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Cover crops play an important role in low-input cropping systems, increasing the use of agro-ecosystem services. Due to the lack of information about the impact of cover crops and bio-fertilizers on popcorn maize (Zea mays everta Sturt.) growth and yield quality, especially the popping volume and nutritive quality, such as concentrations of protein and mineral elements, this research aimed to provide essential information. The interrelation between popcorn maize productivity and quality with important groups of soil microorganisms presents additional novelty. The results demonstrated that field pea is a beneficial cover crop, especially when combined with a bio-fertilizer, supporting the accumulation of maize biomass, chlorophyll, yield potential, and the concentrations of protein, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Zn. In addition, field pea residues promoted N-fixing bacteria, and the number of total microorganisms, especially actinomycetes and decomposing bacteria, which could promote nutrient uptake and grain quality. Residues of cover crop mixtures, common vetch + winter oats and field pea + winter oats, promoted the total number of microorganisms in the soil, and up to the end of vegetation, a greater number of decomposition and ammonification microorganisms were found, especially when the bio-fertilizer was applied, which consequently could support greater maize biomass. Popping volume, as a main trait of popcorn maize, had the highest value in the common vetch + winter oats variant, supporting again the statement that quality traits could be enhanced in sustainable production. Unlike living cover crops, mulch mainly affected soil microbial communities and promoted the development of actinomycetes and cellulolytic microorganisms during the growing season. The results of this research could contribute to the development of sustainable popcorn maize production for improved grain quality. They could also serve as a basis for isolating beneficial soil microorganisms to develop new

Cover crops play an important role in low-input cropping systems, increasing the use of agro-ecosystem services. Due to the lack of information about the impact of cover crops and bio-fertilizers on popcorn maize (Zea mays everta Sturt.) growth and yield quality, especially the popping volume and nutritive quality, such as concentrations of protein and mineral elements, this research aimed to provide essential information. The interrelation between popcorn maize productivity and quality with important groups of soil microorganisms presents additional novelty. The results demonstrated that field pea is a beneficial cover crop, especially when combined with a bio-fertilizer, supporting the accumulation of maize biomass, chlorophyll, yield potential, and the concentrations of protein, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Zn. In addition, field pea residues promoted N-fixing bacteria, and the number of total microorganisms, especially actinomycetes and decomposing bacteria, which could promote nutrient uptake and grain quality. Residues of cover crop mixtures, common vetch + winter oats and field pea + winter oats, promoted the total number of microorganisms in the soil, and up to the end of vegetation, a greater number of decomposition and ammonification microorganisms were found, especially when the bio-fertilizer was applied, which consequently could support greater maize biomass. Popping volume, as a main trait of popcorn maize, had the highest value in the common vetch + winter oats variant, supporting again the statement that quality traits could be enhanced in sustainable production. Unlike living cover crops, mulch mainly affected soil microbial communities and promoted the development of actinomycetes and cellulolytic microorganisms during the growing season. The results of this research could contribute to the development of sustainable popcorn maize production for improved grain quality. They could also serve as a basis for isolating beneficial soil microorganisms to develop new

The pygidial glands of carabids produce strong-smelling vapours. In this study, we examined the chemical composition of the gland secretions and the structure of the glands in five species of Carabini ground beetles (one species from the subtribe Calosomatina and four species from the subtribe Carabina): Calosoma (Calosoma) maderae (Fabricius, 1775), Carabus (Carabus) granulatus Linnaeus, 1758, C. (Limnocarabus) clathratus Linnaeus, 1760, C. (Carabus) ulrichii Germar, 1823, and C. (Procerus) gigas Creutzer, 1799. Additionally, we tested the antibacterial potential of the pygidial gland secretions of the two latter species against 11 bacterial strains. In order to detect the chemical content of the secretions, we used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The secretion extracts were applied against selected strains of medically important bacteria. We used bright-field microscopy to examine the morphology of the glands. We discovered a total of 11 chemical compounds in the pygidial gland extracts of the ground beetles we analysed. Ten of these compounds were identified as seven carboxylic acids, two hydrocarbons, and one aromatic aldehyde, while one chemical remained unidentified. Most of the components were isolated from the secretion of C. (L.) clathratus (nine), while the lowest number of compounds was found in C. (P.) gigas (two). Methacrylic acid was the most dominant compound by percentage in all five species, while angelic acid was also detected in all samples. As expected, salicylaldehyde was exclusively found in the species of the genus Calosoma Weber, 1801. The secretion of C. (P.) gigas was shown to achieve the highest level of antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and S. typhimurium (even the same level as the positive control streptomycin), while the secretion of C. (C.) ulrichii achieved the highest antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cer

