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

Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Delia RĂDOI, Gabriela-Lucica MĂRGĂRIT

Creative accounting is a term used to describe the practice of manipulating financial information to present a more favorable picture of a company's financial performance and position than what might be an accurate representation under standard accounting principles. Creative accounting involves altering real accounting figures to convey specific messages desired by managers through exploiting accounting loopholes limitation. Nevertheless, in light of the changing accounting and legal context, researchers are increasingly preoccupied on the managerial outlook with regards to creative accounting and accounting manipulations. The influence of sustainable financial data governance tends to discourage creative accounting by promoting transparency, adherence to ethical principles, and stakeholder trust. On the other hand, political connections can have a more ambiguous impact, as they can either facilitate or discourage creative accounting, depending on the extent of influence and regulatory capture.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Alexandru Cristian GROSU, Constantin Alexandru ALDEA, Florentina MATEI, Narcisa Elena BĂBEANU

During the winemaking process, large amounts of waste are produced, including pomace, skin, stalk, wastewater, less and shoots, which contribute significantly to environmental degradation. Grape marc, which accounts for 25% of grape weight and is left over after juice extraction, can be used in a circular approach for green energy, component extraction, energy recovery and a variety of applications such as fuel, alcohol, biosurfactants and composting for natural fertiliser. There are numerous techniques for obtaining a final compost, including static systems (aerated static piles, continuous vertical reactors and in-vessel tunnels) and turned or agitated systems (turned windrow, agitated bed and rotating drum). Enhancing compost value involves co-composting the grape marc with organic byproducts like manures, olive oil industry waste, coffee grounds and more. Vermicomposting, that can be applied indoors and outdoors, yields nutrient-rich organic material for crops efficiently. This method offers advantages such as year-round composting and quicker production of superior-quality nutrients.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Ilir LLOHA, Enkeleda BERBERI, Ervin SHISHMANI

Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) ranks Albania sixth in Europe for fresh orange production in 2018, and the mandarin production was greater than the global and EU average yields, indicating a high-performing subsector. It is essential to examine the chemical composition of citrus fruits cultivated in Albania to fully benefit from their advantages, which was the motivation for this research. This study comprised four different groupings of citrus species (C. sinensis, C. limon, C. reticulata and C. paradisi) harvested in south Albania region. Among others, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), vitamin C content (VCC), and antioxidant activity were the focus of our analyses. SPSS and Sigma Plot statistical programs were used to analyse the data. The percentages of different biochemical components varied not only across species, but also between different citrus fruit tissues (Sigma Plot, ANOVA- Tukey test, p<0.05). Citrus paradise shows clearly a significantly high TPC compared to other citrus species. Our findings indicate the presence of a significant amount of bioactive compounds in citrus peel and pulp, making them ideal candidates for use in antioxidant-rich diets and the pharmaceutical industry.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Andreea TUDOR (DUMITRU)

Plastic can be a good solution for the industry and, even if plastic products might be designed and produced for circular usage, conventional methods production of it and waste management are not reliable solutions anymore. Plastic pollution became a very serious problem for the environment around the world today. Several studies shown us that microplastic is a very dangerous form of pollution and increasing amounts of it can be found in animals and human’s bodies. However, recent studies provide us important data about the involvement of microorganisms in biodegradation of polymer materials. Biodegradation process is based on the ability of some microorganisms to degrade certain plastic pollutants through their metabolic activity. Many microorganisms have the ability to secrete specific degradation enzymes that participates in degrading processes of plastic. In this review we discuss about various microorganisms and their role in plastic degradation. We review different types of approaches and applications of molecular biology used for identifying microorganisms capable of degrading polymers and key genes involved in polymers degradation.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Nicoleta ENE, Irina LUPESCU, Emanuel VAMANU

In recent years, biopolymers have attracted the attention of specialists and researchers in various fields, including biotechnology, materials science, engineering, and medicine. The main driver is the possibility of combining scientific and technological progress with sustainability. This is a vast research topic because there are several classes and varieties of biopolymers. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a specific type of polyesters, are biodegradable polymers with various thermoplastic characteristics formed by microorganisms under adverse growth conditions. In recent years, PHAs have been increasingly employed in biomedical applications owing to their adaptive mechanical features, cytocompatibility, capacity for cell adhesion, and controlled biodegradability. The increasing potential is also indicated by the benefits of 3D-printing technology for fabricating intricate structures, fast prototyping, and personalization. This study aims to detail the types of biopolymers, as well as their areas of use, after a thorough description of the synthesis and manufacture of PHAs. The most recent and significant medical applications of PHAs in tissue engineering, medication delivery, and vascular stenting are listed below.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Irinah RATSIZAFY, Cătălina VOAIDEŞ, Oana-Alina BOIU-SICUIA, Voarisoa Sandrine RANDRIANANTENAINA, Mendrika RAKOTONINDRINA, Martial Doret ANDRIANANDRASANA, Rondro Harinisainana BAOHANTA, Adamson Tsoushima Ernest RAZAKATIANA, Heriniaina RAMANANKIERANA

