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In this paper it was determined the antioxidant properties -- evaluated by FRAP and DPPH methods, total polyphenols content, monomeric anthocyanins amount and color structure for natural concentrates obtained from berries (bilberry, gooseberry, raspberry, blackberry) and garden fruits (cherry and strawberry). The antioxidant capacity determined by FRAP method was presented the values between 149.5-444.38 mM Fe2+/L and in the case of DPPH assay the obtained values was situated in the range 10.97-40.60%. Polyphenols content from analysed concentrates was situated in the range 86.57-217.60 mM gallic acid/L and the amounts of monomeric anthocyanins it was found in the range 8.47·10³-23.58·10³ mg/L calculated as cyanidin-3-glucoside. In the case of color structure analysis, it was determinate the fraction of color due to monomeric anthocyanins, copigmented anthocyanins and polymeric pigments. For all analyzed concentrates, the monomeric anthocyanins represent the main fraction which contribute to the final color of products. For concentrates obtained from garden fruits the percent of color due to monomeric anthocyanins is 59-66%, comparativelly with the case of natural concentrates from berries (68.41-77.55%). Copigmented anthocyanins and polymeric pigments contribute in small measure to the natural concentrates color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to present our researches regarding the determination of total polyphenols content of seventeen medicinal plants from Romania using NIR Spectroscopy. For this it were performed correlations between the values obtained for total polyphenols content (mM/g) using a chemical method with Folin Cioealteau reagent and the reflectance values of frequencies from NIR spectra. To obtain the main parameters of the regression model for total polyphenols content determination using NIR Spectroscopy it 2 was used PLS-Laverage method of UNSCRAMBLE software. The correlation coefficient R² obtained for regression equation was equal with 0.994752. The good quality of prediction of obtained PLS-Leverage model was done by the small values of the deviation, between 6% and 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our researches we studied the callus growth at Momordica charantia L., in subcultures on Murashige-Skoog medium, under two combinations of growth regulators influence (AIA+Kin and BA+Kin), to select cell lines with high antioxidants content. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenol content analysis showed that the cell lines selected presented various contents of antioxidants and phenols, due to culture conditions. The tests using RAPD markers showed a somatic variability induced [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Were investigated in this paper the nitrogen content in soil, in leaf and in tomato fruit after NPK fertilization. The experience was done in a cambic cernosium soil, with low acidity reaction and the high natural fertility potential favorable vegetables cultivation. The study was performed on control soil samples (without fertilizers) and soil samples after differentiated NPK fertilization in variable dozes: N30P30K30, N45P45K45, N60P60K60, N120P60K60. A field experiment was using tomatoes samples in different precocity steady: early (Export II) and middle tardy (Ace Royal). Nitrate content in fruit varied from 0.27-0.45ppm; the highest concentration was found in N45P45K45 doses fertilization and the lowest was in control. Tomatoes sorts did not influence the nitrogen content in fruit. Nitrate content in soil before or at harvest are known to be critical factors in determining nitrate levels in tomato fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of fresh waters with a wide range of pollutants has become a matter of concern over the last few decades (Vutukuru S.S., 2005). Among animal species, fishes are the inhabitants that cannot escape from the detrimental effects of the heavy metal contamination (Olaifa F.G. et al., 2004). The toxic effects of heavy metals have been reviewed, including bioaccumulation (Adami G.M. et al., 2002). This paper focuses on the extent of Cd bioaccumulation in the different tissues of a cyprinid fish, namely the silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch), after a 21 days sublethal cadmium exposure. The experiment was performed on the two groups of silver crucian carps (first group serving as control and second group as experimental group), with a body weight of 36.40±1,2 g, that were collected from Cornesti' Fishfarm (Timiş county) and aclimatizated 2 weeks in laboratory conditions. The experimental group (20 fish) was exposed at a chronic cadmium intoxication in concentration of 1.625 ppm from a Cd(CH3COO)2 x 2H20 stock solution. The sublethal treatment (25% of LC50) was calculated from percentage mortalities of fish as described by Veena et al., 1997. Gill, kidney, intestine, skin, liver, brain, muscle and cord specimens sampled (from control and experimental group respectively) were collected and mineralized (calcined and solubilized in a 0.5N HNO3 solution) after lethal anesthesia. A CONTRAA 300 atomic absorption spectrometer was used to determine Cd concentration in tissue samples of the fish. Ridings realized at the end of experimental period relieve large increases of Cd concentration in every tissue. Cd tissue accumulation was in order: intestine< kidney < liver< gill< skin