In the present study, we investigated in vitro the antimicrobial activity of the pygidial gland secretion of the guanophilic ground beetle Laemostenus (Pristonychus) punctatus (Dejean, 1828) and some of its chemicals against resistant and non-resistant bacteria and Candida species, the synergistic and additive potential of combinations of selected chemicals and antimicrobial drugs against resistant bacterial and fungal strains, anti-adhesive and anti-invasive potential of the secretion and formic acid alone and in selected combinations with antimicrobial drugs against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) toward spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT cells). In addition, we examined the antiproliferative activity of the secretion and formic acid in vitro. The tested secretion and the standards of formic and oleic acids possessed a significant level of antimicrobial potential against all tested strains (P < 0.05). The isolate from guano Pseudomonas monteilii showed the highest resistance to the secretion and formic acid, while MRSA achieved a significantly high level of susceptibility to all agents tested, particularly to the combinations of formic acid and antibiotics, but at the same time showed a certain level of resistance to the antibiotics tested individually. Candida albicans and C. tropicalis were found to be the most sensitive fungal strains to the secretion. Formic acid (MIC 0.0005 mg/mL) and gentamicin (MIC 0.0010 mg/mL) in the mixture achieved synergistic antibacterial activity against MRSA (FICI = 0.5, P < 0.05). The combination of formic acid, gentamicin and ampicillin accomplished an additive effect against this resistant bacterial strain (FICI = 1.5, P < 0.05). The secretion achieved a better inhibitory effect on the adhesion ability of MRSA toward HaCaT cells compared to formic acid alone, while formic acid showed better results regarding the invasion (P < 0.001). The combinations of gentamicin and ampicillin, as

Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) are novel and promising solvents for green extraction of phytochemicals from food and agricultural products. NADES are made of natural origin compounds that are connected via hydrogen bond and have unique tuneable properties1. Numerous studies investigated the extraction of bioactive compounds using NADES resulted in better extraction efficiency compared to conventional solvents, suggesting large potential of these solvents2,3. Low-toxicity, natural origin and affordability of NADES-based extracts enables their application as a preservative in the food industry or functional ingredient of food supplements. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient eco-friendly method for the extraction of phenolic compounds from berries, blueberry, chokeberry and black goji berry, using NADES. This goal will be achieved through investigation of extraction efficiency of applied NADES based on three different approaches, a) chromatographic, through high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprint analysis, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector and a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS) target analysis and bioautography, b) spectroscopic, through quality control parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and radical scavenging activity (RSA), and c) microbiological, through well diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In this study, 36 NADES mixtures, prepared from primary plant metabolites, were tested as green alternatives for extraction of phenolics from three berries. Different hydrogen-bond acceptors (HBA), such as choline chloride, L-proline, L-glycine, and L-lysine were mixed with various hydrogen-bond donors (HBD), four organic acids, two sugars, glycerol and urea, at various molar ratios for NADES preparation. Guided by the fact that extraction efficiency depends on polarity, viscosity and dissolving ability of solve

Introduction: A novel group of Rhizobiumspp. strains belonging to the “tumorigenes” clade has recently been described on blackberry in Serbia and Germany and on rhododendron in Germany. The BIOCTA project aimed to characterize efficient plant-associated bacterial strains for biocontrol of crown gall, thus providing an environmentally friendly alternative to pesticides that would contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture. Methods: Antagonistic potential of 37 biocontrol strains against two R. tumorigenes strains 932 and 1078 and Rhizobium sp. strain rho-6.2 was evaluated in vitro using the “well diffusion” method, as well as in vivo on tomato plants, using two inoculation strategies (co-inoculation and preventive). DNA metabarcoding approach was used to analyze the phytobiome of treated and non-treated tomato plants. Results: Based on the determined in vitro antagonistic potential, seven strains – Bacillus spp. (B. amyloliquefaciens ID084 and GT28.3, B. velezensis X5-2, and B. subtilis GD1), Pseudomonas sp. (R-6.10 and R11-20) and Agrobacterium rosae rho-6.1 were selected for further in vivo experiments. Of all tested strains/treatments, two Pseudomonas strains were the most efficient, showing up to 92.86%efficacy in suppressing tumors caused by Rhizobiumsp. strain rho-6.2 when applied in a co-inoculation strategy. Based on the DNA metabarcoding analysis, genera Pseudolabrys and Asanoa prevailed in the co-inoculation strategy, while Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium prevailed in positive control. Conclusion: Crown gall tumors have shown to be a valuable source of antagonistic isolates. Pseudomonas strains R-6.10 and R11-20 could be proposed for the efferent control of crown gall caused by newly described Rhizobium spp. strains in nurseries.

Targeted physiological groups of bacteria were cultivated and identified in the brackish groundwaters of Obrenovačka Banja (OB), Lomnički Kiseljak (LK) and Velika Vrbnica (VV) using biological activity reaction tests (BARTs) to assess the biocorrosion, biofouling and health risks. The highest density of iron-related, sulfate-reducing, slime-forming, facultatively anaerobic heterotrophic, denitrifying bacteria and representatives of Pseudomonas spp. was recorded in the OB sample, while the lowest density of the same physiological groups of bacteria was recorded in the LK sample. Facultatively anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria were the most abundant in the OB and LK samples, while, in contrast, heterotrophic aerobic bacteria were the most abundant in the VV sample. All tested samples were characterized by a high degree of biochemical activity associated with iron-related, sulfate-reducing, slime-forming, heterotrophic aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria. Also, high biochemical activity of denitrifying bacteria was recorded in the OB sample, and the same activity of Pseudomonas species was recorded in the OB and VV samples. For OB and LK groundwaters, the highest degree of risk was estimated for biocorrosion process, while for the OB and VV occurrences, the highest degree of risk was estimated for biofouling process. The health risk was present for all examined groundwaters. Caution is warranted in further use of all investigated occurrences due to the established public health risk and an immediate revitalization of the OB, LK and VV wells is necessary.

