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Chemical Analysis and Biological Potential of Cotton Lavender Ethanolic Extract (Santolina chamaecyparissus L., Asteraceae)
No full textCotton lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus L., Asteraceae) is a widespread medicinal and ornamental plant. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary and detailed chemical composition as well as the biological activity of ethanolic extract. As part of the preliminary characterization, the content of total phenolics and flavonoids was determined, while the detailed characterization was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antioxidant activity was evaluated through four different tests: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl (OH•), and nitroso (NO•) radicals, and lipid peroxidation (LP), as well as antihyperglycemic potential through the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. Additionally, in silico molecular modeling was employed to link the chemical composition to the antihyperglycemic potential. Chemical characterization showed that cotton lavender is a valuable source of phenolic compounds, with ferulic and p-coumaric acids being the most abundant. Moreover, the antihyperglycemic and antioxidant potential of the ethanolic extract was demonstrated in vitro. The potential mechanism of the antihyperglycemic effect is the inhibition of the enzyme α-glucosidase, which was further investigated in silico using molecular modeling methods. This analysis suggested rutin and quercetin as compounds responsible for anti-α-glucosidase activity. Cotton lavender ethanolic extracts, as a valuable source of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, possess moderate antioxidant effects and notable antihyperglycemic activity. According to in vitro and in silico investigations, it could be a valuable herbal supplement to complement diabetes treatment in medicinal therapy
Cu-TiO2/Zeolite/PMMA Tablets for Efficient Dye Removal: A Study of Photocatalytic Water Purification
No full textIn this study, Cu-doped TiO2 combined with natural zeolite (ZT) was synthesized and applied as a fixed powder layer on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) tablets. The material’s morphology, structural, and chemical properties were characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by assessing the neutralization of hydroxyl radicals and iron (III) ions. For the first time, tablets with Cu-TiO2 and ZT deposited on PMMA as the carrier were investigated for removing two dyes, methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB), from water under simulated solar (SS) and UVC irradiation. Under SS irradiation, the Cu-TiO2/PMMA and Cu-TiO2/ZT/PMMA tablets achieved about 21% degradation of MB after 240 min. This result is particularly noteworthy because SS radiation provides lower energy compared with UVC, making the process more economically efficient. Furthermore, the photocatalysts are immobilized on a stable carrier, which enhances the method’s cost-effectiveness by reducing material loss and simplifying recovery. In the presence of ZT/PMMA tablets, 69% of MB was removed by adsorption after 240 min. Additionally, we explored the mechanism of degradation, revealing that the enhanced generation of hydroxyl radicals plays a pivotal role in the effective degradation of MB. At the same time, photogenerated holes contribute to the removal of MO. The overall results suggest that the tablets obtained are a promising solution for water purification due to their effectiveness, simplicity, and low processing cost
Pathogenicity of Alternaria spp. isolates on apple fruits
No full textAlternaria rot is a significant postharvest apple disease, primarily caused by Alternaria alternata, but various Alternaria species can cause rot. Besides economic losses, Alternaria spp. also produce mycotoxins, which are significant for their toxicity and carcinogenicity. Keeping in mind that most fungicides applied preharvest do not provide complete protection of fruits during storage, while postharvest fungicide application and application during storage is not allowed due to residues and other unfavorable ecotoxicological properties, the fruits remain unprotected during storage, and susceptible to infection. The isolates were obtained using standard phytopathological procedures from fruits with characteristic symptoms of Alternaria rot. Based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics 20 isolates were identified as Alternaria spp. The pathogenicity of the isolates was tested on healthy, symptomless fruits of the Golden Delicious cultivar which were wounded and artificially inoculated with 7-day-old mycelial plugs, while control fruits were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. Inoculation was performed in three replications, apple fruits were placed in plastic boxes, and incubated under humid conditions at 24 ± 2°C.The development of symptoms was observed daily for 10 days. All tested isolates formed necrosis on apple fruits, while symptoms were not registered in the control. The evaluation was performed by measuring two normal diameters of the necrotic lesion on the fruits and used for data processing. The statistical analysis of the data was performed in the STATISTICA 14 program (TIBCO Software Inc.) using the ANOVA test, while the Tukey HSD test was used to test the significance of differences between the isolates
Productivity of less cultivated species Avena strigosa Schreb. - black oats - and her health benefits
