3828 research outputs found
Sort by
First assessment of environmental genotoxicity using the the longfingered bat Myotis capaccinii (Bonaparte 1837) as a bioindicator
No full textCoal remains a major energy source around the world, although it contains radioactive elements, metals,
and organic compounds that can adversely affect the DNA of exposed organisms [1]. Bats, with their
widespread distribution, are frequently impacted by environmental pollution, taking in contaminants through
their diet, water, skin, and even by inhalation. They act as sensitive bioindicators, making them valuable for
assessing environmental quality [2]. One such species, the long-fingered bat Myotis capaccinii (Bonaparte
1837) is recognized as endangered in Europe and it is strictly protected by the Serbian legislation. The aim
of this study was to investigate the genotoxic response in M. capaccinii blood cells using the alkaline comet
assay. It also sought to identify variations in response related to the age groups and sex of the bats, as well
as the sampling season. Additionally, follow-up analyses were conducted to measure the levels of 11
elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the bats' hair. The sampling was conducted in
two caves in eastern Serbia, Bogovinska Cave and Sesalačka Cave, natural monuments and protected
natural resources of III category, both located near coal mining activities. In 2024 during summer and
autumn, 24 bats were studied and categorized into groups based on sex (male/female), age
(juveniles/adults), and season (summer/autumn). For the analysis of elemental concentration, a total of 24
hair samples were collected from the dorsal side of the specimens and subsequently transferred into vials
for inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis. For the comet assay, 15
samples of capillary blood were obtained through a non-lethal technique from the intrafemoral vein and
stored in 1 mL of cryopreservation medium in liquid nitrogen until analysis. The findings indicated that DNA
damage was significantly higher in bats sampled during summer compared to their autumn counterparts.
There were no statistically significant differences detected between sexes or age groups. A significant
positive correlation was found between chromium concentrations and DNA damage, suggesting a potential
link to environmental contamination, likely resulting from mining activities. Conversely, a significant negative
correlation was observed between zinc concentrations and DNA damage, which may support its role as a
protective agent against DNA damage and oxidative stress. This study is the first to utilize M. capaccinii as
a bioindicator, and the results suggest that this species could be a useful indicator of the genotoxic potential
in the environment
Assessment of the biological influence of natural emulsifier on the growth and initial development of Sinapis alba L. and Lactuca sativa L. in laboratory conditions
No full textUnder controlled laboratory conditions, the biological influence of the emulsifiers Polysorbate 80, Glyceryl Monostearate SE, and Olivem 1000 on seed germination and initial development of Sinapis alba L. and Lactuca sativa L. was evaluated and compared. It was found that the emulsifiers included in the study and the applied concentrations had an indifferent to lethal effect on seed germination and initial development of the target plants. It was found that the emulsifier Polysorbate 80 can be used in concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.2% v/v, while Glyceryl Monostearate SE and Olivem 1000 in concentrations not higher than 0.025% v/v when performing screening laboratory studies to establish the biocidal effect of essential oils. Further studies are needed, including validation of the obtained experimental results in laboratory and vascular trials, to establish the influence of emulsifiers in combined application with essential oils or hydrolates of plant biomass from plants with proven allelopathic potential
Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. Production and Its Importance for Health
