Odobeşti Vineyard is one of the most famous and oldest Romanian vineyards, with a focus on white wines. The quality of the obtained wines is mainly due to the climatic conditions in this area and impresses with freshness and an extremely pleasant taste sensation. To improve the existing assortment of varieties over time at the Research and Development Station for Viticulture and Vinification in Odobesti, four vine varieties were obtained and approved: Sarba (1972), Babeasca gri (1975), Miorita (1980) and Vrancea (2018), with superior quality and productive potential and a high capacity to capitalise on the edaphoclimatic conditions specific to this viticultural area. In the climatic context of the area, these white wine varieties have demonstrated a valuable agrobiological and technological potential, comparable to that of the Sauvignon Blanc variety, which is widely grown in this area (see page 68).
Issue 1 (189)/2022
Sensory Characterisation of Emulsified Sausages Incorporating Celery Powder and Obtained With Different Technological Parameters
Paul Corneliu Boișteanu, Diana Remina Manoliu, Florin Daniel Lipşa, Mihai Cătălin Ciobotaru, Gabriela Frunză, Marius Mihai Ciobanu
ABSTRACT. This study aimed to evaluate and sensorily describe membrane-emulsified poultry and pork meat products (frankfurter sausages) manufactured in the USV Iași Meat Processing Workshop, products to which celery powder was added. Six technology sheets were developed to obtain six batches of products (three chicken and three pork): C1 (66% chicken breast, 17% pork backfat, 1.8% celery powder) and P1 (66% pork, 17% pork backfat, 1.8% celery powder), C2 (56% chicken breast, 24% pork backfat, 3.5% celery powder) and P2 (56% pork, 24% pork backfat, 3.5% celery powder) and C3 (48% chicken breast, 31% pork backfat, 4.5% celery powder) and P3 (48% pork, 31% pork backfat, 4.5% celery powder). The samples were evaluated in terms of instrumental colour and sensory evaluation (acceptability test and CATA – check-all-that-apply). The results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the samples regarding the instrumental colour, chicken meat frankfurter sausages having significantly higher lightness values (L*) compared to pork frankfurter sausages, and in terms of the proportion of raw materials: the lightness increased significantly in direct proportion to the percentage of fat added. According to the CATA analysis, the evaluators associated a pink colour and meaty flavour with batch 1 products and attributes such as uniformity of colour, characteristic flavour, the right amount of seasoning and smooth texture were identified in all six batches of products. However, the batches with the highest scores on the hedonic scale, considered acceptable by the evaluators, were C1, P1 and C2. Keywords: sensory evaluation; frankfurter sausages; colour; celery powder.
* Abstract published in Conference Programme dedicated to LIFE SCIENCES TODAY FOR TOMORROW
Research on the Heavy Metal Content in Onion Bulbs Correlated with Soil From Private Households Located in the Copşa Mică Area, Central Romania
Bogdan Ştefan Oprea, Dumitru-Marian Motelică, Nicoleta Olimpia Vrînceanu, Mihaela Costea, Georgiana Iuliana Plopeanu, Vera Carabulea
ABSTRACT. Food safety and the high demand for food have represented worrisome problems worldwide in recent decades. It is well known that plants can accumulate metals from contaminated soil and through deposits from pollutant emissions released by contaminated sources. Cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead are poisonous elements. The accumulation of heavy metals in plants grown in polluted areas represents a major risk to human and animal health. Soil pollution with heavy metals is a global problem that has an unfavourable impact on the environment. For this study, data collected from 65 individual households located in the Copşa Mică area were used to estimate the bioaccumulation of four different heavy metals [cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu)] in onion bulbs in different scenarios, in correlation with the total metal content from the soil. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained for the regression curves established for the estimation of Cd (r = 0.648***), Zn (r = 0.592***), and Pb (r = 0.525***) in onion bulbs. In the case of copper (Cu), the linear correlation coefficient was insignificant (r = 0.088ns). The mean cadmium and lead values determined in the onion samples from the study area did not exceed the maximum stable levels for these contaminants in vegetables.
