rss_2.0Sciendo RSS Feed for The EuroBiotech Journalhttps://sciendo.com/journal/EBTJhttps://www.sciendo.comhttps://sciendo-parsed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/6471b84b215d2f6c89dae934/cover-image.jpghttps://sciendo.com/journal/EBTJ140216https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0016<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Plant transcription factors (TFs) are integral proteins associated with gene transcription. That ability arises after TFs bind to specific DNA sequences, such as promoters, responding positively or negatively to a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors or stressors. For this reason, in plants, the vast majority of TFs are associated with growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. As is commonly known, the genes coding for TFs are written in uppercase italics, whereas the resulting proteins are written in lowercase, such as <italic>OsWRKY28</italic> and OsWRKY28, respectively for a member of the WRKY TF family in rice (<italic>Oryza sativa</italic> L.). However, despite the existence of some conventions for the nomenclature of TFs, some deviation from these norms has been observed in the literature. Several cases are highlighted, primarily related to NAC TFs. These cases emphasize the need for stricter quality control of literature pertaining to the nomenclature of plant TFs.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00162024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0020<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <sec><title style='display:none'>Background</title> <p>The precise prediction of off-target effects in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing is critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of this powerful tool. This study leverages machine learning techniques to predict off-target cleavage sites and investigate the underlying mechanisms that affect cleavage efficiencies. By integrating data from Tsai et al. and Kleinsteiver et al., who employed the GUIDE-seq method, we aim to enhance our understanding of the factors influencing CRISPR-Cas9 activity.</p> </sec> <sec><title style='display:none'>Results</title> <p>Our research analyzed datasets from Tsai et al. and Kleinsteiver et al., standardizing cleavage efficiencies to align with Tsai et al.’s comprehensive dataset. We identified a range of sequence features, including PAM sequence types, nucleotide composition, GC content, chromatin structure, CpG islands, and gene expression levels. Various machine learning models, including Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, Naïve Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbors, Logistic Regression, and Extra Trees Classifiers, were developed and evaluated. The Extra Trees Classifier, particularly with class weighting, exhibited robust performance, achieving high accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores. SHAP analysis provided insights into feature importance, highlighting the significant factors contributing to model predictions.</p> </sec> <sec><title style='display:none'>Conclusions</title> <p>The application of machine learning to predict CRISPR-Cas9 off-target effects demonstrates significant potential in enhancing the precision of genome editing. Our findings underscore the importance of considering a diverse range of sequence and genomic features to improve prediction models. The insights gained from this study can inform the development of safer and more effective CRISPR-based applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Future work will focus on further refining these models and exploring their applicability across different genomic contexts.</p> </sec> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00202024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0013<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In recent years, the methods of producing protected fat supplements for feed have greatly developed. As a means of preserving unsaturated fats from oxidation, encapsulation has been used by food industry researchers to reduce unpleasant odor and taste, and as an effective method of protecting unsaturated fats. The process of encapsulating involves covering or trapping the target substance(s) in another substance or system. Similarly, vitamins and micronutrient compounds in food do not remain stable for long and are subject to decomposition, which depends on chemical structure, food matrix characteristics, handling parameters, and storage conditions. Consequently, encapsulation can prevent these compounds from being destroyed until they are transferred to the right location or slow down decomposition processes (such as oxidation or hydrolysis). That concept can be expanded to lipids (oils and fats). Currently, emulsion spray drying is the most common method of fine oil microcoating. The mass formation method produces more stable microcoatings with higher oil content than spray drying, as recently discovered. Biodegradable polymers have gained much attention as encapsulation materials. Microencapsulated lipids can increase the meat and milk quality of ruminants.