Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXI
Written by Selda BULCA

According to the recent statistics by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the total population of camels in the world is estimated to be about 20 million, with Somalia having the largest herd worldwide. Camels are well adapted to harsh desert climates and can survive without drinking water for days. Therefore, camel (Camelus dromedarius) is of significant socio-economic importance in many arid and semi-arid parts of the world and its milk constitutes an important component of human diets in these regions. The amounts of lysozyme, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase and immunoglobulins were found to be greater in dromedary camel milk than bovine or buffalo milk. This property has been shown to be a disadvantage in yoghurt production. As known like yoghurt, cheese is another fermented milk product, due to the activity of these compounds the enzymatic reaction is disturbed and the gelation process of milk is prolonged. These antimicrobial agents were reported to completely lose their activity in camel milk if heat-treated at 100°C for 30 min. But there are contradictional statements about the heating intensity. Therfore in this review on these studies are focussed. In addition the chemical composition of camel milk is compared with another ruminant milks. Camel milk has lots of functional properties. These are antioxidant activity, bioactivity, anti-cancer activity, hypoallergenicity.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Lucia PIRVU, Ioana NICU, Stelian SCHIOPU, Dragomir COPREAN

Romanian folk medicine recommends Fagus sylvatica L. bark and leaves derived products (infusions, decoctions and raw powders) for various skins, respiratory and digestive ailments. The presented work was based on this data, and it aimed to evaluate gastroprotective potential of one standardized product prepared from beech leaves collected in July, by testing it on stress-induced ulcer model on rats. Beech leaves derived product (FA) has been designed as a combination of two polar extracts: aqueous extract as source of polysaccharides compounds and ethanolic (defatted) extract as source of polyphenols compounds resulting in a final standardized product (powder) with exactly 2% (w/w) total flavones content expressed as rutin equivalents. The obtained results, the total length (mm) of superficial, medium and deep gastric lesions of exposed groups versus control group indicated that while the pre-treatment with chemical reference product Ranitidine, an inhibitor of histamine receptor (RH2), assured gastric protection percentages of 59%, 54% and 89%, the pre-treatment with beech leaves derived product (FA) demonstrated gastric protection percentages of 38%, 62% and 96% (n=6; p˂0.05) on superficial, medium and deep lesions. Therefore, our results confirm gastroprotective potential of beech leaves derived products (precisely aqueous and ethanolic defatted extracts) suggesting potential use for the development of new phytomedicines targeted at the digestive system.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Osman GULSEN, Aydin UZUN, Ihsan CANAN

Purpose of this research is to determine the markers controlling carpel number in mandarin. Progenies obtained by hybridization between the Clementine mandarins (C. clementina Hort. ex Tan.) and Orlando tangelos (C. reticulata Blanco x C. Paradise Macf.) have been used in this research. Morphological and molecular marker data were analyzed in SAS software by using GLM and REGRESSION module. Population includes variation in respect to carpel number, which transgressive segregation was observed and distribution was positively skewed. Based onvariance analysis made by using GLM option in SAS software, ten markers were associated with carpel number All loci explained 100% of the variation for carpel number. OPW19.25, a RAPD marker explained 43% of total variation and OPM20.23 explained 22% of total variation. These results revealed that two loci had major effect in respect to carpel number and other loci had a minor effect. This research revealed significant clues about genetic mechanism of carpel number in mandarin fruit. These markers should be further investigated for applicability and conversion to more specific markers such as SCAR and CAP. This was the first report of the genetic mechanism and molecular markers associated with carpel number in citrus.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Daniel CRISTINA, Matilda CIUCA, Petruta Calina CORNEA