The objective of our research was to evaluate the nutritional status expressed through the chlorophyll content in wheat crops, by using the analysis of the digital images taken in the visible spectrum. The study is based on observations of different colors expressed by plants in the visible spectrum, following a different nutritional status. These data about colors were associated and correlated with the chlorophyll content. The biologic material was represented by Alex variety of wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp. Vulgare). The nutritional stress which generated the variation in the chlorophyll content was induced by controlled nitrogen fertilization, in doses between 0 - 200 kg active substance ha-1 with four levels of PK 0 - 150 kg active substance ha-1. Chlorophyll content of wheat plants was determined with a portable chlorophyll meter (Konica Minolta SPAD 502 Plus) to measure absorbance leaves red and near infrared region. Determination of chlorophyll was done in the same time to capture digital images. Capturing digital images made with a Nikon D80 at uniform parameters for all variants. The digital images, captured in the visible spectrum, were analyzed from the point of view of their color spectrum by nonlinear perceptual representation systems RGB, HSB and HSL. Chlorophyll content ranged from 40.26 ± 1.36 (SPAD units) from control variant (P0K0N0) and 55.57 ± 0.55 (SPAD units) at P150K150N200 variant. After the correlative analysis of the numerical values resulted on color channels (H,S,B and H,S,L) and chlorophyll, we obtained correlations with high significance level (very significantly negative correlation between the chlorophyll content and color channel BHSB, r = -0.930). Multi-parameter analysis of the variables, accomplished through cluster analysis and data grouping based on Euclidean distances, places the experimental variants according to the fertilization level. Their disposition is also correlated with the chlorophyll content and HSB and HSL values resulted from tests carried out and from the data stored in digital images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the serious threats posed to terrestrial ecosystems by industrial contamination, environmental monitoring is a standard procedure used for assessing the current status of an environment or trends in environmental parameters. Measurement of metal concentrations at different trophic levels followed by their statistical analysis using exploratory multivariate methods can provide meaningful information on the status of environmental quality. In this context, the present paper proposes a novel chemometric approach to standard statistical methods by combining the Block clustering with Partial least square (PLS) analysis to investigate the accumulation patterns of metals in anthropized terrestrial ecosystems. The present study focused on copper, zinc, manganese, iron, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, and lead transfer along a soil-plant-snai food chain, and the hepatopancreas of the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) was used as a biological end-point of metal accumulation., Results: Block clustering deliniates between the areas exposed to industrial and vehicular contamination. The toxic metals have similar distributions in the nettle leaves and snail hepatopancreas. PLS analysis showed that (1) zinc and copper concentrations at the lower trophic levels are the most important latent factors that contribute to metal accumulation in land snails; (2) cadmium and lead are the main determinants of pollution pattern in areas exposed to industrial contamination; (3) at the sites located near roads lead is the most threatfull metal for terrestrial ecosystems., Conclusion: There were three major benefits by applying block clustering with PLS for processing the obtained data: firstly, it helped in grouping sites depending on the type of contamination. Secondly, it was valuable for identifying the latent factors that contribute the most to metal accumulation in land snails. Finally, it optimized the number and type of data that are best for monitoring the status of metallic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems exposed to different kinds of anthropic polution.

