Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Biologia

Fumed silica-coated magnetic particles: DNA extraction application

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) is widely used for preparing magnetic particles in DNA extraction kits, but it poses toxicity and safety concerns. To address this issue, we developed magnetic particles using fumed silica as a safer alternative to TEOS for magnetite particle preparation for DNA extraction. The method effectively extracts DNA from various biological matrices, including urine, serum, saliva, sputum, whole blood, and plasma, without detectable inhibitors. The extracted DNA is suitable for downstream molecular applications such as qPCR and sequencing. The proposed magnetic particles with fumed silica not only reduce chemical hazards but also provide a safer, efficient, and reliable method for routine DNA extraction in molecular biology laboratories.

Article history: Received 15 January 2025; Revised 03 March 2025;
Accepted 11 March 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Charting the academic output on cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides and their industrial applications

Maricel Bocaneala, Giovani M. Goron, Elena Rakosy-Tican — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) are diverse biopolymers with significant ecological roles and growing industrial potential due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functional versatility. This study presents a bibliometric and patent analysis of cyanobacterial EPS research between 2004 and 2023, exploring academic and industrial advancements. The bibliometric analysis of 1,022 articles identified pharmaceuticals and environmental applications as dominant research themes, while the food, agriculture, and energy sectors showed emerging interest. A manually curated subset of 79 articles focusing on industrial applications highlighted EPS’s potential in pollutant removal, drug development, and biofertilization. Patent analysis, with data from 618 entries, revealed a surge in filings post-2014, predominantly in the USA, reflecting growing industrial interest. While healthcare and environmental sectors lead in EPS applications, translational gaps between academic research and industrial adoption persist, particularly in underdeveloped domains. This study presents the multidisciplinary appeal of cyanobacterial EPS, striving to offer insights into future research directions and their potential for sustainable innovation across diverse sectors.

Article history: Received 4 February 2025; Revised 17 March 2025;
Accepted 17 March 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

The effects of bulk, biologic and nano-form fertilizers on Zea mays growth under irrigated circumstances

Mohsen Janmohammadi, Soheila Samadi, Naser Sabaghnia — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In practical plant biology, nanotechnology has involvements on every step of cropping, such as early growing, maintenance, harvesting and post harvesting and it has caused remarkable changes in findings solutions for facing problems. A trial was done to study the effects of different fertilizers on maize performance. The trial compared NPK bulk fertilizer, synthetic nano-sized fertilizers (boron, zinc, and complete), and biological fertilizers. Analyzing the data through principal component (PC) analysis indicated that the PC1 and PC2 explained for 56 and 27% of the variability in the dataset. Synthetic nano-zinc and nano-boron emerged as the most promising fertilizers, showcasing superior performance in terms of yield performance and yield components. A vector-tool biplot highlighted a robust positively correlation between chlorophyll content and straw yield, along with similar trends in grain yield and number of kernels per ear. Conventional bulk fertilizer (NPK) showed relatively lower efficiency across most evaluated traits. Based on ideal trait biplot, biological yield and stem diameter exhibited similar properties like to ideal trait, while oil percentage and hundred grain weight demonstrated unfavorable performance across treatments. This analysis underscores the efficacy of the treatment × trait biplot in elucidating relationships among traits and facilitating visual comparisons between different fertilizers. Overall, the findings underscore the significant enhancement of various maize cultivation traits through the application of synthetic nano-zinc and boron fertilizers, particularly in full irrigation condition.

Article history: Received 15 March 2024; Revised 16 December 2024;
Accepted 5 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Diversity of arthropods associated with sheep, cow, goat, and camel manure in the southeast of Algeria

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Within the region of southeast Algeria, the Berlese method was utilized to conduct an inventory of the arthropods that were associated with four different types of manure: cow, sheep, goat, and camel. A total of 6,908 arthropods were collected, and they were categorized into four classes, 14 orders, and 37 families. The three families, Histeridae, Sphaeroceridae, and Staphylinidae, were found almost everywhere, with the relative abundance of each family varying according to the type of manure. The Anthicidae and Scarabaeidae families, which are the only two families remaining, were distributed selectively. The Shannon diversity index (H’) for arthropod families obtained from the various types of manure reveals that sheep and goat manure display the highest level of diversity by (H’ = 2.26 bits) and (H’ = 2.23 bits), respectively. The frequency of the larval form (86.58%, NI = 5,981) compared to the adult form (13.42%, NI = 927) suggests that manure is an appropriate environment for incubating the immature stages of several arthropods. On occasion, members of certain families of pests were discovered. These families include Bostrychidae, Dermestidae, and Gryllotalpidae.