This study was focused on nine rhizobial strains associated with Mimosa latispinosa, a fast-growing pioneer species native to the Mandena mining site and able to thrive on post-mining soils. The objectives were to: (i) evaluate the heavy metals tolerance of these isolates by comparing their growth on medium supplemented with different concentrations of heavy metals (Ni, Cd, Cu, and Pb); and (ii) screen the presence of the heavy metal resistance genes on the isolated DNA. While all the strains tested showed varying degrees of tolerance to the metals tested, significantly greater tolerance was observed for isolates RMN 4, RMN 5, RR 11 and RR 14. Regarding the presence of genes responsible for heavy metal resistance, only strains RMN 4, RMN 6 and RR 13 presented the specific amplicons in the case of pcoR gene amplification. The amplification of heavy metals resistance genes for other samples did not yield any specific PCR amplicons, probably due to the use of inappropriate primers or the presence of different mechanisms that allow them to survive under stress conditions.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Emanuel VAMANU, Dodji Brice DANGNON

Water kefir is a beverage that undergoes natural fermentation by inoculating water kefir grains in a mixture of filtered water, cane sugar, and fruits. The beverage has a mild level of carbonation, making it appropriate for individuals adhering to a vegan diet. Moreover, it is a viable substitute for individuals experiencing nutritional imbalances stemming from dysbiosis of their microbiota. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of water kefir produced from different fruit juices and evaluate the bioactive properties of the resultant beverages. The methods used were the antioxidant activity in vitro, the determination of major bioactive compounds, BRIX values, and a microbiological quantification of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and actinobacteria. Using fruit juice to obtain water kefir was a beneficial and advantageous addition to functional drinks. The presence of certain compounds (phenolic compounds, e.g.) determined the potent antioxidant effects, proved by the in vitro method. The microbiological pattern of the beverages was correlated with the fermentative profile, BRIX levels, and functional characteristics.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Andrei Constantin Ioan ARLET, Mihaela TOCIU, Brînduşa BALANUCA, Florentina ISRAEL-ROMING

Red and purple corn varieties were well studied in terms of their profile of biological active compounds, trying to explore the great potential of agricultural resources in different advanced applications, in food, pharmaceutic or medical fields. In this research paper, Bloody Butcher red corn variety was studied related to its total phenolics content and antioxidant activity. The research was conducted with milled corn and sifted milled corn, analyzing the use of several solvents for the extraction experiments and different methods (magnetic stirring, ultrasound, microwaves). Water-ethanol (1/1) was found to be the optimal extraction solvent mixture and ultrasound treatment was chosen as the best method to obtain extracts with high polyphenolic content (290 mg GAE/100 g DM). Microwave assisted extraction lead to similar results at 700W power level and 20 seconds exposure. Also, the highest antioxidant activity resulted for sifted milled corn after 60 minutes of magnetic stirring extraction with aqueous-ethanol solvent (451.71 mM TE/100 g DM).

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Maria DUCA, Ina BIVOL

Microsatellite loci represent prevalent molecular markers for assessing genetic diversity, phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships between different in origin broomrape taxon. In the present study, the genetic differences and relationships among 3 broomrape races from Bulgaria, Turkey, Moldova and Romania were identified by ISSR markers. The obtained results on genetic diversity parameters showed that race H is more variable than races G and E. However, the gene diversity within populations was the greatest in race G, followed by race H and E. The limited gene flow for races H and G determined significant genetic differentiation of populations. Conversely, a comparatively moderate gene flow for race E pointed to a little differentiation among populations. These findings were also corroborated by AMOVA, demonstrating high genetic diferences within (89%) and lower (11%) among races. The investigation also revealed the existence evolutionary differences between all races. This situation proves the action of evolutive molecular mechanisms which offered, in time, discrete genetic particularities at broomrape, indicating that the existing races are unstable over time and they are constantly adapting to the new more sunflower resistance hybrids.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 2
Written by Huub LELIEVELD

GHI can be successful if GHI produces useful material that indeed reduce food safety incidents and improve food security. GHI does this without any influence of industries or governments: GHI is impartial, with 1400 scientists. No government is going to change regulations because of GHI. GHI must show that changes in regulations may be good. With about 20 working groups, GHI attempts to show how food safety and security can be improved by effectively addressing actual serious problems. Examples are: • A proposal for a legal requirement for food companies to employ a certified food safety professional (CP), without one the company cannot operate. The CP cannot be dismissed. • Cassava, kills 100,000's because often prepared in the wrong way. GHI develops a training programme for people who cannot read. • GHI developed an anonymous whistleblowing webpage, in 40 languages. Even GHI cannot find out who reported a food safety incident. GHI alerts local food safety authorities of real and serious incidents.

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