No full textBuckwheat belongs to the genus Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae), it is native to Asia (China). It is a promising pseudo cereal, that is a a symbol of healthy life because of its rich nutritional and pharmacological properties. Seed has 9.1% protein, 70.98% BEM, 3.7% cellulose, 1.73%, oil 1.72%, mineral salts, 12.8% water, and vitamins group B - B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (pantothenic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol) and ferments. It has a balanced amino acid content, is rich in lysine and arginine. Buckwheat plants and groats are rich in flavonoids: rutin, orientin, vitexin, quercetin, isovitexin, and isoorientin. Due to its favorable chemical composition, and the absence of gluten, buckwheat is suitable for the diet of people suffering from Celiac disease and diabetes. Buckwheat food products affect the reduction of sugar and fat concentration in the blood, which contributes to the regulation of cholesterol levels and used as an auxiliary remedy in folk medicine. In this study, the buckwheat production in the world, were analyzed. Due to all of the above, there is a need to increase buckwheat production in world due to increased demand. According to FAO data, buckwheat was grown on 1,855,059 ha in 2020, and on 2,187,546 ha in 2023. Seed production in 2020 was 1,805,936 tons and 2,204,015 tons in 2023, and grain yield was 976 kg ha-1 (2020) and 1,007 kg ha-1 (2023). Evident is an increase area, production and yields in the period from 2020 to 2023. The analysis of production by continent shows that the largest areas were in Europe (with Russia) 933,658 ha and Asia (760,545 ha). In the light of climate change, the improvement of buckwheat production technology is of great importance in order to increase yield. Promotion of buckwheat improving productivity will be an important trade-off between food security and improving population health
Monitoring extracellular vesicle surface glyco-properties using fluorescent lectins and nanoparticle tracking analysis
No full textExtracellular vesicles are small particles released by all cell types. Different extracellular vesicle isolation methods are widely used, yet none achieve an optimal balance between yield, purity and structural integrity. This study aimed to establish a comparative approach for evaluating different extracellular vesicle preparations using nanoparticle tracking analysis. A simple one-step assay relying on fluorescence-based nanoparticle tracking analysis was used to evaluate lectin binding to extracellular vesicles as a measure of possible changes in their surface glycosylation during various isolation methods. Seminal extracellular vesicles were isolated from normozoospermic men using ultracentrifugation alone—UC-sEVs—or combined with size exclusion chromatography—UC-SEC-sEVs—or microfiltration—UC-MF-sEVs. They were analysed based on their size and lectin-binding properties using wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin I. While total seminal extracellular vesicles and tetraspanin-positive seminal extracellular vesicles maintained similar size distributions across all isolates, lectin-positive seminal extracellular vesicles displayed a shift towards larger than 200 nm seminal extracellular vesicles in UC-SEC-sEVs and UC-MF-sEVs, as compared to UC-sEVs. The ratio of larger (>200 nm) to smaller (30–200 nm) lectin-positive sEVs was increased, particularly for wheat germ agglutinin in UC-MF-sEVs and Ricinus communis agglutinin I in UC-SEC-sEVs. These findings demonstrate that size exclusion chromatography and microfiltration combined with ultracentrifugation influence seminal extracellular vesicle surface glycosylation and alter lectin binding across extracellular vesicles of different sizes
Essential Oils as Bioinsecticides
No full textEssential oils are products of the secondary metabolism of aromatic plants. Particularly notable are families such as Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Lauraceae, Zingiberaceae, Myrtaceae, Rutaceae, Apiaceae, and Pinaceae. These are more or less complex mixtures of fragrant and highly volatile, lipophilic compounds, predominantly various monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoid compounds. Plants of interest for pharmacy are those that yield over 0.01% essential oil through steam distillation. In recent decades, the antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils have been extensively studied, while their impact on harmful insects in crop production has been less explored. Therefore, the aim of this study is to highlight the importance and potential of essential oils in combating harmful insects. The composition of essential oils depends on numerous factors, such as genotype, the processing method of plant material, methods of obtaining essential oils, origin, climate, and whether the leaves were obtained from the first or second harvest. Due to their high volatility, essential oils are non-persistent, with a half-life of less than 24 hours. These properties make essential oils environmentally safe. The various effects essential oils exhibit on insects form the basis for their application as biopesticides. The advantages of using these preparations over conventional pesticides include the absence of negative environmental impacts, a high degree of biodegradability, non-toxicity or low toxicity to mammals and beneficial entomofauna, greater selectivity, and the reduced likelihood of insects developing resistance
