Indoor Hibernation of <em>Helix aspersa</em> Juveniles

The “Italian” outdoor snailfarming technology assumes that both mature and juvenile snails hibernate outdoor, protected by a thin sheet of unweaved coverlet (agryl sheet). In contrast, the “French” snailfarming technology implies that only mature brown garden snails (Helix aspersa) hibernate indoor, in strictly controlled microenvironmental parameters (temperature, humidity, and ventilation). This technology may also be viable for H. aspersa juveniles. Extremely high death rates occurring in Romanian outdoor snailfarms during colder winters (>80%) imposed the need to find alternative paths for a proper hibernation of H. aspersa. Using statistical analyses, close surveillance of technological flow, and controlled microenvironmental parameters, we assessed the possibility to adapt indoor hibernation for H. aspersa juveniles. The experiments lasted for 2 years (2006–2008) and were carried out on 34,000 H. aspersa juveniles and 15,000 mature ones, using different technological flows and microenvironmental parameters (temperature, humidity, and ventilation). They were performed in two stages and involved five case studies, conducted independently in three different locations: Floreşti (Mehedinţi county), Sântuhalm (Hunedoara county), and Muntenii de Sus (Vaslui county). The first stage tested the hypothesis in relation to survival rate of mature snails, H. aspersa, in the same conditions, whereas the second stage improved the technological flow, before its extensive application. We demonstrated that noncontrolled microclimate parameters (temperature, humidity, and ventilation) and the use of straw as hibernation support induced significant differences (P < 0.01) concerning death levels of H. aspersa juveniles as compared to their indoor hibernation in semicontrolled microclimate (temperature and ventilation). In the same hibernation microclimate, mature snails exhibited higher survival levels than the juvenile ones, irrespective of technological flow and origin (P < 0.0001). We also demonstrated that juveniles’ weight loss displays a relatively constant variation (16.33–20.51%). In addition, the correlations between the individual average weight before and after hibernation were described by the same logarithmic regression. Furthermore, significantly higher survival rates of H. aspersa juveniles (P < 0.0001) have been registered when they had not been awakened during hibernation. Finally, we proved that indoor hibernation of H. aspersa juveniles in strictly controlled microenvironmental parameters (temperature, humidity, and ventilation) could represent a viable technology that improves the technological flow in outdoor snailfarming during wintertime in colder climates

Changes in the quality in tomato fruit due to home-scale freezing

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of home-scale freezing in the quality of tomato fruit cultivated in field conditions, in Romanian west area.Freezing is one of the oldest and most widely used methods of vegetables preservation.Tomatoes were analyzed fresh and stored frozen in domestic freezer at -180C for 2-6 months until analysis. Tomatoes were analyzed regarding moisture, sugar, lycopene content,ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and total antioxidant capacity. Most important losses due to 6 months home-scale freezing were recorded for lycopene content (47%) followed by vitamin C content (20%), total antioxidant capacity (16%) and phenolic compounds content (13%). The freezing process has no to much effect on the nutritional compounds but for the best quality, use the tomato fruit within short time

Evaluation of tomato yield using statistical tests

The main objective of this study is to calculate the correlation existed between the NPK mineral fertilization doses on tomato yield using statistical tests (multiple regression analysis of variance, the F-test, value of R and R2 , Durbin–Watson test). A field experiment was using two tomatoes samples in different precocity steady (Export II and Ace Royal) cultivated in Romanian west area. Multiple regression analysis of variance on the influence of fertilization on the yield of Export II cultivar show that 90.28% of the production variability is due to the influence of these three macronutrients (NPK) while the yield of Ace Royal cultivar the percentage is 97.78%. The tomato yield increases with the fertilization doses and nitrogen fertilization has a major influence distinctly significant on achieving production, while the fertilization with potassium is lower but superior to phosphorus fertilization for two tomato cultivar

The influence of total chromium soil content on the maize zinc levels, in a polluted area

Chromium compounds are highly toxic to plants and are detrimental to their growth and development. Cr is toxic to most higher plants at 100 µMKg-1 dry weight, while Zn is an essential plant nutrient. The essentiality of Zn in plants was first shown in maize. The aim of this paper was to determine the influence of Cr contamined soils on the accumulation of Zn in maize (Zea mays L.) grains, sampled from Tarnaveni area (Mures County, Romania), a well known industrial center. The heavy metals contents in soils and maize were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry using a ContrAA 300 spectrophotometer with high resolution continuum source. In soil, Cr contents ranged from 9.7 ppm to 80.73 ppm and Zn from 21.77 to 99.87 ppm. In corn, the values for Cr are between 0.081 to 0,11 ppm and for Zn between 44.74 to 132.66 ppm. Mathematical modeling indicates that chromium in the soil might be the one which is determining the evolution of zinc corn content

Evaluation of copper content in soil and Zea mays l. grains, in a Romanian polluted area

