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The paper shows a short documentary study regarding the main valuable compounds that are present in the subproducts resulting in the fruits from the Cucurbitaceae family, with a main accent on Cucurbita sp. type pumpkins. The compound types (polyphenolic compounds, triterpenoids, carotenoidic compounds), extraction methods and the properties of bioproducts obtained in this way (antimicrobial, antitumor properties, sun protection factor) are presented. The most suitable valorization methods for waste biomass generated by Cucurbitaceae fruits are the following: 1) recovery of the carotenoids and polyphenolics compound from these, with potential applications in obtaining different dermato-cosmetical formulations, and 2) obtaining of nanomaterials with silver and gold, mediated by the phyto-compounds recovered by extraction from Cucurbitaceae peels, with potential applications in medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-developed industrial sector based on biotechnology will significantly reduce dependence on chemical resources, contributing to climate change objectives and leading to a greener and more environmentally friendly growth. The key lies in developing new technologies for the sustainable transformation of renewable natural resources into bio-based products and biofuels. Bioeconomy involves the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, and bio-based products through innovative and efficient technologies provided by industrial biotechnology. This paper presents a general classification of biosurfactants used in industrial applications. The term "surfactant" is derived from "surface-active agent." Biosurfactants have become increasingly significant across various fields owing to their diverse properties, including enhanced biodegradability and reduced toxicity. They are categorized into high and low molecular weight molecules. Biosurfactants find applications in industries such as cosmetics, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and environmental bioremediation. While numerous surfactants are already in use in various industries, it's essential to develop indigenous technologies for the production of biosurfactants from local micro-organism. This would ensure their suitability for application in specific environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotechnological processes, particularly those involved in biosurfactant production, can pose significant financial challenges. The viability of biosurfactant production hinges on the creation of processes that make use of cost-effective raw materials. This study focuses on exploring the potential of Candida lipolytica ICCF 214 (ATCC 16618) reference strain for biosurfactant production using a mixture of vegetable oil and other chemical compounds used for fermentation medium (1% glutamic acid, urea, or glucose) as carbon sources. Based on the obtained results, we can conclude that all three fermentation media stimulated Candida lipolytica ICCF 214 strain to produce biosurfactants, but further analysis of surface tension and antimicrobial activity of the obtained biosurfactants is required. Additionally, we observed that media with a volume of 100 ml produced higher quantities of biosurfactants, due to the good aeration of the fermentation medium. However, even the ones with 150 ml showed decent performance during the bioprocess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limonene is a biomolecule that can be easily obtained from plant sources with remarkable biological effects. It is found in large quantities in citrus essential oils (concentrations up to 98%) and in moderate amounts in essential oils obtained from various species of geranium. The article presents the reasons why this compound may have potential uses in regenerative medicine, especially in dermatological applications, where these compounds or formulations which contain this compound, alone or via intermediary products which result from metabolization (such as perillyl alcohol) can accelerate wound healing, inhibit skin tumors development, or inhibit pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Studies performed in vivo, on healthy persons who have tested in time the skin cleaning products which contain limonene or essential oils with limonene, were confirming that the products with Limonene do not give perturbation to normal skin microbiota. These data recommend Limonene as a potential candidate for regenerative medicine applications in the field of dermatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of spent brewer's yeast (SBY, Saccharomyces spp.), with or without the addition of Rhodotorula spp. biomass (Rh), as dietary supplements on broiler health status and growth performance. A total of 320 one-day-old, Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into eight experimental groups with five replicate pens of eight birds/replicate. A 4 by 2 factorial design study was used, with SBY different inclusion levels (0, 0.6, 1 and 1.3 g/kg feed) and Rh supplementation (0 or 0.3 g/kg of feed) as treatments. There were no significant effects between the main factors SBY x Rh on the hematologic profiles (P>0.05) of the broilers. Blood serum biochemical profile of SBY and Rh groups and the interactions between treatments were evaluated and no significant effects were found (P>0.05), except for the glucose (p = 0.023), which was influenced by the SBY addition. Moreover, the SBY addition (0.6 and 1g/kg) resulted in similar productive performances for weight gain and average daily gain, with the control group (Corn-SBM diet). In conclusion, yeast bioactive, nutritive, and pharmacologic compounds could serve as a suitable low-cost option to conventional supplements used in meat poultry nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Polygonaceae family includes 800 species of plants, mainly herbaceous, annual, or perennial. These plants are cultivated in temperate regions of the globe. One of the most popular genera of this family is Rumex. About 200 species of the genus are widespread throughout the world. Some species of Rumex are grown as vegetables, while others are used for their biologically active compounds in traditional medicine or pharmaceutical industry. The aerial parts, the leaves, or the roots of Rumex plants contain various biologically active compounds such as anthraquinones, naphthalenes, flavonoids, stilbenoids, triterpenes, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and vitamins. These biological compounds of Rumex plants are involved in certain diseases' treatment, like diabetes, infections, skin disorders, liver diseases, inflammation, etc. This study is reviewing the biological active compounds extracted from Rumex plants, their biochemical profile, as well as medical uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of using Enterococcus faecium as probiotic on dairy calves’ growth rates and health status. During a 42 days trial, sixteen un-weaned Romanian Black Spotted calves were homogenously assigned in two groups: C (n = 8, control) and E (n = 8, treated with 2 x 108 CFU/ml of Enterococcus faecium). Body weight, blood sampling and diarrheic score were assessed at 0, 14, 28 and 42 days following administration of the probiotic. At the end of the trial, probiotic administration affected positively the experimental group, having a higher average daily gain with 23.96% compared to the control (ADG = 763.35g vs. 616.28g). Probiotic supplementation had no significant effects (P>0.05) on the hematologic profile and on calves health status. However, the prevalence of diarrhoea was higher in group C (32%) compared with group E (16%). Results suggest that throughout the use of Enterococcus faecium in un-weaned calves diets, the growth rates are improved and this could represent an approach in the control and prevention of enteric diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the evolution of cyanobacterial abundance represented by Microcystis sp. and Aphanizomenon sp., in the period 2009-2017, on the river Arges, in Romania, as well as correlations with the temperatures and turbidities of water, in order to identify the impact of the actual climatic trends on the frequency and concentration of cyanobacteria. During this time interval it could be observed a change in the cyanobacterial blooming period by its moving in autumn, also the growth of its duration, but in the same time, a slight decrease a cyanovbacteria production during the whole year. The duration of cyanobacterial blooms season was positive correlated (+0.74) with the average annual temperature, and negative correlated (-0.71), with the turbidity in the season. The maximum concentration achieved by cyanobacteria showed negative correlation (-0.62) along with the turbidity recorded at the beginning of the cyanobacterial blooms season. Although temperature is a very important factor in cyanobacterial development in the Arges river, flood-induced turbidity plays a key role both in favoring or inhibiting its growth but also in adjusting temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way in which an entrepreneur thinks and acts is a defining factor for the viability of a business in the field of life sciences. The skills of the successful entrepreneur, innate and acquired, are an important argument in this process. To evaluate the viability of these concepts in Romania, during 2014-2016, we conducted a survey based on questionnaires, involving 104 people from universities, research institutes and hospitals. They had to answer questions such as how they react when they have difficult tasks to accomplish, in which way the opinions of others are reflected about the decisions they make, if they can have in the same time, two responsibilities, as the Company Manager and as the Project Team Leader, and if they are able to coordinate a project with multi-disciplinary teams. Results obtained showed that 56% of the respondents when faced with difficult tasks are absolutely certain to be able to achieve them, and only 44% of them answered that they can generally solve them. Regarding how other people's views on their own decisions are reflected, 38% of the respondents strongly agreed that the opinions of others persons do not matter when they make a decision. Other 48% answered that are agreed that they take decisions are made without taking account the opinions of others. Only 13% of respondents answered that the own decisions are based on the opinions of those around them. Regarding the ability to do two things at the same time, 74% of the respondents agreed that they could do this and only 18% said that they do not able to make this. Regarding the ability to coordinate the work of multidisciplinary teams, 78% of answers were positively. Here, only 13% of answers were negative. The analysis indicates that the personal skills are important for entrepreneurships. Persons who are passionate about what they are doing, and who have a deeply knowledge in different areas of the life sciences, and which are able to coordinate multidisciplinary teams have greater chances to succeed as entrepreneurs for innovative SME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high performance liquid chromatography method for carbendazim residues determination was adapted to the condition of our laboratory and validated for tomatoes samples. Carbendazim eluted at 3.13 minutes. The signal was linear over the concentration range 1 to 15 μg/ml with correlation coefficient 0.999092. The detection limit and the quantitation limit values were 0.002 mg/kg and 0.02 mg/kg respectively. Relative standard deviation of repeatability was 3.47% and 4.78% and recovery was 99.67% and 113,11% for two levels of concentration. The adapted method allowed a simple and rapid separation and quantification of carbendazim in tomatoes by high performance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally thought that in order to start a business, it is necessary for the entrepreneur who proposes to do so to have some native skills. For this purpose, we have designed a study in three European countries (Romania, Lithuania and France) to show to what extent this statement is perceived as conforming to reality. The methodology used was based on the responses obtained in a survey conducted in the form of questionnaires, distributed to target groups which manifested their interest in starting an innovative business in life sciences. Thus, even if the education system and the economic context are completely different from the three countries participating in this study, the survey showed that in all cases some native abilities are indeed necessary for a potential entrepreneur of success. The affirmative answers obtaining at some questions such as: the capability of being independent, the ability to work independently and hard, to judge on the basis of insufficient information, to lead projects holistically, to use their creativity imaginatively, to looking forward and think positively, to feel the profitability of an innovative business, to take the initiative, to organize / attend meetings in professional business networks, indicate that these are just a few of the skills needed and important for entrepreneurs of the 21 century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is the evaluation of some morphological and compositional characteristics of three pomegranate fruit samples. For pomegranate juice samples (PJ), total soluble solids (TSS) varies between 14.6 and 16.3oBrix, titratable acidity (TA) between 0.28 and 1.13(%), total phenolic contents (TPC) from 221 to 323.3 mg/100 mL and DPPH radical scavenging activity shows EC50 values between 35.2 and 48.3 (mL PJ/g). For peel methanol extracts (PE), TPC was 198.2-279.8 and EC50 3.7-5.6 (µg/mL). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the possibilities for in vitro plant modeling by using the calogenesis tecluuque is one of the ways to exploit cell plasticity - the vegetable type, which plant biotechnology now offers an alternative for obtaining biomass as a source of raw material in various industries. One of the known plants cultivated by hwnans since ancient Lime, and recognized in the contemporary period as a dedicated source of plant material for different industries, because it has properties that reconunend its use in food, medicine and beekeeping, is savory (Satureja hcrtensis L.). Our preliminary experimental research aimed at investigating the possibility of in vitro modeling of savory (Satureja hortensis L.) by using the catogenesis technique. This paper presents the experimental results which have been achieved by investigating the possibility of practical achievement, both by establishing aseptic cultures using savory (Satureja hortensis L.) seeds, and also by in vitro modeling of savory (Satureja hortensis L.) explants, considering the leaf, cotyledon; epicotyl, hypocoty} and radicle, in under to obtain callus by the influence of exogenous phytohormones (BA, TDZ and 2,4-D). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]