Wheat is one of the world’s most important food sources, alongside with rice and maize, directly providing about 50% of human food calories. By 2020, it is estimated that the global demand for wheat will increase by a further 40%, due to the increasing world population. Therefore, higher yield is one of the most important goals in wheat breeding. Larger grains not only directly relate to grain yield but also have favorable effects on seedling vigour and early growth, thereby promoting and stabilizing yielding ability. Large grain size has been an important trait and it is usually measured in plant breeding practice by one thousand grain weight (TGW), mainly determined by grain width (GW), grain length (GL) and grain thickness (GT), but also by grain shape and density. Milling and baking quality is also influenced by grain size and shape. Geometrical models indicated that changes in grain shape and size could result in increases in flour yield of up to 5%. Test weight (volumetric weight), a trait largely used in commercial transactions with wheat, also depends on grain size and shape - larger grains, deviating from spherical shape having lower test weight. Grain size in wheat is a complex character and any information on its genetic control is useful for increasing breeding efficiency. Identifying molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling seed size would facilitate selection in early generations and may contribute to improved yield and end-use quality in wheat by accumulating such loci into elite backgrounds. Grain size in wheat is a quantitative trait controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTL), and numerous QTLs for grain size have been reported. Previous research showed important QTLs on all chromosomes, but most significant QTLs were identified on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5B, 5D, 6A, 6B, 6D, 7A, 7B, 7D. Grain size is negatively correlated with grain number, mainly due to competition for available assimilates. Alleviating this correlation should be facilitated by a more detailed knowledge of grain size genetic control. In this mini-review we will focus on the latest information about the QTLs and genes involved in genetic control of wheat grain size and weight, and the best molecular markers associated with these traits.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Tetyana KYRPA-NESMIIAN

An important role in plant resistance to low temperature plays a composition of membrane lipids. With the increase of unsaturated fatty acids (FA) in the membranes of cells decreases the transition temperature of the gel phase in liquid crystal phase. Desaturases are enzymes that contribute to the formation of double bonds in the crystal and thus turn the FA with a saturated in unsaturated. The paper used the plant Nicotiana tabacum, expressing the gene of Δ9 acyl-lipid desaturase (desC) cyanobacterium Synechococcus vulcanus. These plants were transformed with a vector-based pBISN with selective nptII gene, under the control of the 35S cauliflower mosaic virus, that carrying the targeted gene desA: licBM3 by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Spend regeneration on Murashige-Skooge medium with the addition of ВАР, NAA, cefotaxime, kanamycin. Finally we obtained transgenic plants carrying the two genes heterologous desaturases cyanobacterium.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXI
Written by Oscar VICENTE, Monica BOSCAIU

The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as biofactories for the production of recombinant proteins of commercial interest is at present one of the major applications of 'molecular’ biotechnology, and the business basis of many modern biotech companies. Since marketing in the early 1980s of recombinant human insulin, synthesised in Escherichia coli, hundreds of proteins with pharmacological activity, used for the diagnosis, treatment of prevention of human (and animal) diseases, have been produced in different platforms. The intrinsic limitations of bacterial cell cultures – especially the lack of the machinery for post-translanslational modifications of proteins, which are required for the synthesis of pharmacologically active proteins – have made mammalian cell cultures the system of choice for the industrial production of biopharmaceuticals. These are robust, reliable and highly controlled production systems, optimised over the years and for which GMP ('good manufacturing practice’) procedures have been established and approved by the competent authorities. Mammalian cell cultures, however, have also important limitations and drawbacks, mostly regarding their high costs, relatively low productivity and lack of flexibility to scale-up or -down the production, in response to market demands. Many of these limitations could be overcome with the use of plant biofactories, the so-called '3rd generation’ of genetically modified plants used for the commercial production of recombinant proteins including, more specifically, pharmaceutical proteins: 'molecular pharming’ or 'pharma crops. However, despite the important advantages – at least theoretically – of GM plants, development of this kind of production platforms has been slow and the first plant-made biopharmaceuticals have been approved for human use only recently. This has been due mostly to regulatory issues rather than to scientific or technical problems, but recent developments indicate a rapid growth of this technology, even if it is limited to niche markets for specific plant-made protein drugs.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXI
Written by Corina BUBUEANU, Alice GRIGORE, Ecaterina ȘERBAN, Gabriela POPA, Petruța-Călina CORNEA