Antibakterijska aktivnost etarskih ulja biljaka i mogućnosti primene kao biopesticida u biljnoj proizvodnji
No full textPathogenic microorganisms, primarily bacteria and fungi, cause plant diseases, which lead to a significant loss of plant yields. For a long time, efforts have been made to reduce the loss of plant yields, primarily with the use of chemical agents for plant protection, but also with the selection of strains resistant to phytopathogens and other pests. However, the intensive use of chemical agents in crop production leads to environmental pollution and threats to food safety. For the above reasons, the application of biological preparations (biopesticides) is recommended as an environmentally acceptable way of managing plant diseases and the environment. The aim of this paper is to describe the antibacterial activity of the essential oils (EOs) of plants and the possibilities of their application as natural biopesticides in crop production, by reviewing the scientific literature and research. The applicable literature was analysed in this review paper. The results of numerous in vitro and in vivo scientific studies indicate that the essential oils of plants exhibit strong antibacterial effects on phytopathogenic bacteria, the causative agents of plant diseases, as well as that they can be successfully used in plant production.Patogeni mikroorganizmi, prvenstveno bakterije i gljive, uzrokuju biljne bolesti, koje dovode do značajanog gubitka biljnih prinosa. Već dugo se čine napori da se smanje gubici biljnih prinosa, najčešće primenom hemijskih sredstava za zaštitu bilja, ali i selekcijom sojeva otpornih prema fitopatogenima i ostalim štetočinama. Međutim, intenzivna primena hemijskih sredstava u biljnoj proizvodnji dovodi do zagađenja životne sredine i ugrožavanja zdravstvene bezbednosti hrane. Iz navedenih razloga, preporučuje se primena bioloških preparata (biopesticida), kao ekološki prihvatljivog načina upravljanja biljnim bolestima i životnom sredinom. Cilj ovog rada je da se, uvidom u naučnu literaturu i istraživanja, opiše antibakterijska aktivnost etarskih ulja biljaka i mogućnosti njihove primene kao biopesticida u biljnoj proizvodnji. U ovom preglednom radu, analizirana je dostupna literatura. Rezultati brojnih sprovedenih in vitro i in vivo naučnih istraživanja ukazuju da etarska ulja biljaka ispoljavaju snažne antibakterijske efekte na fitopatogene bakterije, uzročnike biljnih bolesti, kao i da se mogu uspešno koristiti u biljnoj proizvodnji
Platinum- and rhodium-enhanced electrocatalysis of hydrogen electrode reactions on cobalt in alkaline media
No full textHydrogen electrode reactions are crucial processes regarding sustainable energy conversion technologies such as water electrolysis and fuel cells. In this study, we investigated the electrocatalytic activity of cobalt electrodes, whose surfaces were modified with noble metals – platinum (Pt) and rhodium (Rh) – towards the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline media. The surface modification was achieved through a simple and rapid galvanic displacement process (30 seconds), enabling the efficient deposition of Pt and Rh onto polycrystalline cobalt electrodes, which resulted in a significant improvement in their electrocatalytic activity. Our results show that the Pt-modified electrode exhibited the highest activity for HER, surpassing even polycrystalline platinum, while the Rh-modified electrode also demonstrated substantial improvement compared to pure cobalt. However, for HOR, pure platinum retained superior electrocatalytic performance compared to the modified cobalt electrodes. These findings suggest that galvanic displacement of cobalt with Pt and Rh is an effective strategy to enhance HER kinetics and reduce noble metal utilization, offering a cost-efficient pathway for designing advanced electrocatalysts in hydrogen-based energy systems
Electrodeposited Co-Sn alloys on Ni mesh as efficient cathodes for alkaline water electrolysis
No full textThe rising global demand for electricity, depletion of fossil resources, and growing environmental concerns have intensified efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. Hydrogen obtained through water electrolysis powered by renewables represents a viable route towards sustainable and carbon-free energy systems. Among the available technologies, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is particularly attractive due to its maturity, scalability, and reliance on earth-abundant materials. However, the development of efficient, durable, and low-cost cathodes remains a key challenge for successful widespread of AWE and to achieve hydrogen costs comparable to those from conventional methods (steam methane reforming, and coal gasification).
