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Romania has a rich hydrographic network, which permitted the construction of over 80 large dams on its water courses, estimating a number between 545 and 674 hydropower plants that were either built or were in a different construction stage on the rivers of Romania in 2021. These hydropower plants were often built outside specific legislation regarding ecological impacts, especially before 1990. Longitudinal fragmentation of rivers causes severe ecological impacts on biodiversity, food chains, and nutrient cycles. Someșul Cald River is the main tributary of Someșul Mic River, the most important water source for the northwestern region of Transylvania. On its course, several dams and reservoirs were built from 1968 to 1980 for electricity production and population freshwater supply. The present study aimed to analyze the length–weight relationships (LWRs) and condition factors occurring in the longitudinally fragmented Someșul Cald River. The LWRs, relative condition factor Kn, and Fulton condition factor K were determined based on total length and wet body weight. Comparisons of LWRs, Kn, and K across river sections constrained by dams showed that some fish species exhibited similar growth patterns and physiological conditions, while others differed significantly. Freshwater fish physiology is altered by longitudinal fragmentation, both natural and artificial. Barriers such as dams influence the energy gradient, limiting feed availability and, consequently, the life history of fish species. Long-term management plans regarding conservation should take into consideration existing fish species population dynamics, along with their physiological and somatic status.

Despite the numerous sensory, organoleptic and nutritional qualities, fish meat may also contain some toxic compounds with negative effects on human health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of chemicals resulting from incomplete combustion, found at high levels in thermally processed foods, especially in smoked fish. This research studied the influence of wood type (beech, plum and oak) and fish species (rainbow trout, carp and Siberian sturgeon) on PAH contamination in hot smoked fish. Benzo(a)Piren, Σ4PAHs and Σ15PAHs were considered as main indicators of PAH contamination. All-PAHs was quantified in all samples, indicating a specific dynamic of values due to the influence of variables. Generally, BaP (benzo(a)pyrene) content in the samples ranged from 0.11 µg/kg to 8.63 µg/kg, Σ4PAHs from 0.70 µg/kg to 45.24 µg/kg and Σ15PAHs from 17.54 µg/kg to 450.47 µg/kg. Thus, plum wood promoted the highest levels of PAHs, followed by oak and beech. Carp and Siberian sturgeon presented the highest concentrations of PAHs. Some of these parameters had levels that exceeded the limits allowed by legislation via Commission Regulation (EU) No 835/2011. Results revealed BaP levels > 2 µg/kg when plum wood was used in rainbow trout (4.04 µg/kg), carp (4.47 µg/kg) and Siberian sturgeon (8.63 µg/kg). Moreover, the same trend was found for Σ4PAHs, which exceeded 12 µg/kg in rainbow trout (17.57 µg/kg), carp (45.24 µg/kg) and Siberian sturgeon (44.97 µg/kg).

This study investigates the total polyphenols content in plant macerates of honey-infused apple cider vinegar (ACV) and its potential implications for diabetes management. Five distinct recipes, comprising Lavender, Sage, Cinnamon, and Nigella individually and in combinations, were subjected to maceration for 24 and 48 hours. The samples were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and sensory attributes such as color, taste, smell, and acidity were evaluated by a panel of 10 evaluators. Notable variations in polyphenol content were observed, with Recipe 3 (Cinnamon) demonstrating the highest total polyphenols content of 407.95 ± 4.2 mg/ml Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) after 48 hours. Sensory analysis revealed that Recipe 2 (Sage) exhibited pleasant taste and smell attributes. The findings suggest the potential of these plant macerates as dietary adjuncts for diabetes management due to their substantial polyphenolic content and desirable sensory characteristics. Further exploration into their bioactive profiles and antidiabetic mechanisms is warranted.