No full textBlack oat grain - Avena strigosa Schreb. is on the list of 20 healthiest products. It is desirable in the diet because it has a lower proportion of carbohydrates and is rich in proteins (up to 15%, where the amino acid lysine dominates), then oils, cellulose, minerals and vitamins and can provide great health benefits. The oil content in oat seeds reaches up to 10%, depending on the location and tested year. The following fatty acids dominate in the seed: linoleic (45%), oleic (30%), palmitic (20%), stearic (6%), linoleic (6%) and myristic (4%) acids. Black oats are also a forage crop used for cover cropping, weed control and nematode control. Allelopathic compounds released through the oats roots inhibit weed growth. It produces a large amount of biomass that decomposes quickly, and returns valuable nutrients and organic particles back to the soil. Although the grain of black oats has excellent nutritional value, this species is less cultivated in the world and in our country. This study aims to test black oats and examine its morphological and productive properties at the Bački Petrovac location. An experiment with two populations: G1- black oats - "crni" and G2- "rutavi" oat, was set up in three repetitions on the plots of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Bački Petrovac, in 2023. Sowing was done in April and harvesting was done at the technological maturity of the crop, when plants from each repetition were taken for analysis: plant height, plant height to panicle, root length, plant weight, grain weight and number of grains per plant. Genotype had a significant effect on grain yield per plant and yield components. G2 - "Rutavi" oats had statistically significantly higher values for plant height (145 cm) and plant height to panicle (125 cm) compared to G1- black oats (108 cm and 90 cm). Black oats had higher values for root length (8), plant weight (9 g), grain weight (3 g) and number of grains (95) compared to G2 (6; 5 g; 1.2 g; 65). The results show that black oats can be successfully grown in Bačka region in Vojvodina. Eating oats helps prevent some diseases: digestion, insomnia, anxiety, depression, nervousness, hoarseness, arteriosclerosis, dermatitis and some forms of cancer, lowers cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure
Effect of different extraction methods on the content of trypsin inhibitors in common bean pods
No full textThe common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an excellent source of protein, calories and essential micronutrients. However, the absorption of these nutrients is subject to many variables, including the presence of antinutrients such as trypsin inhibitors (TIs), which can interfere with nutrient absorption. TIs may also serve as a natural plant defense mechanism against various pests, so determining their content in pods could lead to a better understanding of their distribution and their potential impact on disease resistance. Common beans, which are grown not only for their dried seeds but also for their edible, immature and tender pods, are known as snap beans (syn. French beans, green beans, string beans). Different methods for extracting TIs from the fresh pods of five common bean genetic resources (three breeding lines, two varieties) were investigated to accurately measure trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) and related traits such as percentage of trypsin inhibition (%TIn), Trypsin Units Inhibited (TUI), TUI/mg sample and μg Trypsin Inhibited/mg sample (μg TId/mg sample). Four extraction methods were used: (i) ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) for 15 min and (ii) for 30 min, and (iii) shaking-assisted extraction for 60 min and (iv) for 180 min. The results showed a significant increase in TIA-related traits in UAE compared to shaking extraction, with the 15-min ultrasonic procedure showing better efficacy than the 30-min ultrasonic procedure. Breeding line 228_4aa_ca showed the highest TUI and TUI/mg sample after 15-minute extraction by UAE. In addition, significant correlations were observed between TUI, TUI/mg sample and %TIn. The results provide valuable insights into the relationship between bean genetic resources, extraction methods and trypsin inhibitor content in common bean pods and serve as a basis for the refinement of extraction protocols
Effects of different organic fertilizers on fatty acids, oil content and tocopherol in confectionery sunflower
No full textOrganic agriculture has to satisfy a growing need for food satety with maintaining
soil fertility and ameliorating climate change effects. NS confectionary hybrids have good
characteristics, uniform color and size and are suitable for machine dehulling.They are used
for production of both large amounts of unrefined cold pressed oil and oilcake. Testing NS
confenctinary hybrids under different production systems (conventional and organic) is
important when breeding for hybrids with a wide degree of adaptability to different
cultivation conditions The specific treatments were analyzed under organic cultivation
condition. The application of the Guanito organic fertilizer at a dose of 0.5t ha-1 applied
during the BBCH 01 stage, the application of Trainer at 3l ha-1 and Natur Plasma at 5l ha-1,
were applied during the BBCH 36 stage. This was compared to a purely conventional
treatment with mixed NPK fertilizer (50:50:50), and a control cultivation in organic
production with no treatment. Five different confenctionary hybrids were analyzed under
above conditions, making for 25 unique test conditions. fatty acids, oil content and tocopherol
in sunflower seed were measured under lab condition. The analysis firstly was performed with
one level ANOVA on both hybrids and different treatments, as well as with two-level
ANOVA. Differences between hybrids were found to be significant in the one-way ANOVA
