Oat is increasingly recognized as a valuable cereal due to its favorable nutritional profile and potential application in functional foods. This study aimed to provide an integrated nutritional and technological evaluation of black oat (Avena strigosa) and white oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars Ovidiu, Jeremy, and Sorin, grown under uniform conditions. The chemical composition was assessed by determining proteins, lipids, total mineral and polyphenol contents. Macro- and microelement profiles (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Zn) were quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), while the technological suitability of black oat flour for bakery applications was evaluated using Mixolab analysis and bread quality parameters. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied to investigate structural features associated with β-glucans in the oat samples. The results showed that protein content ranged from 12.39 to 13.48%, while lipid content varied between 3.24 and 4.64%. Significant differences were observed in mineral composition among the analyzed samples. Black oat showed a balanced mineral profile, characterized by high levels of K, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Ni, confirming its classification as a mineral-rich cereal, while the Ovidiu cultivar generally presented the lowest concentrations for most elements. Mixolab results revealed that the partial substitution of wheat flour with black oat flour significantly influenced dough rheological behavior, particularly in terms of protein weakening and starch gelatinization, without severely affecting dough stability when applied at moderate inclusion levels. Bread quality evaluation demonstrated acceptable crumb elasticity, porosity, and height-to-diameter ratios, supporting the feasibility of incorporating black oat in bakery products. FTIR analysis revealed characteristic absorption bands associated with β-glucans, supporting their presence and structural integrity in both black oat and cultivated varieties. Overall, this study demonstrates that both black oat and selected oat cultivars represent valuable raw materials for functional food applications, offering enhanced nutritional profiles and suitable technological performance. The combined use of compositional, rheological, and spectroscopic analyses provides a comprehensive approach for evaluating oat-based ingredients in the context of modern cereal science.

This study aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of some Lamiacea essential oils (EOs). For this purpose, eight EOs, including two from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. cultivated in Romania and Spain (LA1 and LA2), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Lavandula hybrida Balb. ex Ging (LH), Salvia sclarea L. (SS), Mentha smithiana L. (MS), Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. (PA), and Mentha x piperita L. (MP), were evaluated in vitro in terms of antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and anti-migratory activities. As regards the antioxidant capacity, expressed as the EO concentration that produces 50% of the maximum effect (IC50 value), the EOs obtained from the cultivated plants of the Lamiaceae family are ordered as follows: LA2 ˃ LA1 ˃ LH > MP > MS > SO > SS > PA. For the determination of antimicrobial activity, the reference strains used for testing were Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, Shigella flexneri serotype 2b, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis. The most intense inhibitory effect was observed in EOs of MS and MP on all tested microbial strains. The cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity of EOs was tested on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and B164A5) and on a healthy keratinocyte line (HaCaT). EOs LA1 and MP manifested the highest selectivity on the analysed tumoural cells, by reducing their migration in comparison with the control, proving to have therapeutic potential.

Barley husk, a by-product of the production of groats, is commonly regarded as a waste product, although it possesses high nutritional value. The present study sought to examine the health-promoting compounds, including insoluble and soluble fibre, vitamin B group, macronutrients and micronutrients, polyphenols, phytomelanin, and the antioxidant properties of both husk and dehusked black barley grain (H. v. var. rimpaui), in comparison with common barley (H. vulgare). Furthermore, the composition of two fractions of the husk (5

Dioecious hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an industrial crop utilised for various purposes, including fibre, seeds, and plant extracts. The seeds and plant extracts are used for food, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetic products. This study explores the therapeutic potential of dioecious hemp by analysing the antibacterial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from four varieties of CS: CS 1 - Armanca, CS 2 - Lovrin 110, CS 3 - Silvana, and CS 4 - Teodora. The antibacterial properties of the examined extracts were evaluated against two clinically significant ATCC bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922). The main parameters assessed included bacterial growth percentage (BGP%) and bacterial inhibition percentage (BIP%), and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). These were utilised to evaluate the effectiveness of the extracts. The findings indicated a positive correlation between the concentration of CS extract and its antibacterial activity. Specifically, higher extract concentrations resulted in stronger inhibitory effects on bacterial growth. However, further research is crucial to fully understand the potential of hemp hydroalcoholic extracts as components in antibacterial pharmaceutical products.