Background: The aim of the paper is to assess by the principal components analysis (PCA) the heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetables widely used as food for people who live in areas contaminated by heavy metals (HMs) due to long-lasting mining activities. This chemometric technique allowed us to select the best model for determining the risk of HMs on the food chain as well as on people's health., Results: Many PCA models were computed with different variables: heavy metals contents and some agro-chemical parameters which characterize the soil samples from contaminated and uncontaminated areas, HMs contents of different types of vegetables grown and consumed in these areas, and the complex parameter target hazard quotients (THQ). Results were discussed in terms of principal component analysis., Conclusion: There were two major benefits in processing the data PCA: firstly, it helped in optimizing the number and type of data that are best in rendering the HMs contamination of the soil and vegetables. Secondly, it was valuable for selecting the vegetable species which present the highest/minimum risk of a negative impact on the food chain and human health.

Background: Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) can pose serious threats to environmental health because they tend to bioaccumulate in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated under field conditions the transfer of these heavy metals in a soil-plant-snail food chain in Banat area, Romania. The main goal of this paper was to assess the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) usefulness in environmental monitoring as bioindicator of heavy metal accumulation. Eight sampling sites, selected by different history of heavy metal (HM) exposure, were chosen to be sampled for soil, nettle leaves, and newly matured snails. This study also aimed to identify the putative effects of HM accumulation in the environment on phenotypic variability in selected shell features, which included shell height (SH), relative shell height (RSH), and whorl number (WN)., Results: Significantly higher amounts of HMs were accumulated in snail hepatopancreas and not in foot. Cu, Zn, and Cd have biomagnified in the snail body, particularly in the hepatopancreas. In contrast, Pb decreased when going up into the food chain. Zn, Cd, and Pb correlated highly with each other at all levels of the investigated food chain. Zn and Pb exhibited an effective soil-plant transfer, whereas in the snail body only foot Cu concentration was correlated with that in soil. There were significant differences among sampling sites for WN, SH, and RSH when compared with reference snails. WN was strongly correlated with Cd and Pb concentrations in nettle leaves but not with Cu and Zn. SH was independent of HM concentrations in soil, snail hepatopancreas, and foot. However, SH correlated negatively with nettle leaves concentrations for each HM except Cu. In contrast, RSH correlated significantly only with Pb concentration in hepatopancreas., Conclusions: The snail hepatopancreas accumulates high amounts of HMs, and therefore, this organ can function as a reliable biomarker for tracking HM bioavailability in soil. Long-term exposure to HMs via contaminated food might influence the variability of shell traits in snail populations. Therefore, our results highlight the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) potential to be used in environmental monitoring studies as bioindicator of HM pollution.

Background: The goal of our study was to evaluate the effects of different medicinal herbs rich in polyphenol (Lemon balm, Sage, St. John's wort and Small-flowered Willowherb) used as dietary supplements on bioaccumulation of some essential metals (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) in different chicken meats (liver, legs and breast)., Results: In different type of chicken meats (liver, legs and breast) from chickens fed with diets enriched in minerals and medicinal herbs, beneficial metals (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) were analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Fe is the predominant metal in liver and Zn is the predominant metal in legs and breast chicken meats. The addition of metal salts in the feed influences the accumulations of all metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat with specific difference to the type of metal and meat. The greatest influences were observed in legs meat for Fe and Mn. Under the influence of polyphenol-rich medicinal herbs, accumulation of metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat presents specific differences for each medicinal herb, to the control group that received a diet supplemented with metal salts only. Great influence on all metal accumulation factors was observed in diet enriched with sage, which had significantly positive effect for all type of chicken meats., Conclusions: Under the influence of medicinal herbs rich in different type of polyphenol, accumulation of metals in the liver, legs and breast chicken meat presents significant differences from the group that received a diet supplemented only with metal salts. Each medicinal herb from diet had a specific influence on the accumulation of metals and generally moderate or poor correlations were observed between total phenols and accumulation of metals. This may be due to antagonism between metal ions and presence of other chelating agents (amino acids and protein) from feeding diets which can act as competitor for complexation of metals and influence accumulation of metals in chicken meat.Graphical abstract.