The heavy metal contamination of soil is one of the most pressing concerns in the debate about food security and food safety in Europe. Maize, also known as corn, constitute a staple food in many regions of the world. The aim of this paper was to determine the capacity of maize (Zea mays L.) grainstoaccumulate Cu, in order to evaluate the potential risk for human consume and to obtained informations regarding the soil pollution in this area. The studied area was Tarnaveni (Mures County, Romania). In soil, the copper content, calculated on the dry basis, ranged from 13.17 ppm to 52.96 ppm for 0-20 cm depth and from 14.01 to 44.82 ppm for 20-40 cm depth. The soil copper contents are exceeding the value of 20 ppm (the normal contents in soil, for Romania) but do not exceed the value of 100 ppm (the Alert threshold values for Romania). Regarding the copper content (mgKg-1 dry weight) in corn, the values are between 4.87 to 25.40 ppm, and five from seven samples exceed the permissible limit of copper for plants (10 mg/kg recommended by WHO). This study allows to obtain informations regarding the copper pollution level in this area

Influence of termic treatment on armoracia rusticana roots and leaves, total polyphenols content

The studies were conducted on Romanian horseradish originated from three domestic farms, located in the plains, hills and mountain areas. The localization of the horseradish plant as well as processing and temperature treatment seems to have a big effect on total polyphenols content (TPPC) of roots and leaves. The modifications of TPPC are due to the increasing and decreasing of temperature and they maintain the same profile irrespective of the locations

Bio-minerals contribution of seasonal fruits to the recommended dietary allowances

The paper presents data regarding the distribution of some mineral bio elements in three assortments of fall fruits – apples, pears and quinces – cultivated in a hill area of Banat, Romania, and an estimate of their mineral supply. Experimental results obtained through the ICP-MS technique show that the fruits analysed have important contents of K, Ca, Mg, and Na, and appreciable contents of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu. Calculus shows that a consumption of 400 g of fresh fruits (edible parts) supplies the necessary daily amount of macro elements: 14.66% K – in males and females, 9.50% Mg – in females and 7.24% Mg – in males, 2.76% Ca – in males and in females, and 0.18% Na – in males and females. Microelement supply is slightly higher: 16.45% Fe – in males and 7.31% Fe – in females, 12.22% Mn – in females and 9.57% Mn – in males, 9.33% Cu – in males and 5.45% Cu – in females and 3.96% Zn – in males

Study regarding coffee brew metal content

This paper contains data regarding the concentration of some essential mineral elements in certain coffee brews and their mineral supply in the daily-recommended diet. We determined, through flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the concentration of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in brews made with five assortments of coffee. The mean values of the concentrations determined experimentally – 34.90 mg/L (Ca), 21.49 mg/L (Mg), 1.180 mg/L (Na), 522 mg/L (K), 0.158 mg/L (Fe), 0.206 mg/L (Mn), 0.146 mg/L (Zn), 0.027 mg/L (Cu) – allowed the calculus of their mineral supply. Data show that an intake of 300 mL coffee brew covers in a small measure the daily recommended intake of essential elements; therefore, coffee brews cannot be taken into account as far as their mineral supply is concerned

Characterization of some local tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum) assortments based on ascorbic acid content

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases (such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers). The biochemical components variability in fruits and vegetables is relatively high, due to the many varieties of each species, to the applied technology and not least due to environmental conditions. Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) is known as a rich source of bioactive compounds. Nutraceutical properties of fruits can be correlated with their ascorbic acid content and its capacity to neutralize free radicals responsible for oxidative damage at the cellular level. A nutraceutical˝ can be considered a food product, or a part of a food, which can be represented by isolated nutrients, herbal products, or dietary supplement that can provide health benefits. This study aimed to evaluate differences in nutritional (dry matter, soluble solids content, total mineral content (ash) and total acidity) and bioactive values (ascorbic acid) of tomato genotypes harvested from native populations in Romania from areas with tradition in cultivation of tomatoes (Dolj and Timis counties)

Insights into the Behavior of Triple-Negative MDA-MB-231 Breast Carcinoma Cells Following the Treatment with 17β-Ethinylestradiol and Levonorgestrel

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used due to their efficiency in preventing unplanned pregnancies and treating several human illnesses. Despite their medical value, the toxicity of OCs remains a public concern. Previous studies indicate the carcinogenic potential of synthetic sex hormones and their link to the development and progression of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer. However, little is known about their influence on the evolution of triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC), a malignancy defined by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. This study reveals that the active ingredients of modern OCs, 17β-Ethinylestradiol, Levonorgestrel, and their combination induce differential effects in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. The most relevant behavioral changes occurred after the 24 h treatment with 17β-Ethinylestradiol, summarized as follows: (i) decreased cell viability (64.32% at 10 µM); (ii) cell roundness and loss of confluence; (iii) apoptotic aspect of cell nuclei (fragmentation, membrane blebbing); and (iv) inhibited cell migration, suggesting a potential anticancer effect. Conversely, Levonorgestrel was generally associated with a proliferative activity. The association of the two OCs exerted similar effects as 17β-Ethinylestradiol but was less effective. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the hormones’ cytotoxic mechanism of action on TNBC cells