The wild species of the genus Thymus reveal a great taxonomic diversity, indicating a natural evolution that has allowed the adaptation to different habitats and has created the premises of a divergent evolution based on a great genetic variability. The study aims at quantitative morphological characterization by quantifying the associative relationships between the morphological parameters studied, for thirteen thyme populations growing wild in western Romania. Five morphological parameters were used to evaluate the quantitative morphological characters to establish the degree of phenotypic similarity between the studied populations. Depending on the phenotypic similarity, the populations were hierarchically classified into three main clusters using the UPGMA multiparametric cluster analysis. Concerning the analysis of variance for the morphological traits studied in the thyme populations, high and significant values of variance were recorded in the case of leaf length which shows a high capacity for differentiation between the three groups. The lowest diversity between populations of different clusters was observed for leaf width. The overall results revealed high intraspecific and interspecific variability in wild populations of thyme and provided significant information for plant breeding.

The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of variety, nitric, amoniacal nitrogen and level of fertilization for values of wet gluten content on winter wheat. The research was carried out in 2021-2023 and the method of planting was carried out in subdivided randomized blocks with three repetitions. The subject of the experiment consisted in testing twenty-seven modern winter wheat varieties with the experimental variants: 120, 150, 170 kg ha-1 a.s. nitric and amammoniacal N. Compared with the mean of the experience of 32.83% the highest value was obtained of Ciprian variety-35.64%. The application of treatments on a chernozem soil weakly acidic with nitric N positively influenced this index were the highest values of 34.54%, 33.86% and 34.73% were obtained. In those fertilizated with ammonium N, the values obtained were below the experience. The results were discussed in view of classical statistics using ANOVA and The Student`s t-tests.

Climate change and increasing drought frequency pose major risks to legume production in Southeastern Europe, threatening food security and sustainable land use. This study evaluates chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) as a climate-resilient alternative to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under the pedoclimatic conditions of Southwestern Romania. A bifactorial field experiment (species � preceding crop) was conducted in 2023 (favorable year) and 2024 (drought year). Results showed that chickpea maintained significantly higher yield stability (average 1205 kg ha?�) than common bean (961 kg ha?�), with yield reductions under drought of only 15�20% compared to over 45% for bean. Although protein content was similar, protein yield was higher in chickpea due to its stable productivity. Wider row spacing (50�70 cm) improved performance in both species. Beyond agronomic advantages, chickpea enhances soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation and supports biodiversity and carbon sequestration. These findings highlight chickpea�s potential to strengthen climate resilience, improve crop rotation sustainability, and align local farming practices with European Green Deal objectives.

This study evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Nepeta � faassenii (family Lamiaceae), a perennial aromatic hybrid derived from N. racemosa and N. nepetella [12]. The genus Nepeta is recognized for its essential oils rich in nepetalactones, phenolic acids, and flavonoids, which contribute to notable biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insect-repellent effects [3], [9], [10], [12]. The Nepeta Vegetal Extract (NVE) was obtained through ultrasonic extraction using 60 % ethanol from aerial plant parts collected at full flowering. Quantitative phytochemical analyses revealed a total polyphenol content of 15,434.92 mg GAE/kg and flavonoid content of 2,176.73 mg QE/kg, indicating a strong antioxidant capacity with 67.78 % DPPH radical inhibition [7], [12]. Antimicrobial assays against Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae demonstrated selective and dose-dependent inhibition. Maximum activity was observed at 5 �L, with inhibition rates of 64.27 % for S. pyogenes, 30.86 % for S. aureus, and 107.02 % for H. influenzae, while E. coli exhibited increased sensitivity at higher volumes (49.87 % at 40 �L) [9], [10]. These results confirm that NVE possesses potent antioxidant and selective antimicrobial properties, attributable to its phenolic and terpenoid constituents [3], [9], [12], supporting its potential application as a sustainable natural source for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food-preservation industries.

Carthamus tinctorius L. - safflower - is a promising oilseed crop for drought-prone regions. Research conducted in the southwestern Banat region on eutric semicarbonatic alluvial soil involved two experiments: one focusing on fertilization and the other on plant density and row spacing. In the fertilization trial, the highest yield of 3335 kg/ha was achieved with an N150P100K60 treatment. This regimen also enhanced grain quality, as evidenced by an increase in the thousand seed weight from 30.4 g in the control to 37.2 g, and an improvement in hectoliter mass from 40.2 kg/hl to 46.2 kg/hl. In a separate experiment evaluating plant density and row spacing, the optimal configuration was found to be 250,000 harvestable plants per hectare with a row spacing of 70 cm, resulting in a yield of 3050 kg/ha. Furthermore, chemical analyses revealed that oil content increased from 30.8% in the control to 40.5% in the N100P100K60 treatment, culminating in a maximum oil production of 1398 kg/ha. These results underscore the potential of safflower as a high-yield, highquality oil crop when appropriate agronomic practices are applied.