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00132024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0019<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Wheat is considered as staple food source for 40% of the population worldwide. Yet, the yield and quality can be compromised by fungal diseases, which are also responsible for mycotoxins presence at wheat seeds and originating foodstuff. In this context, the tackling of this problem by developing regulatory limits and standards have induced the development of various methods for sampling, extraction, identification and quantification of mycotoxins in food samples. This review addresses the comparison of the technical and cost efficiency of methods for the extraction and qualitative- quantitative analysis of mycotoxins from whole wheat flour. Methods of extraction such as the Solvent Extraction method, the Liquid Liquid Extraction, the Solid Liquid Extraction, the Solid Phase Extraction, the Immuno-Affinity Columns, the QuEChERS, and the use of absorbent nanomaterials such as graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes in extraction procedures, are described in principle, technical details are presented, and examples of reported use are given. Methods of mycotoxin analysis such as Immunological Assays (LFIA, ELISA, FPIA), the Sensor-based (Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor, Piezoelectric Sensors, Electrochemical Sensors, Colorimetric Sensors), and Chromatographic Techniques (TLC, GC, HPLC, HPLC-FLD, LC-MS/MS, UPLC-MS/MS, UHPLC-MS/MS, UFLC-MS/MS) are reviewed. To compare their efficiency, main advantages and disadvantages, the ongoing improvements, as well as the validation parameters (linearity, recovery range, RSDr range, RSD_R %, LOQ range, and cut off) are summarized, and pairing of extraction to analysis methods for specific mycotoxins is provided. It was evidenced that none of methods already in use is capable of analyzing all mycotoxin categories at once, because of their chemical characteristics (volatile/non-volatile, co-elution, UV absorption, fluorescence) versus methods restrictions (matrix interferences, cross-reactivity of antibodies, selectivity and reproducibility of data, need for derivatization, etc). Also, depending on the purpose of the analysis (research or screening as part of legal requirements), to date the immunological methods are only suitable for validated matrices, biosensors can be used for routine screening, and that GC-MS and HPLC-based methods fulfill the legal requirements. In conclusion, while the selectivity and accuracy of methods for mycotoxin detection is being improved rapidly (those sensor-based thanks to the use of nanoparticles, nanomaterials, aptasensors, etc., and the chromatographic techniques coupled with mass spectrometry offer a higher selectivity and sensitivity, low detection limits, maintained resolution performance), and the duration of the analysis, the cost, and the need for highly-skilled staff go in favor of rapid methods (immunological and sensors-based), it is the capacity to fulfill legal requirements, which will determine the trend and their future success in the market.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00192024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0021<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is a complex autoimmune disease associated with high rates of mortality and extreme disability. It is characterized by gradual joint destruction and a chronic inflammatory response. As current medications are not economical and provide complications, plant-derived therapeutic practices are now being explored. <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic>, a flowering plant, is well-known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, wound healing, and analgesic activities but no in vivo anti-arthritic study have been conducted so far. Hence, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the toxicity and therapeutic potential of <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic> in a collagen-induced arthritic mouse model. Chemical analysis exhibited that <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic> has high levels of beneficial bioactive compounds, including phenols, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals. In ex vivo and in vivo studies, <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic> showed significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-arthritic potential, while no toxic effects were found. Arthritic mice treated with <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic> showed reduced levels of rheumatoid factor and paw edema, while no significant effects were found on spleen indices and radiological examination of paws, compared to control untreated arthritic mice. Our study showed that treatment with <italic>Dodonaea viscosa</italic> resulted in improvements in arthritis and could therefore be a viable therapeutic source for treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, further studies on humans are required for validation.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00212024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0012<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p><bold>Background/aim</bold>: Acetaminophen is frequently used as an analgesic during pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of acetaminophen administered to pregnant mice on the fetal brain, attention, memory, and learning functions in the postnatal period, and genetic mechanisms in these mice.</p> <p><bold>Materials and methods</bold>: The study was designed with two different groups. The first group consisted of pregnant mice that were injected with acetaminophen, while the second group was comprised of pregnant mice that were injected with saline. 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd days of pregnancy, one of the mice was injected subcutaneously with 100 mg/kg acetaminophen, and the other mouse was injected subcutaneously with 0.9% saline. On the 21^st day after birth, five female and five male mice were randomly selected for the experimental and control groups. Behavioral tests were performed on mice at 2 months of age. In addition, changes in the transcript levels of 93 genes were evaluated by Real-Time PCR in the hippocampus.