ISSN 2285-1364, ISSN CD-ROM 2285-5521, ISSN ONLINE 2285-1372, ISSN-L 2285-1364
 

Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXV, Issue 1
Written by Ruxandra-Daniela DUMITRU, Oana LIVADARIU

The objective of this paper is to assess whether the contamination control measures already being applied in the pharmaceutical industrial production are efficient enough in the context of a viral pandemic, such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic of 2020-2021. The questions that must be asked are linked to the efficacy of already existing virucides against the newly discovered viral strand and whether there is a need for supplementary precautions in regards with the workers that have direct contact with the finished product or operate the machines that package the finished goods. The discussion will revolve around the efficacy of current protocols of disinfection, the need for workers’ continuous and rigorous training, and the transparency in which quality control must be implemented, as to ensure the public’s trust in the industrial process.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Faika YARALI KARAKAN

Allium tuncelianum (Kollman) Ozhatay, Matthew, Siraneci is an endemic plant species only grown in Turkey. Unlike common garlic, it has only one clove bulb and it can also produce fertile flowers and seeds. Due to the similarity of its flavor and taste to Allium sativum, it is called ʻtunceli garlicʼ and ʻovacik garlicʼ in the region. In recent years, the amount of consumption has increased due to revealing the benefits of biochemical content to human health. For this reason, Allium tuncelianum has been collected from nature for domestic and medical purpose by herbalists and local people. So, it is in danger of extinction due to unconscious and over-exploitation from the nature. In recent years, different strategies have been developed to protect Allium tuncelianum from destruction. Germination problems of its seeds have led researchers to use in vitro techniques. These studies focus to develop an efficient protocol for propagation and conservation of this endemic species. In this review, in vitro studies on Allium tuncelianum were evaluated.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIV, Issue 2
Written by Aglaia POPA (BURLACU), Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING, Călina Petruța CORNEA, Maria Mihaela ZUGRAVU (MICUȚI)

Lignocellulose is a resource for renewable organic matter. Between the three main components, hemicellulose is the second most abundant natural polymer on earth, its main constituent being xylan. Acetyl xylan esterases are accessory enzymes involved in biodegradation of xylan, releasing acetic acid from side chains of xylan backbone. After the action of these enzymes, other lignocellulases are able to act on their specific substrate. The main microbial sources for acetyl xylan esterase include Penicillium sp., Thermoanarobacterium sp., Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., Streptomyces sp., Phanerochaete sp., Bacillus sp., Trichoderma sp. etc. Screening methods for identification of acetyl xylan esterase microorganisms requires specific substrate for this enzyme such as acetylated xylan or xylooligosaccharides, α and β- naphthyl acetate or p-nitrophenyl acetate. The importance of these enzymes is given by their role in various applications such as biofuel production, pulp and paper biobleaching or food and feed.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Elena UNGUREANU, Gabriel MUSTĂȚEA, Mona Elena POPA

Food contamination during the migration process from food contact materials is an important food safety issue and many researches are focused on this topic in the last decades. Bisphenol A is a hazardous chemical compound used as intermediate in the production of polycarbonate-based materials and epoxy resins, used to obtain plastic food containers for packaging and storage, but also for inner surface coatings of cans. Through contaminated products, this compound can reach the human body where it causes a number of adverse health effects. As a result of this consumption, Bisphenol A can cause diseases of the cardiovascular system, endocrine system, reproductive system, metabolic system. The aim of this review was to investigate Bisphenol A levels from worldwide fruits and fruits products, fresh or processed, packed in different food contact materials. Despite the fact that the values found in the literature are not high, it poses a risk to human health because it can accumulate in the body. To prevent this hazard, the European Food Safety Authority recommended a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 μg/kg body weight/day. As a conclusion the authors try to investigate differences between canned and non-canned fruit products and to establish which material can leach more Bisphenol A and what factors influence this process.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXV, Issue 1
Written by Andrei Constantin Ioan ARLET, Aglaia POPA (BURLACU), Alexandru GROSU, Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING

Natural dyes potential increases continuously as the production of synthetic dyes requires strong acidic and alkaline obtaining conditions. Natural dyes are less toxic, easily available and biodegradable and have a low negative impact on the environment. The main dyes extracted from purple maize are anthocyanins, but in some cultivars were also found low concentration of carotenoids. The extraction of natural dyes can be performed either through traditional methods (aqueous, acid, alkaline, solvent, Soxhlet), either through modern methods (enzymatic, microbial, microwave or ultrasound assisted, supercritical fluids). This paper is also focused on comparing the most used methods for identification and quantification of anthocyanins in purple maize, methods that can be spectrophotometric or chromatographic. The multiple benefits of anthocyanins (antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, neuroprotective etc.) support their use in various applications such as: food, textile, pharmaceutic, medical etc.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIV
Written by Bogdan MATEI, Camelia Filofteia DIGUȚĂ, Florentina MATEI, Ovidiu POPA