Building on our previous work on electrodeposition of Ni-Sn coatings on 3D porous Ni substrates for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in zero-gap electrolyzers, this study extends the electrodeposition approach to Co-Sn alloys on Ni mesh substrates, which are widely used in industrial AWE systems. The Co-Sn/Ni mesh cathodes were prepared by galvanostatic electrodeposition from glycine-pyrophosphate bath. Bath composition and deposition current density were varied to optimize coating composition and microstructure. Electrochemical measurements in 1 M KOH revealed strong coating adhesion and stability, with no performance degradation even at high HER current densities. The Co-Sn coatings achieved a significant reduction in HER overpotential compared to both bare and Co-coated Ni mesh. Furthermore, testing in a zero-gap flow electrolyzer (30 wt.% KOH, 70 °C) demonstrated a cell voltage reduction of approx. 200 mV at 500 mA cm–2 compared to a cell using bare Ni mesh cathode
Application of locally manufactured GPS tracking technology in wildlife reintroduction in Serbia
No full textIn Serbia, many game and threatened species currently exhibit low population abundance and fragmented
distributions, prompting state authorities and expert bodies to initiate species reintroduction programs. The
conservation translocation of species to habitats from which they have been disappeared is a complex process
that depends heavily on careful planning and effective monitoring. GPS telemetry, particularly through the use
of modern GPS tags, has become a valuable tool for obtaining critical data on spatial and behavioral ecology,
resource selection and their conservation. However, the implementation of GPS technology in Serbia is still
emerging due to limited resources and the high cost of imported equipment. Developing locally manufactured
alternatives could provide a cost-effective and readily available solution for advancing wildlife research in the
region. This study evaluates the performance of GPS tags developed by the Serbian company CANANDI (Niš), a
pioneer in the field, in tracking three species: Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra Linnaeus, 1758), Red Deer (Cervus
elaphus Linnaeus, 1758), and Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo Linnaeus, 1758). A total of four GPS tags were deployed
to assess their effectiveness in monitoring above-mentioned species and to evaluate their potential for broader
application in conservation efforts. Preliminary findings, although limited, highlight the usefulness of GPS tags in
the reintroduction process. Results provided valuable insights into the ecological requirements of marked individuals,
including the detection of mortality in a Chamois; the successful adaptation of an Eagle Owl to its new
environment; and dispersion patterns of two Red Deer stags, one of which adapted to the pre-release enclosure
while the other moved outside the fenced area. These initial findings demonstrate the potential of locally manufactured
GPS technology in supporting wildlife conservation and management. As such they provide a valuable
foundation for future research and improved species reintroduction strategies in Serbia and neighboring areas
Optimization of electrochemical deposition parameters for NiMoOₓ electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction
No full textThe hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been considered as one of the main challenges in
the transition toward sustainable hydrogen energy, primarily due to the reliance on precious
metals such as platinum and iridium as catalysts. This study was focused on developing cost
effective NiMoOₓ composite coatings capable of achieving comparable or superior catalytic
performance and stability under harsh industrial conditions. The influence of deposition
parameters on the morphology and electrocatalytic activity of the prepared electrodes was
systematically investigated. The electrodes were synthesized by electrochemical deposition
under varying current densities, concentrations of non-metallic particles, deposition times,
stirring rates, and electrolyte flow rates. Importantly, the NiMoOₓ powder used for electrode
fabrication was synthesized in the laboratory rather than obtained commercially, ensuring
better control over composition, particle size, and phase purity. This approach resulted in
coatings of higher quality and reproducibility. Surface morphology was characterized using
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while
catalytic performance and reaction kinetics were evaluated through polarization curves and
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that variations in
deposition parameters significantly affected grain size, porosity, and the electrochemically
active surface area, determining parameters for the activity toward the HER. Optimized
deposition conditions yielded a cauliflower-like surface morphology with a high density of
active sites, resulting in enhanced HER activity and excellent long-term stability. The best
performing electrode exhibited an overpotential of −81 mV at a current density of −1000 mA
cm⁻², confirming the high efficiency of the developed catalyst. These findings demonstrate
that both the synthesis of the precursor powder and the precise control of deposition parameters
were crucial for optimizing the morphology and performance of low-cost NiMoOₓ
electrocatalysts for HER