</p> <p><bold>Results</bold>: The control group showed more interest in the new object than the acetaminophen group (p=0.002). In the marble burying test, greater burying activity was observed in the control group than in the acetaminophen group (p=0.0345). No significant difference was observed between the control and acetaminophen groups in the social interaction and tail suspension tests. <italic>GABRG3</italic>, <italic>GRM3</italic>, <italic>PICK1</italic>, <italic>CEBPB</italic>, and <italic>EGR4</italic> mRNA expression levels increased in the acetaminophen group (0.0317, 0.0159, 0.0069, 0.0457, 0.015, p value respectively).</p> <p><bold>Conclusions</bold>: Prenatal acetaminophen exposure affected both behavioral tests and transcript levels. Therefore, the potential effects of prenatal acetaminophen exposure should be carefully investigated.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00122024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0015<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Wheat seedlings were hydroponically grown in Hoagland solution containing various levels of Se. Tolerance response to Se toxicity was investigated by determining the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), proline and chlorophyll content, the growth parameters, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The toxic level of Se treatment significantly retarded the seedling growth. A substantial amount of proline accumulation was also observed in response to toxic Se concentration, but it was more pronounced in putative-sensitive cultivars. Chlorophyll content significantly decreased in Se-intoxicated seedlings and increased at the lowest Se dose in both cultivars. Severe and mild chlorosis was observed in putative-sensitive and tolerant cultivars at the highest Se level. Alterations in the activities of glutathione reductase (GR, 1.6.4.2), glutathione S transferase (GST, 2.5.1.18), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX, 1.11.1.7), catalase (CAT, 1.11.1.6), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX, 1.11.1.11) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) were determined. TBAR level did not significantly increase in putative tolerant cultivars as an indicator of membrane lipid peroxidation. However, a significant increase was observed in putative-sensitive cultivars in response to higher selenium concentrations. In higher Se treatment groups, CAT and GST activities significantly increased in putative Se tolerant cultivars. However, excluding SOD, the activity of all the studied enzymes was increased considerably in putative-sensitive cultivars in a dose-dependent manner. Higher antioxidant enzyme activities and a substantial amount of proline accumulation did not significantly contribute to overcoming Se phytotoxicity in wheat seedlings grown in media supplemented with toxic selenium levels.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00152024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0018<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p><italic>Distichochlamys benenica</italic> is a newly discovered plant belonging to the <italic>Distichochlamys</italic> family, which exerts many important biological activities. However, the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects of the crude (ME) and fractioned extracts of <italic>D. benenica,</italic> such as hexane (HE), chloroform (CE), and ethyl acetate extracts (EAE), have not been elucidated yet. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated via DPPH free radical scavenging and phosphomolybdate assays. The anti-inflammatory potential of the extracts was assessed via their inhibitory effects on protein denaturation and nitric oxide production. The anti-cancer effect of the extracts against A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was determined via MTT assay. The results revealed that among four extracts, the polyphenol concentration was highest in EAE (350.59 ± 13.26 mg GAE/g) while the flavonoid content was highest in HE and ME. Furthermore, the greatest DPPH radical capture efficiency was demonstrated by EAE (89.76 ± 0.68%), and total antioxidant activity was greatest in HE (204.18 ± 3.51 mg AAE/g). The greatest suppression of NO generation was similarly shown by EAE and HE, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 3.72-4.06 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, HE and EAE exhibited an inhibitory effect on protein denaturation (ranging from 12.76%-28.81%). HE and EAE had the greatest effectiveness against MDA-MB-231 cell lines in the antitumor test. These findings validate the potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties of <italic>D. benenica</italic> extracts, especially EAE and HE, and pave the way for the application of the extracts in the pharmaceutical industry as promising anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer medicines.