Overview of carotenoids distribution among wild plant species of the Balkan Peninsula

The Balkan Peninsula is characterized by a great diversity of flora and vegetation. Moreover, it is native to a large number of wild plant species containing carotenoids, biologically active compounds, beneficial for human health. Carotenoid pigments exhibit a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, in addition to beneficial impact on eye health, heart, blood vessels, cognitive function and antiaging. Nevertheless, their role has been scientifically proven in prevention and treatment of cancer. The aim of the research was to form a database on carotenoid plants of Serbia and the Balkans that is set up electronically for easy access, management and updating. The research included the analysis and organization of information on collected plants, as well as literature data related to the traditional use and storage of plants and plant parts and products rich in carotenoids in fresh, dried or canned state. Sixty wild plants from more than ten plant families were registered to contain these antioxidant pigments. Among them three endemic species namely Lilium bosniacum (Beck) Fritsch (lily native to Bosnia and Herzegovina), Ramonda nathaliae Pančić & Petrović and R. serbica Pančić were inscribed, of which the last two are Tertiary relicts. The type and level of carotenoids varied depending on the plant species and organs including leaves, petals, immature and ripe fruits, pulp, seeds, etc. According to database, fruits were the richest source of these pigments. Reported carotenoid content, included both xanthophylls and carotenes, whereas lutein and β-carotene were predominantly major compounds in berries and flowers respectively. Total carotenoid content, determined by HPLC method, was the highest in fresh berries of Rubus fruticosus L. (440 μg/100g

Fazno modelovanje dinamike rasta imobilisanih ćelija kvasca u Ca-alginatnim nosačima

A phase-field model was formulated to describe yeast cell growth within the Ca-alginate microbead during air-lift bioreactor cultivation. Model development was based on experimentally obtained data for intra-bead yeast cell volume fraction profile after reaching the equilibrium state, as well as, total yeast cell volume fraction per microbead and microbead volume as functions of time. Relatively uniform cell concentration in the microbead, experimentally obtained, indicated microenvironmental restriction effects due to deformation and disintegration of previously swollen alginate hydrogel, while internal nutrient diffusion limitation could be neglected in the case of alginate microbeads used in this study. Microbead with growing yeast cells is treated as two phase system. One phase represents the cell agglomerates, while the other is the alginate hydrogel matrices. The interactions between phases are modeled using the Langevin class, non-conservative phase-field model. Such class of models is suitable for considering the growth of small domains of one phase as nucleation. Besides giving useful insights into the dynamics of restrictive cell growth within the Ca-alginate microbead, the model can be used as a tool to design/optimize the performance of microbead and studying the microenvironmental restrictive mechanism action on the cell growth. .Fazni model je formulisan da opiše rast ćelija kvasaca unutar Ca-alginatnih nosača za vreme perioda kultivacije u air-lift bioreaktoru. Model je razvijen na osnovu prikupljenih eksperimentalnih podataka za profil yapreminskog udela ćelija unutar nosača nakon postizanja stacionarnog stanja, za yapreminski udeo ćelija po nosaču u funkciji vremena i za promenu zapremine nosača u toku vremena. Relativno uniformna koncentracija ćelija, eksperimentalno primećena, unutar Ca-alginatnih nosača ukazuje na postojanje restriktivnih efekata sredine koji limitiraju rast ćelija, kao što su deformisanje i razgradnja matrice nosača. Otpori difuziji nutrenata kroz nosač se mogu zanemariti. Mironosač sa imobilisanim ćelijama koje rastu se može tretirati kao dvo-fazni sistem. Jednu fazu pretstavljaju aglomerati ćelija, a drugu matrica Ca-alginatnog hidrogela. Interakcije izmedju faza su modelovane koristeći Lanževinovu klasu ne konzervativnih faznih modela. Ova klasa modela je pogodna za razmatranje rasta malih domena jedne faze u toku procesa nukleacije. S obziromda daje koristan uvid u dinamiku restriktivnog rasta ćelija unutar Ca-alginatnih nosača, ovaj model može biti korišćen kao sredstvo za dizajniranje/optimizaciju osobina mikronosača i proučavanje mehanizama restriktivnog dejstva mikrookoline ćelija unutar nosača na dinamiku rasta ćelija.