Kombucha fermentation on raw extracts of different cultivars of Jerusalem artichoke

Kombucha is a symbiosis between yeasts and acetic bacteria. It usually grows on sweetened black tea, but cultivation is possible on many other substrates. Jerusalem artichoke tubers extract is one of them. Tubers are suitable for the dietetic nutrition because of the low monosaccharide content and presence of some polyfructan ingredients which act as prebiotic. Five different cultivars of Jerusalem artichoke were used for the preparation of substrates for kombucha fermentation. The aim of this paper was the investigation of the influence of different Jerusalem artichoke cultivars on metabolic activity of kombucha. Composition of carbohydrates was followed using thin-layer chromatography and pH, reducing sugars content and yield of biomass were measured. Most of the samples with Jerusalem artichoke tubers extract contained fructose, probably small amount of glucose, fructo-oligosaccharides with different degree of polymerization and, inulin. Considering TLC chromatograms, Jerusalem artichoke cultivar did not affect significantly the composition of oligosaccharides in the fermentative liquid, as only minor differences were observed

Batch fermentation of black tea by kombucha: A contribution to scale-up

Local domestic Kombucha was used in fermentation of 1.5 g L-1 of black tea (Indian tea, " Vitamin ", Horgoš, Serbia and Montenegro), sweetened with approximately 70 g L'1 of sucrose. Inoculation was performed either with 10% or 15% (v/v) of fermentation broth from previous process. The fermentation was conducted in geometrically similar vessels with 0.4 L, 0.8 L, 4 L and 8 L of substrate, at 22±1 °C for 28 days. The samples were analyzed after 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 10, 14 and 28 days, so that their pH values, content of total acids sucrose, glucose and fructose contents, as well as contents of ethanol and vitamin C were determined. Based on the experiment design, the response surface for the product pH, as a function of time, beverage volume and inoculum concentration, was defined in the form of a second-order polynomial. From the obtained response surface, a formula for scaling-up of the process was derived

Određivanje fenmedifama i desmedifama u komercijalnom herbicidu tečnom hromatografijom pod visokim pritiskom

Betanal AM-11 is the herbicide that is using to control one-year old weeds with wide leafs in sugar beet fields. Active ingredients of the herbicide are phenmedipham and desmedipham. Commercial emulsifiable concentrate (EC) contains 80 g/L ( 10% of each active compound. We applied high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) at 254 nm for the determination of phenmedipham and desmedipham in commercial samples of Betanal AM-11. This method involves reversed-phase separation of the components on C-18 bonded silica with methanol-water (51+49, v/v) as the eluent. The procedure was highly selective and reproducible and can be successfully used in determining contents of phenmedipham and desmedipham on micro and macro levels.Betanal AM-11 je herbicid koji se koristi za suzbijanje jednogodišnjih širokolisnih korova na poljima sa šećernom repom. Aktivni sastojci herbicida su fenmedifam i desmedifam. Komercijalni koncentrat za emulziju (ES) sadrži 80 g/l ( 10% svake aktivne komponente. Za određivanje fenmedifama i desmedifama u komercijalnim uzorcima Betanala AM-11 je primenjena tečna hromatografija pod visokim pritiskom, DAD detektor i talasna dužina od 254 nm. Metod je obuhvatio razdvajanje komponenata na obrnutim fazama sa kolonom C-18 i eluentom metanol-voda (51+49, v/v). Postupak je veoma selektivan i reproduktivan i može se koristiti za određivanje makro- i mikro količina fenmedifama i desmedifama

Identification and Perceived Value of Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Areas. Case Study: Kamenički Park in Novi Sad, Serbia

Urban parks, as one of the most significant urban green areas (UGA), bring many direct or indirect benefits, including but not limited to ecosystem services (ES) (Mexia et al. 2018). These services are often generalized, unquantified and poorly supported by empirical evidence and their negative consequences – disservices are rarely mentioned (Roman et al., 2021; Pataki et al., 2011). In order to improve planning, design and management of UGA that can increase their environmental benefits (Xie et al. 2019), better understanding and additional field research of ES and disservices is required. As a result of a survey of employees of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province that manages the park and on-site users, this study represents a research of the perceived value of generated ES on the example of Kamenički park in Novi Sad, as there are no studies on the actual value of those ES. After identifying major ES, the employees and users evaluated them by their perception on a scale of 1 – the ES is well provided, 2 – service is provided but can be enhanced and 3 – the service is not provided, but has potential. Employees mainly emphasized regulation and supporting services (regulation of air quality, noise reduction, wind protection, maintaining biodiversity), but also cultural services (educational role, recreation and enjoying nature, spiritual peace and prosperity). Users opted mainly for cultural services (recreation and enjoying nature and inspiration for culture, art and design), but also for supporting services like maintaining biodiversity. The specific location, valuable natural and cultural-historical characteristics of Kamenički park contribute to the provision of numerous ES, but also offer the opportunity to develop additional ones that are currently not represented or are not sufficiently provided. The opinions and needs of stakeholders and users regarding ES can be a guideline in planning in accordance with the ES, which is a step to sustainable cities. Quantifying the degree to which various ES are related to plant diversity and structure would provide evidence of the ability to manipulate designed ecosystems to maximize the benefits they provide to urban landscapes (Nighswander et al. 2021)

