BIOREpository (Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade)
Not a member yet
7983 research outputs found
Sort by
Prilog horologiji i ekologiji nekih retkih i ugroženih biljnih vrsta u Srbiji
No full textNajnovije procene pokazuju da vaskularnu floru Srbije čini oko 4.246 vrsta i podvrsta, autohtonih i alohtonih naturalizovanih. Procenjuje se da je približno 20% ovog ukupnog broja taksona ugroženo. Uprkos obimnim istraživanjima flore Srbije sprovedenim tokom proteklih decenija, i dalje se otkrivaju nove vrste, kao i novi lokaliteti za vrste koje su se ranije smatrale iščezlim ili kritično ugroženim. Tokom terenskih istraživanja u Srbiji prethodnih godina otkrivena su nova nalazišta za sledeće retke i ugrožene taksone: Cardamine amara L. subsp. amara, Cardamine waldsteinii Dyer, Hypericum androsaemum L., Onoclea struthiopteris (L.) Roth, Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis (Link) Pamp. i Typha shuttleworthii W. D. J. Koch & Sond. Rasprostranjenje ovih taksona utvrđeno je opsežnim pregledom brojne florističke literature, herbarskih zbirki i sopstvenih terenskih podataka. Ove informacije su predstavljene na UTM mrežnim kartama u razmeri od 10×10 km. Pored toga, opisana su staništa u kojima se javljaju navedeni taksoni, kao i status populacija, čime se daje sveobuhvatan pregled njihovog trenutnog stanja u Srbiji.M511511651
Dominant lignan profiles and antidiabetic activity of thermally treated and non-treated burdock seeds
No full textBurdock seeds (Fructus arctii) are used as a traditional medicine for cough, inflammation, detoxification, cancer and diabetes, usually as decoction obtained with seeds subjected to thermal pre-treatment. The present work aimed to perform the phytochemical characterization of the stir-baked and non-baked seeds of various Arctium lappa populations from nine localities. Arctiin was dominant compound in non-baked seeds ranging from 40.6–92.6 mg/g. Thermal treatment resulted in a significant transformation of phenolic compounds and arctigenin was prevalent in the baked samples with the content from 25.2–57.4 mg/g. The antidiabetic potential of baked and non-baked burdock seed extracts was further evaluated in vitro by inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity, while molecular docking analysis was used to reveal the main molecular interactions underlying the inhibitory effects on these enzymes. In vitro study showed that stir-baked burdock seed extracts were stronger inhibitors of both enzymes compared to non-baked. The several extracts showed strong inhibition of both enzymes by almost or more than 60%, which was lower compared to acarbose (82.99% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL). Arctin and arctigenin were individually significantly stronger inhibitors of α-amylase and particularly α-glucosidase compared to burdock extracts and acarbose, and their activity was concentration dependent. Moreover, antidiabetic activity for the most active sample was determined in vivo using animals on high-fat and sucrose diet, where promising results were obtained. Briefly, after three months of administration of the stir-baked seed extract (100 mg/kg body weight), complete recovery from a hyperglycemic state was achieved. According to the obtained results A. lappa stir-baked seed extract is a potential drug with hypoglycemic action as indicated by in vitro, in vivo and in silico studies.M21a5.911820621
Bioleaching of a lateritic ore (Piauí, Brazil) in percolators
No full textHeap leaching of laterites for extraction of nickel and cobalt is an attractive alternative to capital and energy intensive high pressure acid leaching, the dominant hydrometallurgical processing technology for limonitic laterites. Conventional approach for heap leaching of laterites is leaching with sulfuric acid. Consumption of sulfuric acid during heap leaching is substantial and industrial-scale operations require construction of a sulfuric acid production plant on site. In this study, heap bioleaching of laterites was simulated in laboratory scale column percolators and bioleaching of nickel and cobalt from lateritic material was successfully demonstrated for the first time. The process is based on biooxidation of the bacterially modified “wet sulfur” inside column percolators by sulfur-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. The “wet sulfur“ was generated in a bioreactor with the bacterial culture, harvested, and mixed with lateritic ore before forming agglomerates to be filled in the percolator columns. Liquid was circulated with a flow rate of 8 mL/min. Maximum metal extraction was 66% nickel, 95% cobalt, 10% iron, 55% magnesium and 89% manganese from the Piauí lateritic ore after one month bioleaching. For comparison, chemical leaching with 1 M sulfuric acid with or without addition of 10 g/L of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate as reductant resulted in extraction of approximately 80% nickel, 86% cobalt, 33% iron, 50% magnesium and 81% manganese. With bioleaching a higher cobalt but lower nickel and iron extraction was achieved, i.e. a better selectivity of nickel over iron extraction, as well as a relatively higher pH of the pregnant leach solution requiring less limestone and, consequently, lower CO2 emission and generation of iron cake waste in case of laterite bioleaching. Overall, the results are promising and show potential of laterite heap bioleaching to be further developed to application on industrial scale.M214.710626222
Natural history collections help resurrecting Glomeris herzogowinensis Verhoeff, 1898 and further clarify the nomenclature of two Onychoglomeris subspecies of Attems (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae)
No full textBased on the study of freshly-collected material and old museum specimens, we have solved a decades-old riddle surrounding the name Onychoglomeris herzogowinensis (Verhoeff, 1898). The southern Dinaric coastal species Glomeris herzogowinensis Verhoeff, 1898 is revived, while Onychoglomeris herzogowinensis australis Attems, 1935 and O. h. media Attems, 1935, are treated here as full species after returning the specific name to Glomeris Latreille, 1902, O. australis Attems, 1935, stat. nov. and O. media Attems, 1935, stat. nov. Besides the designation of lectotypes, we provide comprehensive illustrations, diagnoses, detailed remarks and a distribution map for all three species. In addition, DNA barcoding provided COI sequences for Glomeris herzogowinensis and On-