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00182024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0017<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Dysphagia, a common swallowing disorder particularly prevalent among older adults and often associated with neurological conditions, significantly affects individuals’ quality of life by negatively impacting their eating habits, physical health, and social interactions. This study investigates the potential of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies in dysphagia rehabilitation, focusing specifically on motor imagery paradigms based on EEG signals and integration with machine learning and deep learning methods for tongue movement. Traditional machine learning classifiers, such as K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, AdaBoost, Bagging, and Kernel were employed in discrimination of rest and imagination phases of EEG signals obtained from 30 healthy subjects. Scalogram images obtained using continuous wavelet transform of EEG signals corresponding to the rest and imagination phases of the experiment were used as the input images to the CNN architecture. As a result, KNN (79.4%) and SVM (63.4%) exhibited lower accuracy rates compared to ensemble methods like AdaBoost, Bagging, and Random Forest, all achieving high accuracy rates of 99.8%. These ensemble techniques proved to be highly effective in handling complex EEG datasets, particularly in distinguishing between rest and imagination phases. Furthermore, the deep learning approach, utilizing CNN and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT), achieved an accuracy of 83%, highlighting its potential in analyzing motor imagery data. Overall, this study demonstrates the promising role of BCI technologies and advanced machine learning techniques, especially ensemble and deep learning methods, in improving outcomes for dysphagia rehabilitation.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00172024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0014<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The gut microbiota harbors a complex ecosystem of bacteria that govern host health homeostasis. Alterations to the intestinal environment, known as gut dysbiosis, is associated with several diseases. Targeting the gut with microbiome-engineered therapeutics, such as probiotics, is a promising approach to restore microbial homeostasis and host health. Probiotics can effectively improve the gut environment, although strain-specific mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, this study aims to identify beneficial action of select probiotics to modulate the gut environment through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. To this end, we tested the interaction among three probiotic strains – <italic>Lactobacillus gasseri</italic> A237 (LgA237), <italic>Lactobacillus plan-tarum</italic> WCFS1 (LpWCFS1) and <italic>Lactobacillus fermentum</italic> NCIMB 5221 (Lf5221) – and a human intestinal epithelial cell line, HT-29, for adhesion properties, radical scavenging abilities and anti-inflammatory activities. All three probiotics adhere well to HT-29 cells, indicating proper gut colonization. LpWCFS1 demonstrated the greatest adhesion capacity (68.3%), followed by LgA237 (35.5%) and Lf5221 (25.9%). The probiotics also exhibit excellent antioxidant properties via DPPH radical scavenging activity, comparable to quercetin, a known and potent antioxidant. Moreover, LgA237, LpWCFS1 and Lf5221 decrease interleukin-8 expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-damaged HT-29 cells (41.19, 34.53 and 14.80% reduction, respectively), compared to non-treated cells. Further investigation of LpWCFS1 and LgA237 revealed a significant (p&lt;0.0001) reduction in monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF) protein expression by 63.81 and 60.33%, respectively, in colitis-induced IECs. Overall, our results indicate adhesion, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential of the tested probiotics through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. These findings may be used to further understand the role of the tested probiotics in treating inflammation that underlies gut-related diseases. Such knowledge is essential for the development and translation of novel, targeted probiotic therapies to beneficially modulate the gut environment and reduce inflammation, improving host health.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00142024-10-17T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0009<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Oligopeptides stand out for their remarkable structural variability, ease of synthesis, and amenability to functionalization, making them exceedingly appealing for crafting functional nanostructured materials. The low metabolic stability of natural peptides can be overcome by replacing α-amino acids with β³- amino acids, to yield artificial peptides best described as substituted β³-oligoamides. Controlling the morphology of such structures by varying the amino acid residues and altering the oligoamide termini makes it possible to adapt the core design to a range of hierarchical structures and function. Conductivity is a desired property in such nanomaterials; preferably conductive materials should be chemically anchored to a highly conductive metal, such as gold surface to connect to macroscopic electronics. It is preferable to use thiol functionality, however β3 cysteine is not synthetically achieveable. In this study β3 [SLIA] oligoamide has been synthesized and functionalized at the N terminus with a thiol moiety. After successful synthesis and purification, the thiolated oligoamide was physically characterized to confirm binding to gold, self-assembly and hetero assembly on these anchor points. It was demonstrated with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that self-assembling monolayers can be formed on a gold surface and the formation of a S-Au bond was confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Growth of Ac-β³[WKLWEL] fibres on these anchor points was confirmed by using atomic force microscopy and QCM. Hence, a viable metal anchor has been established that lays the foundations for the future development of molecular electronics based on β³ oligoamides.