The addition of compost from sewage sludge to soils represents a sustainable option from an environmental and economic point of view, which involves the valorisation of these wastes. However, before their use as a soil amendment, compost has to reach the quality levels according to the normative, including microbial parameters. Viruses are not included in this regulation and they can produce agricultural problems and human diseases if the compost is not well sanitised. In this study, we carried out the analysis of the viral populations during a composting process with sewage sludge at an industrial scale, using semipermeable cover technology. Viral community was characterised by the presence of plant viruses and bacteriophages of enteric bacteria. The phytopathogen viruses were the group with the highest relative abundance in the sewage sludge sample and at 70 days of the composting process. The diversity of bacterial viruses and their specificity, with respect to the more abundant bacterial taxa throughout the process, highlights the importance of the interrelations between viral and bacterial communities in the control of pathogenic communities.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4810106
Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias is a widely distributed, highly migratory mesopredatory shark that is extremely sensitive to overexploitation. Because of unregulated targeted and incidental capture and a lack of enforceable management in the Mediterranean Sea, the spiny dogfish subpopulation has declined by at least 50% in the Mediterranean Sea over the past 75–105 years, and is regionally classified as endangered. In this study we sampled 124 spiny dogfish in the northern-most part of the Mediterranean (i.e. the Adriatic Sea) to: (1) assess levels of genetic diversity using 13 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA; and (2) infer its evolutionary placement while assessing further possible genetic divergence across the Atl antic and Pacific Ocean basins. Analysis of mtDNA revealed 12 unique haplotypes and a high level of genetic variation in the Mediterranean region, whereas results from microsatellite markers showed significant genetic heterogeneity. The findings support an Atlantic–South Pacific origin for the spiny dogfish in the Adriatic Sea, with little or no present-day connectivity with the Atlantic population. Consequently, this commercially exploited and regionally endangered coastal shark in the Adriatic Sea should be considered as a separate management unit, with implementation of regional protective management plans. Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias is a widely distributed, highly migratory mesopredatory shark that is extremely sensitive to overexploitation. Because of unregulated targeted and incidental capture and a lack of enforceable management in the Mediterranean Sea, the spiny dogfish subpopulation has declined by at least 50% in the Mediterranean Sea over the past 75–105 years, and is regionally classified as endangered. In this study we sampled 124 spiny dogfish in the northern-most part of the Mediterranean (i.e. the Adriatic Sea) to: (1) assess levels of genetic diversity using 13 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA; and (2) infer its evolutionary placement while assessing further possible genetic divergence across the Atl antic and Pacific Ocean basins. Analysis of mtDNA revealed 12 unique haplotypes and a high level of genetic variation in the Mediterranean region, whereas results from microsatellite markers showed significant genetic heterogeneity. The findings support an Atlantic–South Pacific origin for the spiny dogfish in the Adriatic Sea, with little or no present-day connectivity with the Atlantic population. Consequently, this commercially exploited and regionally endangered coastal shark in the Adriatic Sea should be considered as a separate management unit, with implementation of regional protective management plans.
COBISS.SI-ID: 16062467
The work presents the complete chloroplast nucleotide sequence of the Adriatic immortelle assembled from the sequenced genome (DNA) using the NGS sequencer Ion S5. The aromatic plant immortelle contains valuable bioactive molecules and a unique scent. These key factors contribute to its attractiveness and implementation in agricultural ecosystems as well as applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In this study, we have characterized the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum. The total genome has a length of 152,431 bp and contains 85 protein coding genes, 36 transfer RNA genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 2 partial genes (ycf1 and rps19). Based on the available chloroplast genomes from the Gnaphalieae tribe in the NCBI database, the closest genetic relationship to the plant Anaphalis sinica was identified. The significance of the results: The sequence of the complete chloropast genome was published for the first time, and submitted to the database of National Center for Biotechnology Information.
COBISS.SI-ID: 9177209
The present study describes the characterization of genetic diversity of jujube germplasm from Istrian Peninsula, the determination of important chemical compounds and antioxidative properties of jujube fruit extracts in relation to antimicrobial properties, and preliminary characterization of nutritional properties of jujube fruit. The results of the genetic analysis showed that most of the samples from Istria belong to two recently introduced varieties 'Li' and 'Lang' and the most widespread locally named variety 'Navadna žižola'. Chemical analysis indicated that fruits of the local variety contained a valuable source of dietary fiber and they were rich in minerals. Water extracts showed a slight antibacterial activity, while ethanol extracts having higher levels of phenolic compounds compared to the water extracts, did not demonstrate antimicrobial activity. Compounds other than phenolic compounds in jujube fruit may be more biologically active. In conclusion, the local jujube variety grown in Istria has promising cultivation potential.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5018744
In the present study we have tested the effect of three chili sauces mimicking popular commercially available chili sauces with an increasing amount of capsaicinoids on a broad range of serum biochemical markers in thirty healthy subjects. First, genetic characterisation of chilli peppers used for the sauce production was analysed and the content of capsaicin (the bioactive compound in chili) was quantifed with HPLC. In the clinical study we show that moderate consumption of capsaicinoids per day has beneficial health effects, such as decrease in glucose level, LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein. However, when a product with higher daily dose of capsaicinoids was consumed, those effects were lost. Considering that biochemical marker levels returned to the initial levels after a week-long wash-out period, we suggest that regular intake of moderate amounts of chili product would be most profitable. We confirm that with foods containing bioactive compounds one can improve the level of inflammation and induce other beneficial effects. Here we demonstrate the health-beneficial effects of plant containing a specific bioactive compound. In our program group we performed genetic and chemical analysis and tested in vivo effects on healthy individuals. We also show the ability of detailed analysis of food intakes and formulation of intake recommendations based on scientific data.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1540213188