During the process of the tea fermentation with Kombucha microbial consortium (SCOBY), due to the presence of acetic bacteria (Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter) a cellulosic biopolymer is developing on the surface. On industrial level, generally, this is considered as a residue, but recent research proved that such waste can be used for different purposes in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry as excipient or bandage on injured skin. In this context, we have conducted Kombucha fermentation on different tea sources (black tea, green tea, oolong tea and green tea added with Melissa officinalis). The polymers obtained after fermentation processes were dried under controlled conditions and tested for its antimicrobial activity on potential pathogenic microorganisms (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as on different Candida species). The highest quantity of polymer was obtained on Green tea supplemented with Melissa, followed by oolong tea, green tea and black tea. All polymers showed antibacterial activity on all Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including on methicillin resistant S. aureus; highest antibacterial activity was registered in the case of oolong tea source, followed by green tea, green tea with Mellissa and black tea. No inhibitory activity was noticed in the case of Candida species.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXV, Issue 1
Written by Mihaela MULȚESCU, Iulia-Elena SUSMAN, Floarea BURNICHI, Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING

Vegetables from Brassicaceae family are an excellent source of bioactive phytochemicals and may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. These vegetables contain various biologically active substances such as glucosinolates, polyphenols, flavonoids and vitamins. White cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capita), red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis) and kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) were investigated for their contents in antioxidants: polyphenols, vitamin C, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. The antioxidant efficacy was assessed using DPPH free radical scavenging. Ascorbic acid and phenolic content varied considerably between different Brassica varieties. The results of vitamin C content ranged between 38.99-74.25 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW) and 21.69-71.64 mg/100 g fresh weight for polyphenols. Regarding pigments, the examined vegetables were found to contain between 0.095 and 0.85 mg/100 g FW carotenoids and between 1.37 and 3.41 mg/100 g FW chlorophyll. Regarding DPPH• assay, red cabbage had an exceptionally high antioxidant activity followed by cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi and white cabbage.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Adina Lia LONGODOR, Vioara MIREŞAN, Răzvan A. CODEA, Camelia RĂDUCU, Luisa ANDRONIE, Zamfir MARCHIȘ, Igori BALTA, Codruţa MARIŞ, Aurelia COROIAN

Donkey milk is used as an alternative source in the diet of young children and newborns due to the similar composition to breast milk. The donkey milk is considered to be a functional food by the chemical composition it presents, thus being beneficial in the nutrition of people suffering from food allergies. The chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of the donkey milk are significantly influenced by lactation and also by the lactation period. Donkey milk has a low fat content compared to other species and high lactose content. These parameters are influenced by the variables such as: lactation, animal age, and feeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of lactation on the antioxidant capacity and physicochemical compounds in the donkey milk.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIV
Written by Mihaela MULȚESCU, Marta ZACHIA, Nastasia BELC, Floarea BURNICHI, Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING

Vegetables represent one of the most important components of the human diet. Brassica vegetables have been shown a great antioxidant capacity due to the presence of a multitude of biochemical substances such as vitamins, compounds with phenolic structure and pigments. Also it is known that some of these nutrients have a positive impact on the human health, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. This study evaluates the influence of two processing methods (boiling and steaming) on the stability of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, carotenoids and chlorophyll and on the antioxidant activity in edible part of broccoli and cauliflower. Boiling treatments caused losses of total phenolic compounds for both analysed vegetables (16.3% and 25.2%), while steaming led to comparable values with the fresh sample for broccoli and an increase by 12% for cauliflower. Thermal treatments determined a substantial loss of ascorbic acid for the analysed vegetables, ranging between 28% and 43.9%. Total carotenoid and chlorophyll content was higher in cooked samples and the antioxidant activity was lower after boiling and comparable with fresh vegetables when steaming.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Luziana HOXHA, Renata KONGOLI

Application of hurdle technology even more is getting a special attention from food scientist and producers, due to its economical convenience, simplicity and flexibility in use. In Albania fig fruit is widespread, usually sold in summer in local markets as fresh fruit, and during the year could be found as dried figs, which is traditionally sun-dried, and a small amount is preserved with addition of sugar. A big challenge still facing rural areas in Albania is the lack of preservation methods and capacities, the high perishable nature of fig and the supply of local markets with imported fig products, which could lead in a stock creation of country produce. So the application of hurdle technology was the aim of this work, as a novel approach to new dietary dried fig-based products development, with the attempt to minimize stock creation of dried figs produce, and market diversification with a range of products competing imported fig products. This study may serve as suggestions for further development of dried fig-based products, also may have an impact for rural areas development in Albania.

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