for 4 different kind offatty acids, and seed oil content. No ignificant was found with one-way
ANOVA test among different treatments. Two-way ANOVA analysis for alpha-tocopherol
has been confirmed the significant differences among tested hybrids., The significant
interaction were detected between both hybrids and treatments for palmytic, stearic and
linoleic content, as well as the significant differences for hybrids is only detected on oleic
content. Due to there is no significant differences was found between different models with
the Akaike Information Criterion, that's why Wilcox’s robust two-way ANOVA analogue was
used with n = 1000 for subsampling. A robust one-way ANOVA analogue was applied using
Wilcox’s algorithm and Welch’s method with 20% trimmed means and 5000 subsampling
steps. Significant results were found for stearic, oleic, linoleic and oil content. Given that
these models have been validated with robust statistics, they were elected as suitable for post
hoc analysis. Preliminary result analysis shows that there are no statistically significant
differences between organic, control and conventional treatments. It detects no significant
differences in tocopherol levels between different hybrids, but the available datashowed the
significant (at a 0.001 level) differences in fatty acid and oil content. Further work should be
developed to study the use of organic fertilizers on NS confenctionary hybrids so as to creat
the organic growth conditions for sunflower
Procena dvogodišnje varijabilnosti genotipova graška: implikacije za održivu poljoprivredu
No full textPeas (Pisum sativum L.) play a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture, due to their nitrogen-fixing abilities and their nutritional value as a source of protein. This study examined the phenotypic traits of pea genotypes under a range of environmental conditions and identified significant variations. The analysis yielded several noteworthy correlations, including a strong positive relationship between seed yield per plant and thousand seed weight, and a significant negative correlation between seed yield and protein content. These findings inverse the complexity of genotype-environment interactions and the necessity of considering multiple traits to optimise pea productivity and sustainability.Grašak (Pisum sativum L.) ima ključnu ulogu u održivoj poljoprivredi, zahvaljujući svojoj sposobnosti fiksacije azota i visokoj nutritivnoj vrednosti kao izvor proteina. U ovom istraživanju analizirane su fenotipske osobine genotipova graška u različitim agroekološkim uslovima, pri čemu su identifikovane značajne varijacije. Analizom je ustanovljeno nekoliko značajnih korelacija, uključujući jaku pozitivnu korelaciju između prinosa semena po biljci i mase hiljadu semena, kao i značajnu negativnu korelaciju između prinosa semena i sadržaja proteina. Ovi rezultati ističu složenost interakcija genotip-okolina i potrebu za analiziranjem više osobina kako bi se optimizovala produktivnost i održivost proizvodnje graška
Genetic architecture of soybean traits for organic production
No full textGrowing demand for varieties appropriate for organic production to better meet the specific needs
of value chain participants stimulated the development of targeted soybean breeding programs for
organic farming. Important traits for organic soybean production were identified, including yield,
thousand seed weight, canopy cover in vegetative and reproductive phases, grain quality (protein
and oil content), plant architecture (average internode length, node number, plant height, number
of branches) and local adaptation (flowering time, full maturity, reproductive stage length). These
traits are complex quantitative traits affected by multiple genes and environmental factors. While
a large number of main quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) have been reported, less information
on QTN-by-environment interactions (QEIs) and epistasis QTN-QTN interaction (QQIs) is
available for selected traits. Mapping without QEIs and QQIs result in missing data that are
significantly related to phenotypic variation. The present research conducted genome-wide
association studies (GWAS) to map genetic basis for selected traits using panel of 182 diverse
soybean lines tested in two independent environments (Serbia and Austria), in two years 2020 and
2021. 3VmrMLM method was used to conduct association analysis on 34352 SNPs and
phenotypic data. Significant and stable main-effect QTNs, QEIs, and pairs of QQIs were detected,
indicating an important role of non-additive effects on all traits. Some of detected QTNs colocalized
with previously known loci, while others were novel. Obtained results provide a valuable
genomic resources in developing organic-compliant varieties by targeting specific traits and
preserving organic standards, providing more efficient and sustainable strategies for organic
production
Preliminary study on chlorophyll content differences in NS sunflower hybrids and their impact on seed yield and oil content
No full textChlorophyll content indicates plant health, photosynthetic efficiency, and nutrient status. High
chlorophyll contents often correlate with vigorous growth and higher yields, while changes can
signal environmental stresses like drought. During drought, chlorophyll content can decrease,
reflecting impaired photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, making it a valuable indicator of drought
tolerance. This study examines the variations in chlorophyll content across twenty different NS
sunflower hybrids and its correlation with seed yield and oil content. Chlorophyll measurements
were conducted at four growth stages, from bud to flowering phases within a month during 2022.