The European Union’s (EU) agricultural self-sufficiency is challenged by its reliance on imported plant proteins, particularly soy from the Americas, contributing to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing the EU’s protein deficit, this study evaluates alternative protein sources for aquaculture, focusing on their nutritional value, elemental content, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Protein flours from gastropods (Helix pomatia, Arion lusitanicus, Arion vulgaris) and their hepatopancreas, along with plant-based proteins from food industry by-products (oilcakes, coffee grounds, spent brewer’s yeast), were analyzed. Results revealed that snail flour contained the highest protein content at 59.09%, significantly outperforming hepatopancreas flour at 42.26%. Plant-based proteins demonstrated substantial nutritional value, with coffee grounds flour exhibiting a remarkable protein content of 71.8% and spent brewer’s yeast flour at 57.9%. Elemental analysis indicated high levels of essential minerals such as magnesium in hepatopancreas flour (5719.10 mg/kg) and calcium in slug flour (48,640.11 mg/kg). However, cadmium levels in hepatopancreas flour (11.45 mg/kg) necessitate caution due to potential health risks. PAH concentrations were low across all samples, with the highest total PAH content observed in hepatopancreas flour at 0.0353 µg/kg, suggesting minimal risk of PAH-related toxicity. The analysis of plant-based protein sources, particularly oilcakes derived from sunflower, hemp, flax, and pumpkin seeds, revealed that these by-products not only exhibit high protein contents but present a promising avenue for enhancing the nutritional quality of feed. This study underscores the potential of utilizing gastropod and plant-based by-products as sustainable and nutritionally adequate alternatives to conventional feeds in aquaculture, contributing to the EU’s environmental sustainability goals.

Cereals, as the world’s most consumed food, face challenges related to nutrient quality due to climate change and increased production impacting soil health. In this study, we investigated the vitamin and mineral content, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity in cereals from Western Romania, analyzing whole and hulled wheat, rye, oat, and soybeans before and after heat treatment. Samples from 2022 crops were processed into dough and subjected to 220 °C for 30 min. The results reveal that, despite efforts to optimize nutrient content, cereals, particularly after heat processing, exhibited lower vitamin and mineral levels than the recommended daily intake. The decrease in polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was notable, with rye flour experiencing the largest decline (15%). Mineral analysis showed copper levels in decorticated wheat decreased by 82.5%, while iron in rye decreased by 5.63%. Soy flour consistently displayed the highest calcium, magnesium, and potassium levels, whereas oat flour had the highest zinc and copper levels before and after heat processing. The study highlights the concerningly low vitamins and minerals contents in cereals, as well as in the final products reaching consumers in the Western part of Romania, and contributes to the assessment of measures that are meant to improve the contents of these minerals.

The enzyme lysozyme has wide application in food and health industry due to its antimicrobial properties. Different alternative sources are used for the extraction lysozyme. One such alternative source ca be Galleria mellonella biomass, the larva of which can digest polyethylene. The method was developed using an ultra-high pressure liquid chromatograph Vanquish H from Dionex, with fluorescent detector. The quantification limit obtained was 0.1 ng/ml and the recovery after solid/liquid extraction was 87.3 %. The samples were extracted using 30 ml of 33% NaCl. The extracted was purified using 0.5 g Florisil column. The mobile phase was a mixture of water and acetonitrile with 0.1 % trifluoro acetic acid. Very small quantities of lysozyme were found in the Galleria mellonella biomass.

With a high number of athletes using sport supplements targeting different results, the need for complex, natural and effective formulations represents an actual reality, while nutrition dosing regimens aiming to sustain the health and performance of athletes are always challenging. In this context, the main goal of this study was to elaborate a novel and complex nutraceutical supplement based on multiple bioactive compounds extracted from Aronia melanocarpa and bee pollen, aiming to support physiological adaptations and to minimize the stress generated by intense physical activity in the case of professional or amateur athletes. Our proposed formulations are based on different combinations of Aronia and bee pollen (A1:P1, A1:P2 and A2:P1), offering personalized supplements designed to fulfill the individual requirements of different categories of athletes. The approximate composition, fatty acid profile, identification and quantification of individual polyphenols, along with the antioxidant capacity of raw biological materials and different formulations, was performed using spectrophotometric methods, GS-MS and HPLC-DAD-MS-ESI+. In terms of antioxidant capacity, our formulations based on different ratios of bee pollen and Aronia were able to act as complex and powerful antioxidant products, highlighted by the synergic or additional effect of the combinations. Overall, the most powerful synergism was obtained for the A1:P2 formulation.

After a period of intense development in the synthesis pharmaceutical industry, plants are making a comeback in the public focus as remedies or therapeutic adjuvants and in disease prevention and ensuring the wellbeing and equilibrium of the human body. Plants are being recommended more and more in alimentation, in their natural form, or as extracts, supplements or functional aliments. People, in general, are in search of new sources of nutrients and phytochemicals. As a result, scientific research turns to lesser known and used plants, among them being rowanberries, a species of fruit very rich in nutrients and underused due to their bitter astringent taste and a lack of knowledge regarding the beneficial effects of these fruit. Rowan fruits (rowanberries) are a rich source of vitamins, polysaccharides, organic acids and minerals. They are also a source of natural polyphenols, which are often correlated with the prevention and treatment of modern world diseases. This article presents the existing data regarding the chemical composition, active principles and biopharmaceutical properties of rowan fruits and the different opportunities for their usage.