Article history: Received 02 August 2024; Revised 15 April 2025;
Accepted 26 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Enhanced azo dye (Sudan G) decolorization and simultaneous electricity generation using a bacterial consortium in a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell

Chinwendu Jude Echejiuba, Chimezie Jason Ogugbue, Ifeyinwa Sarah Obuekwe — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Azo dyes are prevalent anthropogenic compounds, making their enhanced treatment crucial in our color-saturated world. This study examined the ability of a microbial consortium, comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MW584979), Enterobacter hormaechei (MW584986), Providencia stuartii (MW584987), Escherichia coli (MZ394117), and Pseudomonas xiamenensis (MW585052), to decolorize Sudan orange G in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) after determining the optimal conditions for dye decoorization using response surface methodology (RSM) and the One Factor at a Time (OFAT) method. Degradation products were analyzed using the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy technique. The consortium achieved an 88% decolorization rate within 24 hours under the optimal conditions identified by the Central Composite Design (CCD) of RSM. These conditions, pH 7.0, temperature 35, salinity 5 g/L, and glucose concentration 10 g/L, when applied in the MFC, resulted in an enhanced decolorization rate of 92% and simultaneous electricity generation of 130 mV within 24 hours. GC-MS analysis confirmed the breakdown of the azo dye into simpler, less toxic compounds. Metabolites produced through RSM and MFC processes were identified and compared with controls using chromatography-mass spectrometry. Degradation metabolites obtained after treatment of the dye wastewater in the MFC include Cyclopentane and cyclopropylidene-2(1H)-naphthalenone which highlights the role of microbial enzymatic activity in converting complex azo dye structures into environmentally benign compounds. These results highlight the successful integration of RSM for process optimization and MFCs for enhanced biodegradation and renewable energy production. The scalability of this technique is promising, given the relatively simple and cost-effective setup of MFC systems. Moreover, the economic feasibility of large-scale deployment is enhanced by the dual benefits of wastewater treatment and renewable energy production, making it a sustainable solution for managing azo dye pollution.

Article history: Received 7 August 2024; Revised 3 December 2024;
Accepted 22 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Molecular detection of enterotoxin genes (sea and sec) in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy products in Karaj, Alborz, Iran

Roudabeh Sadraie, Naser Harzandi , Bahman Tabaraei — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Staphylococcus aureus, a significant bacterial agent of food poisoning, particularly the strains producing enterotoxins, is a topic of paramount importance. The prevalence of these enterotoxins in the dairy industry, especially in regions like Karaj city, Alborz province, Iran, with its numerous industrial and traditional dairy companies, is a matter of great concern for public health. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of sea and sec genes among dairy products in Karaj, Iran. We collected 100 samples of industrial and traditional dairy products, including 25 samples of pasteurized milk, 25 samples of pasteurized ice cream, 25 samples of raw milk, and 25 samples of traditionally made ice cream, throughout Karaj, then transferred them into the laboratory, then cultured on the media containing mannitol salt agar and Brad Parker agar. Second, enzymatic tests, such as catalase and coagulase tests and biochemical and bacterial assessments, including mannitol fermentation and Gram staining methods, were employed to detect S. aureus contamination. Besides, the presence of sea and sec genes was assessed by PCR. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The results demonstrated that enzymatic and biochemical methods could detect 54 contaminated samples by S. aureus among 100 samples. However, as a reliable molecular technique, PCR detected 57 S. aureus-contaminated samples among all the tested samples. Moreover, it is indicated that 12 and 6 PCR-positive samples contained enterotoxin A and C types, respectively.
In brief, the huge amounts of dairy products in Karaj are significantly contaminated by enterotoxin-producing strains of S. aureus, especially type A and C.