Keywords: heavy metals; vegetables; onion; pollution; bioaccumulation.
* Abstract published in Conference Programme dedicated to LIFE SCIENCES TODAY FOR TOMORROW
The Morpho-Functional Peculiarities of the Synsarcosis Muscles in Red Squirrels
Constantin Spataru, Mihaela-Claudia Spataru, Ozan Gündemir
ABSTRACT. In terrestrial species, body propulsion is mostly performed via the pelvic limbs. In semiaquatic species, both pairs of limbs are used in swimming and diving, whereas in arboreal species, the pelvic limbs are used to maintain body stability. Thus, in squirrels, the synsarcosis muscles participate in body propulsion during climbing, as they have well-developed muscular bellies. Among these, the pectoral transverse muscle, which originates along the entire sternum and is inserted on the humeral crest, stands out for its width. The cervical parts of the trapezius and rhomboideus muscles are reduced and their thoracic parts more developed. As a result, muscles such as the occipitoscapularis or atlantoscapularis coordinate forelimb protraction and neck displacement. The serratus ventralis muscle is very well developed and clearly divided into cranial (cervical) and caudal (thoracic) parts; it produces a strong adduction of the thoracic limbs when the parts contract, and when they relax, a large abduction of the forelimbs is produced, enlarging the body size during jumping.
Keywords: rodent; squirrel; muscle; scapula; flexion.
Physico-Mechanical Properties Investigation of Hempcrete
Laurențiu Adam, Dorina-Nicolina Isopescu
ABSTRACT. Food, energy and construction are the three main domains in which different uses of industrial hemp confirm the role and importance that agriculture has in human life. In the current context with an increased need for energy efficiency and environmental protection, the attention of scientists is directed towards the identification of ecological construction materials, and a sustainable way of life, where the circular economy must become part of people’s living habits. The objective of the research was to analyze the thermo-mechanical properties of hempcrete. The goal is to determine a point of reference for future studies that will aim to adapt the agreed compositions to the particularities of the raw material obtained locally. Measurements were determined through laboratory tests, performed on specimens obtained using, for the base material, the woody part of industrial hemp, and for the binder, a mixture consisting of hydrated lime and Portland cement. The results place the construction materials made from hemp vegetable waste in the group of heat-insulating products characterized by low specific weight and thermal transfer coefficients, according with conventional insulating materials, with values between those of polyurethane foam and autoclaved cellular concrete.
Keywords: eco hempcrete; natural composite materials; circular economy; vegetable waste.
* Abstract published in Conference Programme dedicated to LIFE SCIENCES TODAY FOR TOMORROW
Vine Varieties for White Wines in the Climate Context of the Odobesti Vineyard, Romania
Ionica Bosoi, Liliana Rotaru, Marioara Pușcalău, Cintia Colibaba
ABSTRACT. Odobeşti Vineyard is one of the most famous and oldest Romanian vineyards, with a focus on white wines. To improve the existing assortment of varieties over time at the Research and Development Station for Viticulture and Vinification, Odobesti (RDSVV, Odobești), four vine varieties were obtained and approved: ʹŞarbaʹ (1972), ʹBăbească griʹ (1975), ʹMioriţaʹ (1980) and ʹVranceaʹ (2018), with superior quality and productive potential and a high capacity to capitalise on the edaphoclimatic conditions specific to this viticultual area. This study presents the behaviour of these varieties of vines in the climatic conditions of the Odobesti Vineyard in the period 2017–2021. The following parameters were studied and determined: the phenological spectrum of the vine, fertility and productivity (% fertile shoots, fertility coefficients, productivity indices), quantity and quality of grape production (grapes/vine, average bunch weight, grape production/vine, sugar content, total acidity and glucoacidimetric index). The data obtained were compared with the ʹSauvignon Blancʹ variety, which is widely grown in this area. The evolution of the vegetation phenophases was conditioned by the climatic factors during the study period. There was a tendency to shorten them due to the increase in air temperature values. The variety ʹVranceaʹ presented a high fertility potential (89.5% fertile shoots), the varieties ʹBăbească griʹ and ʹMiorițaʹ showed a higher productive potential than the control variety ʹSauvignon Blancʹ (6.06–6.12 kg/vine), and the variety ʹȘarbaʹ recorded the highest accumulations in sugars (230.5 g/L). In the climatic context of the Odobești Vineyard, the white wine varieties ʹȘarbaʹ, ʹBăbeasca griʹ, ʹMiorițaʹ and ʹVranceaʹ have demonstrated a valuable agrobiological and technological potential, comparable to that of the ʹSauvignon Blancʹ variety.