Smoking represents one of the oldest thermic processing methods of fish, and it was originally used to preserve fish for later meals, delaying spoiling. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical and microbiological safety and quality of two traditionally smoked trout species (Oncorhynchus mykiss and Salvelinus fontinalis). We analyzed the effect of trout processed by traditional smoking, characterizing the samples according to the relationships existing between classical microbial analysis, physicochemical parameters, and the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The microbial activity of the smoked fish was very low. Although traditional smoking implies high temperatures and direct exposure to the smoke, Benzo[a]pyrene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene, Benzo[k]fluoranthene, Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, and Indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene compounds had undetectable levels in the samples. The products obtained in this study did not exceed the maximum values imposed by EU legislation regarding the TVB-N values during the 30 days of the experiment. We conclude that traditionally smoked trout has many advantages in terms of quality and safety of the products. Thus, the obtained products are safe for consumption for at least 30 days after processing.

Maize (Zea mays L.), a food crop cultivated worldwide, is renowned for its nutritional and economic value. However, its quality can be significantly affected by various storage conditions, leading to changes in its nutritional composition and potential contamination with harmful substances, such as aflatoxins. This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of storage on maize quality, focusing on several key parameters analyzed using liquid chromatographic methods and FT-NIR spectrometry. The research reveals a decline in the concentrations of key nutrients over the storage period. Specifically, there was a 19.7% loss in vitamin B1, a 12.43% loss in vitamin B3, a 16.96% loss in α-tocopherol, a 13.61% loss in total tocopherols, and an 8.02% loss in β-carotene. Aflatoxins were mostly undetectable, with one exception in January that remained below the maximum permitted level of 0.3 µg/kg. The parameters include the concentration of vitamins B1, B3, α-tocopherol, total tocopherols, β-carotene, aflatoxin B1, total aflatoxins, carbohydrate content, and protein content. Aflatoxins were mostly undetectable, with one exception in January—0.3 µg/kg—that remained below the maximum permitted level. The study underscores the importance of cooling maize immediately after drying to minimize nutrient loss, providing valuable insights for optimizing storage processes to maintain the nutritional quality of maize.

Raw bars have become popular among health-conscious consumers due to their nutrient-dense ingredients and lack of additives and preservatives. However, the effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the nutrient content of these bars has yet to be extensively studied. In this study, four different raw bar recipes were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion to evaluate the impact on their nutrient content. The recipes have dates and almond flour as base ingredients and specific ingredients such as Maca root powder, Ginger powder, Aronia powder, Pollen, Propolis extract, Astragalus powder, and Cacao powder. These variations were intended to provide diverse flavors and potential health benefits to cater to different preferences and needs. The in vitro digestion model was designed to mimic the conditions of the human gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. The results showed that the simulated gastrointestinal digestion significantly impacted the nutrient content of the bars, with varying degrees of nutrient loss observed depending on the recipe. The highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity were observed in the salivary phase for all samples. Vitamin B content generally decreases from the salivary to the intestinal stage. After digestion, the recovery rates of total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and vitamins B1, B3, and B6 varied across the recipes. The recovery rates of vitamins B1, B3, and B6 were generally high across all recipes, indicating their stability and retention during digestion. The findings suggest that simulated GI digestion provides insights into the nutrient bioavailability of raw bars. These results can inform the formulation and optimization of raw bars to enhance nutrient absorption and nutritional value. Further research is warranted to investigate the effects of different processing techniques and ingredient combinations on nutrient bioavailability.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world due to its flavor, aroma, energy content, and complex nutritional profile. Many factors affect coffee’s characteristics, including its origin, storage, and roasting conditions. In this context, this study analyzes 100% Arabica medium-roasted coffee from six countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Colombia) to assess its total polyphenols, individual polyphenols, total antioxidant capacity, hydro- and liposoluble vitamins, and PAHs using analytical techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), FT-NIR spectrometry, UV-VIS spectrophotometry, and photochemiluminescence. A total of 67 samples were collected from Romanian general and specialty stores. According to the study, coffee composition varies by origin, pedo-climatic characteristics, and store (general or specialty). The highest values for total polyphenols, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity were obtained for Ethiopian coffee. The highest values of lipids and proteins were obtained in El Salvador and Guatemala, B1 and B2 in Brazil, B3 and B6 in Ethiopia, α- and β-tocopherol in Brazil, D. R. Congo, and Ethiopia. Specialty coffee had significantly higher levels than general store coffee for all investigated parameters. All coffee samples analyzed were within the maximum allowed levels for PAHs as set by regulations concerning food contaminants.