Article history: Received 25 August 2024; Revised 25 October 2024;
Accepted 17 January 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

The control of Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) population using sugars under semi-arid climate (Batna, Algeria)

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The codling moth remains the main pest of apples in the Batna region of Algeria and causes heavy damage to apple orchards. This paper aims to show the possibility of using insecticide (Thiacloprid which may provide selective control tools) and sugar (which may induce multiple systemic resistances) to control Cydia pomonella. The field trials were carried out on the “Anna” apple tree cultivar in Tilatou (Batna, Algeria). The efficacy of sucrose and fructose (100 ppm), in comparison to Thiacloprid (25 mL ha^-1), was assessed based on the proportion of fruits that larvae destroyed, the quantity of larvae gathered in corrugated cardboard, and the quantity of male moths trapped in pheromone traps. This study showed that all tested products reduced fruits damaged by Cydia pomonella. Treatments by sucrose and fructose provide percentages of damaged fruits at rates of 8.44±0.64 and 7.57±1.25, respectively, vs. 36.35±3.00 for untreated trees. The treatments also affected the number of larvae caught in bands of corrugated cardboard. Foliar spraying in the morning with sugar (every 20 days) can be an alternative method to manage the codling moth population. The use of sugars is a novel method in the plant protection strategy. These results constitute an interesting alternative to classical approaches offered by the opportunity to reduce the rate of chemical insecticides required for effective pest management.

Article history: Received 30 August 2024; Revised 2 April 2025;
Accepted 26 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Biochar soil amendments affect mycorrhizal colonization, root nodulation and dry matter accumulation in cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There is increasing demand for renewable inputs to improve soil productivity to satisfy the ever-growing human population. Biochar as a renewable resource has attracted attention over the years as soil amendment, notable for climate change mitigation and crop improvement. This study assessed the impact of pine wood biochar soil amendments on mycorrhizal root colonization, root nodulation, growth and yield of cowpeas in 2017 and 2018. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Biochar was applied with or without inorganic fertilizer (NPK_15:15:15), cattle dung and nutrient source control two weeks before planting cowpea. Data on growth parameters, number of nodules, and plant dry matter accumulation were collected. Mycorrhizal colonization and spore counts associated with root nodules were determined under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that biochar amendments significantly affected nodulation, vine length, root length and weight. Percentage improvement was as follows: vine length by 8.8%, number of nodules by 14%, root length by 9.5%, root weight by 5.2% and dry matter accumulation by 92%. Application of NPK improved root length and weight over the control. Stereomicroscopic visualization of the roots indicated high presence of arbuscules in the biochar treatment over the control. Biochar addition is essential for improvement of rhizosphere traits essential for plant growth enhancement.

Article history: Received 24 September 2024; Revised 14 December 2024;
Accepted 15 January 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Tomato powder processing involving different pretreatments: its effect on quality of the product packaged in polyethylene terephthalate pouches

Faith Chidera Ekeh, Ihuoma Ahaotu, Ndukwe Maduka — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The method of drying fresh tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill) to prevent quick spoilage, could affect the quality of the product, and influence consumer acceptability. This study is focused on determining the effect of different pretreatments on the quality of tomato powders packaged in polyethylene terephthalate pouches, and stored for 16 weeks at room temperature (25±2 ^ºC). A total of six tomato powder samples, which include the blanched ascorbic acid pretreated (BAAP), unblanched ascorbic acid pretreated (UAAP), blanched lime juice pretreated (BLJP), unblanched lime juice pretreated (ULJP), sundried without pretreatment (SDTP), and the control (without pretreatment; dehydrator used for drying), was prepared. The total viable counts (TVC) of the stored tomato powders were within the range of 4.40-7.31 log₁₀CFU/g. Although the TVC of the samples increased within the first few weeks, the values reduced as the storage period increased. The SDTP tomato powder maintained a higher TVC compared with other stored samples. There was a reduction in pH, moisture, ash, titratable acidity, and vitamin C content of the powdered tomatoes. The lycopene content of tomato powders was within the range of 102.13±1.53-132.70±1.46 mg/100g, while the fruit tomato was 18.96±1.27 mg/100g. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the functional properties of the tomato powders, with few exceptions. Different pretreatments increased the water absorption capacity and bulk density of the samples, but reduced their emulsion stability. The BLJP and BAAP tomato powders had a very high sensory rating, whereas the SDTP sample was the least. Based on the overall results, blanched ascorbic acid pretreatment is recommended for the production of good quality tomato powder.