Each hybrid exposed unique chlorophyll dynamics, reflecting their genetic diversity and
adaptability to varying environmental conditions. Statistical analysis revealed no significant
correlations between seed yield and chlorophyll content in any of the four growth stages measured.
However, negative correlations between oil and chlorophyll content were obtained at all four
growth stages, but statistical significance was obtained at the end of budding (r = – 0,443⃰) and the
beginning of the flowering phase (r = -0,433⃰). In conclusion, the lack of significant correlations
between tested traits and chlorophyll content suggests that other factors as well as wider variability
of sunflower genotypes is essential
Rhizospheric Bacillus spp. as an alternative to chemical control of Botrytis cinerea on tomato
No full textBotrytis cinerea is one of the most destructive fungal pathogens affecting over 200 plant hosts, including important crop species such as tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). This fungus causes gray mold of tomato, affecting the yield in the open field, greenhouses, but also during the transportation and storage of the product. B. cinereais difficult to control because it can survive as mycelia, conidia or sclerotia for long periods, while numeroushosts serve as the source of inoculum. Control of tomato gray mold involves crop rotation, sanitation and improved growing conditions, but still largely relies on repeated application of fungicides. Excessive use of fungicides has led to development of B. cinerea resistance to various groups of fungicide. Resistance to carbendazim and procymidone in B. cinereaisolates originating from tomato has been confirmed in Argentina, while resistance to difenoconazole has been reported in China and resistance to carbendazim and cyprodinil was foung in Greece. Therefore, it is classified as high risk pathogenfor the development of resistance by Fungicides Resistance Action Committee (FRAC). Occurrence of resistance coupled with public concern on fungicide residues in vegetables created anurgent need to find an alternative method to control B. cinerea. One approach is the utilization of bacteria from the genus Bacillus. Bacillus spp. represent a heterogeneous group of bacteria, which are dominant in the soil and the rhizosphere of plants. They belong to Gram-positive bacteria with rod-shaped cells and ability to produce endospores in unfavorable conditions for growth. Bacillus species have numerous positive effect on plants, such as ability to increase the availability of nutrients in the soil, stimulate plant growth and control plant pathogens. These bacteria protect plants from pathogens by producing antimicrobial compounds (AMCs), competing for niches and nutrients, and inducing systemic resistance. In our experiment, two-month-old tomato plants (BBCH 59, variety Novosadski jabučar), were treated foliarly once a week for three consecutive weeks with either 30 or 55 ml of bacterial suspension of B. amyloliquefaciens isolate Bac 28.3. One day after the last treatment, all plants were spray-inoculated with conidial suspension (105 conidia ml-1 ) of B. cinerea isolate 463-19. Systemic fungicide Switch 62.5 WG (Syngenta) was used at recomended concentration (0.23%) as positive control, and sterile distilled water (SDV) as negative control. Appearance of symptoms on treated plants was monitored daily, and Disease severity (DS in %) was assessed 7, 10 and 14 days after inoculation. With the 30 ml-dose, the highest efficiency in suppressing B. cinerea on tomato plants was obtained with isolate Bac 28.3 (DS=63.88%), compared to SDV (DS=86.1%) and the fungicide Switch 62.5 WG (DS=69.44%). Similar results were obtained with a dose of 55 ml: DS of 59.72% when treated with isolate Bac 28.3, which was statistically significant compared to 86.10% (water), but not statistically significant compared to 69.44% (Switch). Subsequent PCR analysis of Bac 28.3 isolate revealed presence of genes for two cyclic lipopeptides: bacillomycin D and iturin A, indicating the intrinsic trait underlying the inhibitory effect on B. cinerea