This study compares three Romanian Hyssopus officinalis species—H. officinalis f. ruber (HOR), H. officinalis f. albus (HOA), and H. officinalis f. cyaneus (HOC)—evaluating their chemical composition and biological activities, specifically protein denaturation, haemolysis inhibition, and antibacterial effects. Chemical profiles were determined using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The species were cultivated at two distinct locations: the Didactic and Experimental Station DESUSVT and the Agricultural Research and Development Station Lovrin (ARDSL). This study investigates the correlation between chemical composition, biological activities, and local climate data at each site. The results show significant variations in chemical profiles, with species and cultivation location influencing the biological activities. H. officinalis f. albus (HOA) exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. The molecular docking analysis highlighted key compounds, such as cyclohexene,4-isopropenyl-1-methoxymethoxymethyl and elemol, with binding solid affinities to microbial and inflammatory proteins. This study provides valuable insights into the chemical and biological properties of Hyssopus officinalis, emphasising its potential in combating microbial infections, protein denaturation, and haemolysis inhibition.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate from a nutritional, phytochemical, and rheological point of view different varieties/lines of oats cultivated in Romania. In this sense, the proximate composition (proteins, lipids, mineral substances, starch, and carbohydrates), the total polyphenols content (TPC) of individual polyphenols and macro and microelements of 20 oat varieties/lines were determined. In order to evaluate the potential for use in the flour industry (pasta, bread, and biscuits)., a variety of oats with optimal nutritional properties and active principles was used to obtain oat/wheat composite flours in different proportions (10–30% oat flour) and subjected to rheological analysis using the Chopin Mixolab test (Chopin Technologies, Paris, France) The results showed a protein content between 14.36–17.08%, lipid content between 6.01–9.03%, starch between 44.13–52.95%, total mineral substances between 0.93–1.65%, carbohydrates between 65.16–69.32% and energy value between 389.81–409.86 kcal/100 g. The TPC content varied between 614.76–1244.58 µgGAE/g, and the average values of individual polyphenols were between 1.87 μg/g (rosmarinic acid) and 28.18 μg/g (gallic acid). Regarding the macroelements content, potassium (K) was the major element (203.19 μg/g), followed by calcium (Ca) (181.71 μg/g) and magnesium (Mg) (105.79 μg/g). The level of microelements varied between 3.02 μg/g for nickel (Ni) and 60.25 μg/g for iron (Fe). Multivariate data analysis PCA was used to correlate the obtained data. The rheological analysis using the MIXOLAB system proved that, from the point of view of technological properties, composite flours from a mixture of 10–30% oat and wheat flour are the best for obtaining biscuit dough, compared to pasta or pan bread. Following the study and based on nutritional, phytochemical and rheological results, line 2511 was selected as optimal for use in obtaining hypoglycemic flour foods for people with diabetes.

Cannabis sativa L. is one well-known medicinal plant that has attracted interest recently and throughout the years. Our research aimed to highlight the antimicrobial activity of hemp seed oil, the Mara variety cultivated under the conditions of the University of Life Sciences in Timisoara, on 12 microbial strains. The results demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy dependent from one species to another, as follows: an upward trend, positively correlated with the concentration increase tested in the case of: Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonasaeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium and Candida albicans with MIC between 0.2 mg/mL-8 mg/mL. As well as a downward trend, negatively correlated with concentration in the case of strains of Escherichia coli, Listeriamonocytogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, Bacillus cereus and Candida parapsilopsis, where MIC was present starting with the concentration of 0.2 mg/mL. In the case of certain strains (Clostridium perfringens), Cannabis sativa L. oil showed a pronounced strain-boosting effect, with significant stimulation of bacterial growth. The results support further research into the effect of Cannabis sativa L. vegetable oil as a potential antimicrobial agent for microbial strains.

Although at present, both in our country and internationally, in the world grain trade, protein content is an indicator of grain quality, it is positively correlated with other quality indicators such as gluten content, gluten index and sedimentation index. The present study followed the influence of mineral fertilization and pedoclimatic conditions in the Pecica-Arad microzone on the level of production and its quality, expressed by protein content, gluten content, gluten index and sedimentation index. The study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in the low plain of the Mures Meadow. The variety used in the experimentation was Ciprian, created at SCDA Lovrin. The protein content values achieved at the 5 N doses highlight that it ranges from 11.84% (N0) to 15.34% (N120). Analyzing the production obtained also from the point of view of the values of quality indicators (wet gluten over 25%, gluten index 86.33 and sedimentation index above the threshold of 50) and comparing these values with the regulated limits for each one, we can appreciate the special quality of the harvest.