Article history: Received 14 October 2024; Revised 02 December 2024;
Accepted 04 March 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Influence of soil depth on seedling growth and development of Amaranthus viridis L. after amendment with organic fertilizer

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The implications of applying organic fertilizers made from dried cow dung and food waste on the seedling development and growth of Amaranthus viridis at different soil horizons was examined in the current study. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design, with 6 profile depths x 3 fertilizer treatments x 3 replicates each, totaling 54 bowls. The set up was left for 5 weeks. The findings demonstrated that cow dung manure provided adequate plant nutrients for enhancing seedling growth A. viridis. Although 0.05 g seeds of A. viridis was sown in the bowls, emergence capacities under varying soil conditions differed. Amending the soils with food waste manure hampered emergence capacities of the test plant. There were only six (06) sprouts at the first week compared to 46 in the control. Despite the observation that soil horizon and organic fertilizer application had no discernible effect on the root length of 5 - week - old seedlings (which varied between 1.3 cm and 2.3 cm), the use of manure was associated with a decrease in foliar chlorosis incidence. Without manure, foliar chlorotic incidence was 58 % in the 61 – 75 cm soil profile depth, compared to 35.0 – 35.2 % when soils were amended with either cow - dung or dried food waste manure. Ultimately, while deeper soil horizons initially posed challenges for growth, soil amendment successfully alleviated these unfavorable conditions.

Article history: Received 24 November 2024; Revised 26 April 2025;
Accepted 26 April 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Hunger-induced convergence of personality traits towards ambush-predatory behavior in ball pythons (Python regius, Shaw 1802)

Octavian Craioveanu, Elisabeth Spataro, Cristina Craioveanu — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Personality traits have been shown to be influenced by environmental and internal factors, hunger being one of the most important. The resulting behavior fluctuates greatly depending on the feeding ecology of the different species and intraspecific individual variation.

In this study, we used eight captive-born juvenile ball pythons to examine the relationship between personality traits, namely shyness and exploratory tendencies, and the chronological postprandial-induced psychobiological effects on a seven-day interval that concluded with the installation of hunger.

We found a strong correlation between shyness and hunger. Regarding exploratory predispositions, we found high individual variation at the beginning and middle of the postprandial cycle that evened out as hunger's influence started to be perceived.

Notably, this study's outcomes have the potential to enhance our understanding of captive animal management techniques and contribute to improving zoo animal welfare.

Article history: Received 13 January 2025; Revised 25 March 2025;
Accepted 03 April 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Community-level physiological profiling of carbon substrate metabolization by microbial communities associated to sediments and water in karstic caves from Romania

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Cave ecosystems comprise specialized microbial communities that play essential roles in biogeochemical cycles; yet their metabolic capabilities and ecological functions are not fully understood. As conventional cultivation techniques provide limited insights into the metabolic capabilities, methods based on direct functionality screening may improve our knowledge of cave microbial activity. In this study, the Community-Level Physiological Profiling (CLPP) based on Biolog^® EcoPlate™ approach was applied to assess carbon (C) substrate utilization by microbial communities associated with 36 environamental samples collected from five karstic caves (Cloșani, Ferice, Leșu, Muierilor, and Topolnița) in Romania. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) statistics were employed to infer the patterns of C substrate metabolization and their environmental drivers. Environmental variables such as sodium (Na) and electrical conductivity (EC) significantly impacted C substrate utilization capabilities as indicated by both PCA and GAM. The latter analysis elucidated non-linear relationships between variables, such as EC, Na, and Mg, and microbial metabolic diversity indices. However, distinct C substrate utilization patterns were detected among sampled sites and chemical types. Unlike moonmilk samples where associated microbial communities appeared as exhibiting low C substrate utilization, the highest activity was shown in cave pool water samples with the associated microbial communities extensively consuming D-galacturonic acid and Tween 80. Conversely, substrates like L-threonine and α-ketobutyric acid showed limited utilization across all cave samples. Average Well Color Development (AWCD) and Shannon diversity indices indicated that microbial communities associated to samples from Cloșani and Muierilor caves demonstrated the highest metabolic diversity. Our findings suggested that metabolic profiling using Biolog^® EcoPlate™ method combined with multivariate statistical methods might prove a suitable analysis approach to effectively screen for cave microbial functionality and the probable environmental drivers. Besides, this work distinguishes from similar studies by relying on GAM analysis to predict the environmental factors governing the microbially-mediated organic carbon degradation in subterranean ecosystems.