The rapid increase in additive manufacturing applications in all industries has highlighted the lack of innovative technologies and processes in the construction industry. Several European and international policies are in place to guide the development of the technological processes involved in the construction industry toward a sustainable future. Considering the global concerns regarding this industry, the purpose of this study was to develop new cement-based materials that are capable of accelerated hydration and early strength development for use in additive manufacturing. Ca(NO3)2·4H2O, Al2(SO4)3·18H2O and Na2S2O3·5H2O were used to obtain the accelerating effect in the hydration of Portland cement. Based on results obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) techniques, as well as low-field nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry (LF-NMR) techniques, it was demonstrated that all accelerators used have a quickening effect on cement hydration. The addition of Na2S2O3·5H2O or combined Na2S2O3·5H2O and Ca(NO3)2·4H2O led to obtaining new cement-based materials with early strength development and fast hydration of microorganized internal structures, critical characteristics for 3D printing.

The results presented in this paper on the appropriateness of using of blast furnace slag (BFS) in the composition of roads make an original contribution to the development of sustainable materials with the aim to reduce the carbon footprint and the consumption of natural resources. The novelty of this work consists of determining the optimal percentage of BSF in road concrete, in order to: increase mechanical resistances, reduce contractions in the hardening process, and ensure increased corrosion resistances, even superior to classic cement-based mixtures. Thus, the physical-mechanical characteristics and the microstructure of some road concretes were studied in the laboratory for three different recipes. We kept the same amount of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) as a substitute for Portland cement, respectively three percentages of 20%, 40%, 60% air-cooled blast furnace slag (ACBFS) and crushed as sand substitute from now on called S54/20, S54/40, S54/60. Drying shrinkage, mechanical resistances, carbonation-induced corrosion, microstructure characterization of hardened concretes, and degree of crystallinity by SEM and XRD measurements were analyzed after a longer curing period of 150/480 days. The obtained results on the three BSF mixtures indicated a reduction of drying shrinkage and implicitly increased the tensile resistance by bending to 150 days well above the level of the blank composition. The degree of crystallinity and the content of the majority phases of the mineralogical compounds, albites, quartz, and tobermorite out of the three BSF samples justifies the increase in the compressive strengths at the age of 480 days in comparison with the test samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction measurements showed the highest compactness and lowest portlandite crystal content for the S54/20 slag composite. Future research concerns are the realization of experimental sections in situ, the study of the influence of BFS on the elasticity module of road concrete, and the opportunity to use other green materials that can contribute to the reduction of the carbon footprint, keeping the physical and mechanical properties of road concrete at a high level.

An increasingly high interest is given to the sensory, nutritional, and sanogenic qualities of meat. Considering that poultry meat is nowadays the main quantitatively demanded meat for human consumption, its quality is largely verified and monitored. Toxic compounds are trace markers to be monitored, as their health impacts often cause a high health risk for humans. We have evaluated how a traditional method of meat preservation—hot smoking with natural wood smoke—adds certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to chicken, duck, and turkey meat. One- vs two-day smoking period and three wood types for smoking (plum, cherry, and beech) have shown that the highest concentrations of PAHs were present in duck meat, irrespective of smoking time or wood type. A higher concentration overall of PAHs was quantified when beech wood was used, followed by cherry and plum woods. Fluorene associated with beech wood gave the highest values for day 1 and day 2, followed by duck and turkey meat, respectively. Very significant differences (p < 0.001) were usually observed for duck meat when compared with chicken and turkey meat, but it was also easy to notice absolute values for Anthracene, Phenanthrene, or Fluoranthene. As expected, two-day smoking contributed to higher concentrations of PAHs in meat.

This study’s objective was to separate cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin after high-pressure supercritical carbon dioxide pretreatment for further valorization. The study investigated the supercritical carbon dioxide pretreatment of apple orchard waste at temperatures of 160–200 °C, for 15–45 min, at a pressure of 10 MPa. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the supercritical process and to improve its efficiency. The change of functional groups during different pretreatment conditions was examined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the structural changes in the biomass structure before and after pretreatment. A new ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) method was developed and validated for the determination of carbohydrates in the liquid fraction that resulted after pretreatment. The estimated uncertainty of the method ranged from 16.9 to 20.8%. The pre-treatment of high-pressure supercritical CO2 appears to be an effective and promising technique for the recovery of sugars and secondary by-products without the use of toxic solvents.