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00092024-07-18T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0011<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Scientific collaboration yields many advantages, especially in fields that require interdisciplinary approaches, as it fosters the sharing of knowledge and resources and is essential for the implementation of complex projects. The concept of scientific internationalism emerged around the 1900s, emphasizing that science surpasses national boundaries and promotes global peace and collaboration. International scientific cooperation is halted by geopolitical tensions and conflicts, such as World War II and the Cold War. Nevertheless, many examples show that scientific collaboration can surpass conflicts and bring scientific and society development, such as in the cases of the Tick-borne Encephalitis vaccine, the Apollo-Soyuz test project and more recently the international endeavour for COVID-19 vaccine development. In this contest, UN and WHO have an imporant role to promote peace and scientific cooperation, examplified by the 16th Sustainable Development Goal, to “Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies”.</p> <p>This review aims to assess the available literature regarding international scientific collaboration and the role of scientific societies in promoting scientific cooperation.</p> <p>Scientific societies have proved to be pivotal in bridging cultures and promoting international cooperation. Apart from the historical example of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, which showed an important cooperation between Western and Eastern countries during the Cold War, the scientific society European Biotechnology thematic network Association (EBTNA) has international scientific cooperation as one of its critical goals.</p> <p>Scientific societies such as EBTNA will be pivotal in promoting international scientific cooperation and fostering international activities and scientific research.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00112024-07-18T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0010<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <sec><title style='display:none'>Background/Aim</title> <p>Valproic acid (VPA), is an antiepileptic drug and it has been known for a long time that exposure to VPA in the fetal period causes many behavioral, cognitive, and structural disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of the implementation period of VPA during pregnancy on both behavioral tests and the expression of 45 key genes belonging to the neurotrophin signaling pathway.</p> </sec> <sec><title style='display:none'>Methods</title> <p>The study was designed to form four different groups of five female mice in each group. The experimental and control groups were divided into mature (n = 5) and immature (n = 5) subgroups, respectively. VPA (500 mg/kg dose) was subcutaneously administered to the experimental groups. All mice were first tested for behavioral changes, and then the hippo-campal tissues were used for RNA isolation. The expression levels of 45 transcripts associated with the neurotrophin signaling pathway were determined by real-time RT-PCR in the hippocampus.</p> </sec> <sec><title style='display:none'>Results</title> <p>No differences were found between the groups in any of the behavioral tests. When gene expression was examined, there was a difference between the groups in the transcript levels of <italic>Ngf</italic>(neurotrophic growth factor), <italic>Ntrk2</italic> (neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 2), <italic>Shc1</italic> (SHC adaptor protein 1), <italic>Chka</italic> (choline kinase alpha), and <italic>Mapk1</italic> (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) genes.</p> </sec> <sec><title style='display:none'>Conclusions</title> <p>This study demonstrated the effects of VPA on transcript levels at different maturation stages. We believe that it is important to explain the structural and cognitive teratogenic side effects caused by VPA in human fetuses using genes whose expression changes.</p> </sec> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00102024-07-18T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0008<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>This study aimed to assess the impact of the identified phenolic, flavonoid, and fat-soluble vitamin compounds found in <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruits (EC) aqueous extract on growth performance, helminth parasitic load, feeding behavior, and physiological variables in lambs. The fruits were extracted using water, and three doses of the extract as no extract (EC0 mL/lamb/day), 30 mL of aqueous extract of <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruits (EC30 mL/lamb/day), or 60 mL of aqueous extract of <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruits (EC60 mL/lamb/day) were orally administered to 24 growing crossbred lambs weighing 18-20 kg for 60 days. The HPLC analysis revealed that ferulic acid, ellagic acid, syringic acid, quercetin, and hesperidin were the predominant compounds in <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruits. Additionally, water-soluble vitamin compounds such as thiamine, pantothenic acid, and niacin were detected in the <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruit extract. The dietary administration of EC improved (P &lt; 0.05) average daily gain and feed and water intake. EC30 lambs spent more time (P &lt; 0.03) eating and less time ruminating. The aqueous extract also showed a dose-dependent reduction (P = 0.048) in fecal parasite egg count, with a steady decrease (P = 0.0001) as the extract was applied. EC0 lambs exhibited the highest (P &lt; 0.0001) respiratory frequency and EC30 the lowest. A strong positive correlation was identified between rectal and abdomen temperature in the morning and afternoon measurements. The presence of phenolic and antioxidants in the aqueous extract of C. coriaria, up to 60 mL, demonstrated beneficial effects, including improved productivity, anti-parasitic activity, and mitigation of body temperature. Thus, farmers without access to synthetic drugs can use this plant extract to treat their animals during fattening to reduce gastrointestinal parasites, improve growth rate, and reduce drug residue in animal products. Further studies need to be carried out on the individual components of <italic>Caesalpinia coriaria</italic> fruits to ascertain their effect on body temperature/physiology and to know if the effects are individualistic or synergistic.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00082024-04-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0007<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Vitiligo is a chronic, progressive autoimmune dermatological disease, and stress is known to have an impact on the development of vitiligo. However, the effect of the serotonin pathway and its impact have not been clearly explained for disease progression. Thus, this study aimed to clarify the stress induced serotonin receptor <italic>5-HTR2C</italic> rs6318 variant and its association with vitiligo pathogenesis.</p> <p>Case-control study was conducted with 108 vitiligo patients and 107 age-sex matched, unrelated healthy control group. Real Time-PCR analysis was used for genotyping the <italic>5-HTR2C</italic> variation. Genotype and allele frequencies, genotype distributions, Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) and vitiligo-related risk measurements were examined. Genotype correlations of the variant were also analyzed based on gender difference, age onset, Koebner phenomenon history, triggered with stress, clinical subgroups, treatment types, the presence of other autoimmune diseases, vitiligo presence in family members and other auto-immune diseases in relatives.</p> <p>Statistical differences in 5HT-R2C receptor genotypes and allele frequencies between patients and controls were not detected. Genotype frequencies were not in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in the patients’ group (p&lt;0.00001). The frequency of the risk allele (allele C) was not significantly different between the patient and control groups (p=0.1392). However, in the clinical subgroup analysis, the risk allele presence was detected to be significantly higher for early age onset (&lt;40 years) vitiligo development (p=0.035, OR=Infinity, RR=1.391) and lower in Koebner phenomenon history (p=0.0276, OR= 0.219, RR=0.325).</p> <p>In conclusion, although there was no association between the <italic>5-HTR2C</italic> variant rs6318 and vitiligo, current results indicate that there is an association between the <italic>5HTR2C</italic> rs6318 variant C allele and early onset vitiligo development.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00072024-04-23T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0004<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Heavy metal contamination is an increasingly pressing global ecological concern adversely affecting plant growth. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and low-cost approach to help solve this problem by using plants to remove metals. This study aimed to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of four <italic>Plantago</italic> species, exposing them to different concentrations (0, 150, 300, 600 and 900 ppm) of zinc, copper, and iron during germination and early seedling growth. These are generally the phases of the plant life cycle most sensitive to stress. The germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), radicle, hypocotyl and cotyledons length, biomass, water content and tolerance index (TI) were recorded under controlled conditions. The results indicated that metal-induced stress significantly reduced GP, increased MGT, and inhibited seedling growth with increased metal concentration. The relative toxicity of the tested metals could be ranked as Fe &gt; Cu &gt; Zn. Regarding the <italic>Plantago</italic> species, <italic>P. tunetana</italic> and <italic>P. lanceolata</italic> could be considered highly tolerant, <italic>P. albicans</italic> moderately tolerant, and <italic>P. afra</italic> low-tolerant to metal toxicity during germination. Therefore, <italic>P. tunetana</italic> and <italic>P. lanceolata</italic> present an excellent potential for phytoremediation of metal-contaminated zones.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00042024-01-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0006<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Artificial cells are synthetic constructs that mimic the architecture and functions of biological cells. Artificial cells are designed to replicate the fundamental principles of biological systems while also have the ability to exhibit novel features and functionalities that have not been achieved before. Mainly, Artificial cells are made up of a basic structure like a cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm and cellular organelles. Nanotechnology has been used to make substances that possess accurate performance in these structures. There are many roles that artificial cells can play such as drug delivery, bio-sensors, medical applications and energy storage. An additional prominent facet of this technology is interaction with biological systems. The possibility of synthetic cells being compatible with living organisms opens up the potential for interfering with specific biological activities. This element is one of the key areas of research in medicine, aimed at developing novel therapies and comprehending life processes. Nevertheless, artificial cell technology is not exempt from ethical and safety concerns. The interplay between these structures and biological systems may give rise to questions regarding their controllability and safety. Hence, the pursuit of artificial cell research seeks to reconcile ethical and safety concerns with the potential advantages of this technology.