Article history: Received 28 February 2025; Revised 30 April 2025;
Accepted 18 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Forage, Preen or Fight? A Study of Interspecific Water Bird Interactions at Crișul Repede River

Ana-Teodora Stefan, Cristina Craioveanu, Alexandru Nicolae Stermin — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Analyzing the behavior of birds offers insight into the conservation of biodiversity, a heavily discussed subject in the fields of ecology as well as ornithology. As it has been previously proven (Rushton et al., 1994), slow-flowing areas of rivers represent important habitats for birds all throughout the year and the conservation of this type of habitats has been known to have a positive effect on the population of many water bird species (Rolls et al., 2012). Therefore, this study explores the dynamic of interspecific interactions between water birds in open water areas from the Afon Peța portion of the Crișul Repede River in Bihor, Romania. We collected data over 8 months, from October 2022 to May 2023 and identified 23 bird species and three types of interactions between them: cooperation for foraging, for grooming, and aggression. The frequency of various interactions was directly proportional to the number of individuals observed on the area, however, we found no connection to the month or the season. Additionally, we detected no preference regarding the interaction partner species. We found a strong correlation between the number of individuals and the number of interactions in all species. The results obtained through this study will help broaden the knowledge about common aquatic bird species in the area, as well as the dynamic of behaviours over the course of three seasons.

Article history: Received 18 March 2025; Revised 7 June 2025;
Accepted 11 June 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

MΦ macrophage – N0 neutrophil dialogue in the presence of TNF-α affects the endothelium

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays a pivotal role in the bi-directional dialogue between macrophages and neutrophils during the pre- and post- lesional stages of atherogenesis. This pro-inflammatory cytokine orchestrates a complex interplay between these immune cells, leading to the activation and recruitment of additional leukocytes, and the modulation of endothelial cell function, which collectively drive plaque formation and progression. Elevated levels of TNF-α result in the upregulation of adhesion molecules on the surface of endothelial cells. The cross-talk between macrophages and neutrophils, mediated by TNF-α, also leads to the release of soluble factors that have profound effects on the endothelium. Notably, these factors induce endothelial cell apoptosis via mechanisms involving caspase-3 activation, further contributing to the dysfunction and eventual denudation of the endothelial layer, a hallmark of atherogenesis. At molecular level, TNF-α exposure significantly upregulates the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators in macrophages, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and the activation of key signaling pathways such as the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK). This bi-directional dialogue not only sustains chronic inflammation, but also amplifies the pathogenic processes underlying atherosclerosis, suggesting that targeting TNF-α and its downstream effects could represent a therapeutic strategy to mitigate disease progression. In this study, we aimed at investigating the dialogue between macrophages and unpolarized neutrophils, by assessing the biomarkers leading to cells activation and their differentiation towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype. The effects of TNF-α were explored in the context of inflammation in the arterial wall, for a better understating of atherogenesis. The study results indicated a low intensity inflammatory response, characterized by the up-regulation of key molecules involved in cell signaling for differentiation towards an inflammatory phenotype but not in the production of significant amounts of cytokines and enzymes.

Article history: Received 31 March 2025; Revised 28 May 2025;
Accepted 29 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025

Antimicrobial effects produced by gold nanoparticles obtained with extracts of Allium sativum and Allium ursinum

Ioana Andreea Barbu, Rahela Carpa, Oana Maria Biro, Marcel Pârvu — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) obtained by green synthesis using plant extracts from the genus Allium have attracted significant scientific interest due to their potential applications as antimicrobial agents in the biomedical field. This study investigates the antimicrobial potential of AuNPs obtained by green synthesis using extracts of Allium sativum and Allium ursinum. These plant extracts are rich in sulfur compounds (allicin), flavonoids and polyphenols, which not only facilitate the formation of nanoparticles, but also confer them increased antimicrobial properties. The nanoparticles thus obtained were characterized by spectroscopic methods (UV-Vis) and were tested for antimicrobial activity. Microbiological tests performed in vitro demonstrated an antimicrobial activity of the nanoparticles against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria but also against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. The results support the idea that gold nanoparticles functionalized with Allium extracts may constitute a promising alternative in the development of natural antimicrobial compounds with applications in medicine, the food industry and the pharmaceutical field.

Article history: Received 16 May 2025; Revised 29 May 2025;
Accepted 29 May 2025; Available online 25 June 2025