Numerous microbial taxa are used as biofertilizers because they have the potential to competitively colonize the rhizosphere or root interior of plants and promote nutrient uptake. The aim was to investigate the shifts of keystone bacterial species in maize roots and rhizosphere during seedling stage, flowering, and harvest, under different treatments of bacterial phytobiotic (PHY), poultry manure (PM) and their combination (PHY_PM). Soil bacterial communities remained largely unchanged regardless of the treatment applied or phenophase studied, with uncultured Gaiellales and Bacillus being the most abundant. In contrast, bacterial communities in roots differed in terms of distribution and relative abundance (RA) of different taxa between growth stages and treatments. The most abundant bacterial taxa in the roots during the initial seedling stage was Pseudomonas. In the flowering, Bacillus occurred with a two- to threefold higher RA in treatments with PHY or PM compared to the negative control, while Lechevalieria dominated during the harvest. Differential abundance analysis at the seedling stage showed a reduction of Pseudomonas in roots treated with PHY, while Pseudonocardia was significantly more abundant in roots treated with PM than in the other samples. Massilia, Streptomyces, Lechevalieria, Microbacteriaceae, Aeromicrobium, Sphingomonas and Roseiflexaceae were significantly higher in the PHY_PM treated root samples. Steroidobacter and Bdellovibrio were absent in PHY and PM treated root samples during flowering, while Bdellovibrio was significantly reduced in PHY_PM treatment compared to the negative control. RA of Bradyrhizobium and Polaromonas was reduced in PHY treated root samples, and Dongia was completely absent. Gaiellales was significantly more abundant, while Sphingomonas was less abundant in roots treated with PM and PHY_PM. Solirubrobacter and Bdellovibrio were absent from roots during harvest in all three treatment types. Pajaroellobacter was comple

Soda pans are restricted to the Carpathian Basin and differ from other similar saline waters mainly due to the dominant presence of Na+, HCO3–, and CO32– ions. These shallow and temporary aquatic habitats are inhabited by a number of species that can thrive in extreme environments. In Serbia, saline habitats are rare, endangered, and most common in the territory of Vojvodina. One of the most investigated group of organisms in soda pans is diatoms. Due to ecophysiological plasticity, they can survive and tolerate extreme environmental conditions which gives them a competitive advantage over other algae. Quite the opposite, prokaryotes in saline habitats are not sufficiently studied and data are scarce. Thus, samples from 6 soda pans were collected in March 2021 aiming to determine diatom (microscopic and molecular analysis, 18S rRNA gene) and bacterial community (16S rRNA gene). Most of the recorded diatom taxa are neutrophilic to alkalibiontic, mostly halophilic, and eutrophic species. The species richness diversity index was the highest in Velika Slatina and Slatina, while it was lowest in Mala Rusanda. The genus Nitzschia was one of the most represented and numerous according to morphological analyses (24 taxa, 4 dominant), while molecular analyses indicate 11 different species with low abundances and mainly with unassigned sequences. The biggest discrepancy in these two approaches was observed in Mala Rusanda and Okanj bara. Metabarcoding analysis indicated Halamphora veneta as the dominant taxa, while morphological analyses have shown a predominance of Nitzschia supralitorea and Surirella brebissonii in Mala Rusanda, and N. austriaca in Okanj bara. Estimated richness and alpha diversity indices showed the highest bacterial diversity in Velika Rusanda and Okanj bara, while the lowest richness was in Mala Rusanda. Representatives of the phylum Proteobacteria were detected predominantly in Pečena Slatina, Bacteroidota in Velika Slatina, Actinobacteria in Okanj bara

“Pirot ‘ironed’ sausage“ (Pis) is a traditional, fermented sausage, made from different types of meat (beef and chevon), without additives or starter cultures. The physical–chemical properties (pH, water activity, fats, moisture, and protein contents) were examined in the initial meat batter stuffing and during ripening. Total bacterial diversity was examined at different time points using both culturable (traditional) and non-culturable (NGS sequencing) approaches. During the ripening, a decrease in pH value, aw, and moisture content was observed, as well as an increase in protein and fat content. At least a two-fold significant decrease was noted for colorimetric values during the ripening period. The dominance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes was observed in the non-culturable approach in all studied samples. During the ripening process, an increase in Firmicutes (from 33.5% to 63.5%) with a decrease in Proteobacteria (from 65.4% to 22.3%) was observed. The bacterial genera that were dominant throughout the ripening process were Lactobacillus, Photobacterium, Leuconostoc, Weissella, and Lactococcus, while Carnobacterium, Brochothrix, and Acinetobacter were found also, but in negligible abundance. Among the culturable bacteria, Latilactobacillus sakei (Lactobacillus sakei) and Leuconostoc mesenteoides were present in all stages of ripening. © 2023 by the authors.