ychoglomeris australis stat. nov., along with the first barcoding data of one additional species of Onychoglomeris Verhoeff, 1906, O. ferraniensis Verhoeff, 1909 and two Glomeris species, the Balkan G. balcanica Verhoeff, 1906 and the trans-Adriatic G. pulchra Koch, 1847. The significance of historical specimens from natural history museums is briefly discussed.M212.0493513100
Therapeutic Potential of Palmitoylethanolamide in Gastrointestinal Disorders
No full textPalmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endocannabinoid-like bioactive lipid mediator belonging to the family of N-acylethanolamines, most abundantly found in peanuts and egg yolk. When the gastrointestinal (GI) effects of PEA are discussed, it must be pointed out that it affects intestinal motility but also modulates gut microbiota. This is due to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory features. Additionally, PEA has shown beneficial effects in several GI diseases, particularly irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases, as various studies have shown, and it is important to emphasize its relative lack of toxicity, even at high dosages. Unfortunately, there is not enough endogenous PEA to treat disturbed gut homeostasis, even though it is produced in the GI tract in response to inflammatory stimuli, so exogenous intake is mandatory to achieve homeostasis. Intake of PEA could be through animal and/or vegetable food, but bearing in mind that a high dosage is needed to achieve a therapeutic effect, it must be compensated through dietary supplements. There are still open questions pending to be answered, so further studies investigating PEA’s effects and mechanisms of action, especially in humans, are crucial to implementing PEA in everyday clinical practice.M217.060013
Exosomal Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) and Caveolin-1 as Potential Biomarkers of Prostate Cancer-Evidence from Serbian Population
No full textProstate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and caveolin-1 are membrane proteins that are overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and are involved in tumor growth and increase in aggressiveness. The aim of the present study is therefore to evaluate PSMA and caveolin-1 proteins from plasma exosomes as effective liquid biopsy biomarkers for PCa. This study included 39 patients with PCa and 33 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The shape and size of the exosomes were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Immunogold analysis showed that PSMA is localized to the membrane of exosomes isolated from the plasma of both groups of participants. The relative protein levels of PSMA and caveolin-1 in the plasma exosomes of PCa and BPH patients were determined by Western blot analysis. The relative level of the analyzed plasma exosomal proteins was compared between PCa and BPH patients and the relevance of the exosomal PSMA and caveoin-1 level to the clinicopathological parameters in PCa was investigated. The analysis performed showed an enrichment of exosomal PSMA in the plasma of PCa patients compared to the exosomes of men with BPH. The level of exosomal caveolin-1 in plasma was significantly higher in PCa patients with high PSA levels, clinical-stage T3 or T4 and in the group of PCa patients with aggressive PCa compared to favorable clinicopathological features or tumor aggressiveness. Plasma exosomes may serve as a suitable object for the identification of potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of PCa as well as carriers of therapeutic agents in precision medicine of PCa treatment.M215.6353325
Characterization of Culturable Mycobiome of Newly Excavated Ancient Wooden Vessels from the Archeological Site of Viminacium, Serbia
No full textTwo ancient wooden vessels, specifically a monoxyle (1st century BCE to 1st century CE) and shipwreck (15th to 17th century CE), were excavated in a well-preserved state east of the confluence of the old Mlava and the Danube rivers (Serbia). The vessels were found in the ground that used to be river sediment and were temporarily stored within the semi-underground exhibition space of Mammoth Park. As part of the pre-conservation investigations, the primary aim of the research presented was to characterize the culturable mycobiomes of two excavated wooden artifacts so that appropriate conservation procedures for alleviating post-excavation fungal infestation could be formulated. Utilizing culture-based methods, a total of 32 fungi from 15 genera were identified, mainly Ascomycota and to a lesser extent Mucoromycota sensu stricto. Soft-rot Ascomycota of genus Penicillium, followed by Aspergillus and Cephalotrichum species, were the most diverse of the isolated fungi. Out of a total of 38 isolates, screened on 7 biodegradation plate assays, 32 (84.21%) demonstrated at least one degradative property. Penicillium solitum had the highest deterioration potential, with a positive reaction in 5 separate plate assays. The obtained results further broaden the limited knowledge on the peculiarities of post-excavation soft-rot decay of archaeological wood and indicate the biochemical mechanisms at the root of post-excavation fungal deterioration.M214.734310
Antibacterial Activities of Agaricus bisporus Extracts and Their Synergistic Effects with the Antistaphylococcal Drug AFN-1252
No full textAgaricus bisporus, commonly known as the button mushroom, has attracted attention for its biological properties, including antimicrobial activities. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of ethanolic and acetonic extracts from white and brown A. bisporus against different bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant strains. Bioautography and principal component analysis identified the most active antibacterial compounds for each of the tested bacteria and indicated the main markers responsible for the strain-specific effects. In addition, the mushroom extracts demonstrated a synergistic impact when combined with the antistaphylococcal antibiotic AFN-1252.M215.21715131