The new context of the intensive use of lithium-based batteries led to increased production of Li and Li-containing wastes. All these activities are potential sources of environmental pollution with Li. However, the negative impact of Li on ecosystems, its specific role in the plants’ development, uptake mechanism, and response to the induced stress are not fully understood. In this sense, the Li uptake and changes induced by Li exposure in the major and trace element contents, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant activity, and elemental composition of Salvinia natans were also investigated. The results showed that Salvinia natans grown in Li-enriched nutrient solutions accumulated much higher Li contents than those grown in spring waters with a low Li content. However, the Li bioaccumulation factor in Salvinia natans grown in Li-enriched nutrient solutions was lower (13.3–29.5) than in spring waters (13.0–42.2). The plants exposed to high Li contents showed a decrease in their K and photosynthetic pigments content, while their total antioxidant activity did not change substantially.

The quality of marketed pharmaceutical formulations must be guaranteed to attain better remedial effects and lower toxicity. The wide exploitation of antibiotics may lead to their presence as residues in body fluids and wastewaters, potentially toxic to human health. Consequently, determining antibiotics in pharmaceutical formulations and water samples is of significant importance. This paper aims to explore the possibilities of a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method to obtain a simple, fast, and efficient analytical tool for the simultaneous determination of antibiotics in pharmaceutical formulations and environmental samples. The method was completely validated with regard to specificity, linearity, detection and quantification limits, precision, accuracy, and robustness according to the requirements of existing guidelines, and was proven to be reliable and suitable for the envisioned application. The linearity study was conducted for the calibration curves in the range of 10–100 μg/mL. The limits of detection and quantification were found to be 0.2 and 0.7 μg/mL for amoxicillin and 0.3 and 1.0 μg/mL for doxycycline, respectively. The high recovery of drugs from their commercial pharmaceutical formulations (93%) and from wastewater samples (98%) indicated good accuracy and precision. The method is robust for small or deliberate changes to the chromatographic parameters, and it was successfully applied for the quantitative determination of amoxicillin and doxycycline in wastewater and commercial tablets. The obtained results proved that the validated method is appropriate for its intended use in the routine quality control and assay of both antibiotics studied.

The aim of the study was to identify some healthy technological solutions for carrot production in the agricultural area Aiton, Cluj County, for three carrot varieties: Royal Chantenay, Atomic Red and Purple Haze F1, especially in the actual conditions of climate worming and aridity (risk situations and areas strongly affecting the carrot production potential). The experiments were taken in Aiton locality (46° 31' and 46° 31' North latitude; 23°40' and 23°48 ' East longitude) from 2016 to 2018, containing 3 repetitions, 18 analyzed samples and 54 experimental plots. The crops were clustered into a complete randomly multifactorial system with plots of lands. It has been observed that after irrigation there was a 10% increase of the production (2.73 t/ha), compared to the crops that were not irrigated; also, fertilization by zeolite increased the carrot production by 27.1%, while the chemical fertilization increased the harvest only with 14.9%.

The ability of natural zeolite amendment to reduce the uptake of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by lettuce, spinach and parsley was evaluated using pot experiments. PTE concentrations in roots and shoots, as well as the pseudo total (PT), water soluble (WS) and bioavailable (BA) PTE fractions in the amended soils, were assessed. Although the PT PTE concentration was high, the WS fraction was very low (20% for Cd and Cu). PTE concentration decreased in both roots and shoots of all leafy vegetables grown on zeolite amended soils, especially at high amendment dose (10%). The uptake of PTEs mainly depended on plant species, PTE type and amendment dose. With the exception of Zn in spinach, the bioaccumulation factor for roots was higher than for shoots. Generally, lettuce displayed the highest PTE bioaccumulation capacity, followed by spinach and parsley. Except for Zn in spinach, the transfer factors were below 1 for all PTEs, all plant species and all amendment doses. Our results showed that the natural zeolites are promising candidates in the reclamation of contaminated soils due to their ability to immobilize PTEs.