Because of the special flavour and of the therapeutic properties, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinus edodes are among the most cultivated and consumed mushrooms species. This work aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties and free radical scavenger activities of Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinus edodes methanol extracts by phosphomolibdenum and DPPH- assays respectively, total phenolic content (Folin – Ciocalteu) and identification of bioactive compounds by HPTLC (high-performance thin layer chromatography). The obtained fingerprints of extracts, in tree systems (for phenols, coumarins and triterpenoid saponins) have shown the presence of ferulic acid as main compounds in Pleurotus ostreatus extract and ergosterol (provitamin D2) in both of them. Total phenol content was 2.03 g/100g for Lentinus edodes extract and 1.24 g/100g for Pleurotus ostreatus extract. Radical scavenger activity and total antioxidant capacity, was higher for Lentinus edodes extract (90.14%, 203.05 mg AA) in comparison with the results obtained for Pleurotus ostreatus extract (85.32%, 168.34mg AA). The mushrooms examined in this work could represent important and accessible sources of natural antioxidants for food, food supplement and cosmetic industry.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Corina BUBUEANU, Ramona-Daniela PĂVĂLOIU, Fawzia SHA'AT, Angela CĂȘĂRICĂ

Phenolic compounds fingerprint of the 50% (v/v) ethanol extracts obtained from leaves (LE) and fruits (FE) of Sambucus ebulus (dwarf elder), fam Adoxaceae, was obtained by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), in order to evaluated its qualitative chemical composition and antioxidant activity (by DPPH and TAC assays). Quantitative evaluation of total polyphenolic compounds was made by Folin Ciocalteu assay. The obtained fingerprints showed that both extracts are characterized by the presence of flavonoid glycosides and phenol carboxylic acids. The presence of anthocyanins was revealed only in fruit extract Total phenol content was 19.5 mg GAE/g dry material for LE and 52,5 mg GAE/g dry material for FE. Both extracts have important antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner, fruits extract exhibiting a higher one.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXI
Written by Luminiţa Valerica VIŞAN, Ricuţa Vasilica DOBRINOIU, Diana GROPOȘILĂ-CONSTANTINESCU, Silvana DĂNĂILĂ-GUIDEA, Radiana TAMBA-BEREHOIU

Grape must originated from American hybrids Vitis labrusca (first generation) were analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Gas Chromatography/Olfactometry (GC/O) to identify the maincompounds that characterize aroma of these vine varieties. Were detected a number of 29 compounds, from which 23 were identify as: volatile aldehydes and acids, ketones, esters, alcohols, terpenes. The responsible compounds with the specific character of grape labrusca are o-Aminoacetophenone, compound which give that foxy aroma of these hybrids and 2,5-dimethyl tetra hydro (2H)-3-furanone, known for having that sweet candy and candy-floss aroma. Other compounds identified in higher concentrations were the hydroxyl esters, they contributed at that “fruity” character of labrusca grapes.

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Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XX
Written by Elisabeta Elena TĂNASE, Vlad Ioan POPA, Mona Elena POPA, Mihaela GEICU-CRISTEA, Paul POPESCU, Mihaela DRĂGHICI, Amalia Carmen MITELUȚ

Fresh fruit jointly to vegetables are an essential component of a healthy diet, able to decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In the last years, their consumption has continued to grow rapidly linked to the increased public awareness of their health benefits, even if it remains below the recommended daily intake in many countries, due to barriers such as complacency and lack of willpower to change the diet. The attributes of berries, like chemical-physical and nutritional characteristics, microbial contamination, chemical contaminants as well as sensorial properties represent some very important quality parameters that must be determined in order to establish the quality of berries after ripening and during storage, until they reach their final destination (consumer). The aim of this study was to perform a literature review in order to determine the most relevant quality parameters of berries and to describe methods for their determination.

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