Background: The aim of this study is to measure the levels of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb) found in common vegetables (parsley, carrot, onion, lettuce, cucumber and green beans) grown in contaminated mining areas compared with those grown in reference clear area and to determine their potential detrimental effects via calculation of the daily metal intake (DImetal) and Target Hazard Quotients (THQ) for normal daily consumption of these vegetables, for male and female gender., Results: Compared with the reference in contaminated areas, soil and plant contents of all analyzed metals are higher, usually over normally content for Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb. Particularly, in soil, higher values than intervention threshold values (ITV) were found for Cu and Pb and higher than maximum allowable limits (MAL) for Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb for parsley roots and leaves, carrot roots, cabbage, lettuce and cucumber. DImetal and THQ values for male and female were calculated for each vegetable and metal and for which oral reference doses exist. The combined THQ values calculated are concerning in that they are usually below the safe level of THQ<1 for all vegetables grown in reference area. In contaminated Moldova Noua (M) area the combined THQ exceeded the safe level only for parsley roots, while in more contaminated Ruschita (R) area combined THQ exceeded the safe level for parsley and carrot roots, lettuce and cabbage. Cd and Pb, most toxic metals to humans, have an increasing prevalence in the combined THQ for leafy (cabbage and lettuce) and fruit vegetables (cucumber). In the root vegetables only Pb has an increasing prevalence in combined THQ values. In all areas female THQ is higher than male THQ., Conclusion: The results of this study regarding metal contents in soils, vegetables, DImetal and THQ suggest that the consumption of some vegetables (especially parsley, carrot and cabbage and less for lettuce, cucumber and green beans) is not free of risks in these areas. The complex THQ parameter use in health risk assessment of heavy metals provides a better image than using only a simple parameter (contents of metals in soils and vegetables).

The effect of chronic biparental preconceptional alcoholization followed by alcohol consumption during the preimplantation period on the maternal and fetal homeostasis of some alkaline and alkaline-earth metals was studied in albino rats. Female and male rats consumed 20% ethanol (v/v) for 50-60 days before mating (group E). Further on pregnant females were alcoholized until day 5 of pregnancy. Control females and males consumed tap water (group C). Animals were sacrificed on day 20 of pregnancy. Blood samples were obtained from fetuses (the blood of each litter being pooled) and from pregnant females. Biochemical determinations were made by atomic emission spectroscopy for Na and K and by atomic absorption spectroscopy for Ca and Mg. Early and late mortality of conceptuses were checked. Non significant changes were observed within group E in the maternal serum as to Na (increase) and K(decrease), while Ca and Mg showed a significant decrease. Similar changes were found in the pooled fetal serum, the decrease of K and Mg being less marked. No structural anomalies were detected. With respect to tanatogenesis, both early resorptions and late fetal death were increased.

The late fetal effect of ethanol administered during the preimplantation period (in acute experiment) was investigated. Ethanol was injected i.v. (33.16% v/v in a.d., 4.80 ml/kg b.w.) to pregnant female rats on day 2 and 4 of pregnancy. Some effects concerning biochemical and morphological homeostasis on at-term fetuses (day 20 of pregnancy) were studied. Data obtained were compared with those of the control group. Biochemical investigation performed on hepatic DNA and on some serum metabolites revealed the following statistically non-significant changes: the increase of fetal hepatic DNA; the increase of total protein determined from pooled fetal serum of the whole litters; hypoalbuminemy and hyperglobulinemy; hypo-alpha 1-globulinemy and hyper-alpha 2-, beta-, gamma-globulinemy; the increase of total lipids, decrease of cholesterol; increase of uric acid and urea. In the amniotic fluid the following statistically non-significant values were found: increase of proteins, lipids, uric acid and urea content and decrease of cholesterol. Ponderal somatometry evidenced a statistically significant decrease of fetal and placental wet weight. The changes found show that--in our experimental conditions--the i.v. administration of ethanol during the preimplantation period does not significantly influence the late, fetal biochemical values and induces a significant lowering of fetal and placental wet weight and a significant increase of late fetal mortality.