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG), the main by-product of the brewing industry, is a rich source of minerals and water-soluble vitamins such as thiamine, pyridoxine, niacin, and cobalamin. Bioaccessibility through in vitro digestion is an important step toward the complete absorption of minerals and B group vitamins in the gastrointestinal system. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) together with inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the quantification of the macro- and micro-minerals. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system coupled with a diode array detector (DAD) was used for B group vitamin identification. Four different industrial BSG samples were used in the present study, with different percentages of malted cereals such as barley, wheat, and degermed corn. Calcium’s bioaccessibility was higher in the BSG4 sample composed of 50% malted barley and 50% malted wheat (16.03%), while iron presented the highest bioaccessibility value in the BSG2 sample (30.03%) composed of 65% Pale Ale malt and 35% Vienna malt. On the other hand, vitamin B1 had the highest bioaccessibility value (72.45%) in the BSG3 sample, whilst B6 registered the lowest bioaccessibility value (16.47%) in the BSG2 sample. Therefore, measuring the bioaccessibilty of bioactive BSG compounds before their further use is crucial in assessing their bioavailability.

The aim of the paper is to investigate the Romanians perceptions and experiences regarding potatoes purchasing. In this respect, an online questioner was created and distributed using the SurveyRock platform in order to evaluate the main aspects that consumers from Romania find to be relevant when it comes to potatoes purchasing. The questioner focused on the importance of potato presenting in the context of marketing. 120 persons have answered the on line questioner. Most respondents consume potatoes 1-2 times per week i.e. 72 %. When the Romanian consmers purchase potatoes, they value the place of origin, size of the potatoes and if they are washed.

Carrots are in important source of antioxidants. The main compound that gives them antioxidant capacity is beta-carotene. Storage and post-harvest treatments can influence negatively the antioxidant capacity of carrots. In order to evaluate the impact of storage and washing procedure samples from Atomic Red and Royal Chantenay varieties were analyzed using Photochem instrument from AnalytikJena before washing, immediate after washing, after 15 day of storage at 8oC and after 45 day of storage at 8oC. The results are express in mg/kg equivalent TROLOX. There is a small loss of antioxidant capacity between the first day and after 15 days of storage, 3,86 % on average in the control batch respect to 9,47 % on average for the samples. Between the first day and after 45 days of storage there is a big loss of antioxidant capacity, 19,22% on average in the control batch respect to 24,86 % on average for the samples.

Vitamin E is soluble in fat and alcohol, withstands temperatures up to 250ºC, but is sensitive to light and oxygen. Very high or very low temperature values reduce the amount of tocopherol in food by up to two-thirds. 12 samples of different types of sunflower oil were analyzed using HPLC with fluorescent detector. The total tocopherols amount was between 150-930 mg/l. The highest concentration was found in cold press sunflower oil, stored in dark glass bottles and the lowest in store bought sunflower oil, in PET packaging. α-Tocopherol had the highest concentration from all the other tocopherols, analyzed (β-Tocopherol, γ-Tocopherol, δ-Tocopherol). In some samples of sunflower oil, in PET packaging β-Tocopherol, γ-Tocopherol, δ-Tocopherol were under the detection limit. Sunflower oil no matter the technology used for it’s production it’s a an important source of α-Tocopherol.

We have developed a method for the determination of tocopherols in different edible oils by RP-HPLC, using a FLD detector, a Poroshell column as a stationary phase, and a mixture of acetonitrile, methanol and water (5:4.5:0.5) as mobile phase (flow rate 0.75 ml/min). The structure of the compounds was identical, so it could not be separated by reverse phase liquid chromatography. The obtained peaks show an important overlapping and we have used chemometric tools to get a calibration model, which assumes a linear behavior, i.e., the total signal is the sum of individual signals of components. Recovery percentages were between 90.3% and 95.7%. The method has been successfully applied to edible oils and dietary supplements. No pretreatment of the samples was needed.

The beta-carotene content in milk and cheese is an accurate indicator for the feeding method used for cows. It can also be sued as an indicator of adulteration of goat and other types of milk with cow milk. A high accuracy HPLC-UV method for the determination of beta-carotene from milk and cheese has been developed. After saponification with an alcoholic solution of potassium hydroxide the samples where extracted with a mixture of hexane: ethyl acetate (70:30) was used. The concentrated extract was analyzed using Perkin Elmer 200 Series High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with UV detector for the determination of beta-carotene content. The calibration was done in 4 points from 1-20 ng/ml. The recovery yield was between 73,8-89,7 %. The method was tested on 3 milk samples and 5 cheese samples. The highest concentration of beta-carotene was found in cheddar cheese produced with milk from pasture raised cows.

