molecular dynamics trajectory is much longer. One method to shorten this time is the parallel simulation. This method follows from the Amdahl's Law which is governing the parallel processing. This way, there were realized a series of molecular dynamics parallel simulation experiments on two biomolecular systems. The first system has 16993 atoms and is composed by one protein with 130 amino acid residues (2021 atoms) solvated in a water box. The length of one side of the water box is 57 A. The second system has 8933 atoms and is made up by one peptide with 9 amino acid residues (140 atoms) solvated in a water box having the side length 46 A. The aim of these experiments was to set the number of PCs in a cluster for which the ratio time simulation /number of PCs in cluster is optimal.