Keywords: climatic conditions; fertility; vineyard; productivity; wine grapevine varieties.
Evaluation of Quality Parameters in Cotton Production (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Under Water Stress Conditions
Özlem Avşar, Emine Karademir
ABSTRACT. Decreasing water availability for cotton production has compelled researchers to engage in studies about rising water use efficiency by improving water management. The impacts of different irrigation levels on the fibre qualities of drip-irrigated cotton were evaluated in Diyarbakır, Southeast Anatolia Region of Turkiye. Three cotton varieties, ‘Stoneville 468’ (ST 468), ‘FiberMax 832’ (FM 832), and ‘Kartanesi’, and three levels of irrigation were tested in 2017 and 2018. Treatments were I 50 (50% water stress), I 75 (25% water stress), and the fully irrigated treatment I 100, which was obtained from Class-A pan evaporation. According to the two-year results of the study, water stress caused a decline in fineness, length, strength, elongation, uniformity ratio, and spinning consistency index (SCI) values of fibre, while fibre yellowness and short fibre ratio values increased. Fibre brightness was not affected by water stress. There were significant differences among varieties concerning quality parameters. FM 832 has come to the fore with regard to fibre fineness, length, strength, uniformity, yellowness, reflectance, and spinning consistency index.
Keywords: Cotton; water stress; fibre quality.
Potential Valorisation of Protobind 1000 as Adsorbent for Pb2+ and Zn2+
Alina Elena Trofin, Elena Ungureanu, Lucia Carmen Trincă, Maria Emiliana Fortună, Diana Beatrice Eperjessy
ABSTRACT. The adsorption of metal ions from increasing concentrations in aqueous solutions by modified straw lignin Protobind 1000 was studied. The effect of metallic ion concentrations (from 20.72 to 207.2 mg·L-1 for Pb2+ and from 6.538 to 65.38 mg·L-1 for Zn2+) and contact time (30, 60 and 90 minutes) were studied at pH = 6 and 200C. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations were applied to assess equilibrium data and the kinetics of the adsorption processes were analysed using Lagergren pseudo first order and Ho&McKay pseudo second order models. The results show that the adsorption processes reached equilibrium after 90 minutes, but similar values were registered after 60 minutes. The Freundlich isotherm described the process better, denoting chemisorption with the formation of ion-lignin complex structures. The Ho&McKay model fit the adsorption data better with regression coefficients equal to 1 compared to the Lagergren model, where the regression factors varied between 0.72 and 0.95. For the maximum concentration of lead solution and the longest adsorption time of 90 minutes, the Ho&McKay model predicted an equilibrium capacity qe of 13.1406 mg·g-1 compared to the 13.1398 mg·g-1 obtained. For zinc adsorption, the same maximum concentration and time were considered, and the pseudo-second order model predicted a qe of 12.6743 mg·g-1 compared to the obtained value of 12.6714 mg·g-1.
