Lavender is in the research spotlight due to its increasing economic importance, while market demand is expected to continue to grow. Among the hundreds of essential-oil-bearing plants, Lavandula angustifolia Mill. remains one of the most valuable. This paper explores the lavender chain timeline from crop to products, examining the expanding knowledge on the characteristics, phytochemical profile and functional potential of lavender that could lead to new products and uses. Lavender crops can be expanded without competing for productive land, instead using marginal, contaminated or unproductive land. A novel cultivation trend proposes leveraging agri-background biodiversity, arbuscular mycorrhiza and the natural enemies of pests for healthy crops. Together with breeding efforts targeting highly performant genotypes with complex volatile profiles coupled with resistance to specific biotic (particularly Phytoplasma) and abiotic (salt, heavy metals) stressors, industry could have a steady supply of high-quality raw material. Besides the expansion of the uses of essential oil in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and environmental and agri-applications, novel channels have appeared for the use of the solid by-product, which is rich in polyphenols and polysaccharides; these channels have the potential to create additional streams of value. The stabilization and optimization of techno-functional delivery systems through the encapsulation of essential oil can extend shelf-life and enhance biological activity efficiency.

Iris germanica L. is an ornamental and medicinal plant used since ancient times for their rhizomes, still utilized today to obtain orris butter highly valued in perfumery. Iris germanica presents special root adaptations, which confers certain tolerance to water and salt stress, making it a good option in the context of the current climate trend. Aim of this study was to prospect the potential for biofortification of rhizomes using commercial arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) application in field conditions for six Iris germanica cultivars. Plants presented Paris-type AM colonization. Rhizome samples collected after nine months from treatment and maturated, presented FT-IR (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) spectra variation between experimental variants. Presence of the main metabolites in rhizome could be confirmed based on literature. Screening focused on two rhizome quality markers: carbohydrates, which influence plant development, and fatty acids, which are extractable from rhizome. Results suggest potential to enhance their accumulation in certain cultivars, such as ‘Pinafore Pink’ following AM application.

The paper aimes to present the analysis of the qualitative and quantitative changes in the feed obtained as a result of the Festuca rubra - Agrostis capillaris organic and mineral fertilization. The experiment was conducted in 2014, in Băișoara village (Cluj county), at an altitude of 1240 m above sea level. The experiment included four variants in three repetitions, as follows: first variant (V1) – control variant, (unfertilized); second variant (V2) fertilized with 10 t manure/ha; V3 – fertilized with 10 t manure/ha + 50 N + 25 P2O5 + 25 K2O kg/ha active substance/ha; V4 – fertilized with 20 t manure/ha; V5 – fertilized with 10 t manure/ha + 100 N + 50 P2O5 + 50 K2O kg/ha active substance/ha; V6 – fertilized with 100 N + 50 P2O5 + 50 K2O kg active substance/ha. The grass was cut once in 2014, in 2015 and in 2016 and the botanical composition was determined, along with the feed quality. The Festuca rubra L. and Agrostis capillaris L. grassland responded very well to the application of the organic and mineral fertilization.

Nepetalactone (NL) is a volatile iridoid monoterpene widely used in biopesticidal and repellent applications, yet its toxicokinetic behavior and metabolic fate as a pure compound remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to provide an integrated toxicokinetic evaluation of NL by combining in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) modeling with in vitro metabolism assays using rat and human liver microsomes, supported by UHPLC–MS/MS analysis for metabolite identification. The in silico biotransformation predicted extensive phase I oxidation followed by phase II conjugation, while ADMET predictions indicated low systemic persistence and limited toxicological concern for most metabolites. The performed in vitro microsomal assays confirmed the in silico prediction by a rapid and time-dependent NL metabolism via both oxidative (86% reduction in NL concentration after 120 min) and conjugative (89% reduction in NL concentration after 120 min) pathways in rat and human systems, with comparable depletion kinetics between species. UHPLC–MS/MS enabled the identification of multiple phase I and phase II metabolites, pointing to pronounced interspecies differences in conjugative metabolism. In this sense, while oxidoreduction and hydrolysis reactions were consistent with previously reported iridoid metabolism. This study suggests the possible formation of previously unreported amino acid-related derivatives, although these require further confirmation. Overall, these findings advance the understanding of NL biotransformation, propose a new, previously unknown, metabolic pathway for iridoids, and provide relevant data to support human health and environmental risk assessment frameworks.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a fungal disease of small grain cereals caused by pathogen fungi Fusarium sp. and has become a serious danger to the worldwide grain industry. Under favorable weather conditions (moist, warm conditions during flowering), the Fusarium spores are spread by wind to cereal spikelet, and then, infection expands within the whole ears. Wheat production can be reduced by up to 50-60%, and includes losses caused by flower abortion, elimination of damaged grains during threshing, decrease in grain size, and reduction in grain weight. In this paper we studied the behavior of some wheat varieties at the Fusarium sp., attack, under different infection conditions, between 2015-2018. The climatic conditions had a decisive role in the appearance and development of the disease, the percentage of infected ears and grains, in 2015 and 2016 recorded the highest values. Applying the vegetation treatments, at the optimum time, will lead to the reduction of the percentage of infected ears and kernels, even if there is a high pressure of infection. The yields obtained from the wheat varieties were influenced by the climatic conditions, the infection mode and the cultivated genotype. The lowest yields were obtained in 2017, a problematic year for the winter wheat crop; at the pressure of infection, without treatments, we obtained the lowest yields.

Implication of Powdered Milk in Staphylococcal Intoxication: A Case Study