In this study, the chemical and technological properties of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and rose hip (Rosa canina) fruits growing wild in Cluj-Napoca area were analysed. Proximate analysis such as dry matter, moisture content, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, water-soluble, pH and mineral contents were established in this work. Al, B, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P and S were determined as major minerals. Mineral content of samples growing in Cluj-Napoca area were determined by inductively coupled plasma ICP-OES. All samples contained high amounts of K (18711-952 mg/kg), Ca (1504.22-88.06 mg/kg), Mg (972-22.7 mg/kg), P (1511-2104 mg/kg), Na (534-34.8 mg/kg), Al (26.3-1.15 mg/kg) and Fe (16.0-1.97 mg/kg). Technological properties such as projected area, porosity, bulk density, and hectoliter weight were measured. The obtained results revealed nutritional properties and mineral contents of analyzed fruit. It is very important to know the technological properties of the fruits because optimal equipment and working parameters can be used for harvesting, transportation and processing.

Potatoes can’t be stored in very low temperature conditions that it is way Chlorpropham has grown in popularity as a sprout suppressant for long term storage of potatoes. The residue level of Chlorpropham in Christian and Roclas potatoes varieties, before and after washing, was analyzed using LC/MS/MS. The samples were extracted in an easy 3 step method using ethyl acetate. 0.27 mg/kg Chlorpropham residue was found in Roclas and 0.23 mg/kg in Christian. There was a decrease in the Chlorpropham concentration in the whole potato by 30.43-37.04 %. There was no significant difference between the 2 potatoes varieties, Christian and Roclas, in the % in which Chlorpropham residue was reduce after washing. Results indicated that the washing operation significantly reduces the Chlorpropham residue level in potatoes.

Thiabendazole (2-(1,3-thiazol-4-yl)-1H-benzoimidazole) is a fungicide used to ensure potato stability during storage. That is way it is manly found in stored potatoes. To see the impact of potato washing on Thiabendazole concentration samples from different varieties were extracted using dichlometane and analyzed by HPLC with florescent detection. The samples were analyses before and after the washing operation. The potatoes were washed using the CALIPSO Root Washing Module in which the washing procedure is done in the washing drum and on ramp witch has nozzles for additional washing. The levels of Thiabendazole found in the samples before washing were low. There was a decrease of 42 % of the Thiabendazole concentration in all samples after washing.

The content and composition of dietary supplements is of great interest due to their increasing consumption and variety of available brand offered in the market. Accurate determination of vitamins is important for the improvement of dietary supplement quality and nutrition assessments. In this regard, the simultaneous determination of vitamin D3 (calcitriol—CT and cholecalciferol—CHL) and K2 (menaquinone-4—MK-4 and menaquinone-7—MK-7) in dietary supplements was developed by using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The overall runtime per sample was above 35 min, with the retention times of 2.40, 6.59, 7.06, and 32.6 min for vitamin D3 (CT and CHL) and vitamin K2 (MK-4 and MK-7), respectively. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for the target nutritional compounds ranged between 0.04–0.05 µg/mL, respectively. The validation results indicated that the method had reasonable linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9990), good recovery (>82%), satisfactory intra-day precision (≤1.9%) and inter-day precision (≤3.5%), and high selectivity and specificity. The validated UHPLC method was demonstrated to be precise, accurate, and robust for the simultaneous determination of vitamins D3 (CT and CHL) and K2 (MK-4 and MK-7) in dietary supplements.

Unlike odorants that mask odors, natural zeolite acts as a molecular sieve that captures and eliminates odors. Different treatment methods can be applied to influence the properties of the natural zeolites. To enhance the odor adsorption capacities of the natural zeolite two types of treatment methods were applied: chemical (acid, basic) and thermal. The initial natural zeolites and the activated one were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDX). Two experiments were performed to establish the odor adsorption capacity of the activated natural zeolites. The best zeolite for the adsorption of humidity, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide was the 1–3 mm zeolite activated through thermal treatment. For the adsorption of PAHs, the best zeolite was the one activated through basic treatment, with an adsorption capacity of 89.6 ng/g.