In any region of the globe, the cultivation of industrial crops, including hemp, imposes certain conditions related to relief, climate, hydrology, or soil. The interrelations between these factors lead to differentiations regarding the establishment of cultivation zones and implicitly in terms of productivity. This study aimed to identify suitable areas for hemp cultivation and generate favorability maps in western Romania, based on GIS and MCDA techniques. Ten factors, significantly important for hemp cultivation, related to relief, climatic conditions, soil, and human intervention were considered. Following spatial analyses using the Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) method, the territory was classified into four zones: Zone I, with highly suitable lands (26%), located in the western half, overlapping with plain areas and river valleys; Zone II, with moderately suitable lands (28%), located in regions of high plains and hilly areas; Zone III, with marginal lands (3%), located in some depression areas, hilly areas, or at the contact with pre-mountainous areas; Zone IV, with unsuitable lands for hemp cultivation, in mountainous areas, under restrictive environmental conditions. The obtained results can be used in land management strategies or by farmers for estimating available land resources.

The paper aimed to analyse the morphological characters for eight spontaneous populations of thyme, including an endemic population (Thymus comosus), collected from different regions of the Banat area. Both interpopulation and intrapopulation variability determinations were pursued, and results were correlated with statistical interpretations. Morphological analyses were carried out, including the shape of the leaves, as this morphological character is decisive in the taxonomy of the genus Thymus. Based on morphological similarity, the analysed populations were hierarchically classified, by the cluster mean method, in two main clusters. In the first cluster, six of the eight analysed populations were grouped, respectively those belonging to the species Th. praecox (with the two subspecies janke and polytrychus) and Th. dacicus. In the second cluster we find the endemic population of Th. comosus and the population of Th. pulegioides, which are 97.51% morphologically similar, but different from the populations found in the first cluster. The obtained data allowed the quantification of the associative relationships between the morphological parameters studied.

The aim of the work was to carry out a study on the influence of climatic conditions and fertilization with chemical fertilizers on wheat production in the specific conditions of Didactical Farm (SDE) of the University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timisoara (ULST). A Fundamental contribution to the increase of the yield per unit area is made by the level of N, P. K fertilization and optimal soil and climatic conditions for exploiting the productive potential of the cultivated variety. The high ecological plasticity of wheat and its constant productions means that farmers are still very interested in this crop. Growers are also interested in the crop with the highest yield per unit area. The aim of this paper is to highlight the yield results of Ciprian wheat variety, obtained in the soil and climatic conditions of SDE during 2019-2020, under the influence of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization in order to determine the growers to choose an optimal wheat fertilization option. Wheat yield obtained was determined by nitrogen fertilizer application from the control variant as follows: N-30- 485gk/ha, N-60-584 kg/ha, N-90-605 kg/ha, at all four rates the differences are statistically assured as highly significant.