Influence of black tea concentrate on kombucha fermentation

Kombucha is cultivated on substrates prepared with different concentrations of black tea and substrate obtained by diluting a substrate with highest concentration of black tea with cold tap water. Qualify of produced beverages is compared with the beverage obtained in traditional fermentation of 1.5 g/L of black tea, sweetened with 70 g/L of sucrose. Inoculation was performed with 10% (v/v) of fermentation liquid from previous process, and the fermentation was carried out at 28°C under aerobic conditions, for ten days. Process of fermentation was monitored by following pH, total acids. D-gluconic acid and caffeine content. Beverages obtained in fermentation with diluted black tea concentrate had similar amounts of investigated metabolites compared with traditional one. Use of diluted black tea concentrate as a substrate needs the shorter time for the substrate preparation, which significantly saves energy

Epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria : development of a country-specific FRAX model

Summary A retrospective population-based survey was undertaken in a region of Bulgaria to determine the incidence of hip fracture. The estimated number of hip fractures nationwide for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. The hip fracture rates were used to create a FRAX model. Objective To describe the epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria, which was then used to develop the country-specific fracture prediction FRAX® tool. Methods We carried out a retrospective population-based survey in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, representing approximately 4.6% of the country’s population. We identified hip fractures occurring in 2015, 2016 and 2017 from hospital registers and primary care sources held by the regional health insurance agency. Age- and sex-specific incidence of hip fracture and national mortality rates were incorporated into a FRAX model for Bulgaria. Fracture probabilities were compared with those from neighbouring countries having FRAX models. Results The incidence of hip fracture applied nationally suggested that the estimated number of hip fractures nationwide in persons over the age of 50 years for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. FRAX-based probabilities were higher in Bulgaria than those in Serbia or Romania, lower than those in Turkey and similar to those in Greece. Conclusion The FRAX model should enhance accuracy of determining fracture probability among the Bulgarian population and help guide decisions about treatment

Long Range Hydration Effects in Electrolytic Free Suspended Black Films

The force law within free suspended black films made of negatively charged Aerosol-OT (AOT) with added LiCl or CsCl is studied accurately using X-ray reflectivity (ca. 1{\AA}). We find an electrolyte concentration threshold above which a substantial additional repulsion is detected in the LiCl films, up to distances of 100 {\AA}. We interpret this phenomenon as an augmentation of the Debye screening length, due to the local screening of the condensed hydrophilic counterions by the primary hydration shell.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published Phys. Rev. Let

The transport mechanism of the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier

The mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier imports ADP from the cytosol and exports ATP from the mitochondrial matrix, which are key transport steps for oxidative phosphorylation in eukaryotic organisms. The transport protein belongs to the mitochondrial carrier family, a large transporter family in the inner membrane of mitochondria. It is one of the best studied members of the family and serves as a paradigm for the molecular mechanism of mitochondrial carriers. Structurally, the carrier consists of three homologous domains, each composed of two transmembrane α-helices linked with a loop and short α-helix on the matrix side. The transporter cycles between a cytoplasmic and matrix state in which a central substrate binding site is alternately accessible to these compartments for binding of ADP or ATP. On both the cytoplasmic and matrix side of the carrier are networks consisting of three salt bridges each. In the cytoplasmic state, the matrix salt bridge network is formed and the cytoplasmic network is disrupted, opening the central substrate binding site to the intermembrane space and cytosol, whereas the converse occurs in the matrix state. In the transport cycle, tighter substrate binding in the intermediate states allows the interconversion of conformations by lowering the energy barrier for disruption and formation of these networks, opening and closing the carrier to either side of the membrane in an alternating way. Conversion between cytoplasmic and matrix states might require the simultaneous rotation of three domains around a central translocation pathway, constituting a unique mechanism among transport proteins. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Channels edited by Pierre Sonveaux, Pierre Maechler and Jean-Claude Martinou