Vineyards waste has a great importance as biomass, a renewable source of energy. In this paper eight vine shoot varieties were used for the production of pellets by densification of feedstock materials with four ranges of moisture contents (6–8%, 8–10%, 10–12% and 12–15%). A moisture content of 10% gave durability higher than 97.5% and a calorific value greater than 17 MJ kg−1 and the small durability was obtained for 6–8% moisture. The study shows the significant influence of water during densification. The physicochemical and energetic properties of pellets were evaluated in accordance with ISO 17225-6 (2014). The obtained pellets were also structurally characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM analysis showed the formation of carbon microsphere after pelletization, due to the increase of bulk density and durability of pellets. Also, XRD analysis revealed the crystallinity of cellulose, while TGA analysis showed a total decomposition of pellets. The obtained pellets were burned in a domestic boiler and the flue gases were measured. The preliminary results showed that the vineyard residues had higher emissions, but below the admitted limits, with the exception of carbon monoxide content. The obtained results suggested that the biomass wastes can be used for the production of pellets, aiming to enhance the research for the manufacturing of these sustainable biofuels with some remarks regarding risk of corrosion and slag formation during prolonged use.

Circular economy principles are based on the use of by-products from one operation as the raw materials in another. The aim of this work is to obtain extracts with high antioxidant capacity and resveratrol content for the superior capitalization of the biomass of Feteasca regala leaves obtained during vineyard horticultural operations in spring. In order to obtain a high-quality extract at an industrial level, an optimal extraction process is needed. Central composite design (CCD) was used for the experiment design, which contained three independent variables: the ratio of extraction solvent to solid matter, temperature (°C) and time (minutes). The evaluation of extracts was done by measuring the total antioxidant capacity of the extracts using photo-chemiluminescent techniques, and the resveratrol content using liquid chromatography. Process optimization was done using response surface methodology (RSM). Minitab software version 17.0 was used for the design of experiments and data analysis. Regression analysis showed that the model predicts 87.5% of the variation for resveratrol and 96% for total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The temperature had the biggest influence on the extraction yield. The optimal operational conditions for the extraction method applied had the following conditions: ratio e/m 2.92; 43.23 °C and 55.4 min. A maximum value of 34,623 µg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE) /mL total antioxidant capacity and 182.4 µg/mL resveratrol content were obtained when the optimal extraction parameters where used. The values obtained in experiments proved that by using RSM an accurate model can be obtained for extraction of Feteasca regala leaves.

In this paper, the production of a second-generation bioethanol from lignocellulosic vineyard cutting wastes was investigated in order to define the optimal operating conditions of the autohydrolysis pretreatment, chlorite delignification and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The autohydrolysis of vine-shoot wastes resulted in liquors containing mainly a mixture of monosaccharides, degradation products and spent solids (rich in cellulose and lignin), with potential utility in obtaining valuable chemicals and bioethanol. The autohydrolysis of the vine-shoot wastes was carried out at 165 and 180 °C for 10 min residence time, and the resulted solid and liquid phases composition were analysed. The resulted liquid fraction contained hemicellulosic sugars as a mixture of alpha (α) and beta (β) sugar anomers, and secondary by-products. The solid fraction was delignified using the sodium chlorite method for the separation of lignin and easier access of enzymes to the cellulosic sugars, and then, converted to ethanol by the SSF process. The maximum bioethanol production (6%) was obtained by autohydrolysis (165 °C), chlorite delignification and SSF process at 37 °C, 10% solid loading, 72 h. The principal component analysis was used to identify the main parameters that influence the chemical compositions of vine-shoot waste for different varieties.

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition of five different food seeds (sunflower, poppy, hemp, flax and sesame) regarding fatty acid, mineral (Fe, Cu, Zn, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Al) and protein content. In addition, the total antioxidant capacity of the seeds was evaluated using the photochemiluminescent assay. The food seeds were subjected to lipid extraction and converted into fatty acid methyl esters before the gas chromatography analysis. In all food seeds, the saturated (SFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were identified, respectively. PUFAs were the most abundant fatty acids (61.2% ± 0.07% and 84.8% ± 0.08% of total fatty acids), with the highest content in flax and hemp seed oil. Also, high amounts of omega-3 from PUFAs were determined in flax and hempseed oil. Based on the obtained results the sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds are good sources of omega-6, while flax and hemp seeds are good sources of omega-3. All samples are rich in minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg) and have more than 20% protein content.

This applied research focuses on identifying the content of polyphenols in cherry varieties available on the Cluj-Napoca market. 3 sweet cherry varieties of Prunus avium L. three where taken into analysis for the determination of total polyphenols. The method used for the determination of total polyphenols is Folin-Ciocalteu. Average values obtained for the 3 cherries varieties are: 81 mg GAE/100 g FW for Stella, 43,7 mg GAE/100 g FW for Napoleon/Bigarreau and 83,7 mg GAE/100 g FW for Lapins.