The uptake of lead was greater on 0.15 g of adsorbent (a maximum of 27.23 mg·g-1) than the zinc uptake (a maximum of 8.28 mg·g-1), for all analysed concentrations.
Keywords: adsorption, Protobind 1000 (PB 1000), lead, zinc.
Studies on Some Still Wines Obtained by the Blanc de Noirs Method
Dragoș Florin Grosaru, Camelia Elena Luchian, Elena Cristina Scutarasu, Lucia Cintia Colibaba, Cătălin Ioan Zamfir, Valeriu V. Cotea
ABSTRACT. Consumer interest in innovative wines has increased in recent years in Romania, in correlation with the development of the wine sector. Nowadays, the winemaking technique proposed by Dom Perignon (blanc de noirs) with applicability to sparkling wines is increasingly used to obtain still wines. This research aimed to identify the most suitable technology for obtaining white wines from Fetească neagră and Busuioacă de Bohotin grapes. The resulting wines were analysed from physical-chemical and chromatic points of view, and their sensory properties and volatile compounds content were also registered. The obtained samples had characteristics usually found in wines obtained from white grape varieties. Although frequently used in the production of base wine for sparkling wines, this technique can give original results in obtaining still wines as well. The use of activated carbon has led to the production of wines with a higher commercial value (improved colour characteristics). Given that red wines are significantly less consumed compared to white ones, this technique allows the use of black grape varieties and the production of innovative white wines.
Keywords: blanc de noirs; Busuioacă de Bohotin; Fetească neagră; winemaking.
A Comparative Study of the Behaviour of Antirrhinum Majus Species Cultivated in Fields and in Vertical Systems for Green Façades under the Climate Conditions in the North-Eastern Region of Romania
Mirela Cojocariu, Elena Liliana Chelariu, Ciprian Chiruţă, Petronica Amişculesei, Andromeda Cristina Sonea
ABSTRACT. A highly popular and well-known flowering species for the unmistakable shape of its velvety and beautifully coloured flowers, Antirrhinum majus is often used in garden decor due to its long flowering period, ease of cultivation and low maintenance during the growing season. This study aims to investigate the behaviour of a dwarf variety of the Antirrhinum majus species grown in both vertical systems for green façades and also in a control field under the climate conditions in the north-eastern region of Romania. The façades of the vertical structure were been oriented towards a cardinal point, each of them having four equal layers arranged on height. The study found that this dwarf variety adapts very well to vertical systems, maintaining its ornamental features for a long time. During the experiment, observations included the diameter, height and number of flowers per plant in the control variant and on each side of the experimental structure.
The highest values in July and August for plant diameter, plant height and the number of flowers were shown for the western facade and the lowest for the control variant. Instead, the control variant in September held the first position showing the highest means for all three monitored parameters and the lowest were for the southern orientation.
Keywords: Antirrhinum majus; annual décor; green façades; urban design.
Combining Ability Of Waterlogging Tolerance In Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)
Serap Simsek, Aydin Unay
ABSTRACT. The mean performance and combining abilities of cross combinations derived from a complete diallel mating and their parents were evaluated under waterlogging conditions. Analysis of variance for combining abilities indicated significant GCA (general combining ability) and SCA (specific combining ability) for single spike yield, SPAD (soil plant analysis development) and leaf area; GCA for NDVI (normalised differences vegetation index) and SCA for Fe and Mn contents in roots and membrane thermal stability. The parents Stendal, Beşköprü and Pamukova 97 were the best combiners in terms of waterlogging tolerance, while Beşköprü × Pamukova 97, Pamukova 97 × Beşköprü, Stendal × Pamukova 97, Stendal × Beşköprü and Beşköprü × Hanlı were identified as the best cross combinations, with high positive specific combining ability effects for most waterlogging related characters.
Keywords: Fe and Mn content; flooding; heritability; NDVI; SPAD.
© by the authors; licensee Journal of Applied Life Sciences and Environment, Iasi, Romania. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