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00062024-01-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0003<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>In the recent study, the entomopathogenic fungus, <italic>Beauveria bassiana</italic> and <italic>Metarhizium anisopliae</italic> against wheat aphid species in field conditions to check the insecticidal effect of entomophathogenic fungi were used to evaluate their pathogenecity against adults of different aphid species i.e., <italic>Schizaphis graminum, Rhopalosiphum padi, Brevicoryne brassicae</italic> and <italic>Lipaphis erysimi</italic>, and their natural enemies of crops. <italic>Beauveria bassiana</italic> and <italic>Metarhizium anisopliae</italic> were found effective at all concentrations i.e., 1×10⁶, 1×10⁷ and 1×10⁸ cfu/ml on all aphid species, but the uppermost concentration (1×10⁸ cfu/ml) provided maximum control within a short period of time. <italic>B. bassiana</italic> concentration (1×10⁸ cfu/ml) proved to be lethal to wheat aphid species after the 3^rd day. Mortality of wheat aphids were observed at maximum highest concentration of 1×10⁸ cfu/ml were in range of 100% at 8^th day of treatment for different aphid species treated at various concentrations. <italic>M. anisopliae</italic> (1×10⁸ cfu/ml) showed excellent mortality 85% and 84% at 5^th and 6^th day respectively, against wheat aphid species. In conclusion, the use of <italic>Beauveria bassiana</italic> and <italic>Metarhizium anisopliae</italic> as biopesticides in agriculture is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to control insects’ pests.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00032024-01-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0002<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>The current study aims to provide insights into the drying of agro products, with a specific focus on <italic>Capsicum annum L.</italic> (red pepper). Among open sun drying (OSD), polyethylene bag drying (PBD), and polycarbonate sheet drying (PCSD), PCSD was efficient requiring around 24 hours with a maximum yield of 350 g of dried product per 1000 g of supplied fresh peppers. The PCSD dried chili also showed greater retention of antioxidant markers (capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin) than OSD and PBD as evidenced by UV-VIS spectroscopy. Additionally, the PCSD dried chili demonstrated highest antioxidant potential via ABTS (2, 2′-Azinobis-3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic Acid). Interestingly, the presence of various aromatic compounds and other chemical groups, indicated the occurrence of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in each drying method used. The study suggests that PCSD sheet drying is an efficient and cost-effective approach that can conserve the antioxidant potential of agro products such as red pepper.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00022024-01-19T00:00:00.000+00:00https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-0005<abstract> <title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> <p>Herbicides (HBs) are an integral part of modern agricultural practice globally as one of the most suitable methods for chemical weed control. Hence, they may inadvertently damage crops through similar mechanisms well-functioning at weeds. Tolerance to three categories of treatments (tribenuron-methyl, 2,4 D and their combination), and the impact of the mode of application (pre-treatment of seeds or spraying on plants) was assessed through morphometric analysis (total plant length, root length, stem length, lengths of the first three leaves, relative water content-RWC), and pigment content analysis for some wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars in use in Albania. Results speak of a cultivar specific tolerance to each HB category, discriminating “Dajti” as the most resistant cultivar, and suggesting that the stress imposed to plants by the combination of HBs can produce significant differences in pigment content. The mode of treatment, on the other side showed that glyphosate pre-treatment of seeds led to inhibition of germination, and plants germinated from seed pre-treatment with in 2,4-D displayed significant modification of plant morphology, and germination rate, and had limited impact on RWC. On contrary, few statistically significant changes in morphometric traits and pigments content were evidenced when plants were treated with 2,4-D or glyphosate after the germination. In conclusion, the combination of HBs produced significant changes in plant pigments content compared to the impact of each HB alone, and the pre-treatment of seeds lead either to inhibition or delayed germination. Based on the above we recommend avoiding these practices, and suggest further exploration of alternative HB combinations and modes of treatment before large scale applications.</p> </abstract>ARTICLEtruehttps://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/ebtj-2024-00052024-01-19T00:00:00.000+00:00en-us-1