Hyssopus officinalis L. has a long and rich history as a medicinal plant due to the health benefits transmitted from generation to generation of usage as a carminative, antiseptic, and cough reliever. These benefits have drawn the attention of the researchers, whom, in the last years, have started to fundament scientifical elements of the hyssops crop technology. This study aims to follow and report the germinative capacity and both fresh and dry herba yield of three hyssops varieties (white, blue and pink). The assessing of herba yield, was done at SCDA Lovrin and the germinative capacity of the studied varieties was determined in the Laboratory for Seed Quality from the Faculty of Agriculture from Timisoara. The results are highlighting significant differences between the varieties regarding germinative capacity, the mass of 1000 grains and both dry and fresh herba yield.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the main food staple for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. Sorghum is relatively drought tolerant and cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions under rain-fed production. However, severe drought stress often leads to crop loss and declined productivity. The development and deployment of high-yielding and drought-adapted genotypes is a cost-effective strategy for sustainable sorghum production globally. The objective of this study was to determine drought tolerance and genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) effects on grain yields of a population of African sorghum genotypes to identify high-yielding and drought-adapted genotypes for direct production and also for use in breeding programs. Two hundred and twenty-five sorghum genotypes were evaluated under non-stressed (NS), pre-anthesis drought stress (PreADS), and post-anthesis drought stress (PoADS) conditions under field and greenhouse environments using a 15 × 15 alpha lattice design in two replicates. The three water regimes and two environments resulted in six testing environments. Data were collected on grain yield and drought tolerance parameters, and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis were computed. The mean grain yield under NS, PreADS, and PoADS were 3.70, 1.76, and 2.58 t/ha, in that order. The best genotypes adapted to non-stressed environments were G09, and G109, whereas G114 and G56 were suitable for non-stressed and stressed conditions. G72 and G75 displayed the best performance in PreADS conditions only, whereas genotypes G210 and G12 were identified as high performers under PoADS only. The AMMI analysis revealed that genotype (G), environment (E), and GEI were significant (p < 0.05), which accounted for 38.7, 44.6, and 16.6% of the total explained variation in grain yield. AMMI 4 was the best-fitting model for grain yield. Based on AMMI 4 and the Best Linear Unbiased Estimates (BLUPs) calculations, genotypes G119 and G127 with a grain yield of 5.6 t/ha and 6.3 t/ha were selected as being suitable for non-stressed conditions. Genotypes G8 and G71 with BLUPs of 2.5 t/ha and 2.6 t/ha were best-suited for pre-anthesis drought stress conditions, whereas genotypes G115 and G120 with BLUPs of 4.2 t/ha and 4.3 t/ha are recommended for post-anthesis drought-prone environments, respectively. The identified sorghum genotypes are recommended for production in dry agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa characterized by pre-and-post anthesis drought stress. In addition, the identified genotypes are valuable genetic resources to develop novel drought-tolerance material.

This paper aims to evaluate the influence of preparation and extraction methods on the phytochemical profile and microbiological activity of 12 medicinal plants from the west side of Romania. First, the proximate composition (humidity, proteins, lipids, and ash) and elemental composition of the raw material were evaluated. Two levels of plant shredding were used: coarse shredding (CS) and fine grinding of plants to obtain powder (FG), and three extraction methods: conventional solvent extraction (CES), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave extraction (MWE). The phytochemical profile investigated referred to antioxidant activity (AA), total polyphenol content (TPC), and flavonoid content (TFC), using spectrophotometric methods, and individual polyphenols detected using the LC/MS method. The preparation/extraction method for each medicinal plant was optimized using statistical analysis. The optimized extracts for each medicinal plant were tested to evaluate the antimicrobial potential against 9 standard strains. The results showed that the sample preparation method before extraction (shredding or grinding) influences the content of phytocompounds by increasing them in powder form. The use of green technologies, especially MWE, leads to the highest content of TPC, TFC, and AA. The TPC value ranged between 4.83–19.2 mgGAE/g DM in the samples CS and between 19.00–52.85 mgGAE/g DM in the samples FG. The highest antioxidant value was found in the Origanum vulgare extract, both in the case of the crushed sample (22.66 mM Fe2+/100 g) and the powder sample (81.36 mM Fe2+/100 g), followed by Melissa officinalis, The TFC values varied in the range of 1.02–3.46 mgQE/g DM when CES was used, between 2.36–12.09 mgQE/g DM for UAE, and between 1.22–9.63 mgQE/g DM in the case of the MWE procedure. The antimicrobial activity highlighted the effectiveness of the extracts, especially on the strains of H. influenzae, C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, S. aureus, and S. flexneri. Reduced antimicrobial activity was recorded for the strains of S. pyogenes and P. aeruginosa. The best antimicrobial activity was registered by Thymus serpyllum, with an inhibition rate of 132.93% against E. coli and 78.40% against C. albicans.

Dioecious Cannabis sativa L. is grown for derived products that are of industrial, food and therapeutic importance. The research aims to highlight the therapeutic potential. The study's main objective is to examine the antibacterial activity of dioecious hemp extracts on two bacterial strains. The plant material comes from 4 varieties of dioecious hemp CS (Cannabis sativa L.): CS1-Armanca, CS2- Lovrin 110, CS 3- Silvana and CS 4- Teodora. The antibacterial property of the plant biological material was tested on two bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922). The evaluation of the antibacterial activity of plant extracts was performed by determining the bacterial growth rate (BGR%), bacterial inhibition rate (BIR%) and MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration). The antibacterial activity of the hydroalcoholic extracts of dioecious Cannabis sativa L was positively correlated with the increase of the concentration tested and inhibitory values. The results recommend them as possible candidates as compounds in products with antibacterial efficacy.